From Dilemma to Revival, SAIC-GM’s Self-confident Rise and Future Layout

SAIC-GM has been very busy in recent months.

Within half a year, SAIC-GM launched a number of new cars, and the effect of the "one-price" policy was even more immediate, which seemed to instantly activate the vitality of this old joint venture car company. "In the last two or three months, we have done a lot of actions and met with you frequently." On the eve of the Guangzhou Auto Show in 2024, Haitao Xue, the deputy general manager of SAIC-GM, said this in a relaxed tone. Although this remark is somewhat joking, it is a true portrayal of a series of intensive new product launches and marketing offensives of SAIC-GM in recent months.

In November, in the face of increasingly fierce competition in the market environment, SAIC-GM achieved another great success. Data show that in November, SAIC-GM’s terminal sales volume was 66,797 vehicles (including exports), up 14.7% from the previous month, setting a new high in the year and maintaining growth for five consecutive months. At the same time, the performance of new energy vehicles was particularly bright. In November, the terminal sales reached 10,010 vehicles, up 5.9% from the previous month. From January to November, the cumulative terminal sales of SAIC-GM exceeded 600,000 vehicles, and the cumulative sales of new energy vehicles reached 97,056 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 77.4%.

This series of data not only reflects the signs of SAIC-GM’s gradual recovery in the predicament, but also marks its staged success in the rapid layout in the fields of new energy, intelligence and high-end. As one of the mainstream joint venture car companies in China, SAIC-GM has been accelerating its transformation in recent years, making full efforts in products, technology, marketing, services and other fields, showing strong market resilience.

New energy strategy: the key layout from oil-electric dual track to electrification transformation

The wave of new energy is irreversible, and the transformation process of SAIC-GM, especially in the field of new energy, is particularly critical.

As one of the strongest R&D centers in China, Pan Asia Technology Center is regarded as the "trump card" of SAIC-GM. From chassis adjustment to body design, Pan Asia always adheres to the highest standards in the world. In the field of new energy, Pan Asia also holds enough trump cards … From the development of Ultium platform to the promotion of intelligent solutions for new energy vehicles, this R&D center has gradually brought SAIC-GM into the electrified track.

In order to cope with the drastic changes in China’s automobile market, SAIC-GM set its sights on the development of "oil-electric dual track" from the very beginning. In November, Buick MPV SkyTeam performed well, with monthly sales reaching 10,211 vehicles, up 16% from the previous month. Among them, the GL8 family is still the main force in the market, and the new energy model GL8 PHEV is a leader. As a luxury gold standard hybrid MPV, GL8 PHEV’s sales volume and orders have maintained a double-digit growth. At present, the number of orders of GL8 PHEV is still increasing, and the market share of hybrid MPVs above 350,000 yuan exceeds 30%, and the market share of MPVs above 380,000 yuan is close to 70%.

At the same time, as a pure electric vehicle, its sales in November also reached 3,039 vehicles, up 55.7% year-on-year. With its spacious interior space, solid battery life and excellent safety, Buick E5 attracts a large number of consumers. Since its launch in September, E5 has been selling more than 3,000 vehicles a month for three consecutive months, making it another brilliant work of SAIC-GM in the field of new energy.

In the field of new energy, SAIC-GM continued to promote the expansion and optimization of product matrix. From January to November, the sales volume of new energy vehicles was close to 100,000, making it one of the fastest brands in the joint venture vehicle enterprises. Buick and Cadillac’s "electrification+intelligence" double upgrades have made SAIC-GM not only occupy a place in the fuel automobile market, but also gradually occupy a leading position in the field of new energy vehicles.

In the next two years, SAIC-GM plans to launch 12 new energy vehicles, covering a complete product matrix from compact cars to large SUVs. This not only shows the technical background, but also reserves enough "ammunition" for the competition in the new energy era, which has injected a strong impetus into brand reshaping.

Price offensive: innovation "limited price" won!

It is natural for Buick to continue to improve by accelerating the renewal of new models, distinctive product strength, and superimposing the "stable and ruthless" marketing strategy and escalating value system.

In the second half of 2024, the Buick brand’s "limited time and one price" strategy became an important driver of SAIC-GM’s successful recovery. What is a "bite price"? In short, the price of car models is unified throughout the country, regardless of regions and dealers, and consumers do not need to bargain with sales staff in the process of buying cars. This policy not only saves consumers time and energy, but also avoids the psychological gap after buying a car. At the same time, there is no need for price competition among dealers, but more energy is devoted to improving service quality.

This strategy directly promoted the growth of sales. Through this innovative strategy, SAIC-GM quickly attracted a large number of consumers’ attention and activated market demand. After the release of the limited-time "one-price", orders quickly exceeded 5,000 units during the National Day. In addition, the continued sales of Plus can not be separated from the promotion of one-price strategy. With this strategy, Buick Angkewei Plus has gained a firm foothold in the SUV market and become an important force that cannot be ignored in the current fuel auto market. According to the latest data, the sales volume of Angkewei family reached 18,300, of which the sales volume of Angkewei Plus reached 12,807, setting a new record for the monthly sales volume of 2.0T displacement vehicles.

In the field of cars, since the launch of Buick 2025 Platinum, the sales volume has continued to rise, with 4,603 vehicles sold in November, up 50.5% year-on-year. The performance of this series of products has laid a good foundation for SAIC-GM’s market recovery.

In addition, GL8 "Tiantuan" also performed well. The luxury gold standard MPV—— listed at the end of October-the new GL8 Luzun terminal is hot, with orders increasing by 108% month-on-month; For the first time, the GL8 land business class entered the price range of less than 200,000 yuan, further lowering the purchase threshold for MPV users. In addition, the 2025 CENTURY was launched less than a month ago, with sales volume increasing by 84.4% month-on-month, and orders rising by more than 240% month-on-month, continuing to write the "century" legend of the top luxury MPV market.

Under the strategic deployment of SAIC-GM, Cadillac brand will not be outdone. This year, Cadillac launched XT6, a luxury six-seat SUV with all road conditions. With the market pricing advantage and replacement subsidy policy, it quickly broke the barriers for consumers to buy luxury SUVs. In November, Cadillac’s brand-new XT5 also sold well, with 6,127 new orders. Since its listing, it has ordered more than 6,000 units and delivered 3,933 units for three consecutive months, and the market share of key cities has risen to the top three. Star rear-drive car CT5 sold 5,306 cars in November, up 9% from the previous month. Undoubtedly, both Buick and Cadillac have demonstrated the firm steps of SAIC-GM in the direction of high-end and electrification.

From channel to organization, the gold content of SAIC-GM system strength is still improving.

At present, the sales volume of SAIC-GM terminals has stabilized at more than 50,000 vehicles per month, and it has continued to grow for five months, obviously stabilizing and warming up.

In fact, the success of SAIC-GM is not only reflected in the breakthrough of products and sales, but also in the deep localization strategy and organizational optimization behind it. This year, SAIC-GM successfully "destocked" more than 150,000 vehicles, significantly improving the health of the channel. Combined with the new marketing strategy and management optimization, the company’s market performance gradually picked up. In particular, the comprehensive optimization and integration of production efficiency, organizational structure, core team and operating costs have laid a solid foundation for the company’s future sustainable development.

In terms of channels, SAIC-GM has strengthened its support for dealer networks through digital means. It not only provides a more transparent data sharing platform, but also helps dealers reduce operating costs through the optimization of financial policies. This "empowerment management" model has won more support for the brand in the market competition.

More importantly, thanks to the full support of the parent companies SAIC and GM, SAIC-GM has formulated a series of long-term development plans for the future, including product planning for the next decade. With the continuous introduction of more new technologies and new models, SAIC-GM is accumulating strength for further breakthroughs in the coming year.

In the face of the deep transformation of the market, SAIC-GM has demonstrated strong coping ability and market acumen. Whether it is continuous innovation in new energy and intelligence, or multi-dimensional adjustment in products, technology and marketing, it shows that it is fully prepared for healthy and sustainable development in the future. With the gradual recovery of sales in 2024, SAIC-GM is expected to continue to be at the forefront in the field of new energy and intelligence in 2025. The strong rebound in monthly sales once again verified its strong competitiveness against the trend in the predicament.

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For SAIC-GM, the recovery of sales volume is not only a staged victory, but also a starting point for redefining brand value and winning back consumer trust. Under the circumstance of accelerating the reshuffle of China automobile market, SAIC-GM is moving towards the peak again at a steady pace.

At present, China auto market is undergoing a deep transformation, and opportunities and challenges coexist. As the leader of joint venture car companies in the era of smart electricity, SAIC-GM has continuously adjusted its strategy and demonstrated its strong resistance to pressure with innovative breakthroughs. A series of reform measures have demonstrated the confidence and determination of SAIC-GM, as if to declare to the market that the past trough is only temporary. In the future, it will continue to meet the challenges with an open attitude, and with its strong brand influence, technical strength and market insight, it will set off new waves in China and even the global automobile market.

We are confident that we can see the day when SAIC-GM "the king returns".