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Strong March boosts Chevrolet Europe’s Q1 results

2010-04-12

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In the first quarter of 2010, Chevrolet sold 107,070* cars in total Europe, equivalent to a market share of 2.3 percent. Chevrolet sales were up 14 percent, or 12,748 cars, compared to the same period of 2009 (Q1 2009: 94,322; 2 percent).  In a challenging economic climate, Chevrolet achieved market share gains in 14 European markets. In the month of March, Chevrolet sold 44,610 cars in Europe, up from 35,854 in March of 2009, an increase of 24 percent.

In the first quarter of 2010, Chevrolet registrations in Denmark more than tripled (+366%), sales in Portugal and Greece more than doubled (+113 or +104 percent), while sales in Turkey rose by 60 percent, sales in Spain increased by 68 percent and in the U.K. sales increased by 26 percent compared to the first three months of last year. Substantial volume improvements were also achieved in The Netherlands (+58%), Switzerland (+47%) and Austria (+38%). 

"March was a very promising month for Chevrolet. The all-new Chevrolet Spark city car is now at our dealerships and we are already seeing an impact on our sales figures," said Wayne Brannon, President and Managing Director of Chevrolet Europe. "The bold design of the Spark combined with its spaciousness, makes it a very good value proposition”, Brannon continued.

In Q1 2010, Chevrolet's top five markets in terms of sales were Russia (20,539 cars), where the market was down 24 percent, Italy (10,717 cars), Spain (6,455 cars), Germany (5,822  cars), and the U.K. (4,341 cars). Despite the economic downturn, Chevrolet continues to be the best-selling non-domestic brand in Russia, with a market share of 7 percent.

In the first three months of 2010, Chevrolet sold 18,617 cars in the mini segment (Spark and Matiz), 17,281 small cars (Aveo and Kalos) and 25,825 compact models (Cruze, Lacetti and Nubira).

European auto industry sales in Q1 were up 5 percent at 4,764,447 vehicles and in March, industry sales were up 9 percent at 2,111,090 vehicles.

Chevrolet is General Motors’ best-selling brand, accounting for almost 50 percent of the company’s global sales. Chevrolet continues to grow particularly fast in the world’s emerging markets. In 2010, more than 50 percent of Chevrolet’s global sales are expected to be outside of the USA.

About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is General Motors' largest global brand with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. It is the fourth biggest global car brand in terms of sales and also one of the fastest growing brands in the world. Chevrolet Europe delivers attractive, distinctive design, practical, economical cars and outstanding value for money. After re-launching the brand in Europe in 2005, Chevrolet more than doubled its sales to over 500,000 in 2008. In 2009, Chevrolet held its market share in Europe at 2.3 percent, selling 426,000 cars. Chevrolet has a network of 2,900 dealers and service points in Europe. The Chevrolet line-up includes the all-new Spark city car, the small Aveo, compact Cruze sedan, Captiva SUV, mid-size Epica and the legendary Corvette sports car. In 2011, Chevrolet will launch the Orlando, an all-new family van, the Camaro coupe and convertible, the new Aveo and the Cruze hatchback as well as re-launching the Captiva SUV with four new engines. Chevrolet's biggest markets in Europe are Russia, Italy, Germany, France, Spain and the U.K. Established in the U.S. by Swiss émigré Louis Chevrolet in 1911, the brand is preparing to celebrate its centenary with the launch of the ground-breaking Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle. More information on Chevrolet can be found at http://www.chevroleteurope.com or  http://media.chevroleteurope.com.