source from:wsj
BUSINESS  AUTOS & TRANSPORTATION  AUTOS
Cadillacs Sold in China Top U.S. Sales for First Time in January
General Motors says it delivered 18,011 vehicles in China last month, 73% more in U.S.

By JOHN D. STOLL
Updated Feb. 3, 2017 2:31 a.m. ET
3 COMMENTS
Cadillac sold far more cars in China in the first month of 2017 than it did in the U.S., a symbolic milestone for General Motors Co.’s iconic premium brand as it works to expand beyond a home market where foreign luxury companies dominate.

It is likely the first time Cadillac’s U.S. unit was outsold in another market.

GM said Thursday it delivered 18,011 cars and SUVs in the Chinese market in January, 73% more than the 10,398 Cadillacs sold during the same period by the U.S. unit. GM has been selling Caddys in China for several year, but volumes have accelerated with the recent addition of new models.

Cadillac’s evolution is beginning to track the transition that the Buick brand, once a powerhouse in the U.S. market, has undergone. While Buick is GM’s major volume brand in China and widely known in that market, the unit has languished in the U.S. and currently holds only a small niche.

GM sells several brands in China, including homegrown nameplates, and the Detroit auto maker sold 3.9 million vehicles in China last year, 25% more than its U.S. total.

Cadillac last year reached a goal of selling 100,000 vehicles in China, with its unit there falling just short of outselling the U.S. division in November. In 2016, Cadillac sold 170,000 vehicles in the U.S. and 116,000 in China.

Johan de Nysschen, Cadillac’s president, has said China will be a primary growth engine for the brand. Cadillac sales increased 11% in 2016, and the momentum was entirely due to customers in China. The brand’s success with Chinese buyers has led it to rack-up its highest global sales numbers in three decades.

Cadillac, like Buick, has struggled in the U.S. market and was long ago passed by German and Japanese luxury brands such as BMW AG and Toyota’s Lexus. In January, the brand was outsold by Nissan Motor Co.’s Infiniti, a unit Mr. de Nysschen ran before joining GM.

A Cadillac spokesman said Thursday that China sales surpassing U.S. levels was due to seasonal factors and doesn’t indicate how the entire year will go. U.S. auto sales typically dip to among the lowest levels of the year in January, while China’s market sizzles over the same period ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations.

“We are growing the business significantly and attracting a youthful and affluent demographic, elevating the aspirational character of the brand. This is particularly the case in China, where our growth is explosive and sustained,” Mr. de Nysschen said in a statement.