General Motors registers 16% Q1 total sales increase In the Middle East

Zawya - March solidified a successful first quarter for General Motors in the Middle East. Dealers reported total sales of 11,651 vehicles in the month across Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC, which represented an increase of 13 percent over March 2010.

The strong performance in March, which represented a fourth consecutive month of double-digit growth, contributed to total sales of 29,870 vehicles for the first quarter of the year - up 16 percent compared to a year earlier.

Retail sales - purchases made by individual customers - in March soared 50 percent and increased 40 percent during the first quarter. Retail sales represented a healthy 72 percent of the company's total sales in the region in March and 69 percent for the first quarter.

"GM Middle East had a good month and a solid first quarter of 2011, despite some unrest in the region and the tragic disasters in Japan," said John Stadwick, President and Managing Director of GM Middle East Operations. "As we strive to focus on providing our customers with the best experience, both in sales and service, our customers are responding favorably to our cars, crossovers and sport utility vehicles."

GM's Newest Vehicles Continue to Drive Sales - Up 39 percent in March

Combined sales for GM's newly launched vehicles - the Chevrolet Cruze, Malibu, Camaro and Traverse; and Cadillac SRX and CTS Coupe - increased 39 percent during March and were up 13 percent for the first three months of the year. 

Chevrolet Increases Sales By 22 percent in March

Chevrolet continues to attract new customers to the brand and posted vehicle sales growth of 22 percent in March and 28 percent for the first three months of 2011.

Passenger Cars

Total sales of GM's passenger cars improved 22 percent during March and grew by 33.5 percent over the first quarter. 

Crossovers/Sport Utility Vehicles

Across the Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac brands, total sales of Crossovers and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) increased by 11 percent in March. SUV sales for the first three months of 2011 were boosted by strong growth of the Chevrolet Tahoe and Chevrolet Suburban, which were up 25 percent and 22 percent, respectively, while sales of the Traverse crossover rose by 14 percent.

Pickups

Total sales of Chevrolet and GMC pickups were up 50 percent in March and 74 percent for the first quarter with a 115 percent increase in sales of the Chevrolet Silverado and 67 percent uplift in sales of the GMC Sierra in the first three months of the year.