But the US auto giant also achieved an annual sales increase with growth in pickups and crossovers as evidence of continued resonance with consumers as it pointed to lower incentives than the industry average.

The Detroit giant reported 703,000 deliveries in the final quarter of 2025, a drop from the year prior of 6.9%, in a period characterised by tepid consumer confidence surveys.

A driver of the decline was a pronounced fall in EV sales from the third quarter, when consumers raced to dealerships to take advantage of a US$7,500 tax credit that expired at the end of September following legislation championed by US President Donald Trump.

EV sales at GM were 25,219 in the October to December period, less than half the level in the third quarter of 2025.

GM’s annual sales were 2.8 million, up 5.5% from 2024. Among the vehicles with sizable gains were the Chevrolet Equinox, a small “crossover” sport utility vehicle and the GMC Sierra line of pickup trucks.

“Demand for our brands and products is strong at every price point, and we are well-positioned to build on this momentum in the year ahead,” said GM senior vice president Duncan Aldred.

Analysts at Cox Automotive had estimated a 4.7% drop in overall US car sales in the fourth quarter, with concerns about a weakening job market, high interest rates and cost-of-living pressures weighing on sentiment.

Throughout 2025, automakers were faced with a fast-changing policy environment as Trump announced myriad tariff actions and backed policy to gut climate measures backed by predecessor Joe Biden.

Tariff costs did not lead to significant hikes in retail prices in 2025, in part because dealers were selling autos from inventory.

However, analysts say consumers may see greater car price hikes in 2026 due to tariffs, potentially affecting demand.