With its 100th birthday barely fading in the rearview mirror, Chevrolet is on pace to set an all-time global sale record in 2011, having sold 4.8 million units through the end of November and with December off to a strong start. Meanwhile, Chevrolet’s global market share has increased by nearly one half of a point this year, Russ Clark, Chevrolet’s marketing manager for midsized and performance cars, told TheDetroitBureau.com, while suggesting General Motors’ largest marque is steadily advancing towards its goal of becoming a truly global brand. “A Chevrolet is sold somewhere in the world every 6.6 seconds,” Clark added.
Sales of Chevrolet passenger cars have climbed 34% in recent months thanks to the overhaul of its passenger cars, which have been garnering increasingly positive reviews.
The Chevrolet Cruze is now the best-selling compact car in the US, while sales of the Malibu have surpassed those of 2010 even as the current model reaches the end of its life cycle, with an all-new Malibu set to roll out next year. Both the Corvette and Camaro – the latter having out ranked Mustang for the second year in a row — are now tops in their respective segments, Clark noted, while the all-new subcompact ChevroletSonic is turning so fast dealers have only a 17-day supply on their lots, less than a third of what the industry considers normal. But the real test for the coming year will be the launch of the redesigned Malibu, designated a 2013 model. The mild hybrid-powered Malibu Eco will reach showrooms early in the New Year, followed months later by the conventional version – which will offer buyers a choice of two new powertrains, including a high-performance 2.0-liter turbo shared with Cadillac’s new ATS luxury sedan. Malibu is now the longest-running sedan nameplate in the Chevrolet line –behind only the Suburban and Corvette nameplates for overall longevity. Plans for the new model reflect the broader global goals of Chevrolet.
