GMC pickups haul a heavy sales payload for General Motors in Canada

Sales of GMC vehicles rose six per cent during the first half of 2024, with much of that increase from the brand’s pickups, said Shane Peever, vice-president of vehicle sales, service and marketing for GM Canada.

The Denali luxury subbrand also is driving growth, accounting for more than 25 per cent of overall GMC sales. “And that’s even a little bit higher on pickups,” Peever said.

Denali, launched 25 years ago, “represents the pinnacle of luxury in GMC,” he said. “Our trucks are incredibly capable. If you combine those two things, it really resonates with customers. As our top trim level, it’s always had some exclusivity. It caters to people who are looking for trucks that get the job done.”

GM has been offering incentives this summer to move some of GMC’s models. For example, the automaker was offering discounts of up to $11,300 on the 2024 Sierra Denali Ultimate, which has a base price of $104,847, including shipping.

Peever returned to GM Canada in April after being director of sales for GM Energy since November 2022. Previously, he was managing director of Cadillac Canada and led the brand to three consecutive annual retail sales records in 2020-22. 

GM Canada sales were up 10 per cent through June compared with the first six months of 2023, according to the Automotive News Research & Data Center. GMC was up 12 per cent for the same period.

“Our priority is to continue the sales momentum we’ve built in the first half of this year,” he said.

Peever addressed a range of issues facing the automaker during a recent interview with Automotive News Canada. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

WHAT ARE YOUR SALES EXPECTATIONS FOR 2024?

We think it’s going to do well. In the second quarter of this year, our EV sales were up 30 per cent right across the spectrum for GM Canada. The sky’s the limit for how many [Sierra EVs] we can sell here.

WILL WE SEE MORE GM HYBRIDS AS A RESULT OF CONSUMER HESITATION OVER EVS?

Hybrids will be part of the solution, but EVs are going to be more of the longterm answer. Range is a big question on consumers’ minds. With over 700 kilometres’ range on our EV pickup lineup, we think we’ve got a great offering right now.

DO YOU SEE ANY INCENTIVE SPENDING THIS YEAR FOR EVS?

We’ve seen EV demand growing pretty rapidly. It’s largely dependent on supply and demand. We believe if you price the vehicle right and put it into the market with the right value proposition, customers will resonate.

WITH THE END OF THE CHEVROLET MALIBU, IS THE SEDAN SEGMENT DONE?

I don’t know if it’s done. For us, it’s all about meeting customers where they’re at. We’re focused on growing our lineup in segments where consumers are telling us they want vehicle lineups, and that’s where GMC has done incredibly well with the Denali lineup.

WHY IS THE SILVERADO EV ARRIVING IN DEALERSHIPS BEFORE THE SIERRA EV?

The Silverado is coming first because of production timing. They’re all built on the new Ultium platform, which is purpose-built from the ground up, and we want to make sure we’ve got the right truck in the market for our customers. We’ve got 724 kilometres’ range on the Sierra Denali EV Edition 1, which really puts range [anxiety] out of the question. So the Silverado EV is starting to hit showrooms now in Canada, and the Sierra EV will follow in the fourth quarter.

HOW IMPORTANT IS WESTERN CANADA TO THE GMC BRAND?

We had the best first-half sales ever for the year, and the West was a big part of that, making up about 36 per cent of GMC’s sales. So, we punch over and above our weight here.