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May 2016: FCA wins, Ford and GM stumble on weak car volumes

The May 2016 sales numbers are in, and it looks as though FCA is getting some vindication for boldly cancelling two slow-selling car models. Meanwhile, Ford saw overall sales dip and GM's May volume took a big dive versus the same month in 2015. While Marchionne's decision to axe the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart has drawn criticism as being short-sighted, it's working for FCA so far. Although the Dart and 200 aren't out of production yet and no capacity has been shifted to crossover or trucks, May's numbers show that the emphasis on Jeep and Ram models makes sense right now. FCA's US sales rose 1 percent last month compared to May 2015, putting the year-to-date total at 955,186 vehicles, an increase of 6 percent compared to the same period last year. Standouts included the Jeep Renegade, Compass, and Patriot, and the Fiat 500X. Ram pickup sales were down 3 percent. And your fun fact is that Alfa Romeo sales were up precisely 10 percent, for a total of 44 4Cs sold versus 40 in the same month last year. At FoMoCo, the Ford brand took a hit to the tune of 6.4 percent from May 2015 to 2016, registering 226,190 sales last month. Lincoln showed improvement on its modest numbers, going from 9,174 to 9,807, a 6.9 percent increase. Overall, Ford was down 5.9 percent for the month to 235,997; despite the slump, year-to-date total Ford sales are up 4.2 percent to 1,112,939. Strong sellers included Escape, Expedition, F-Series, and Transit - big stuff. Most small and/or efficient models (Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, C-Max) saw sales slides. Fusion sales were also down, likely due to effects of model changeover to the freshened 2017 model. Ford has promised four new crossovers and SUVs by 2020 and if things keep trending this way the company will be able to sell them, but things could change in the next four years. GM saw the worst of it for domestic brands. Retail and fleet sales were down for each of the four divisions, with the May 2016 total dropping 18 percent to 240,450 vehicles. GM's year-to-date sales are down 5.0 percent in 2016 to 1,183,705. Both the Sierra and Silverado were down significantly, and the majority of Chevy, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac nameplates saw sales decreases, with both small cars and larger utilities included. Not even big stuff could help GM this month, it seems. We'll have more on the rest of the industry's May sales as those figures trickle in.

Cadillac welcomes back Entourage favorite Ari Gold

With publicity for the long-awaited Entourage movie ramping up, we're finding that one of the stars of the film happens to be the handsome Cadillac Ciel Concept convertible. It makes a number of appearances in the trailers with Vince, E, Turtle, and Johnny Drama cruising about, despite the fact that it isn't actually a production vehicle. We guess it pays to be Aquaman and Enzo Ferrari. Supporting its tie-in with the flim, Cadillac has enlisted Jeremy Piven, famed for his roll as outrageous, obnoxious, abrasive, and amusing talent agent Ari Gold, to star alongside its droptop sedan. The pair are the focus of a four-minute featurette welcoming the actor's character back while expounding on the series-ending cliffhanger that basically made the movie a sure thing. Take a look at the spot, which was directed and written by Entourage creator Doug Ellin. And be sure to check out the brotastic HBO series when it makes the jump to the big screen on June 3.

Cadillac Live virtual showroom is open for business in the U.S.

Cadillac launched the streaming showroom known as Cadillac Live in Canada earlier this year. The program places a Cadillac product specialist in an open studio laid out similar to a dealership. Equipped with an iPhone X on an Osmo Mobile gimbal and a Bluetooth headset, the specialist conducts one-way video chats with car buyers shopping for Cadillacs and owners who have questions about their cars. Now Cadillac Live has arrived in the United States. Described as "part personal shopper and part interactive digital showroom," it's aimed at converting luxury shoppers into Wreath and Crest buyers by making the research experience simpler. The automaker says it has data showing that "71% of customers report switching to a competitor’s product after finding their selection process easier." As well as being able to show and demonstrate 10 physical vehicles and their features, product specialists will be able to use a tablet app interface to run through color and accessory options. Shoppers and buyers with questions can reach a Cadillac Live agent from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. ET Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. ET on Friday, and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday. Calls can be taken on demand or scheduled at the Cadillac Live site, call appointments can be made for times outside of the traditional opening hours, and multiple callers can participate. U.S. customers in California, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York who like what they discover can automatically be connected to a local dealer to move on to the next phase. And video calls are one-way, so work-from-home types need not worry about broadcasting their coffee-stained "Beast Mode" workwear.