Chevrolet renews Euro sales drive
Chevrolet is aiming to more than treble its sales in Europe and become as big as Opel/Vauxhall within ten years, according to Jonathan Browning, vice-president of sales and marketing at parent company, General Motors.
The marque wants to capitalise on the growth in emerging markets where, as a low-cost brand, it has strong appeal. Browning says it is a realistic ambition to more than treble last year’s European sales of 450,000 to 1.5 million in the “medium term”.
Chevrolet sold 18,356 cars in the UK last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders – up more than 27% on 2006. Its 0.76% market share is well short of the 1.5% its previous incarnation Daewoo held in the late Nineties but Browning says he is “satisfied” with its progress since the 2006 rebrand.
Meanwhile, Browning has pledged that GM is “in it for the long haul” when it comes to beleaguered US marque Cadillac in Europe.
About 4,500 Cadillacs were sold in Europe last year and Browning believes the new CTS saloon offers a “big step forward” for the brand.
