The new Cadillac XTS has been gaining momentum since its recent launch in China.
General Motors continues to score big in China, its sales increasing by double digits again during March despite worrisome signs of trouble in what is now the world’s largest automotive market.
GM reported its Chinese joint ventures reached all-time highs for not just March but for the entire first quarter of 2013. Sales last month surged 12.6% on an annual basis to 290,538 units. It was the second-highest monthly sales total in GM’s history in China.
For the quarter, GM’s sales in China jumped to 816,373 units, an increase of 9.6% from the same period last year, the company reported, putting GM on track to sell more than 3 million units in China this year. That seems on track to be another new record.
The strong performance is good news for China watchers who have been increasingly worried about a market that seemed unstoppable barely a year ago. But there are growing signs of concern – and for a variety of factors including a general level of uncertainty in the overall Chinese market.
Shanghai GM’s domestic sales last month rose 15.2% on an annual basis to a March record 126,785 units. SAIC-GM-Wuling’s domestic sales rose 10.9% to 155,065 units and FAW-GM’s domestic sales rose 12.8% to 8,369 units. Both were all-time monthly records.
Leading the way for Shanghai GM was Buick, which had record March domestic sales of 70,118 units, an increase of 22.8% year on year. The brand received a strong performance from its original Excelle family, whose sales rose 23.8% to 29,875 units. It was followed by the Excelle XT and GT, whose sales grew 18.4% to 16,653 units, and the Regal, which had sales of 8,258 units, on growth of 34.4%.
Chevrolet’s domestic sales last month were down 3.1% on an annual basis to 53,038 units. Its most popular model was the Sail family, which sold 19,226 units. Demand for the Malibu was up 93.2% to an all-time monthly high of 8,287 units.
Cadillac sold a March record 3,629 units in China, as demand rose 32.2% year on year. It received a strong boost from the XTS, its newest model, which had sales of 2,006 units in its first full month on the market and was the brand’s most popular product.
Wuling sales in China increased 13.7% from last March, hitting a new record for any month of 148,060 units. It was driven by the Hong Guang, which had increased sales of 90.3% to 50,032 units. Sales of the Baojun brand rose 39.8% year on year to 7,005 units in March.
Between January and March, Shanghai GM sold a record 382,028 units in China, which was up 13.3% on an annual basis; SAIC-GM-Wuling sold a record 417,077 units in China, which was up 7.0%; and FAW-GM sold 16,529 units in China, which was down 2.3%. In addition, GM and its joint ventures exported a first-quarter record 25,483 units, as demand for their products outside China jumped 62.3% on an annual basis.