Gary Barbera Confirms Ram is “Ram Hot” Stocking More 2019-2020 Motor Trend Truck of the Year Ram Trucks and Increases Orders for First Time Ram Buyers and for Current Owner Appreciation
USA TODAY REPORTS: JAMIE L. LAREAU | DETROIT FREE PRESS
The pickup war escalates as Ram beats Silverado for the first time. Oh, it’s on.
The pickup war escalated Friday when General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles reported fourth-quarter and year-end sales and, for the first time, the Ram pickup has outsold the Chevrolet Silverado for the year — by 10.1%.
“This is really quite a shake-up and it’s uncharted territory for the Ram because it’s never been No. 2,” just behind the best-selling Ford F-150, said Jeremy Acevedo, an analyst at Edmunds in Santa Monica, California. “It would be like the Chevy Malibu leapfrogging the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry sedans”.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ results in the second quarter were powered in large part by sales of the 2019 Ram 1500.
Ford Motor Co. reports its sales Monday. Expect a bloody brawl this year. Edmunds predicts strong first-quarter industry auto sales and Acevedo said GM and FCA will likely take advantage of the attractive finance conditions to sell more vehicles.
As for the Ram surpassing the Silverado, GM remains undeterred. A GM spokesman said one year is not a trend especially in light of the six-week work stoppage the UAW’s nationwide strike caused, which dinged sales of the Silverado heavy-duty full-size pickups and resulted in lean pickup inventory. Plus, later this year, GM will launch its redesigned full-size SUVs, expected to boost sales.
Interesting event ahead.
GM reported its fourth-quarter deliveries fell 6.3% to 735,909 vehicles, matching analysts’ expectations. For the full year, GM delivered a total of 2.9 million vehicles, down 2.3%.
GM’s North American wholesales dropped about around 25% compared with to the year-ago quarter. Its redesigned Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups tumbled 17% during the strike-impacted period, GM said.
About 48,000 union workers went on strike at GM facilities nationwide on Sept. 16. The strike ended when members ratified a four-year contract on Oct. 25. Besides dinging sales, GM blames the strike for a significant parts shortage that has left many customers awaiting repairs on their GM vehicles.
But GM had its best year ever for small SUV sales, selling 1.2 million compact and small SUVs for the year, up 12.7% compared with 2018.
Ram vs. Silverado
But the earth moved on pickup sales results when comparing the Silverado to the Ram.
• Fourth quarter: GM reported Silverado sales rose 1% to 163,341.
• Fourth quarter: Ram sales rose 7% to 172,579.
• For the year: Silverado sales slipped 2% to 575,600.
• For the year: Ram sales rose 18% to a record 633,694.
That’s right, Ram sales topped the Silverado by 10.1% for 2019.
Acevedo said it doesn’t look like GM or FCA’s pickup results were “stellar enough” to unseat the F-150 from the top spot when Ford reports its results Monday.
In an email to the Free Press, FCA said Ram had an “outstanding 2019.”
“Our pickup truck sales speak for themselves,” said Head of U.S. Sales Reid Bigland. “We offered consumers more technology, more interior features and more choice with the Ram 1500, Ram 1500 Classic and our Heavy-Duty portfolio. We look forward to another solid year in 2020.”
Analyst Krebs said that Cox Automotive research showed consumers found the Ram’s interior, with its large screen, most appealing, she said.
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