GM admits Malibu in short supply

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:26:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM

The Chevrolet Malibu continues to do better than GM expected: the General moved 12,172 of the new model in December 2007, a 6.7% improvement over the same month last year. There are two factories currently building the car, and demand for the 2007 North American Car of the Year finalist is such that dealers still can't get enough of them.

It's a long way from the "we only expected to sell 500 Malibus in November" malarkey. The mid-sized segment champions probably aren't worried just yet, but they'll be watching. In December of '07, Toyota sold 38,831 Camrys, Honda sold 31,255 Accords, and Nissan sold 25,171 Altimas. The lack of Malibu inventory makes a good marketing and perception case, but GM won't want it to go on too long. The segment -- represented by what one Autoblog commenter called the "Camcordimabu" -- is highly competitive, and those buyers don't like to be told "Try us back in a month and we'll see if we can get you one."

Analysts say that what happens over the next few months will tell the tale. But really, this is about the next few years; the Camry and Accord have been doing around a thousand units a day, each, every single day for years. The Malibu will need to show it has that kind of endurance, and this is a good way to start. Still, GM better have a plan B in place to build as many Malibus as the market demands if it has any aspirations at all of swiping the Camry's title of Best-Selling Car in the U.S.

[Source: Seattle Times]

Gallery: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LT

GM admits Malibu in short supply originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM exceeds Malibu sales expections in the first month by, oh, 2,500 cars

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 09:33:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM

GM spent $150 million on the ad campaign for the new Malibu. Intriguingly, though -- and after all the work that went into the car, all the hype, all the ads (we dig the one with the jogger running into the car, even though it's not a new Malibu), and all the great reviews -- GM only expected to sell 500 of them in November, the car's first full retail month. That's right: GM sent 3,500 of them to dealers. And they only expected 500 of them to get off the lot, down the road burning gas.

Well, as George W. Bush said, GM "misunderestimated." GM's on track to sell nearly the entire allotment, with 3,000 cars looking to be on the move. Lutz said dealers don't have any because they keep selling out of them. The same phenomenon is being reported for the Buick Enclave. which is not only exceeding sales expectations, but swiping the expected younger buyers from the Saturn Outlook. Hey Mr. Lutz: that's because the Enclave looks curvy and cool, and the Saturn, uh, doesn't.

In a Wall Street Journal article about the perception gap between American cars and imports, GM chief Rick Wagoner said "Building a better car and assuming people will buy it doesn't work." To you, Mr. Wagoner, we would like to present the Malibu and Enclave as Exhibits A and B, and retort: wanna bet? If they prove to be as reliable as we know you can make them, then you shouldn't have any problem selling them. Now, get us a Camaro that looks like the concept, a CTS Coupe, a hot Solstice coupe, and a Volt by 2010, and you might be able to shift your concerns to building inventory as opposed to moving it.

[Source: Reuters]

GM exceeds Malibu sales expections in the first month by, oh, 2,500 cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Nov 2007 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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