GM Q1 Global Car Sales Falter Outside US, China

Cars and Drivers

Published: April 21, 2015 11:50 am

Last Updated: April 27, 2020 10:16 pm

Even though General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) is scheduled to release first-quarter results on Thursday, the company said Tuesday morning that it sold 2,421,123 vehicles worldwide in the first three months of 2015. Sales rose in North America and China, but fell in Europe, South America, and in International divisions. Total sales rose 1.9% compared with the first quarter of last year.

Sales of the company’s GMC brand rose 14.5% as demand for pickups and SUVs grew in the United States as gasoline prices remained low. Buick sales rose 7.6% year over year, Opel/Vauxhall sales were up 3% and Cadillac sales rose 2.5%. Chevrolet sales tumbled 4.3% in the quarter to 1,066,123.

The top five markets for GM vehicles were:

China: 961,135 units (up 9.4% year-over-year)
United States: 684,039 units (up 5.3%)
Brazil: 111,924 units (down 18.2%)
United Kingdom: 86,275 units (up 1.2%)
Germany: 55,094 units (down 2.7%)

China’s Cadillac sales rose 23% in the quarter, but were overshadowed by pickup truck sales that rose 31% year over year. Crossover sales rose 19%, according to the company.

ALSO READ: The 10 Best Green Cars of 2015

Last Friday Volkswagen announced global first quarter sales totaled 2.49 million units, including 1.48 million VW brand vehicles (down 1.3% year over year); 432,800 Audi brand vehicles (up 4.8%); and 51,100 Porsche brand vehicles (up 32%). A company executive noted that first-quarter delivery trends indicate that “there is no guarantee this will be a successful year.”

Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM), the global sales leader for the past three years, is scheduled to report first-quarter global sales next week. Toyota’s U.S. sales have been good so far this year, but sales in Japan have fallen.

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