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Buick Retail Sales Flourish in April, Up 35 Percent

Demand for fuel-efficient vehicles propel Buick’s 19th straight month of sales gains

DETROIT – Buick achieved its 19th consecutive month of retail sales gains in April, growing 35 percent year over year with total sales up 51 percent. The brand’s sales to individual customers also have increased 45 percent and its total sales are up 43 percent, calendar year to date.

“Luxury car and crossover shoppers as well as our dealers have made Buick the fastest-growing major automotive brand in the United States,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Buick & GMC Sales and Service. “With more new models coming to our showrooms this year, we expect Buick’s momentum to continue.”

Buick also is the fastest-growing brand among African-Americans, according to a recent Polk report. Buick increased annual registrations among African-American car buyers by more than 72 percent in 2010 – nearly 20 percentage points higher than its nearest competitor.

Interest in Buick is on the rise among consumers in general. At Main Street in Motion, a touring test-drive event that pits Buick against other brands, exit polls revealed that public opinion of Buick improved by 125 percent and purchase consideration improved by 65 percent.

Retail sales of LaCrosse increased 5 percent in April, with total sales up 8 percent. The full-size sedanrecently received a five-star overall safety rating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program. LaCrosse sales are expected to grow even more this summer with the introduction of the 2012 LaCrosse with eAssist™, which is expected to deliver class-leading highway fuel economy of 37 mpg.

With crossovers gaining in popularity, Enclave momentum continued to grow in April with retail sales up 6 percent and total sales up 14 percent, year over year. One reason for the Enclave’s sales success is its fuel economy, 24 mpg highway (2WD), which is better than any eight-passenger crossover.

Enclave, a four-time winner of Consumer Digest’s Best Buy award, has the highest conquest rate of any Buick, with 48 percent coming from non-GM brands. Approximately 40 percent of all Buick buyers come from non-GM brands and 18 percent come from imports.

In April, Buick markets with year-over-year increases included Miami, Houston and Boston.

“It’s pretty amazing,” said Mark Nazaradi, general manager of Williamson Buick Cadillac GMC in the Miami area. “Just about every Buick buyer we see is trading in a Lexus, BMW or other import brand.”

One year after its launch, demand for Regal continued to accelerate in April, with retail sales up 19 percent and total sales up 24 percent month over month.  The boost reflects increased availability of the all-new Regal CXL Turbo, which accounted for 32 percent of the sport sedan’s retail sales in April. The turbo’s 2.0-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine delivers better horsepower and torque than the Acura TSX, and with its manual six-speed transmission, it also delivers better fuel economy with an EPA-rated 32 mpg highway.

The Regal lineup will grow in the second half of the year with the introduction of the high- performance 2012 Regal GS and fuel efficient 2012 Regal eAssist.

 

 

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Buick Sales in China Surpass 3 Million Since 1999

Shanghai – Shanghai GM announced today that sales of Buick products have surpassed 3 million units since the joint venture began offering its original vehicle brand in 1999.

Buick has become one of China’s fastest-growing passenger car brands. With Shanghai GM’s rollout of its new Buick brand strategy in 2008, sales have increased by more than 100,000 units annually.

Shanghai GM has introduced the Buick Intelligent Performance (BIP) system, which merges European-style suspensions and powertrains with American vehicle communication systems. It is enabling Shanghai GM’s Buick portfolio to fully meet the demands of domestic consumers for products that can handle varying road and weather conditions, lower fuel consumption and emissions, and provide improved performance.

This is in line with Shanghai GM’s Drive to Green strategy.  The adoption of technologies such as intelligent direct injection has greatly improved the efficiency of Buick products built and sold in China.

Buick has more than 400 4S stores across China and offers the award-winning Buick Care aftersales service brand. Shanghai GM’s design partnership with GM’s Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) joint venture in Shanghai has resulted in the development of a series of new and upgraded Buick models including the Excelle GT and XT passenger cars and all-new GL8 luxury MPV.

At Auto Shanghai 2011, Shanghai OnStar announced the introduction of a mobile app that will enable Buick owners who subscribe to activate all of the functions on a traditional vehicle key fob – remote start, horn and lights, and door lock/unlock – securely from their smart phones.

Shanghai GM is a joint venture between GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC). It builds, imports and sells a comprehensive range of Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet products.  In 2010, Shanghai GM became China’s first passenger car maker to sell 1 million vehicles in a single year.  It ended the year with domestic sales of 1,033,307 vehicles.

 

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Buick Retail Sales Rise 49 Percent in First Quarter

Regal, Enclave propel 18th straight month of retail sales gains in March

DETROIT – Buick, the fastest growing major automotive brand in the United States in 2010, finished the first quarter of calendar year 2011 with retail sales up 49 percent and total sales up 39 percent. March also marked Buick’s 18th straight month of growth with retail sales up 24 percent and total sales up 21 percent.

“Regal, LaCrosse and Enclave continue to attract new-to-Buick buyers seeking fuel efficiency, luxury and style in the midsize sedan, full-size car and crossover segments,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Buick & GMC Sales and Service. “We fully expect the arrival of the fuel-efficient LaCrosse with eAssist and all-new Verano luxury compact to attract even more new customers to Buick.”

Approximately 38 percent of Buick buyers come from non-GM brands and 17 percent come from imports.

Regal, which launched last April, continued to help Buick grow in March with demand for the sporty sedan accelerating thanks to increased availability of the all-new Regal CXL Turbo, which accounted for 30 percent of Regal’s retail sales in March. The turbo’s 2.0-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine delivers better horsepower and torque than the Acura TSX, and with its manual six-speed transmission, it also delivers better fuel economy, with an EPA-rated 32 mpg highway.

Retail sales for LaCrosse also were up in the first quarter by 4 percent. The 2012 LaCrosse will feature eAssist, which uses an electric motor and lithium-ion battery to capture energy created during braking. Electric power used for starts and stops and light power boost while cruising.

Enclave, which had the strongest sales in its four-year history last year, continued to grow in the first quarter of 2011 with retail sales up 24 percent and total sales up 17 percent. Enclave’s monthly total sales also were up 8 percent year over year. So far in 2011, Enclave has the highest conquest rate of any Buick at 46 percent. The crossover delivers better fuel economy than any eight-passenger crossover, with 24 mpg highway (2WD).

“Fuel efficient vehicles and positive word of mouth continue to draw new customers to Buick showrooms,” Sweeney said. “Consumer interest in the brand also is evident by a 31-percent year-over-year increase in traffic at Buick.com, which is an important sales generator.”

Some of Buick’s hottest markets in the first quarter included Miami, New York and Houston; the latter is hosting the 2011 NCAA Final Four® basketball tournament, of which Buick is a sponsor.

Buick’s new partnership with the NCAA started during March Madness® and continues to generate buzz online at www.ncaa.com/buick, the home of the Buick Human Highlight Reel. This collection of videos celebrates the achievements of former student-athletes who are making a difference in their communities. Buick also is the exclusive title sponsor of a 30-minute television show featuring select Human Highlight Reel stories airing prior to the 2011 NCAA Men’s Final Four® semifinal games on April 2.