GMC Savana Sales Increase 4 Percent To 5,021 Units In Q3 2019 - GM Authority

GMC Savana sales increased in the United States and in Canada during the third quarter of 2019.

The Savana is sold exclusively in the U.S. and Canada, and not in Mexico. Instead, GM only sells the Chevrolet Express in Mexico.

GMC Savana Sales - Q3 2019 - United States

In the United States, GMC Savana deliveries totaled 5,021 units in Q3 2019, an increase of about 4 percent compared to 4,815 units sold in Q3 2018.

In the first nine months of the year, Savana sales increased about 26 percent to 21,090 units.

MODEL	Q3 2019 / Q3 2018	Q3 2019	Q3 2018	YTD 2019 / YTD 2018	YTD 2019	YTD 2018
SAVANA	+4.28%	5,021	4,815	+25.69%	21,090	16,779

GMC Savana Sales - Q3 2019 - Canada

In Canada, GMC Savana deliveries totaled 1,862 units in Q3 2019, an increase of about 25 percent compared to 1,490 units sold in Q3 2018.

In the first nine months of the year, Savana sales decreased about 18 percent to 4,403 units.

MODEL	Q3 2019 / Q3 2018	Q3 2019	Q3 2018	YTD 2019 / YTD 2018	YTD 2019	YTD 2018
SAVANA	+24.97%	1,862	1,490	-18.07%	4,403	5,374

Competitive Sales Comparison

GMC Savana sales increased during Q3 2019, posting a 4 percent increase in sales volume during a time when sales of its corporate twin – the Chevrolet Express – grew 26 percent. As a result, the Express sold over four times as many units as the Savana during the same time frame.

Leading the segment was the Ford Transit in first place (see Ford Transit sales), followed by the Chevy Express (see Chevrolet Express sales) in second, the Ram ProMaster (see Ram ProMaster sales) in third, the Ford E-Series (see Ford E-Series sales) in fourth (the model is available exclusively as a cutaway), the Nissan NV in fifth, and the GMC Savana bringing up the rear in sixth place. The Nissan NV had the largest growth in its segment of 52 percent, while the Ram ProMaster followed with a 30 percent boost.

Sales Numbers - Full-Size Vans - Q3 2019 - United States

MODEL	Q3 19 / Q3 18	Q3 19	Q3 18	Q3 19 SHARE	Q3 18 SHARE	YTD 19 / YTD 18	YTD 19	YTD 18
FORD TRANSIT	+25.18%	43,876	35,051	43%	42%	+9.88%	116,983	106,463
CHEVROLET EXPRESS	+26.00%	22,062	17,509	22%	21%	+3.59%	60,805	58,696
RAM PROMASTER	+29.92%	14,589	11,229	14%	13%	+30.74%	41,301	31,591
FORD E-SERIES	-10.58%	9,875	11,044	10%	13%	-11.83%	32,226	36,549
NISSAN NV	+51.57%	6,140	4,051	6%	5%	+27.46%	15,676	12,299
GMC SAVANA	+4.28%	5,021	4,815	5%	6%	+25.69%	21,090	16,779
TOTAL	+21.34%	101,563	83,699			+9.80%	288,081	262,377

Combined deliveries of the Ford Transit and E-Series totaled 53,751 units, accounting for 53 percent segment share during the quarter. Meanwhile, GM’s offerings – the Chevy Express and GMC Savana – saw combined deliveries of just over 27,000 units for roughly 30 percent market share – significantly less than that of The Blue Oval. Even so, the fact that the Express and Savana were able to garner that many deliveries is quite impressive given that the GM twins are the oldest vehicles in the segment and have received very few changes over the past two decades.

The full-size mainstream van segment, which includes passenger, cargo, and cutaway/chassis cab models, expanded over 21 percent to 101,563 units in Q3 2019.

The GM Authority Take

The GMC Savana and Chevy Express are archaic vehicles that trace their roots to the 1990s. In fact, they are the oldest products in their respective segment, and by a wide margin. Even so, the duo continues to perform well in the marketplace.

We attribute the continued rise in GMC Savana sales performance to strong commercial/fleet vehicle deliveries during the quarter. We should also make note of a circumstance that can take place in the commercial van and truck space, and that is when a commercial/fleet customer places a large order for a GMC product and not its Chevrolet equivalent (or vice-versa). GM can sometimes fulfill (deliver) the order in a single quarter.

We attribute the solid ongoing performance of the Savana and Express is due to well-established up-fit-level offerings, which prepare or modify the Savana for various commercial duties. In fact, orders from Amazon likely helped fuel Savana sales growth during Q3. The accessible purchase price and low operating cost of the Savana (and Express) also factor into their ongoing success. Meanwhile, the introduction of the 2.8L Duramax Turbo-Diesel LWN engine and 8-speed automatic transmission (M5U), introduced for the 2017 model year, has generated increased interest in the model. Looking ahead, we know that GM has plans to produce the Express and Savana in their current forms until at least 2023. Meanwhile, the automaker could be working on an indirect replacement as an electric vehicle, as GM Authority was first to report.

About The Numbers

All percent change figures compared to GMC Savana sales for Q3 2018
In the United States, there were 76 selling days in Q3 2019 and 76 selling days in Q3 2018
Sales numbers for the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van are not available, since the Mercedes-Benz Vans division does not break out sales by model. Requests to provide the information have been continuously declined.

GM Q3 2019 sales numbers:

GM Q3 2019 sales U.S.A.
GM Canada sales Q3 2019
- Chevrolet Canada sales Q3 2019
- Cadillac Canada sales Q3 2019
- Buick Canada sales Q3 2019
- GMC Canada sales Q3 2019
GM Mexico sales Q3 2019
GM China sales Q3 2019
- Chevrolet China Q3 3019 sales
- Buick China Q3 2019 sales
- Cadillac China Q3 2019 sales
GM Brazil sales Q3 2019
GM South Korea sales Q3 2019