General Motors Co. sold 7.2 million vehicles globally in the first nine months of 2015

Staff report

DETROIT

General Motors Co. sold 7.2 million vehicles globally in the first nine months of 2015 – a 1 percent drop year over year.

GM said the slight drop was because of the company’s decision to reduce its presence in certain markets and because of difficult market conditions in South America.

“Our unwavering focus on the customer is paying off in our largest and most-important markets as we execute one successful launch after another in the right segments,” Dan Ammann, GM president, said in a statement.

The company posted sales increases in four of its five largest markets, with record sales in China and strong retail sales gains in the U.S.

Driven by a 17 percent increase in Chevrolet truck sales in the U.S., GM’s overall truck sales in North America were up 16 percent in the first nine months of 2015. North America’s crossover sales also were up 17 percent year over year.

Sales of crossovers in China were up 6 percent, and Cadillac had record sales in China with sales up 12 percent. Buick also had record sales in China.

In the U.S., Chevrolet has had six-consecutive months of retail sales and market-share gains while sales to rental companies have been strategically reduced by more than 50,000 units through September.

GMC’s global sales increased 11 percent.

In just the third quarter, GM’s largest markets were the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. Chevrolet had record crossover sales in the U.S., up 24 percent, and Chevrolet U.S. truck sales increased by 16 percent. The Lordstown-built Chevrolet Cruze, which has been on the market since 2010, had 177,970 sales from January to September compared with 208,114 deliveries at the same time last year.

Global sales in the third quarter were down 3 percent year over year.

GM has preparations underway to launch new trucks and crossovers over the next several months, including the next-generation Chevrolet Cruze.