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May 2016: FCA wins, Ford and GM stumble on weak car volumes

The May 2016 sales numbers are in, and it looks as though FCA is getting some vindication for boldly cancelling two slow-selling car models. Meanwhile, Ford saw overall sales dip and GM's May volume took a big dive versus the same month in 2015. While Marchionne's decision to axe the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart has drawn criticism as being short-sighted, it's working for FCA so far. Although the Dart and 200 aren't out of production yet and no capacity has been shifted to crossover or trucks, May's numbers show that the emphasis on Jeep and Ram models makes sense right now. FCA's US sales rose 1 percent last month compared to May 2015, putting the year-to-date total at 955,186 vehicles, an increase of 6 percent compared to the same period last year. Standouts included the Jeep Renegade, Compass, and Patriot, and the Fiat 500X. Ram pickup sales were down 3 percent. And your fun fact is that Alfa Romeo sales were up precisely 10 percent, for a total of 44 4Cs sold versus 40 in the same month last year. At FoMoCo, the Ford brand took a hit to the tune of 6.4 percent from May 2015 to 2016, registering 226,190 sales last month. Lincoln showed improvement on its modest numbers, going from 9,174 to 9,807, a 6.9 percent increase. Overall, Ford was down 5.9 percent for the month to 235,997; despite the slump, year-to-date total Ford sales are up 4.2 percent to 1,112,939. Strong sellers included Escape, Expedition, F-Series, and Transit - big stuff. Most small and/or efficient models (Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, C-Max) saw sales slides. Fusion sales were also down, likely due to effects of model changeover to the freshened 2017 model. Ford has promised four new crossovers and SUVs by 2020 and if things keep trending this way the company will be able to sell them, but things could change in the next four years. GM saw the worst of it for domestic brands. Retail and fleet sales were down for each of the four divisions, with the May 2016 total dropping 18 percent to 240,450 vehicles. GM's year-to-date sales are down 5.0 percent in 2016 to 1,183,705. Both the Sierra and Silverado were down significantly, and the majority of Chevy, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac nameplates saw sales decreases, with both small cars and larger utilities included. Not even big stuff could help GM this month, it seems. We'll have more on the rest of the industry's May sales as those figures trickle in.

GM expanding Lansing Lambda CUV plant

Considering that crossovers are a rapidly growing portion of the US auto market, it's not surprising to hear that General Motors is preparing to build even more of them. The company is investing $63 million to expand its Lansing Delta Township Assembly plant that builds Lambda platform CUVs like the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave.
According to GM, the expansion will add roughly 263,000 extra square feet of space to the plant. Of that, 181,000 square feet will be for an updated body shop with cutting-edge robots. There will also be 54,000 square feet of additional room in the paint shop and 28,000 square feet of more area for general assembly.
GM isn't saying as much, but there is the possibility that this extra space could allow for additional models produced at the factory. Cadillac reportedly dropped plans to build a three-row SUV on the Lambda platform earlier this year, however, dealers for the luxury brand were recently pitched the possibility of adding large and small CUVs, an ATS convertible or a sedan below the ATS.

The 2017 GMC Yukon XL Denali: Not just for the fertile set

I have a sis whom I've nicknamed "The Vickster." She is a beautiful Amazon, 6'1 on a good day and is the mom to a singleton. So why would my sis need to own a GMC Yukon XL Denali when she doesn't have a brood? Well to this I say, is there a written rule somewhere that states behemoth SUV's must be solely purchased by, you know, school-run moms? I think not! Even though the 2017 GMC Yukon XL Denali is tanker-sized and can swallow up to nine passengers, it has road presence and supreme luxury to boot which is a real draw for not just the fertile set. The Yukon XL Denali is an in-your-face kind of vehicle, and it was all in mine. The monolith has a presence, there's no denying, and even though it is big from every angle, it is far from odious. The stately looking ride has nicely defined slabs of metal, boxy proportions that make you look as it glides down the highway. Giving the Yukon XL my front-to-back once over, I liked its imposing mesh grille, nicely placed chrome accents and badges, riveting upsized wheels, and attractive high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps and LED rear tail lamps. Once I settled into the cavernous and swanky realm of leather and mellow accent lighting that makes up the Yukon XL's interior, I then realized why "The Vickster" opted for this vehicle. The SUV's interior design is not overdone, no excessive bling to the point of blindness! Tasteful appointments on the Yukon XL include soft-touch leathers, aluminum trim, wood inlays, La-Z-Boy comfy seating in the first two rows (2nd-row power-release fold-and-tumble bucket seats); and thankfully, the non-gizmos overkill command center has large and ergonomically comfy controls. Space for a leggy crew is more than ample in the first and second rows. The SUV's available power folding, third-row fold-flat seats, however, are not exactly cut out for those who have gone past middle school as the seating is less bolstered and a little too close to the floor. Loved the wide and cushy center console that is not only spacious enough for hanging folders or a laptop but most importantly, it's elbow-friendly! Technology on the Yukon XL did not disappoint—particularly with the available built-in 4G Wi-Fi Hotspot for up to seven devices that kept me connected wherever I roamed.