Chevrolet Trailblazer tops in US small SUV market

Chevrolet Trailblazer claimed the top spot in the subcompact crossover SUV market in the United States in the month of April. It maintained its position as the No. 1 car model domestically for the third consecutive month, surpassing a cumulative export of 500,000 units.

According to the Power Information Network by J.D. Power on Wednesday, the Trailblazer sold 11,130 units in the US automobile market in April, a 176.3% increase compared to the same month last year. It achieved a 16% market share in the subcompact crossover segment, securing the first position.

The Buick Encore GX, which shares the same platform, recorded sales of 5,429 units, capturing an 8.1% market share (4th place). Considering that both the Trailblazer and Encore GX are consolidated under the Trailblazer in domestic export statistics, their combined market share in the US small SUV market is 24.1%.

The second and third places were held by Subaru Crosstrek (14.2%) and Honda (12.3%), respectively. Kia Seltos (7.8%) claimed the fifth spot, while Hyundai Kona and Nissan Kicks jointly secured the sixth position with a market share of 7.8%.

According to GM Korea, the Trailblazer, which is produced domestically, along with the Encore GX, achieved a cumulative export of 518,583 units since its first shipment in Nov. 2019. GM highlighted the significance of these results as both models achieved these figures solely through domestic production without any overseas manufacturing.

According to the preliminary report on the automobile industry trends by the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA) in April, the Trailblazer, along with the Encore GX, recorded a total export of 22,694 units, marking the highest export volume among domestic cars for the month. Thus, the Trailblazer achieved the top position in domestic car exports for three straight months from February to April this year.

Furthermore, the Trax Crossover, which has been available in the global market since the end of February this year, recorded a total export of 13,646 units in April, securing the fourth position in domestic car exports for that month. Its cumulative export volume reached 34,114 units.

"We aim to produce 500,000 units annually in Korea, focusing on the Chevrolet Trailblazer and Trax Crossover. Through maximizing production and making large-scale exports of these two models, we will continue to contribute to the Korean economy," a GM representative said.

Write to Nan-Sae Bin at binthere@hankyung.com