GMI Exclusive: Some GMC Product Programs Bite the Dust

[C/K Man]

I could see GMC as medium/heavy/commercial truck once again. Not sure the GM/Navistar deal is dead yet, supposedly the dead line has been extended until July 30th..

[goochman]

Well - I guess Ill add my $0.00002 since everyone else did

If we look at the other car companies and feel the mega brand approach is dead and not coming back, I would slot GM brands in the following manner (competing with Toyota its closest competitor for now):

Chevy -> Toyota (full line brand for the everyday person)
Cadallic -> Lexus (Super luxury/performance)
Pontiac -> Scion (Small/Mid size cars with style, sportyness and fuel economy - Opels?)
Buick -> Now, it could be said that Buick should compete with Lexus and Cadallic vs BMW - enough room for both, not sure

Saturn -> Kill. No retail outlets and a small version of Chevy. GM doesnt need another brand to 'look' foreign - they need to retool existing brands

Saab -> Sell to Tata

GMC -> Heavy duty truck divison, not your avg joe truck/van combo. Remove the Chevy HD versions

Hummer -> I agree with another poster that this should stay but retool the brand. Maybe a hybrid Hummer - or mix these in with Pontiac (Young sporty type buyers). Restrict Cadallics SUV offerings - move to Hummer

[SierraGS]

When are you guys going to look at the sales numbers and figure out what they are telling you

June 2008 Truck sales Percentage drop from 2007

Best GMC Sierra - (18.3%)
Silverado - (23.7%)
Tundra - (34.0%)
Ridgeline - (34.2%)
F-Series - (40.5%)
Ram - (48%)
Worst Titan - (71.4%)

What does this tell us?

GMC buyers have the money and desire to continue to buy Sierra Trucks and maintain it's sales lead over the Tundra.

It means that GMC will continue to deliver $3,000,000,000 in cash to GM's bottom line in the future.

It means when this truck sales bust turns into a sales boom in about 2 years when all the pent up demand from construction, housing, private business, farms, ranches etc... hits the market GM had better be ready with GMC trucks and the plants to build them with or those GMC buyers will be driving Tundras since Toyota will ramp production up and take advantage of another GM knee-jerk reaction.

Note on Titan sales, here is a truck that epitomizes what most critics think truck sales are about - personal use trucks; NOT what the other traditional BOF trucks represent, they all offer 8 foot beds with regular cabs, extended cabs and Crew Cabs except Toyota (no Tundra crew long bed - yet).

Long bed work trucks are what trucks are about - work and more importantly enabling it's owner to earn a living. Yes there has been an increase in extended and crew cabs with 6.5' beds used for construction and other buisnesses where long bed trucks dominated, but you still need the long beds to maximize the work value.

Chevy trucks compete with Ford trucks, GMC trucks compete with Dodge and Toyota trucks.

Dropping the Acadia could be a mistake unless GM is going to replace it with a Zeta based Crossover and the Acadia "truck" is no loss since the Ridgeline has yet to really catch on and only delivers about 1 MPG improvement over a V8 Sierra in the real world.

FWD based trucks like the Ridgeline only will find a niche market in the long run and the fact these trucks need AWD for full utility works against them.

GM is on the right track with the Zeta (UTE) based Denali Concept and it is a model that can sell in the U.S. market and is not hampered with a need for AWD, most owners will find the payload/towing all they require and will make an excellent base for a Range Rover type SUV for GMC as well as an attractive option for current Yukon owners something the Acadia is doing a good job of today.

[rajuascii]

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rajuascii

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/n...wreply&t=66182

[rajuascii]

Hmmm...this is curious, the Malibu with the 2.4 Ecotec and six speed gets good gas mileage. I figured that the new Aura would do well with that set up as well. Not to mention the fact that the car is all but done and the factory is practically ready to go.
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hussainascii

GMI Exclusive: Some GMC Product Programs Bite the Dust

[88Fiero]

Originally Posted by dav305z

This move makes little sense unless GM goes ahead and cuts the brand entirely. It leaves GMC with nothing other than blatant rebadges of slow-selling full size trucks.

My guess is that GM hopes for Cadillac to take GMC's luxury customers with its upcoming Lambda and for Chevy to pick up the rest.

Excuse me, I sell GMC and I beg to differ with you. IF YOU WORKED AT A GMC STORE, you would hear truck buyers perffering GMC over chevy. You would be supprised how many times per day we hear that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Drop Saturn, Drop hummer or better yet break up chevy!

[88Fiero]

Why would the idiots in detroit drop the Acadia when it out sells the Outlook and Enclave. I have heard build ratio is 5 to 1. Hmmmmm.

[vam29]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

What the hell?!
The Acadia's the best selling Lambda and they're going to cut it?
Get rid of tha goddamned Outlook now, the Traverse negates the need for it, bring over the Zafira and everyone's happy.
GMC needs Lambdas to offset their GMT-900s...I really really think this is a bad move.

In my opinion, the Buick Enclave would easily be the best selling crossover if GM increased production and stopped subsidizing Acadia sales with a lower lease interest rate. Last I checked Acadia and Outlook were about 5.25% and Enclave 8%. No doubt several customers who would have leased the Enclave have switched to other GM brands because of the lower payments but more worrisome is that many who didn't like the Acadia have gone to the Audi and Volvo. Another example why GM should stick to Chev-Pont-Buick-Cad for best market share in NA.

[XP300]

The Acadia is my replacement choice for the Trailblazer in the next couple of years. I don't like the Traverse and the Outlook (too cheap). The Enclave is great, but I hate the dash with the half circle and analog clock.

I had hoped the next gen Lambda would be more fuel efficient and the Acadia would be the first one. I guess that won't happen.

Getting rid of GMC would be a big mistake. It's time for Saturn, Hummer and Saab to go bye-bye and for GM to concentrate on Chevy, Pontiac, GMC, Buick and Cadillac.

[texassierradude]

Originally Posted by Sal Collaziano

I really like the Acadia. I really like the Outlook.. I really like the Enclave... And I really like the Traverse... Oh, and I'm really going to like the Cadillac that sits on this platform as well.. Does GM really need 5 of these trucks? So I can see why the Acadia and/or Outlook are getting cut.. If you want either one, get the Traverse..

Chevy Traverse - Really cheap
GMC Acadia - A little luxury, sort of
Saturn Outlook - Really cheap and I don't know
Buick Enclave - Lots of luxury
Cadillac Whatever - Lots of luxury and sportiness

You only need three..

Chevy Traverse - Cheap enough that anyone can buy it
Buick Enclave - A little expensive and quite luxurious
Cadillac Whatever - Expensive, luxurious and very sporty

Totally agree with this post, don't need Acadia and Enclave in the same showrooms. The Traverse will be the volume Lambda anyhow.

[texassierradude]

Originally Posted by kenman923

GMC should concentrate on commercial vehicles only. I think that some styling aspects of the Acadia can be transferred to the Cadillac brand. The Buick is also a nice looking SUV with the Enclave. I think the Theta II should go to Buick, not GMC. If GMC is not all commercial, they should get out of the business altogether. For those who are GMC fans who wont buy a Chevy, I say that if you don't like it, go shop for another brand.

I'm sure the GM brass will appreciate your advising me to buy a Dodge next time around, or a Tundra. Ya'll can't blame "Red-Ink Rick" on that one, can ya?

[texassierradude]

Originally Posted by RB35SLT

Yep. I have to agree with you.

Why not ditch the Chevrolet trucks division, and have GMC build trucks like they started out.

Because that makes too much sense.

[texassierradude]

Originally Posted by 88Fiero

Excuse me, I sell GMC and I beg to differ with you. IF YOU WORKED AT A GMC STORE, you would hear truck buyers perffering GMC over chevy. You would be supprised how many times per day we hear that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Drop Saturn, Drop hummer or better yet break up chevy!

When I bought the Sierra, the Silverado wasn't even on my radar screen. It was Sierra, Dodge Ram, and a distant third, Tundra I considered. I have been buying GM vehicles since before most of you young whippersnappers have been alive. I have bought 4 new GMC's. I have bought Chevy cars (including the current Nox), but never a Chevy truck. Personal Preference. If GMC goes away then this truck buyer does also.

[viral]

Take a look at the 2008 Sales Chart.



While it's true that the Traverse will most likely be the volume leader, that's a weak argument since it is made in a different plant. Of the three made in the SAME plant, the Acadia has outsold the other two Lambdas combined. Why would you kill the most popular and profitable Lambda on the market?

Lambda Sales:
Acadia: 111,034
Outlook: 47,808
Enclave: 51,043

[1G6]

My local B-P-G store went out of business today, the franchise and all inventory bought by the Chevrolet dealer in the same town.

The buying dealer is a former Chevy-Olds plant, so the Buick-Pontiac franchise restores some of that lost business. It will be awkward having both truck lines on the same lot - is it possible that these boys know something we don't?

If nothing else, this is one less store that would make a big fuss over GMC's cancellation.