GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz On The New Toyota Tundra: 'It's a very nice truck'

[Perian]

Link: http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/09/news...ce=yahoo_quote

GM exec impressed by Toyota pickup: GM Vice Chairman Lutz, the exec in charge of GM product development, praises Toyota's new Tundra pickup but says it will hurt Nissan more than GM.

By Chris Isidore, CNNMoney.com - January 9 2007: 3:32 PM EST


DETROIT (CNNMoney.com) -- The new Toyota Tundra, the Japanese automaker's first entry into the full-size pickup market dominated by U.S. automakers, got a positive review from an interesting source Tuesday: General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, who heads the automakers' product development efforts.

Lutz, meeting with reporters at the North American International Auto Show, said he was impressed with the new Tundra, which is on display at the show and is now hitting dealer showrooms, and that he has no doubt that Toyota will meet its sales target of 200,000 of the vehicles a year.


"I took a good look at it today," Lutz said. "I think it's a very, very, very well executed large truck. It's got good styling, great interior. It's a very nice truck."

Toyota has had a pickup under the Tundra brand name since the 1990s, but the truck had never been considered part of the full-size market by U.S. industry standards.

The new Tundra clearly is part of that market and is a competitor to the new GMT 900 series pickup trucks, such as the Chevrolet Silverado, which debuted last fall, as well as to the Ford F-Series pickup, which is the best-selling U.S. vehicle.

But Lutz said that he believes the new Tundra poses more of a challenge to Japanese automaker Nissan, which introduced the Titan full-size pickup in December 2003, than it does to GM, Ford Motor (Charts) or DaimlerChrysler.

Full article at link.

[Perian]

Forgive me for this, but between the G8 slip and Toyota praise, someone had better control Mr. Loose Cannon.

And please, don't invite him to next summers UAW talks!

[Silverado14]

If you read the whole article, its no big deal. I for one love Bob's straight forward honesty. He's a breath of fresh air.

[mbukukanyau]

If anyone is needed at UAW talks its Lutz

[FoMoCo Fan]

Originally Posted by Perian

Forgive me for this, but between the G8 slip and Toyota praise, someone had better control Mr. Loose Cannon.

And please, don't invite him to next summers UAW talks!

What are you talking about? The G8 was the worst kept secret in the industry. And what is he supposed to say about the Tundra? That it sucks? That would leave him with, what, zero credibility? Because like it or not, it's a serious vehicle.

[CBECK]

It's more of a sarcastic way of saying nice truck, one day you might be able to hang with the big dogs, just not today.

[guitarlix]

No, it's actual and real praise. A few of you could stand to learn some important lessons from this man.

He's spot on about the Titan sales about to take a hammering. Nissan better come up with something because Titan sales are going to take a major nose dive once the Tundra comes out.

[steined]

It is a nice truck. It is very well executed. I'm sure Lutz and GM would have loved to have launched with the 6L80 6 speed autos as well. But when you have to tool up to make 1,000,000 + of those transmissions right after they are released, it is a logistical nightmare. Especially dealing with unions. ("Hey joe move this printer over there", "Sorry I can't that an electrician's job")....

GM is a LARGE organization. If GM were going to produce 200,000 900s I'm sure they'd all have 6 speeds too.

What GM needs to do is continuously improve the truck. 6 speed and a little power bump next year. DI or a 1/2 ton diesel the next year, revised facias and bed the next year, throw in a 2 mode hybrid, and start on the next model...

This should be what they are doing for ALL their vehicles...

[megeebee]

Originally Posted by FoMoCo Fan

What are you talking about? The G8 was the worst kept secret in the industry. And what is he supposed to say about the Tundra? That it sucks? That would leave him with, what, zero credibility? Because like it or not, it's a serious vehicle.

I completely agree. The Tundra is indeed well executed. Design is largely subjective (some will actually like it). But I am sure that it is well engineered and built. Showing respect for a competitor such as Toyota is the very minimum of professional courtesy.

[Kappa]

Atleast Luts it honest, cant deny that. But it is interesting to see his opinion about the Tundra. Its true that is going to be a serious competitor now, but untill Nissan does something with the Titan they will loose alot of sales.

Ill admit that the large cab version looks best, im still not a big fan of anything beyond extended cabs. So lets hope Luts can update the 900s a bit with the six-speeds and hybrids soon before the Tundra takes a hit at them.

Ill say this though, if Nissan doesnt do something new soon with the Titan. Then Nissan will be screwed in the full-sized market fast.

[Havasavana]

Originally Posted by Perian

Forgive me for this, but between the G8 slip and Toyota praise, someone had better control Mr. Loose Cannon.

And please, don't invite him to next summers UAW talks!

I agree with both of your points. And can someone tell me what this (Lutz's statement from the article) means?

""My theory is there's a lot of interaction within Japanese brands," Lutz said. "My personal belief is that the other full-size Japanese pickup truck is going to get severely dented in this process."

His theory? Is he saying that a significant (even measurable) part of the NA truck market has resolved to buy either a Nissan or Toyota truck and that only a very small percentage of potential buyers of GM/Ford/Dodge trucks will consider a Tundra regardless of features? This sounds like something Bush would say. For those of you at the show, have you seen Wagoner running around after Lutz trying to catch him in a butterfly net?

GM needs to respond to this truck yesterday, and not sit around year after year watching Tundra sales grow and Silverado sales drop while dreaming up some brain dead rationalization.

[ByTheLake]

I'm with Lutz ... Tundra looks nice. After looking at the Silverado and Sierra for a few months now, I still really dislike their styling.

I don't think Lutz's comments are an issue at all ... if he attacks the Tundra, he'll appear to be out of touch. Let's hope the GM trucks offer a compelling reason to keep buyers away from Toyota.

[Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Perian

Forgive me for this, but between the G8 slip and Toyota praise, someone had better control Mr. Loose Cannon.

It's really just a back handed compliment. You should do well against the slow selling truck.

[gotz_otto]

I thought he had said the same thing about the Ridgeline when that came out. I never see those on the road, not saying the Tundra will not sell, just do not get your hopes up.

[Wheels66]

GM needs to respond to this truck yesterday, and not sit around year after year watching Tundra sales grow and Silverado sales drop while dreaming up some brain dead rationalization.[/quote]

Respond?, have you been stuck under a rock the last few months. Does the all new Silverado ring a bell? Well it rang my bell about 3 weeks ago when I picked up my new Silverado and could not be more please with every aspect of this truck. I swear, some of these comments make me think some of you people work for toyota. I for one have not driven the new tundra, as most of you have not, but I do drive my new Silverado and personally I think that GM has nothing to worry about...Ford, Dodge and Nissan, yes they need to be concerned. Do yourself a favor and go drive a new Silverado before saying that GM needs to respond to this truck yesterday. Good grief.