GM Executive Vice President and GM China President Matt Tsien said GM was selling SUVs and MPVs in big numbers in China in April.
General Motors and its Chinese partners said its sales increased 7.5% during April from the same month last year, while Ford Motor Co. reported an 11% decline for the same period.
GM said the company’s sales increase was focused on new segments and sport utility vehicles, which were up 107% from the same period a year earlier, while Cadillac luxury vehicle sales increased 13% in April from the previous year.
So far, in the first four months of 2016, GM and its joint ventures’ deliveries increased 1.7% year over year to a record 1,241,631 units.
“GM continues to grow in segments that are on top of customers’ purchase lists,” said GM Executive Vice President and GM China President Matt Tsien. “We have more new vehicles on the way in the SUV, MPV and luxury segments to keep delivering to customers what they want and demand.”
Tsien noted last month that GM planning to introduce 15 new vehicles this year.
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Cadillac deliveries in April rose as the luxury brand launched the new CT6 prestige sedan at the end of January and introduced the new XT5 luxury crossover in April.
Buick deliveries were up 56% from the previous year, led by strong demand for the Excelle GT sedan and Envision SUV. Complementing Buick’s portfolio in China, the new LaCrosse Hybrid Electric Vehicle will be joining the recently introduced LaCrosse midsize sedan.
Chevrolet deliveries in April declined 29% year over year to 35,431 units. Chevrolet is revealing and launching several new models this year, starting with its new flagship sedan, the Malibu XL.
Baojun sales increased 56% year over year. Strong demand for the Baojun 730 MPV and Baojun 560 SUV spearheaded the brand’s performance. An all-new addition to the portfolio, the Baojun 310 hatchback, was recently revealed at the Beijing auto show and will go on sale this summer.
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Ford’s year-to-date sales in China are up 7% from 2015 with 391,294 vehicles sold despite the 11% loss last month.
Changan Ford Automobile Ford’s passenger car joint venture, delivered year-to-date sales of 303,213, up 14% from last year. CAF sold 58,802 vehicles in April, a decrease of 11%.
Ford’s portfolio of sport utility vehicles continues to be popular among Chinese consumers with year-to-date sales of the Ford Ecosport, Kuga, Edge, Explorer and Everest surpassing the 100,000 mark, up 27% compared to the same period last year. Ford introduced the newest members to its SUV lineup, the new Ford Kuga and the Ford Edge V6 Flagship, at the recent Auto China 2016.
The Ford Escort continues to be a top-seller for Ford, with year-to-date sales of the nameplate totaling 84,835 vehicles, up 69% compared to 2015.
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Looking forward, CAF 1 Chongqing Assembly Plant, which produces the Ford Ecosport, Focus and Mondeo, will take downtime during the remainder of the second quarter due to planned maintenance. This downtime was reflected in the Ford Asia Pacific second quarter production volume of 345,000 units shared during Ford’s financial report April 28.