Buick Excelle continues to set records in spite of its age.
With record domestic Chinese deliveries of 260,018 vehicles in November, GM’s sales in 2012 reached 2,593,642 cars and light trucks in the first 11 months, the most ever. Last month’s sales were the highest ever for November and the second highest for any month in GM’s largest market, increasing 9.7% from November 2011.
With 2,547,171 vehicles sold in China for all of 2011 by GM and its joint ventures, GM has now set a new record in the world’s largest auto market where it is the sales leader. During the first 11 months of 2012, sales by GM and its joint ventures increased 10.4% year-over-year. Shanghai GM’s domestic sales grew 8.7% to 1,220,887 units. SAIC-GM-Wuling’s domestic sales grew 12.5% to 1,318,473 units. FAW-GM’s domestic sales decreased 1.0% to 50,345 units.
Shanghai GM sold all-time monthly record 136,444 vehicles in China in November, as demand for its products increased 20.6% y-o-y. SAIC-GM-Wuling’s domestic sales were down 0.5% on an annual basis to 118,536 units. FAW-GM’s sales in China rose 4.2% from the same month last year to 4,837 units.
Buick as usual led sales for Shanghai GM with an increase of 17.4% y-o-y to a November record 70,172 units. (In the U.S. Buick sold 13,289 vehicles in November). Leading was the aging original Excelle family at 23,381 units. The Excelle XT and GT, which sold 17,716 units, an increase of 16.1% from November 2011, followed it. It was the models’ second-highest sales for any month. Setting a monthly record was the Regal (U.S. 1,101), which sold 9,204 units – an increase of 12.4% on an annual basis. The Encore SUV got off to a strong start, with 6,025 units (U.S. 4,817) sold during its first month on the market.
Chevrolet also set a November sales record in China. Demand was up 15.3% on an annual basis to 63,012 units (U.S. 128,867). It continued to be driven by the Sail family, which had sales of 22,394 units, a 10.6% increase year on year, and the Cruze, which had increased sales of 1.6% from November 2011 to 22,216 units (U.S. 16,807). Malibu sales totaled 7,697 units (U.S. 10,227) in the midsize sedan’s first November in China.
Cadillac set an all-time monthly sales record in China of 3,260 units (U.S. 14,517), an increase of 8.4% on an annual basis. Leading the way in November were the heavily taxed SRX, with sales of 2,082 units (U.S. 5,340), and the SLS, which had record monthly sales of 1,029 units (No longer sold in the U.S. It was the Seville Touring Sedan or STS).
Wuling sales in China dropped 0.5% year on year to 108,304 units in November. It continued to be led by the Sunshine, which had sales of 40,420 units.
Baojun’s November sales jumped 70% on an annual basis to 10,232 units, the brand’s second-highest monthly total ever. Its most popular model was the 630, which had sales of 6,429 units – an increase of 6.8% from last November.
(See AutoInformed on Ford Motor Sets Record China Sales of 68,000 Light Vehicles)
