Last year, a Chevrolet was sold around the world every 7.4 seconds. This year, that number down to one every 6.6 seconds. Pretty amazing when you think about it. For most of its 100-year history, Chevrolet has been an American-centric brand. A good majority of its sales have always been racked up here in the United States. Historically, GM has relied on local brands like Opel in in international markets.
In recent years General Motors has made a concerted effort to turn Chevy into a global brand. For instance just last year Chevy entered new markets like South Korea and Vietnam. Their efforts appear to be paying off. For 2011, Chevy is looking to set an all-time sales record, selling 4.8 million units through November.
60% percent of those sales are from outside the U.S, with markets like China, Russia and India playing a huge role, as well as Latin American countries. Chevrolet is the number one brand in Latin America with a market share of 18.7 percent. In comparison, Chevy has 13.7% market share in the U.S. Globally, Chevy sales are up a half a point in marketshare. In the U.S, passenger car sales are up by 34% thanks to strong performances from the Cruze and Malibu, which at the end of its life -cycle. The new Sonic launched a few months ago, and according toThe Detroit Bureau, dealers are having the car on their lot for an average of just 17 days.
Who says small cars can’t sell? Who says General Motors can’t sell competitive small cars? Not many people are saying either anymore. The Chevrolet Cruze is one of the best-selling compacts in the United States, and deservedly so. The Sonic slots in below it, to replace the Aveo. With both cars, GM is looking to continue market share gains into the next year. Next year, the 2013 Malibu should be a further sales booster, as it competes in the hotly-contested mid-size sedan market. With 2011 marking its 100-year anniversary, the Chevy brand looks like it is in better shape than ever.
