General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) global sales totaled 9.8 million vehicles in 2015, up a mere 0.2% but an increase that still made for the company’s third consecutive year of record sales in spite of ongoing troubles in Europe, Russia and parts of South America.
Deliveries in North America rose 6% during 2015 to 3.6 million cars, trucks and crossovers. In the U.S., GM also increased its retail sales – sales to individual customers – faster than any other automaker.
In China, General Motors and its joint ventures delivered a record 3.6 million vehicles, an increase of 5% compared to 2014. Their lineup expanded through the introduction of 12 new and refreshed models. SUV deliveries were up 144% led by new models, including the Buick Envision and Baojun 560. During 2015, General Motors’ cars, trucks and crossovers were leading automotive sales in China and its North American and South American regions.
GM now has several major product launches underway, including the new Opel Astra with more than 80,000 orders across European markets and the new Chevrolet Malibu in North America, which began arriving in showrooms at the end of last year.
Chevrolet had a successful year in the U.S. in spite of fierce completion from Toyota and Honda and Nissan – companies which dominate the passenger car segment. Nonetheless, GM’s total sales increase 5 % to more than 2.1 million cars, trucks and crossovers. Chevrolet sales in Canada increased 3%, while sales in Mexico went up 18%. Combined sales for the brand in North America were up 6%.
GM’s second largest brand, Buick set a global sales record for the third consecutive year, based on record sales in China and record crossover deliveries in the United States. Total sales surpassed 1.2 million vehicles.
Cadillac also grew globally by 8%, from record sales in China and growth in SRX and Escalade deliveries in the U.S.
GMC had its 6th consecutive year of sales gains as deliveries grew 11 percent to 680,000 vehicles.
Troubled Opel/Vauxhall achieved its best sales result in four years by delivering more than 1.1 million vehicles despite its abandonment of the collapsing Russian market. Share of the total European vehicle market increased for the third year in a row to nearly 6%.
In the U.S., GM’s total sales were up 5% – and it was all trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado and Colorado, the GMC Sierra and record crossover deliveries. Retail deliveries increased 8%.
