Purpose

I will try my best to provide detailed info on various cars and what is like to live with them, I have already produced a few for Jaguar-car-forums, I will do my best to be unbiased, but it will be hard for some cars. I will re-produce press releases and copy from other motoring news.

Saturday 12 September 2015

USA SALES AUGUST - GM - Nothing is slowing down this behemoth of a company with even bigger sales.

  • Chevrolet crossovers up for ninth consecutive month – best August ever
  • Chevrolet truck sales up for 16th consecutive month
  • Double-digit sales increase for GMC pickups
  • Buick crossovers up 28 percent
  • Cadillac SRX up 52 percent
  • Commercial deliveries up for 22 consecutive months
General Motor’s (NYSE: GM) Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands sold 270,480 vehicles in the United States in August 2015. Retail deliveries climbed 6 percent compared with a year ago, when results included the Labor Day holiday. 

GM had the industry’s largest retail sales increase and gained more than 1 percentage point of retail market share year over year, based on J.D. Power PIN estimates. Fleet sales were down 24 percent on a 38 percent decline in rental deliveries. Total sales were in line with a year ago.


GM continues to have the highest average transaction prices (ATPs) and had the lowest incentives as a percentage of ATP in the domestic industry, according to PIN.

“GM’s retail sales increase far outpaced the industry in August, and we have grown our retail share for five months in a row compared to last year,” said Kurt McNeil, GM’s U.S. vice president of Sales Operations. 

“We will continue this momentum with the redesigned Chevrolet Cruze and Malibu, the launch of diesel engines for our midsize pickups, a dramatic restyling of the Chevrolet Silverado and the aggressive rollout of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.”

GM’s outperformance came in a very strong month for the industry. The estimated seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) for light vehicles was 17.5 million units in August, the fourth month in a row above 17 million units – a streak unmatched since 2006.

“All of the economic fundamentals that we look at, including job growth, disposable income and fuel prices, are in good shape and that should keep sales strong,” McNeil said.

August Sales Highlights vs. 2014 (except as noted)

Total Sales

Chevrolet

  • Crossover deliveries have increased year over year for nine consecutive months, with the highest August total and retail sales ever.
  • The Equinox was up 18 percent and Trax deliveries totaled 5,985 units. 
  • Truck sales have increased for 16 consecutive months.
  • Pickup deliveries were up 26 percent. The Silverado was up 12 percent and Colorado sales were 7,114 units. The Colorado remains America’s fastest-selling pickup with a “days to turn” of 19 days.
  • Malibu sales were up 7 percent and Impala sales were up 1 percent.
GMC
  • GMC had its best August sales since 2005.
  • GMC pickup deliveries were up 21 percent, with the Sierra up 7 percent and Canyon deliveries totaling 2,423 units.
  • The Sierra and Canyon have the highest ATPs in their respective segments, according to PIN. The Sierra has the highest ATPs of any pickup line in the industry.
  • The Acadia had its best August ever, with sales up 10 percent.
Buick
  • Encore deliveries were up 29 percent for the small crossover’s 20th consecutive year-over-year sales increase
  • Sales of the Enclave were up 27 percent, for the vehicle’s best August ever.
  • LaCrosse deliveries were up 1 percent.
Cadillac
  • The SRX crossover was up 52 percent.
Fleet and Commercial
  • GM continues to execute its plan to reduce sales to rental customers. Rental deliveries in August were down approximately 15,000 units, or 38 percent, and they are expected to be down again in September.
  • Commercial deliveries were up 2 percent year over year, the 22nd consecutive monthly sales increase.
  • Government sales were up 6 percent, with deliveries to state and local government agencies up 10 percent.
  • Calendar year to date, commercial deliveries are up 16 percent, government sales are up 5 percent and rental deliveries are down 14 percent. Total fleet deliveries are down 5 percent.
  • Pickup sales to fleets have increased year over year for 16 straight months due to strong demand from commercial and government agency customers.
Retail Sales
Chevrolet
  • Chevrolet was up 8 percent and has had five consecutive months of year-over-year retail sales gains, including the brand’s best August sales since 2007.
  • The Silverado was up 20 percent, and the truck had its best August retail sales since 2008.
  • Tahoe deliveries were up 5 percent for its best August retail sales since 2008.
  • Malibu deliveries were up 15 percent for its best retail sales month of the year.  
GMC
  • GMC has grown its retail sales for 19 consecutive months, and the brand delivered its best August retail sales since 2003.
  • The Terrain was up 10 percent and the Acadia was up 3 percent.
  • The Sierra was up 6 percent.  
Buick
  • Encore deliveries were up 29 percent and Enclave was up 19 percent.
Cadillac
  • SRX was up 36 percent.
  Average Transaction Prices (PIN)
  • GM’s August ATPs were $34,000, up more than $300 month over month and about $660 year over year.
  • The ongoing success of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra helped drive higher ATPs. Combined ATPs were up $680 month over month driven by lower incentive spending and improved mix. ATPs are about $1,400 year over year.
  • Calendar year to date, GM’s incentive spending was 11.2 percent of ATP, up 0.4 percentage points, in line with the industry change.
  • In August, GM incentive spending was 12 percent of ATP, down 0.8 percentage points from July 2015. The industry was up 0.2 percentage points.

USA SALES AUGUST - AUDI - August became the brands second best month ever in the USA.

  • Second-best sales month in Audi of America history
  • All-time best U.S. sales month for Audi Q5 SUV
  • All-new and technologically advanced Audi TT models off to strong sales start
Audi reported that its August 2015 sales increased 9.9% to 18,794 vehicles, a total that stands as the second-best monthly result ever in the U.S. market.
Audi achieved its best-ever August sales in the U.S. to mark its 56th consecutive monthly sales record. 

The previous August record was set in 2014 with 17,101 Audi vehicles sold. Through the first eight months of 2015, Audi U.S. sales rose 12.1% from last year to 116,066 vehicles.


August 2015 only trails the December 2014 all-time monthly record of 19,238 vehicles sold.

August results were bolstered by sales of Audi luxury SUVs, with a 40.9% increase for the Audi Q3, Q5 and Q7 models combined. The Q5 posted a 34.4% increase from last year, marking its best-ever sales month in the U.S. The Q7 posted an 8.4% increase from last August.

A key August 2015 sales highlight was the strong launch of the all-new Audi TT. In its first full month of U.S. market availability, the third-generation sports car line turned in a 259.3% sales improvement from a year earlier.

“The fast start for the technologically advanced Audi TT perfectly encapsulates the ingredients of Audi momentum over these past 56 months,” said Mark Del Rosso, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Audi of America. 

“It is a story built on steady dealer investments, relentless new product development and a determination to be an industry leader in dramatic technologies such as the fully digital cockpit found in the TT models.”

The A3 model line achieved robust sales led by the Audi A3 Cabriolet models in August 2015. The compact premium models achieved a 31.2% increase over year-earlier sales. The Audi A7 model also performed well, with a year-over-year increase of 11.0%.

Audi holds the longest running monthly record sales streak in the premium car market according to a competitive sales report from 
MotorIntelligence.com.

AUDI US SNAPSHOT
--MTD--
--YTD--
Model Line
Aug '15 Actual
Aug '14 Actual
Yr/Yr % change
Aug '15 YTD  Actual
Aug '14 YTD Actual
Yr/Yr % change
A3
3,188
2,430
31.2%
24,260
12,329
96.8%
A4
2,541
3,233
-21.4%
18,306
23,349
-21.6%
A5
1,043
1,813
-42.5%
8,867
11,961
-25.9%
A6
2,022
1,927
4.9%
15,359
15,657
-1.9%
A7
757
682
11.0%
4,882
5,798
-15.8%
A8
441
436
1.1%
3,376
3,573
-5.5%
allroad
202
585
-65.5%
1,742
2,961
-41.2%
Q5
5,051
3,757
34.4%
31,417
26,874
16.9%
Q7
2,016
1,859
8.4%
12,480
11,740
6.3%
Q3
1,189
243
389.3%
8,602
243
3439.9%
R8
35
50
-30.0%
439
525
-16.4%
TT
309
86
259.3%
333
1,056
-68.5%
Total Audi Sales
18,794
17,101
9.9%
130,063
116,066
12.1%
Total CPO Sales
4,441
4,733
-6.2%
32,844
30,676
7.1%