GM sells 246,730 vehicles in China in February (+0.4%)

General Motors and its joint ventures delivered 246,730 vehicles in February 2017 – flat sales – for a marginal increase of 0.4 percent on an annual basis. Cadillac and Baojun set February delivery records. SUVs, along with MPVs, accounted for nearly 50 percent of GM’s deliveries in February.

GM is launching 18 new and refreshed models this year in China to support continued growth in the company’s largest retail market. Half of the models being introduced under the Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands will be SUVs or MPVs.

Led by the XT5 SUV, Cadillac saw double-digit growth for the 12th consecutive month in February 2017. Sales of the Baojun 510 SUV exceeded 6,000 units following its launch on February 20 and contributed to the Baojun brand’s record deliveries. “The expanding SUV portfolio has helped us maintain our growth momentum,” said GM executive vice-president and GM China president Matt Tsien. “The upcoming launch of the Chevrolet Equinox will further enhance our competitiveness in the fast-growing midsize SUV segment.”

Cadillac sales rose 90 percent on an annual basis to more than 9,000 units in February. Driven by the XT5, Cadillac SUV sales surged 150 percent from a year earlier in the industry’s strongest segment. ATS-L luxury sport sedan deliveries rose 91 percent, making February the eighth consecutive month of double-digit growth. XTS luxury sedan sales increased 27 percent. Cadillac expects sales in China to continue growing at a double-digit rate this year.

Buick’s sales of the GL8 MPV family increased 80 percent year on year led by the new-generation GL8 and GL8 Avenir luxury MPVs that were launched in November. The Envision was the leader among global SUVs for the fourth consecutive month.

Chevrolet sales of the Malibu family more than tripled from the previous February. Chevrolet says it is is on track to fulfill its plan to introduce more than 20 new or refreshed products in China by the end of 2020. Nearly 30 percent of the models will be SUVs and nearly half will be new nameplates for the China portfolio.  The next-generation Cruze Hatchback reached showrooms last month. Built on GM’s new midsize SUV platform, the Equinox will strengthen Chevrolet’s portfolio when it goes on sale in the first half of 2017. 

Baojun’s February deliveries increased 38 percent on an annual basis. Sales of the Baojun 310 topped 10,000 units for the fifth consecutive month and remained the segment leader. The Baojun 730 MPV has remained the leader in its segment since its launch in 2014.

Wuling sales increased 2.3 percent from February 2016. The Rong Guang family delivered nearly 50,000 units last month, which was a new February record. The Hong Guang family remained the leader in its segment, with deliveries of over 44,000 units.

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