DETROIT – General Motors reported their best January sales in seven years.
The automaker says they delivered 202,786 vehicles in January 2015, an 18 percent increase of January 2014 sales.
Trucks led GM's sales numbers. Large pickup sales were up 22 percent and more than 8,000 all-new mid-size trucks were sold in January.
"Consumer and commercial demand for trucks and crossovers is really driving our business, and our move into the small crossover segment with the Chevrolet Trax and Buick Encore, and mid-size pickups with the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, was well-timed," said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of Sales Operations.
Sales of crossovers and SUVs were up 36 percent year over year, with the Chevrolet Equinox and Traverse, the GMC Terrain and the Buick Encore all posting their highest January sales ever.
Highlights (vs. 2014 except as noted)
Chevrolet: Best January total and retail sales since 2008.
Silverado deliveries increased 25 percent and in just five months, the all-new Colorado has overtaken the Nissan Frontier to become No. 2 in retail market share in the mid-size pickup segment.
Tahoe sales were up 88 percent, Suburban sales more than doubled and the Traverse was up 89 percent.
The Chevrolet Cruze, which had its best annual sales ever in 2014, began 2015 with its best January sales ever, as did the Spark.
GMC: Best retail sales since 2004. Sierra sales were up 14 percent.
Every GMC crossover and SUV saw higher sales: Yukon and Yukon XL sales more than doubled; Terrain was up 25 percent and Acadia was up 8 percent.
The Canyon had its best January in 10 years following the launch of the all-new model late last year.
Buick: Encore deliveries rose 46 percent for its best January ever.
Cadillac: Deliveries of the XTS were up 14 percent.
Demand for the new Escalade continues to exceed expectations, with deliveries up 149 percent.
Fleet and Commercial: Commercial deliveries were up 17 percent, for the 15th consecutive monthly year-over-year increase. Truck, SUV and crossover deliveries all were higher.
Sales to government customers were up 27 percent driven by crossover and SUV deliveries, including the new Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle.
Industry Sales: GM estimates that the seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) for light vehicles in January was 16.6 million.