Full-Size SUV Sales Shine for GM in Third Quarter
Photo: Chevrolet
Third-quarter sales numbers have arrived, and the results confirm General Motors’ status as America’s go-to automaker for full-size SUVs.
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In a tough quarter across the industry, GM’s full-size SUV models stood out with sales increases across the board. The Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the GMC Yukon, and the Cadillac Escalade all boasted solid gains. The Tahoe, Suburban, and Yukon alone accounted for nearly seven in 10 full-size SUV sales from July through September.
GM also managed to increase its market share of the full-size pickup segment for the quarter. Corvette sales topped the industry’s luxury sport segment, and small SUVs like the Buick Encore GX and Chevrolet Trailblazer posted gains as well.
Inventory issues and the global semiconductor chip shortage have posed a sales challenge for most automakers. GM is no exception, with some of the brand’s most popular trucks and SUVs suffering from low inventories. Overall, GM brands sold 446,997 units for the quarter. That’s a 32.8 percent decrease compared to the same period a year ago.
Despite these numbers, GM should be in a good position once its supply of vehicles is once again able to meet demand. According to Steve Carlisle, the president of GM North America, the situation is already starting to turn around.
“The semiconductor supply disruptions that impacted our third-quarter wholesale and customer deliveries are improving,” he said. “As we look to the fourth quarter, a steady flow of vehicles held at plants will continue to be released to dealers, we are restarting production at key crossover and car plants, and we look forward to a more stable operating environment throughout the fall.”
Photo: Buick
GM third-quarter sales by brand
Here’s a closer look at sales for each of GM’s four U.S. brands during the third quarter.
Chevrolet: At 287,925 units, Chevrolet sales were down 36.1 percent for the quarter. Suburban sales totaled 9,667 and were up 28.1 percent, while Tahoe sales rose 4.7 percent to 24,202. The Corvette sold 10,166 units for a 60 percent increase. The brand’s most impressive gain came from the Trailblazer SUV, which was up 147.3 percent on the strength of 25,531 sales.
GMC: Quarterly sales for GMC fell 26.7 percent and totaled 97,254 units. The brand’s biggest bright spot was the Yukon, which sold 17,428 units and was up 23.8 percent.
Buick: Buick sold 39,299 vehicles for the quarter, a 20.1 percent decrease. However, the Encore GX was up 3 percent thanks to a brand-leading 16,500 units sold.
Cadillac: GM’s luxury brand totaled 22,519 sales in the third quarter, down 31.7 percent. The full-size Escalade luxury SUV enjoyed blockbuster sales, though, rising 123.1 percent and selling 10,125 units.
See our coverage at The News Wheel for more information on GM’s brands, vehicles, and business moves.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.