JOLIET, Ill. — General Motors’ U.S. dealers are reporting that a decline in pickup sales may be “bottoming out” and that some demand is returning for large sport utility vehicles, vice chairman Bob Lutz said.
Dealers are seeing “some resurgence in demand for full-size SUVs and pickups,” Lutz told reporters Thursday. He didn’t provide figures.
A revival of consumer interest in the large trucks might help GM stem its 18 percent slide in U.S. sales this year through July.
The biggest U.S. automaker is trying to rebuild sales this month with the return of prices usually available to only employees and cash discounts on most 2008 and some 2009 models.
Pickups, SUVs and vans have accounted for 56 percent of GM’s U.S. sales this year.
The consumer shift to cars as gasoline prices rose hurt GM, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC.
