The Chevrolet Malibu and Buick Encore were among the new models that GM began offering in China last year.
General Motors and its joint ventures sold a record 2.84 million vehicles in China during 2012, an increase of 11% from 2011 in the world’s largest auto market, which is now tracking at 19-20 million or more units annually. GM has led sales in China for eight consecutive years.
GM just barely stayed Number One, though, because the VW Group, China’s Number Two automaker, sold 2.81 million vehicles, a +24.5% increase compared to 2011. VW’s Audi brand also set a new record in the Chinese market last year. Deliveries in China and Hong Kong exceeded the 400,000 mark for the first time, a 29.6% increase compared to the previous year.
“GM remained a leader in our company’s largest market in spite of a downturn in the commercial vehicle segment, where GM has a significant presence,” said Bob Socia, president, GM China, who no doubt is feeling the pressure to outperform the surging VW Group. In GM’s home market it significantly lagged market growth with a 4% increase in a U.S. industry that was up 14%. (Read AutoInformed on Offshore Brands Led by the Japanese Capture 55.5% of the U.S. Auto Market in 2012 as the Detroit Three Lose Market Share Gained in 2011 and General Motors U.S. Sales Slow in December as Market Picks Up)
Ford Motor also had a relatively good Chinese year, delivering 626,616 vehicles, an increase of 21% compared with 2011. Focus sales totaled 296,360. In an attempt to catch with stronger, longer established competitors in China, Ford says it will introduce 15 new vehicles, double production capacity, and double its China dealership network by 2015.
Not without a fight though – GM’s Chevrolet brand alone set a record for Chinese sales, as demand increased 5.3% from 2011 to 626,846 units. Its most popular model was the Cruze, with sales growth of 5.2% to 232,592 units. Right behind it was the Sail, which had sales of 218,090 units, an increase of 30.8%. The brand’s newest model in China, the Malibu, had sales of 51,926 units.
Compounding Ford’s China problem was GM’s Buick brand, whose China sales increased 8.4% on an annual basis, finishing 2012 at a year-end high of 700,000 units. Buick results came from ongoing strong demand for the original Excelle family, whose sales grew 9.3% to 277,000 units, and the Excelle XT and GT, whose sales were up 28.6% to 173,312 units. The Encore sub-compact SUV got off to a strong start following its launch in October, with sales of 10,015 units. (Read AutoInformed on Driving the New “Cute-Ute” 2013 Buick Encore SUV)
The Chevrolet Malibu and Buick Encore were among the new models that GM began offering in China last year. Shanghai OnStar also introduced a range of new services for Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac owners, helping the joint venture become the first telematics provider in China with more than 500,000 subscribers.
Fiat Group, the owner if Chrysler currently has insignificant sales in China. However, Chinese automaker Guangzhou Automobile Group will build Jeep models in the middle kingdom, according to a revised joint venture signed earlier this month. GAC already manufactures the Fiat Viaggio – aka Dodge Dart – and distributes the imported Fiat 500, Freemont minivan and Bravo in China. (Read AutoInformed on Chinese GAC Group to Build Jeep Models in China)
