Chevrolet in European sales funk

Conventional wisdom would dictate that Chevrolet sales in Europe should accelerate as more and more buyers battered by the continent's sour economy look to save money by choosing small, inexpensive cars over larger, more expensive options. After all, Chevrolet is positioned as General Motors' value brand, and it offers a number of affordable vehicles in popular inexpensive segments. Globally, Chevy sales are up four percent so far this year.

All of this is why Chevy's declining sales in Europe come as a something of a mystery. According to Automotive News, sales of the Spark and Matiz twins have fallen 37 percent to 12,245 units through April of 2013. The Aveo (now sold in North America under the Sonic nameplate) posted similar declines, falling 44 percent to 10,235 units. Other budget brands like Dacia and Kia have registered significant gains over the same period.

So, why the sales funk? Industry analysts cited by AN point a finger at Chevy's aging designs and their comparatively high fuel consumption – Chevy's average carbon emissions (which can determine taxation rates) put it in 18th place in Europe out of 20 total automakers. Further problems arise when you consider that some of Chevy's popular models can also be found in Opel and Vauxhall dealerships, albeit with revisions designed to give Opel "a distinctive brand positioning" to "aim at different customers," says GM.

Clearly, Chevy's offering and market position aren't working as well as GM would like, and analysts aren't predicting any significant improvement until 2016, when some of its aging models are slated to be replaced.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/11/c...an-sales-funk/

 

If I were looking for a car in Europe, I sure as heck wouldn't even consider a cheaply made in S Korea DAEWOO. Competition is VERY STIFF in Europe, Chevy is merely a sales outlet for whatever crap Daewoo is making.

It would be interesting to see how sales as a whole are doing when you factor in Opel and Vauxhall.

 

you got it, Chevy is bottom of the barrel in Europe, they sell the cheapest cars sold in Europe right now. They look cheap, feel cheap, act cheap.

 

^ fixed

They sell rebadged Opel/Vauxhall at a lower price and they still can't beat their own corporate red headed step brothers. Enough said?

 

Why is GM trying to sell models that are already available in an over-crowded / over-saturated market? And they think that an American brand, known for selling cheap and outdated product can compete with local brands that have respected histories in Europe? Did GM forget why they kept the Vauxhall brand in the UK, when it is nothing more than an Opel with a different badge? Because it is a well-known, easily recognizable and respected brand in Great Britain.

 

if it only was just rebaged... problem with Opel is that their cars got too nice for their brand status so they are really expensive to buy... (plus the weight problem)

these use same platform but cheaper everything... they suck, nobody wants to buy Chevy because it is nice, they buy it because it is cheapest and cant afford more... this doesnt work in europe.

 

European GM sales have traditionally been dominated by Opel and Vauxhall. Even with A-class minicars like the Spark, Chevy is not likely to break signifcantly into that market anytime soon.

 

Most europeans think American cars are trash. I am surprised that they are surprised about this considering all of the new competition . They do ok here because we are all huge compared to the rest of the world and we like large cheap cars. In UK they like small higher end cars and hatchbacks