END OF YEAR - GENERAL MOTORS - Sales have just flowed in, in the last year, will 2017 be the same ?

• U.S. industry sets new sales record
• 2016 GM U.S. retail market share grew 0.5 points
• 2016 GM U.S. retail sales up nearly 2 percent
• Chevrolet December U.S. retail sales up 8 percent
• December Commercial sales up to highest level since 2007

General Motors (NYSE: GM) sold 249,983 vehicles in December to individual or “retail” customers in the U.S., up more than 3 percent from last year. 

Based on initial estimates, GM was the fastest growing full-line automaker in December and in 2016, led by strong retail sales gains at Chevrolet. GM turned in its best U.S. December retail sales performance since 2007.

Chevrolet’s December retail sales jumped by 8 percent, keeping Chevrolet the industry’s fastest-growing brand. 

Chevrolet posted its best December retail sales performance since 2005 and its best calendar year retail performance since 2006. 

Based on initial estimates, GM’s December U.S. retail market share rose 0.3 points to 17.6 percent. GM has gained retail market share in 18 of the past 21 months. For the year, GM gained 0.5 points of retail market share, pushing retail market share to 16.8 percent. For 2016, GM was the U.S. retail industry’s fastest-growing manufacturer.

Chevrolet gained an estimated 0.7 points of U.S. retail market share in December to 11.5 percent.

GM’s total U.S. sales in December were 319,108, up 10 percent from last year. In December, GM’s total U.S. market share was up 1.5 points to 18.8 percent. GM’s December U.S. Commercial sales were up more than 1 percent to the highest levels since 2007, reflecting a growing U.S. economy.

“We finished 2016 with a strong December, reflecting the continued strength of GM’s U.S. retail and commercial businesses,” said Kurt McNeil, GM’s vice president of U.S. Sales Operations. “We begin 2017 well positioned to continue growing our U.S. retail business, driven by all-new products like the Chevrolet Equinox and Traverse being launched into key, growing U.S. market segments.” 

For 2016, GM’s U.S. retail sales were up nearly 2 percent, compared to last year. GM gained 0.5 points of U.S. retail market share, the largest retail share gain of any automaker. For the year, Chevrolet U.S. retail sales were up more than 3 percent and the brand’s retail share has grown 0.5 points to 11.2 percent. Chevrolet continues to be the U.S. automotive industry’s fastest-growing brand, gaining nearly 1 point of retail market share in the past two years.

Buick’s U.S. retail sales grew by nearly 5 percent in 2016, led by the brand’s crossovers, the Encore and Envision. In 2016, Buick gained 0.1 points of U.S. retail share.

GM continues to benefit from the ongoing strength of the U.S. economy and growing U.S. retail demand for its products.

“Key economic indicators, especially consumer confidence, continue to reflect optimism about the U.S. economy and strong customer demand continues to drive a very healthy U.S. auto industry,” said Mustafa Mohatarem, GM’s chief economist. “We believe the U.S. auto industry remains well-positioned for sales to continue at or near record levels in 2017.”

December 2016 Retail Sales and Business Highlights vs. December 2015 (except as noted)

Chevrolet

• Colorado was up 20 percent.
• Trax, Equinox and Traverse were up 43 percent, 38 percent and 22 percent, respectively.
• Spark, Impala, Volt, Sonic, Corvette and Malibu were up 210 percent, 95 percent, 76 percent, 50 percent, 10 percent and 6 percent, respectively.
• Volt had its best month and year ever.
• Malibu had its best calendar year sales since 1980.
• Impala had its best December since 2008
• Equinox had its best month ever.
• Traverse had its best December and year ever.
• Colorado had it best December since 2004.

GMC

• GMC’s December ATPs reached a December record of $45,209 and a calendar year record of $43,088.
• Acadia, Yukon and Yukon XL were up 31 percent, 2 percent and 2 percent, respectively.
• Canyon was up 25 percent and had its best December and year ever.
• Denali penetration in December was nearly 30 percent, led by Yukon and Yukon XL at 61 percent and 62 percent, respectively.

Buick

• Buick had its best year since 2005.
• Encore was up 16 percent.
• Buick dealers sold 3,074 Envisions.

Cadillac

• Escalade was up 8 percent.
• Escalade had its best month since December 2007.
• XT5 had its best month since launch with significantly higher ATPs than its predecessor.
• December ATPs were $56,949, the highest monthly ATP ever.

Average Transaction Prices (ATP)/Incentives (based on JD Power PIN estimates through 12/25/16)

• GM’s ATPs, which reflect retail transaction prices after sales incentives, were $36,386 in December, more than $4,000 above the industry average and up $740 from last month. 
• For the year, GM ATPs were $35,371, more than $4,260 above the industry average and up $720 over the 2015 average.
• In December, GM’s incentive spending as a percent of ATP was 13.0 percent, down compared to last month.
• For the year, GM’s incentive spending as a percent of ATP was 11.9 percent, well below the incentive spending of its domestic competitors and many of its global competitors.

Fleet and Commercial

• December daily rental sales were up, but finished 2016 down nearly 74,000 vehicles or 18 percent compared to 2015.
• GM’s daily rental sales in 2016 were 10.7 percent of total GM sales.
• Malibu Commercial deliveries were up 35 percent for the month, large van Commercial deliveries were up 7 percent and large pick-up Commercial deliveries were up 4 percent.
• Federal government sales were up 3 percent for the calendar year.

Industry Sales

• GM estimates that the seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) for light vehicles in December was approximately 18.2 million units. On a calendar year-to-date basis, GM estimates the light-vehicle industry was 17.5 million units, a new U.S. calendar year record.