GM: Chevy should gain market share in ’12
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LAS VEGAS -- General Motors expects Chevrolet to gain market share for the second straight year as the brand rolls out a redesigned Malibu and other fresh entries.
GM also told dealers it will launch a $349 lease promotion on the Chevy Volt this week in a bid to revive the plug-in hybrid’s sales, which have slowed since a now-closed federal investigation into the potential for fire risk in the car’s battery pack.
Chevrolet executives told dealers at the make meeting Sunday that they expect sales to increase 13 percent in 2012, several dealers who attended the meeting said. Last year Chevrolet was up 14 percent, on strong sales of the Cruze and other sedans.
“The message basically was that there’s no reason why we shouldn’t gain market share this year because we’ve got momentum,” said Tom Brittain, owner of Brittain Motors in East Palestine, Ohio.
Chevrolet’s U.S. market share rose to 13.9 percent last year, from 13.4 percent in 2010.
Chevrolet also expects truck sales to remain strong, despite the fact that its Silverado pickup and Suburban and Tahoe SUVs are nearing the end of their life cycles. One dealer said GM executives are targeting 9 percent sales growth for trucks.
GM is expected to show Chevrolet dealers the redesigned Silverado this fall at a national dealers’ meeting here. The new pickup is due out in early 2013.
Chris Perry, Chevrolet’s vice president of global marketing, declined to comment on specific sales targets discussed with dealers.
“We talked about some tactical initiatives for how we can maintain our momentum,” he said.
Perry confirmed that GM will launch the Volt promotion this week.
You can reach Mike Colias at mcolias@crain.com.
