GM Plans Small Sport Wagons

[nsap]

NEW YORK - General Motors is developing a family of sport wagons that will be smaller than the Saturn Vue.

The vehicles will be built on GM's Theta vehicle architecture, which is shared by the Saturn Vue, Chevrolet Equinox and a Pontiac sport wagon that will debut in the 2006 model year.

Ron Pniewski, GM vice president of planning, said the vehicle family will be produced in the next four or five years. "It is in the planning horizon," he said.

Pniewski added that a Theta vehicle for global markets also is expected. They would be assembled outside the United States.

While the new vehicles will be shorter than the Vue, Pniewski said the width will be similar. He was interviewed at the New York auto show this month.

GM has only one sport wagon, the Vue, to compete with the popular four-cylinder Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.

The base RAV4, for example, has an $18,990 sticker price, including destination. The base front-drive Vue is priced at $17,495, including destination.

The Equinox, another Theta vehicle, has a V-6 and a sticker price of $21,560, including destination.

Pniewski predicts that in this decade the industry's model mix will shift to fewer sedans and more two-box, wagonlike designs. The attraction is interior versatility. Such vehicles will be developed off the Theta platform.

"The two-box body shape is 25 percent of the market, and they come in every shape and size, price point - that's how I see the world going," Pniewski said.


Full Article

[69nova]

Did Honda ever make a Civic wagon? I think that this would be a natural extension of their sedan. Light, good gas mileage and easy to drive. Just right for the Saturday morning run arounds to the garage sales, soccer games. Something for that college student.
Not a car packed with gobs of horsepower or clings to the road like a Lotus. This would kill the price and keep it being a main stream auto.

If Gm is thinking along these lines, they will have a winner.

[T-Keith]

Wow alot of stretching on this platform.

[MelvinJ]

Originally posted by 69nova@Apr 26 2004, 12:54 PM
Did Honda ever make a Civic wagon? I think that this would be a natural extension of their sedan. Light, good gas mileage and easy to drive. Just right for the Saturday morning run arounds to the garage sales, soccer games. Something for that college student.
Not a car packed with gobs of horsepower or clings to the road like a Lotus. This would kill the price and keep it being a main stream auto.

If Gm is thinking along these lines, they will have a winner.

Honda made a Civic wagon all through the 80's. Early on, it was just an extension of the 4-door, but beginning in '84, it gained a very tall roof and available 4WD. I believe it survived the redesign of '88, but not the redesign after that.

It definitely wasn't packed with horsepower, but it looked like a useful little package.

[Ming]

The Pontiac Vibe is similar to what the Civic wagon was like, except that wagon looked like it had 12-inch wheels. :P

[sceltor]

The civic wagon looked horrible. Almost as bad as the newer miniminivan.

[69nova]

I do remember the early Honda CRX's.
They looked like a copy of the AMC Gremlin.
Odd how the Gremlin was knocked but the Honda was not.
The problem with the Gremlin was that only the window opened instead of having a true hatch. Outfitted with the I-6 and basically a Hornet with its tail/ trunk clipped, the Gremlin was a precursor to the SUV's.
Gotta give Chrysler/AMC credit.

[carMuck]

Will these be "tall wagons" like the Vibe/Matrix or more convential small wagons like my Saturn SW2? Just wondering as I really prefer the "car-ness" of a convential wagon as opposed to a "tall wagon". Or maybe I should just wait for the Nomad!

[ibechip]

Is the Nomad absolutely scheduled for production? I sure hope it is. That is where I see it being more of a college-car if they can keep it in the 20K price range. And with the 250HP engine (assuming they at least give it to us in a SS version) it could become a great tuner car!

[leadfoot85]

I loved the Nomad wagon concept :woot2:
(except for that front grille design )

[Hudson]

The Civic wagon actually predated the 4-door version. In the US, the wagon was added to the lineup in the mid-1970s where the 4-door sedan wasn't added until about 1982. The third-generation Civic wagon is the the "WagoVan" everyone's refering to here...that had nearly no nose and a tall roof, available "Real Time 4wd" and no power.

While I can see the inferred connection between the Gremlin and the CRX, I don't see them as similar as you guys. The Gremlin was quite literally, a Hornet with the trunk removed, but the CRX was designed as a hatchback...sloped rear window and high tail. In my opinion, the (first-generation) CRX was a very stylish car...and much more fun to drive (and reliable and efficient and...) than a Gremlin.

[azhimel]

:afro: Maybe we should bring back the Gremlin!!!, after all we have
a lot of stuff like PT Cruiser, new beetle, Audi TT, what the hell!!
Give it a try!!!