General Motors sales in the UAE up by 31% in first nine months of 2008

UAE. Sales of General Motors (GM) vehicles in the United Arab Emirates in the first nine months of this year are up 31% on the same year of 2007 according to figures released by the company today, reinforcing the Emirates’ position as GM’s second largest market in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia, with total sales of 17,789 units.

GMC continues to forge ahead as the company’s best-performing brand, with year-on-year sales up by 67% to just over 4,000 units. This growth was mainly attributed to the continuing popularity of the full-size SUVs, the Yukon and Yukon XL, with 1,913 units sold, as well as the impact of the Acadia luxury Crossover SUV, which recorded sales of 854 units.

Chevrolet, GM’s foundation brand, experienced an increase in sales of 20%, to 11,795 units, while the Premium brands of Cadillac, HUMMER and Saab registered growth of 15%. The full-size SUVs – the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade – were the biggest sellers, at 4,404 units, while the Chevrolet Epica was second with sales of 2,045 units.

At a press conference held in Beirut, Lebanon, to announce General Motors’ quarterly business results in the Middle East, Terry Johnsson, President of General Motors-Middle East Operations, said: “It is extremely rewarding to see that the General Motors line-up is attracting customers across the region and in the UAE in ever-increasing numbers, as demonstrated by these latest results.

"At the same time, we acknowledge the commitment and effort of our esteemed dealers - Al Ghandi Auto, Bin Hamoodah Auto, Gargash Motors & General Trading and Liberty Automobiles Co - in making this success possible.

“Looking forward, there are exciting times ahead for GM, with models such as the Chevrolet Traverse and Cadillac CTS-V, Hummer H3T and Sierra Denali just around the corner, and equally highly anticipated models such as the Chevrolet Cruze and Camaro set to arrive next year. GM really grabbed the headlines on September 16th, our 100th anniversary, when we announced our vision for the future by unveiling the production version of the Chevrolet Volt.

This extended-range electric vehicle is set to rewrite automotive history and revolutionize the way we travel.”

At the same time, GM announced a new Middle East sales record for the first nine months of the year, with its sales in the region up by 13% to 111,944 units compared to the same period in 2007. This success can be attributed to three key factors: increasing demand for the company’s full-size SUVs, a huge rise in sales for GMC and the growing popularity of the GM brands in the Lower Gulf and the smaller markets.

GM’s best-selling models across the Middle East continue to be its full-size SUVs - the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and the Cadillac Escalade – with sales up by 38% over the first nine months of 2008.

At the opposite end of the size spectrum, and reinforcing GM’s reputation for offering great value cars, the fuel efficient Chevrolet Aveo and Optra models occupy second and third place in the sales chart.

With year-on-year sales up 41% on 2007, the GMC brand continues to go from strength to strength. Combined sales of the Yukon and Yukon XL are 37% to 22,535, while the GMC Acadia luxury Crossover SUV, in only its second year on sale in the Middle East, has sold 4,725 units, firmly establishing it among GM’s top ten best-sellers. The arrival earlier this year of the all-new compact SUV, the GMC Terrain, has stretched the appeal of the brand to a new breed of customers.

Combined Cadillac, Hummer and Saab sales are up 21% over the first nine months of 2007.

Cadillac’s award-winning, all-new CTS luxury sedan and Escalade luxury SUV have strengthened their appeal among premium brand customers, with big year-on-year increases. A 56% increase in sales of the rugged Hummer H2 and a 21% rise for the Saab 9-3 are further proof of the all-round appeal of GM’s Premium Brands.

Chevrolet has also performed strongly in 2008, with sales up 3% to 71,035 units, around two-thirds of all GM sales in the region. The best-selling Tahoe and Suburban full-size SUVs recorded combined sales up 42% on last year.

Chevrolet’s Aveo, Optra and Caprice models occupy second to fourth place in the GM best-selling list, while a 27% rise in demand for the Epica has helped it to jump into fifth place.

Across the region, GM also recorded some outstanding sales increases in Lebanon, (up 111%), Oman (up 43%), Iraq (up 21%), Kuwait (up 18%), Bahrain (up 17%), Saudi Arabia (up 8%) and Syria (up 6%).

Source: BI-ME , Author: Justin Smith

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