Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[REPORT: GM considering boosting production of four hot sellers: Camaro, Equinox, Lacrosse and SRX]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/17/report-gm-considering-boosting-production-of-four-hot-sellers/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/17/report-gm-considering-boosting-production-of-four-hot-sellers/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/17/report-gm-considering-boosting-production-of-four-hot-sellers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

2010 Chevy Camaro - Click above for high-res image gallery

Good news has been in short supply for General Motors so far this year, but increased demand for its new products shows that the worst of times may be in the rear view mirror. Automotive News is reporting that GM may increase production of four new vehicles due to heavy demand. The new-for-2010 Chevy Equinox and Camaro, Cadillac SRX and Buick LaCrosse are reportedly under consideration. Equinox sales are so brisk (13,157 sales in August) that GM is considering adding production of the efficient crossover at a second plant. Expanding Equinox production could also happen if GM adds a third shift to its CAMI facility in Ontario.

One reason for the potential production increases stems from this summer's Cash for Clunkers bonanza. Inventory is now so low for many vehicles that a bump in production is inevitable. GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson reportedly told AN that the company knew it would have to eventually bump production and that its new products have done the best job of outstripping demand. GM is likely hoping that these fresh faces are hot enough that a sustained production bump is necessary, which may mean that some laid off employees could be called back to work.


Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Chevy Camaro


[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

REPORT: GM considering boosting production of four hot sellers: Camaro, Equinox, Lacrosse and SRX originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The global auto sales downturn has been as painful as it's been swift, but a report from Yomiuri shows that the worst of times may be over. The Japanese news agency (via Automotive News) reports that Toyota has raised its vehicle production forecast upwards by 3% to 6.5 million units. That's still a far cry from Toyota's amazing 2008, yet the positive adjustment is still worth over 300,000 units of additional production.

That's welcome news to Toyota's manufacturing facilities around the world, as the drop in sales in the first half of 2009 left the Japanese automaker with far too much inventory. With the upward revision of production for the rest of the year, factories could be running more steadily.

While Toyota appears to be back on the upswing, it's facing renewed pressure from General Motors for the top spot in global sales. In the first half of 2009, GM closed the gap in overall production to only 11,000 units versus Toyota, a far cry from the 274,000 unit differential in the first half of 2008. GM, which struggled more than most in the US during the first half of the year, had far stronger results in emerging markets like China and South America, with overall sales down 21% versus 2008. Toyota's sales dipped 26% during the same period. Volkswagen also made a big jump compared to Toyota, as the German automaker's sales dropped only 5.1% in the first half of the year. VW is now within 500,000 units of Toyota during the first six months of the year.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Toyota raises production forecast by 3%; losing ground to GM originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gm salesGmSalessales forecastSalesForecasttoyotatoyota salesToyotaSalesvw salesVwSalesMon, 10 Aug 2009 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GM could renew Total Confidence program in May]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/22/gm-could-renew-total-confidence-program-in-may/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/22/gm-could-renew-total-confidence-program-in-may/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/22/gm-could-renew-total-confidence-program-in-may/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



A bit of positive news about General Motors: April sales were up 15% compared to March. GM Sales and Marketing Vice President Mark LaNeve notes that April is typically worse for sales than March and credits GM's Total Confidence program for the reversal.

Since Hyundai rolled out its Assurance gambit, GM and Ford Motor Company has hopped into the game with similar programs. GM's Total Confidence will foot the bill for nine monthly payments of $500 or less, and also helps buyers who might be upside down when it comes time to trade. Needing to close every single sale it can, GM is reportedly looking at extending the Total Confidence program beyond its original wrap-up at the end of April. It also doesn't hurt that GM's product lineup is stronger than it has been in years, and if it can build momentum, May might see a similar upward tilt in sales.

[Source: Automotive News - subs. req.]

GM could renew Total Confidence program in May originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Over the last several years, few automotive stories have held as much interest as the global fight between Toyota and General Motors for worldwide sales supremacy. Don't look now, but there's a new combatant hailing from Germany ready to take the reigns: Volkswagen. However, VW's ascendancy has less to do with the German automaker's output -- GM and Toyota are shedding sales at a much faster rate than VW.

Toyota - currently the undisputed leader in automotive sales volume - is expected to post about 1.23 million sales in the first quarter of '09, down an amazing 47% from the previous year. Volkswagen's 1.39 million sales represent a much smaller drop of about 11%. We're not yet sure where General Motors will fall in the rankings, but it seems likely to come in third place. What's caused VW's rapid rise in global prominence?

The two largest markets for Toyota are the United States and Japan, and vehicle sales in both countries have been some of the hardest hit by the global economic downturn. In contrast, VeeDub is very strong in Germany, China and Brazil, and, in attempt to boost new car sales, these three countries have recently implemented vehicle scrapping schemes. It's worked, and VW is reaping the rewards.

Of course, if there's one thing that General Motors and Toyota have proven over these last few years, it's that life's not easy at the top. It should prove interesting to see if VW can manage to maintain the market share that it's so recently inherited. Thanks for the tip, Axel!

[Source: Reuters]

Global Dominance Shift: VW may have sold more than Toyota in Q1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General Motors sold 1.09 million vehicles in China in 2008, and the automaker wants to nearly double that figure to two million by 2013. A GM spokeswoman in China said they'll do that by introducing thirty -- that's right, 30 - "new or upgraded models" over the next five years. The company's March sales were up in China, along with everyone else's, thanks to China's new car buying incentive. With Q1 sales at 363,701 units, that would put GM on course for nearly 1.5 million cars sold in 2009.

In the short term, the sales targets rely on the global economy not getting any worse, and the Chinese government artificially propping up sales. Over the long term, GM must be hoping that by the time the economy turns around it will still be a strong enough to take advantage of its dominant position, its eight Chinese joint ventures and China-specific development, and the allure of those 30 new and revised models. If it can't, then Volkswagen looks to be the wolf in the shadows, having also pledged to double its sales to two million units by 2018.

[Source: Reuters]

GM looking to double sales in China by 2013? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick: Who is the world's largest automaker? General Motors or Toyota? Last year, the two brands were in a statistical dead heat after sales for all of 2007 were tallied, and debates raged as to which one of the two global giants had outsold the other. This year, there's no argument. The winner of the 2008 sales crown was Toyota by over 600,000 units (exact figures are due a bit later). This is quite an accomplishment for the Japanese automaker and reinforces the fact that GM's sales have been in decline for the last couple of decades after crushing all competitors and reigning as the worldwide leader in auto sales for 77 years. Still, the mood is hardly one of jubilation at Toyota as the rise to the top has not been without sacrifice. The automaker has lost both money and market share over the last few months, and the outlook for 2009 isn't shaping up to be much better.

[Source: CNN]

No Dispute: Toyota displaces GM as world's largest automaker originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>general motorsgeneral motors salesGeneralMotorsGeneralMotorsSalesgm salesgm sales 2008GmSalesGmSales2008toyotatoyota salestoyota sales 2008ToyotaSalesToyotaSales2008worlds biggest automakerworlds largest automakerWorldsBiggestAutomakerWorldsLargestAutomakerWed, 21 Jan 2009 10:58:00 EST<![CDATA[GM aims to double sales in Japan by 2011]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/18/gm-aims-to-double-sales-in-japan-by-2011/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/18/gm-aims-to-double-sales-in-japan-by-2011/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/18/gm-aims-to-double-sales-in-japan-by-2011/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you think things have been tough for General Motors in America, you should see how bad it's going for them in Japan. Forget pulling out of the Tokyo Motor Show, we're talking a steady sales decline over the past decade that has brought volume to just 2,000 units a year from a high of 50,000 in 1996. That really sucks, so GM wants to try and change things ASAP. They have announced a modest goal of doubling sales in Japan over the next three years.

Part of the problem with Japanese sales is image, but product selection and a shrinking dealer network are also to blame. Rick Brown, president of GM Japan, says they plan to address those issues by adding a couple of dealerships a year, and by shaking up the product mix. They plan to start selling the Chevy Aveo, the new 2010 Camaro, and despite the struggling economy, some new luxury cars and SUVs like the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, Saab 9-3X, 9-4X and 9-5.

Even though those products might help, it might be a case of too little too late. Japanese buyers might be even more hesitant than usual to buy cars from the Detroit 3 because of bankruptcy fears. It's not like Ford and Chrysler are doing any better in Japan either, with similar sales declines over the pact ten years. Heck, they aren't even buying as many domestic cars these days.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req.]

GM aims to double sales in Japan by 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General Motors is reporting global sales of 2.1 million units for the third quarter, which is down 11% from the same period last year. Through September of this year, GM has sold 6.7 million cars and trucks worldwide, putting the automaker further behind Toyota, which has sold 7.05 million units so far this year. The struggling U.S. market is a big part of GM's sales woes, as 61% of the Detroit automaker's sales came from outside of its home market. That's up from 56% last year, but down from the 65% figure for the second quarter of 2008. VP of sales and marketing Jonathan Browning points out challenges in the global financial markets as a big problem for GM, but also mentioned that strong sales in emerging markets is helping to ease the sales burden.

Since GM has a serious cash crunch and merger talks on its hands right now, it likely doesn't care much about a global sales race with Toyota. That doesn't make Toyota's accomplishment any less significant, though, considering how long the General has been on top of the global sales charts.

[Source: The Detroit News]

GM reports Q3 global sales, trails Toyota by over 300k units originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GMgm global salesGM salesGmGlobalSalesGmSalestoyotaWed, 29 Oct 2008 12:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Lutz claims GM will cut fleet sales by 100k in 2007]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/10/lutz-claims-gm-will-cut-fleet-sales-by-100k-in-2007/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/10/lutz-claims-gm-will-cut-fleet-sales-by-100k-in-2007/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/10/lutz-claims-gm-will-cut-fleet-sales-by-100k-in-2007/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Dang, it looks like everyone will have to dream up a new way to insult the four-door Cobalt. GM's Bob Lutz has announced that sales to fleet companies will be curtailed to the tune of 100,000 vehicles this year. The reduction is part of an ongoing effort to boost the resale value of General Motors cars. Reducing sales to fleet customers opens the door for some other automaker to deal with the stigma and doesn't ding the bottom line as much as it would seem.

Low-margin sales to fleet customers are less helpful to automakers than retail sales, and the perception that comes along with being a fleet powerhouse dings the perception further.

Lutz doesn't sound overly concerned with short-term hits in the bottom line, preferring to take the uncommon long view and even admitting that there will be bloodletting before GM is fully realizing its potential. He's been refreshingly candid about making the product good enough that it requires no excuses or incentives to sell, and changing the sales mentality at GM from one of panic to true competition for the foreign makers that have cleaned the domestic industry's clock. Product is no longer the hurdle for GM to clear, there's lots of great stuff for 2007, and we look forward to the day when people strike up excited conversations about domestic product with us.

[Source: Automotive News sub. req'd]

Lutz claims GM will cut fleet sales by 100k in 2007 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Jan 2007 07:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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