Cruze Sales Hit the Brakes in August

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Sales of the Lordstown-built Chevrolet Cruze took a hit in August as deliveries for the small car plunged 37% compared to the same month last year, General Motors Co. reported today.

GM delivered 14,661 Cruzes in August versus 23,435 in August 2014, the automaker said.

Overall sales of new GM vehicles dipped slightly. In August, the automaker sold 270,480 new cars and trucks compared to 272,423 in August 2014, down 0.7%.

Fleet sales for GM were down 24%, as shown by a 38% decline in rental deliveries. Retail deliveries were up 6%, the automaker said.

“GM’s retail sales far outpaced the industry in August, and we have grown our retail share for five months in a row compared to last year,” Kurt McNeil, GM’s U.S. vice president of sales operations, said in a statement. “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.”

Ford Motor Co. reported a 5.4% gain in new sales for the month, delivering its best August numbers in nine years. The automaker, based in Dearborn, Mich., said it sold 234,237 new cars and trucks versus 214,028 a year ago.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC said it posted a slight sales increase of 2% for the month. The automaker said it sold 201,672 new vehicles compared to 198,379 last year.

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