????今年到目前為止，通用汽車（General Motors）在美國市場的份額有所下降，這給通用近來搶眼的復蘇之勢蒙上了一層陰影。重組后的通用不僅面臨著產(chǎn)能的限制，另外隨著其他國內外廠商漸漸恢復元氣，通用也正在面臨著越來越大的競爭壓力。

????不過通用的“援兵”可能很快就到了。未來幾個月內，通用的高端子品牌凱迪拉克（Cadillac）將推出兩款重要的新車型，一款是打算與雷克薩斯（Lexus）LS460和奔馳（Mercedes）S級等大尺寸轎車相競爭的XTS，另一款尺寸稍小的ATS轎車則瞄準了寶馬（BMW）3系和奧迪（Audi）A4這一級別。

????今年頭四個月，通用在美國市場的份額從19.6%下滑到了17.7%。按目前美國車市的規(guī)模計算，每下滑一個百分點，就意味著每年要少賣出大約14萬輛汽車。與去年同期相比，凱迪拉克的銷量更是下跌了將近24%。

????位于密歇根州安娜堡市的汽車研究中心（Center for Automotive Research）首席經(jīng)濟學家肖恩?麥卡林登認為，通用近來市場占有率走低的原因有二：一是由于通用在2009年破產(chǎn)重組期間削減了新車型的研發(fā)投資；二是由于產(chǎn)能限制——包括直列四缸發(fā)動機的產(chǎn)能限制。他在一封郵件中稱：“原因非常復雜，”并不是通用高層的錯。根據(jù)《汽車新聞》（Automotive News）本周的報道，經(jīng)濟危機期間，美國和加拿大共有32個汽車工廠、300多萬輛的產(chǎn)能被關閉。

????通用目前在北美正處于全產(chǎn)能生產(chǎn)的狀態(tài)，而且還大量使用加班工人。也就是說，通用已經(jīng)沒辦法在現(xiàn)有產(chǎn)量上大幅擴產(chǎn)。有些經(jīng)濟危機期間被封存的工廠（如田納西州的春山市工廠）也很有可能會重新啟動。

????除了通用之外，福特汽車（Ford）也面臨著產(chǎn)能吃緊的局面，它的市場份額也相應地下跌了8.0%。此外不得不提的是東山再起的克萊斯勒（Chrysler），2012年它的美國市場份額強勢上升2個百分點，銷量比去年猛增了33%。歸功于強大的營銷運作和新車型的成功投放，克萊斯勒200、克萊斯勒300和吉普大切諾基（Jeep Grand Cherokee）等車型的銷量都出現(xiàn)了飆升。

????與此同時，日本汽車業(yè)也正在從去年地震和海嘯的余波中迅速恢復。尤其是豐田（Toyota）今年在美銷量比去年增加了12%，而且預計豐田2013財年的營業(yè)利潤或將比去年翻一番，達到95億美元。豐田去年將全球汽車銷量冠軍的寶座拱手讓給了通用。

????由于豪華汽車的利潤奇高無比，因而凱迪拉克作為通用的高端子品牌，其競爭力的加強無疑有助于夯實通用的財務資本，同時也有助于穩(wěn)定甚至逆轉市場份額的流失情況。通用試圖將凱迪拉克定位成一個全球性的豪華車品牌，但到目前為止仍然收效甚微。不過中國市場的增長也許會為凱迪拉克提供更多機會，尤其是考慮到現(xiàn)在，凱迪拉克又有了更多的車型可供選擇。

????不過，歐洲當前面臨的經(jīng)濟困難可能意味著寶馬、奔馳、奧迪和大眾（VW）等廠商將加倍努力地在美國進行銷售，因為與一蹶不振的歐洲相比，美國消費者的汽車消費在沉寂了幾年之后終于再度大幅上揚。今年歐洲品牌在美國的總體銷量較去年上漲了23%，而且獲得了1%的市場份額。

????未來幾個月，在美國總統(tǒng)大選期間，候選人們可能會就產(chǎn)業(yè)政策問題進行大量辯論——尤其是今年已經(jīng)進入第三年的美國汽車產(chǎn)業(yè)重組戰(zhàn)略。雖然眼下的局面比較艱難，但通用無疑希望能通過它的銷量業(yè)績交出一份讓候選人們滿意的答卷，令他們收獲褒獎、而不是批評。

????譯者：樸成奎

????General Motors Co.'s share of a strengthening U.S. vehicle market has taken a hit so far in 2012, a sour note in its remarkable recovery story. A refocused GM is facing constraints to its ability to produce vehicles as well as tougher competition from domestic and foreign automakers also on the mend.

????Help for GM (GM) could arrive soon. Its tony Cadillac division in coming months will benefit from two key new-model introductions: a large XTS sedan designed to compete with models like the Lexus LS460 and Mercedes S-Class as well as a smaller ATS, which will go head to head with models like the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4.

????GM's U.S. market share dropped to 17.7% from 19.6% through the first four months of the year. Each point of share represents roughly 140,000 vehicles annually in today's market. Cadillac sales have fallen almost 24% compared with the same period last year.

????Sean McAlinden, chief economist for the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan attributes GM's lower market share to a cutback on new-model investment during its 2009 bankruptcy restructuring and capacity constraints, including limitations on the number of four-cylinder engines the automaker can build. "It's very complex," he wrote in an email and "not the fault" of top GM management. During the latest economic downturn 32 automotive plants representing more than 3 million units of production closed down in the U.S. and Canada, according to a report this week in Automotive News, a trade publication.

????GM, using extensive overtime labor, is operating at full capacity in North America. That means that the company simply can't build many more cars and trucks than it already is. Some plants that were mothballed, such as a factory in Spring Hill, Tennessee, might be brought back into service.

????GM is not alone. Ford (F), also experiencing tight production capacity, has given up 0.8% of a point of share. But Chrysler, 2012's comeback star, has posted a strong two-point bounce in U.S. share on 33% better sales this year. Sales of the Chrysler 200, Chrysler 300 and Jeep Grand Cherokee are soaring, on the strength of powerful marketing campaigns and successful new launches.

????The Japanese auto industry, meantime, is recovering rapidly from the effects of last year's earthquake and tsunami. Toyota (TM), in particular, has sold 12% more vehicles in the U.S. this year and is forecasting that its corporate profit will more than double in fiscal 2013 to $9.5 billion. Toyota last year relinquished the title of top seller of vehicles globally to GM.

????A more competitive Cadillac should prove a boost to GM's finances since luxury cars are disproportionately profitable. It could also help stanch or reverse the loss of share. GM has attempted to position Cadillac as a worldwide luxury brand, so far with little success. A growing Chinese market may prove more welcoming, especially with a wider ranger of models.

????But Europe's economic troubles could mean that BMW, Mercedes, Audi and VW will redouble efforts to sell aggressively in the U.S., where consumers finally are starting to boost automotive spending after several timid years. European brands in the aggregate are up 23% for the year and have gained a point of market share already.

????The next few months of the U.S. presidential campaign promise much debate over industrial policy, especially the three-year-old restructuring of Detroit. Facing a tough picture, GM is surely hoping that its results will fuel an argument over which candidates deserve most of the credit, not the blame.