[Car Talk Forest] The Serious COVID-19 Situation in the U.S. Seen Through the 'Trailblazer'

Performing Well Compared to Competitors Despite About a Month of Sales... Only Hope is COVID-19 Stabilization

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Trailblazer, regarded as a symbol of the normalization of operations at Korea GM, has finally started sales in the United States. This is truly a much-needed piece of good news for Korea GM. However, it seems they are not entirely rejoicing. There is concern that the worsening COVID-19 situation in the U.S. might hinder progress.

The Trailblazer, entirely developed and mass-produced by Korea GM, was originally scheduled to launch in the North American market last March. However, the global COVID-19 pandemic delayed the North American release, causing schedule disruptions. Since late May this year, the vehicle has been displayed at dealerships in some U.S. regions, and sales began in mid-last month.

Global GM has been releasing only quarterly sales figures since 2018. According to GM’s Q2 sales report, 6,699 Trailblazers were sold. Since the launch did not occur until early last month, this sales figure of 6,699 can be considered the performance for just one month. Some may view this as underwhelming, especially considering that last month in the Korean market, models like the Grandeur, Avante, Sorento, and K5 each surpassed 10,000 units sold.

However, a closer look reveals a different story. The Trailblazer’s sibling model, the Buick Encore GX, which has been on sale since early this year, sold 9,256 units in Q2 alone. The 6,699 units of the Trailblazer represent just one month’s sales and only in certain U.S. regions, which can be seen as a commendable performance.

So, is it because GM vehicles are unpopular? GM explained in its Q2 sales report that the Trailblazer and Encore GX together captured a 10% market share in the U.S. small sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment during Q2. This equates to 15,955 units sold in one quarter. For comparison, the Grandeur sold 15,688 units in the Korean market last month. This indicates that the U.S. auto market itself has been challenged by COVID-19.

Korea GM still holds high expectations for the Trailblazer. The official launch event has yet to be held, and nationwide sales have not yet commenced. Additionally, parts supply supporting production is currently stable. The main concern remains the COVID-19 situation in the U.S., where 70,000 new cases are reported daily. We will have to watch closely.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.