Mixed Sales Results for Big Three, Cruze Numbers Drop

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – February was a mixed bag for American automakers as Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles reported their best sales for the month in more than a decade, while General Motors Co. announced a drop in total sales for the month.

General Motors’ sales fell 1.5% to 227,825 last month despite a 6.6% increase in retail sales. Sales results for the company were mixed as two of its brands, Buick and Cadillac, posted gains, while Chevrolet and GMC were down for the month.

Chevrolet sales fell 0.7% to 158,644 vehicles delivered. The Silverado led sales for the brand as 43,136 left showrooms in February. The top-selling car for Chevy was the Malibu with 21,418 sold. Retail sales for the brand were up 13%, accounting for 121,747 of the vehicles sold last month.

Sales of the Lordstown-built Chevy Cruze continued to slip nationally as 12,998 were sold last month, a 29% drop from last year. The redesigned 2016 Cruze will be shipped to dealers this month.

Buick sales were up 2.3% to 17,811, led by the Encore crossover with 5,873 sold. For Cadillac, sales reached 11,840, a 0.9% increase. The brand’s top seller was the SRX crossover, of which 4,017 left showrooms. Among GM brands in February, GMC had the largest drop in sales as 39,530 trucks and SUVs were delivered, a 6.8% decline.
With 217,912 vehicles sold last month, Ford Motor Co. had its best February since 2005, including record February sales for the Lincoln brand and Ford SUVs.

Ford sales totaled 209,153 last month, an increase of 20.1% over February 2015. Topping sales for the brand was the F-Series pickup line with 60,697 delivered followed by the Fusion with 25,442 sold. The Escape ranked third in sales with 23,854, leading the brand’s SUV sales, which set a record for February as just over 65,000 were sold.

The Lincoln brand also posted its best February ever as 8,039 of its cars and SUVs hit the streets, a 30.4% climb from last year. Topping sales for the luxury brand last month was the MKX with 2,375 sold, a 109.3% increase from the same month a year ago.

Fiat Chrysler reported a 12% gain in sales for February, their 71st consecutive month of year-over-year increases, with 182,879 vehicles sold in the United States. Three of the company’s American brands – Jeep, Dodge and Ram – posted double digit sales increases of 23%, 12% and 27%, respectively. Sales for the Chrysler brand were down 26% to 21,056 last month.

Jeep sales totaled 68, 228, led by the Grand Cherokee with 15,380 leaving showrooms. For Dodge, sales reached 47,251, topped by the Caravan with 12,262 sold. The Ram truck line moved 43,302 trucks last month, including 38,555 Ram Pickups.

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