Chevy Volt sales jump to 2,633; Nissan Leaf steady at 1,489

DETROIT – General Motors Co.’s (NYSE: GM) U.S. dealers delivered the company’s highest December sales in five years, with deliveries up 5 percent year over year to 245,733 vehicles.

December was also GM’s best retail sales month of 2012. Retail volume was up 38 percent from November – about double the industry’s estimated increase. Incentive spending was competitive with industry-wide levels, according to J.D. Power PIN estimates, and remains below many Asian and domestic competitors.

“All four GM brands increased their sales year over year in December and we were strong across the board in cars, crossovers and pickup trucks,” said Kurt McNeil, vice president of U.S. sales operations. “We also achieved an important fuel economy milestone. In December, GM became the first U.S. automaker to sell more than 1 million vehicles in a single year that get an EPA-estimated 30 mpg or better on the highway.”

December Highlights

• Total GM passenger car sales increased 14 percent compared with a year ago. Crossover sales were up 2 percent and sales of trucks, which include pickups, vans and SUVs, were equal to a year ago.
• Compared with November, total car sales increased 18 percent, truck sales increased 52 percent and crossover sales increased 22 percent.
• Combined mini, small and compact car sales were up 52 percent year over year driven by continued strong Buick Verano, Chevrolet Spark and Sonic sales; a 27 percent increase for the Chevrolet Cruze; and a 72 percent increase for the Chevrolet Volt.
• Cadillac posted a double-digit year-over-year sales increase for the third consecutive month.
• Cadillac passenger car sales increased 64 percent year over year as the all-new ATS and XTS continue to establish themselves in the luxury market.
• Year-over-year sales of the Chevrolet Silverado increased 6 percent and sales of the GMC Sierra were up 13 percent. GM pickup sales were the highest since September 2008.

“GM’s strong finish in 2012, the industry’s momentum and the overall health of the U.S. economy make us optimistic about 2013,” McNeil said. “The budget compromise reached in Washington this week removes uncertainty and clears the way for full-year light vehicle sales to rise to the 15 million to 15.5 million unit range in 2013.”

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world’s largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM’s brands include Chevrolet and Cadillac, as well as Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

In this press release and in related comments by our management, our use of the words “expect,” “anticipate,” “possible,” “potential,” “target,” “believe,” “commit,” “intend,” “continue,” “may,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “project,” “projected,” “positioned” or similar expressions is intended to identify forward-looking statements that represent our current judgment about possible future events. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but these statements are not guarantees of any events or financial results, and our actual results may differ materially due to a variety of important factors. Among other items, such factors might include: our ability to realize production efficiencies and to achieve reductions in costs as a result of our restructuring initiatives and labor modifications; our ability to maintain quality control over our vehicles and avoid material vehicle recalls; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity and financing sources and an appropriate level of debt, including as required to fund our planned significant investment in new technology; the ability of our suppliers to timely deliver parts, components and systems; our ability to realize successful vehicle applications of new technology; and our ability to continue to attract new customers, particularly for our new products. GM’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q provides information about these and other factors, which we may revise or supplement in future reports to the SEC.

NISSAN NORTH AMERICA SALES INCREASE 9.5 PERCENT IN 2012

• Nissan Division sets new yearly record with more than 1 million sales –
• Infiniti 2012 sales up 21.8 percent-

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (Jan. 3, 2013) – Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today reported record U.S. calendar year sales of 1,141,656 units versus 1,042,534 in 2011, an increase of 9.5 percent and the first time that the Nissan brand sold more than 1 million units in a calendar year. December Nissan North America sales were 99,290, down 1.6 percent from the prior year.

NISSAN HIGHLIGHTS

• Nissan Division sales in 2012 of 1,021,779 set a new record, and were up 8.2 percent versus last year’s 944,073.
• Nissan Division sales for December were 86,663, down 3.6 percent from the prior year at 89,937 units.
• Multiple vehicles set sales records in 2012, including:
• Nissan Altima, up 12.6 percent with 302,934 sales for the calendar year and the first time the nameplate has exceeded 300,000 sales in a calendar year
• Nissan Rogue crossover, up 14.3 percent with 142,349 units in 2012
• Nissan Versa, up 13.6 percent with 113,327 deliveries. Versa sales also set a new December record with 10,618 units.
• Nissan LEAF, up 1.5 percent to 9,819 with December sales of 1,489 units.
• The Nissan NV commercial van, up 58 percent to 10,179 sales, with 1,250 units sold in December, its best month ever.

“Nissan had a record-breaking 2012, led by strong totals for Altima, Rogue and Versa,” said Al Castignetti, vice president, Nissan Division. “Our aggressive product launch schedule with five new core vehicles in under two years positions us well for a successful 2013.”

INFINITI HIGHLIGHTS

Infiniti sales highlights for the month include:

• Infiniti QX sales of 2,232 were an increase of 28.6 percent in December, marking its best month ever. For 2012, sales increased 14 percent to 15,310 units, its best year since the full-size luxury SUV was introduced into the Infiniti line in 2004.
• The all-new Infiniti JX saw sales of 2,708 in December, its best month since it went on sale in March. For 2012, the 7-passenger luxury crossover had sales of 21,674, making it the second best selling vehicle in the Infiniti line.
• For 2012, the Infiniti G Sedan had a sales increase of 7 percent to 46,828 units, and the Infiniti FX luxury performance crossover was up 4.9 percent to 10,424.
• Overall, this was Infiniti’s best December since 2006, and marked its eighth straight month of double-digit sales increases in 2012.

“2012 was a strong year for Infiniti, as we added the Infiniti JX luxury crossover, and the Infiniti G sports sedan and QX full-size luxury SUV continued to be solid players in their segments,” said Ben Poore, vice president, Infiniti Americas. “The JX brought new buyers into our showroom, and we expect that will continue throughout 2013, as we add another important new vehicle to the Infiniti line.”

NOTE: To ensure consistency in global sales reporting, Nissan North America calculates monthly variances on a straight-percentage basis, unadjusted for the number of selling days. December had 26 selling days in 2012 versus 27 in 2011. For the calendar year, both 2012 and 2011 had 307 selling days.

About Nissan North America

In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, and 2012 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com.

About Nissan

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan’s second largest Japanese automotive company by volume, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan and is an integral pillar of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4.6 million vehicles in 2011. With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of fuel-efficient and low-emissions vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades including the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year award.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to Sustainable Mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.