Sunny SRX September highlights Cadillac Sales

The Cadillac SRX continued to bloom well for Cadillac, leading all models.  ATS sales held even, although still well below target.   XTS and CTS sales continue to flutter along.   Even the ELR was less than its normal 100ish at 36, perhaps a victim of ongoing low gas prices.

  September (Calendar Year-to-Date)
January – September
  2015 2014 %Change Volume   2015 2014 %Change Volume  
ATS 2,295 2,239 2.5   18,839 22,535 -16.4  
CTS 1,319 2,282 -42.2   14,253 22,921 -37.8  
ELR 36 111 -67.6   740 885 -16.4  
Escalade 1,628 2,290 -28.9   14,977 13,705 9.3  
Escalade ESV 1,181 1,228 -3.8   10,153 7,647 32.8  
Escalade EXT 0 0 ***.*   2 50 -96.0  
SRX 6,849 3,700 85.1   50,712 41,708 21.6  
XTS 1,600 1,979 -19.2   16,023 18,386 -12.9  
Cadillac Total* 14,908 13,829 7.8   125,699 127,837 -1.7  

Summary

SRX total sales were up 85%, and retail sales were up 56%, so a good number went to rental fleets?

The Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV have a 31 percent share of the retail market for large luxury SUVs.

GM and Cadillac continue to minimize incentives and keep average transaction prices high, which in the long run will help brand value and vehicle resale value.

Cadillac SRX continues to Lead August Sales

Cadillac SRX once again led all models, at almost 7K sold in August 2015.   Overall sales are up almost 52% for the SRX year over year, and reflect a great product in a market looking for Crossovers & SUVs.  Cadillac can’t get more SRX cousins to showrooms fast enough.

The ATS led sedans at 2,449, followed by CTS at 1730 and XTS at 1531.  Overall sedans were down sharply, continuing the trend on the year.

Escalade sales were strong, at 3080 total units, although down year over year.  I still wonder if this year is capacity constrained there.

The extended electric ELR sales were down to 45 last month, which is below their average of around 100 a month.  ELR down 9% on the year.

  August (Calendar Year-to-Date)
January – August
  2015 2014 %Change Volume   2015 2014 %Change Volume
ATS 2,449 2,804 -12.7   16,544 20,296 -18.5
CTS 1,730 2,592 -33.3   12,934 20,639 -37.3
ELR 45 196 -77.0   704 774 -9.0
Escalade 1,770 2,277 -22.3   13,349 11,415 16.9
Escalade ESV 1,310 1,257 4.2   8,972 6,419 39.8
Escalade EXT 0 1 ***.*   2 50 -96.0
SRX 6,903 4,545 51.9   43,863 38,008 15.4
XTS 1,531 2,978 -48.6   14,423 16,407 -12.1
Cadillac Total* 15,738 16,650 -5.5   110,791 114,008 -2.8

From the press release:

DETROIT – General Motors’ (NYSE: GM) Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands sold 270,480 vehicles in the United States in August 2015. Retail deliveries climbed 6 percent compared with a year ago, when results included the Labor Day holiday. GM had the industry’s largest retail sales increase and gained more than 1 percentage point of retail market share year over year, based on J.D. Power PIN estimates. Fleet sales were down 24 percent on a 38 percent decline in rental deliveries. Total sales were in line with a year ago.

GM continues to have the highest average transaction prices (ATPs) and had the lowest incentives as a percentage of ATP in the domestic industry, according to PIN.

“GM’s retail sales increase far outpaced the industry in August, and we have grown our retail share for five months in a row compared to last year,” said Kurt McNeil, GM’s U.S. vice president of Sales Operations. “We will continue this momentum with the redesigned Chevrolet Cruze and Malibu, the launch of diesel engines for our midsize pickups, a dramatic restyling of the Chevrolet Silverado and the aggressive rollout of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.”

GM’s outperformance came in a very strong month for the industry. The estimated seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) for light vehicles was 17.5 million units in August, the fourth month in a row above 17 million units – a streak unmatched since 2006.

“All of the economic fundamentals that we look at, including job growth, disposable income and fuel prices, are in good shape and that should keep sales strong,” McNeil said.

Cadillac

  • The SRX crossover was up 52 percent.

July 2015: Cadillac SRX Sales Dominate

Cadillac SRX sales were almost half the total Cadillac sales as the SRX cruises toward replacement with the upcoming XT5 (and two other SUVs).  Due to sudden low oil and plentiful cheap gas in the US, Cadillac’s sedan strategy has left it with the wrong products on the showroom at a time customers are shopping for SUVs and Crossovers.

  July (Calendar Year-to-Date)
January – July
  2015 2014 %Change Volume   2015 2014 %Change Volume  
ATS 1,588 2,582 -38.5   14,095 17,492 -19.4  
CTS 1,515 2,039 -25.7   11,204 18,047 -37.9  
ELR 66 188 -64.9   659 578 14.0  
Escalade 1,669 2,467 -32.3   11,579 9,138 26.7  
Escalade ESV 1,261 1,427 -11.6   7,662 5,162 48.4  
Escalade EXT 0 0 ***.*   2 49 -95.9  
SRX 6,753 4,599 46.8   36,960 33,463 10.5  
XTS 1,302 1,939 -32.9   12,892 13,429 -4.0  
Cadillac Total* 14,154 15,241 -7.1   95,053 97,358 -2.4  

Escalade sales were surprisingly down, but the growth in sales for the full size luxury SUV may have left Cadillac with too few models on Dealer lots ready to sell.

With oil (and gas) prices perhaps headed lower, it will be a long summer if Cadillac doesn’t get more trucks and crossovers on the dealer floors.

Press Release:

Cadillac

  • CTS sedan deliveries were up 18 percent; the SRX crossover was up 47 percent for its best July ever.