Buick, GMC seek 10% sales gains

ORLANDO -- Buick wants to continue driving its lease penetration higher with a zero-down-payment promotion this month, General Motors executives told dealers at the Buick-GMC make meeting.

The promotion is running Feb. 11-28 across the Buick lineup, Brian Sweeney, Buick-GMC's vice president of U.S. sales and service, said after the meeting. GM also will offer $500 in cash on sales of the Buick Verano and LaCrosse.

The lease deal is part of a broader push that has doubled Buick's lease penetration, to 34 percent, since March, when it introduced a 24-month program called Experience Buick. The new promotion, which will waive the down payment, first monthly payment and security deposit, could be extended if it's successful, dealers were told.

This year, GM is counting on new, redesigned and refreshed models to drive sales higher for Buick and GMC, which lost market share in 2012. The company expects at least 10 percent growth for both marques, two sources said.

Industry forecasters expect overall U.S. sales to grow 4 to 7 percent in 2013.

Last year, Buick sales rose 2 percent, to 180,408 units, trailing the industry's 13 percent gain. GMC sales increased 4 percent, to 413,881 units.

Dealers are getting their first shipments of the new Buick Encore small crossover, which was launched last month. A reskinned Enclave large crossover arrived late last year, and GM told dealers to expect a refreshed LaCrosse and Regal later this year as 2014 models.

The big product news on the GMC front is the redesigned Sierra full-sized pickup, which should arrive in showrooms by June.

Dealers were shown new advertising for the Enclave and the turbocharged Verano, which was launched late last year.

GM executives did not show advertising for the Encore. GM will tie the start of its national advertising campaign for the petite crossover to the NCAA men's basketball tournament next month.