SUVs power regional sales surge for GM

SALES SURGE: Demand for the Acadia luxury crossover SUV drove GMC’s regional sales up 41%.

General Motors said on Tuesday its UAE sales were up 35% during the first quarter of 2008 compared to the same period last year.

The company, which celebrates its 100th birthday this year, sold 5,642 units across its Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, Hummer and Saab brands, following on from a similarly strong performance in 2007 when the firm grew by 20%.

GMC full-size SUVs take first place in the UAE sales chart, with customers buying 110% more vehicles (1,334 units) than in the same period last year.

Cadillace, Hummer and Saab saw a combined increase of 54% to 670 units, while Chevrolet rose 17% to 3,638.

GM’s full size SUVs, the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL experienced a combined increase of 79% over Q1 2007 to 1,337 units.

The Chevrolet Epica was the next biggest seller with 565 models bought, representing a year-on-year increase of 146%.

GM’s success in the UAE has been broadly replicated across the Middle East, with record sales in the first three months of the year.

GMC saw regional sales up 41% on 2007, driven primarily by demand for the new Acadia crossover SUV. The luxury Cadillac brand grew 51% helped by its CTS sedan and Escalade luxury SUV, while Hummer grew by 6%.

In the GCC, Oman led the way for GM with year-on-year sales up by 38%, followed closely by Kuwait (+37%), the UAE and Bahrain (+34%).

Saudi Arabia, GM's biggest market, shifted 17,580 units, while Iraq sales jumped 42%.

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