UPDATE 6/21!: GM Cutting Another Division?

[Ssom]

Sell Holden to Ford.



Just for the lulz.


Though I honestly would vote Buick off. The damage done to this brand by dull boats such as the Park Avenue and Century has damaged the brand irreversibly IMHO, when the current 65+ crowd die off and the baby boomers take their place as grouchy old people, I can only imagine that Buick sales will slide away.

Keep Buick for China though, obviously.

[goggles pizano]

Keep Chevrolet and Cadillac, get rid of the rest. Do it now before its to late.

[Millefune]

Cutting GMC makes sense, but why is GM keeping Saturn? The sales aren't there, and Saturn only sells cars that are basically comparable to Chevrolets. The Astra, as good as it is, is bombing... and so is the Aura. Pontiac is the only branch selling really sporty cars now (G8, Solstice, but the G5 was a huge mistake), other than Chevrolet (Corvette, Cobalt SS Turbo, and future Camaro). It also has a much larger dealer network. GM just needs to make EVERY GM brand as customer friendly as Saturn dealerships, and really really fix the sales and service departments and sales of Pontiac-Buick-GMC. I've not come across a single PBG dealership that was friendly and customer service savvy.

[K-1]

Originally Posted by Millefune

Cutting GMC makes sense, but why is GM keeping Saturn? The sales aren't there, and Saturn only sells cars that are basically comparable to Chevrolets. The Astra, as good as it is, is bombing... and so is the Aura. Pontiac is the only branch selling really sporty cars now (G8, Solstice, but the G5 was a huge mistake), other than Chevrolet (Corvette, Cobalt SS Turbo, and future Camaro). It also has a much larger dealer network. GM just needs to make EVERY GM brand as customer friendly as Saturn dealerships, and really really fix the sales and service departments and sales of Pontiac-Buick-GMC. I've not come across a single PBG dealership that was friendly and customer service savvy.

Look at the sales per retail outlet ratio.

Chevy (~4,000 dealers)
Cobalt 20,888 = 5 per dealer
Malibu 13,650 = 3 per dealer
Equinox = 7,411 2 per dealer

BPG (~1,400 dealers)
G5 2,566 = 2 per dealer
G6 14,620 = 10 per dealer
Torrent = 2,230 2 per dealer
Enclave = 2,986 2 per dealer
Acadia = 4,197 3 per dealer

Saturn (~430 retailers)
ASTRA = 888 2 per retailer
AURA = 5,897 14 per retailer
VUE = 8,868 21 per retailer
OUTLOOK = 1,625 4 per retailer

It's been repeated multiple times on this site, Saturn's volume isn't there because the retailers aren't there. People aren't going to drive an hour for a car unless they really, really, really must have it (i.e. luxury cars).

[Millefune]

And that's the point. Saturn is a small branch that really isn't making that many sales. I drive a Saturn as my daily driver (My "good car" is a 2006 GTO. You know you're poor when your "good car" is a Pontiac!), I'm NOT saying it's a bad brand. I truly do wish that Saturn was selling like hotcakes, but it's not. GM really needs to cut back on things and similar items in order to save money and get all good again. I am a GM fan, and I want it to succeed.

Saturn's cars aren't all that unique (save the Astra), and pretty much cannibalize sales from other GM venues. And it costs money to rebadge and make different bodies for essentially the same car.

The Aura was a mistake. I believe the numbers show that it's not selling very well at all, especially here in Northern California, where I just don't see them on the road. GM should have saved the money spent on that car and put it towards making the Malibu even better than its already awesome self.

The Sky definately looks better than the Solstice, and I prefer it, but GM could have saved money by giving the Sky design to Pontiac instead (and added some stupid twin grill or just ditched the damn "signature") and having only one car to focus on and market.

The Outlook doesn't hold a candle to the Enclave. If instead of making the Outlook and Acadia, GM could have made the Enclave a lot better and not have those damn leakage issues I've been reading about on Edmunds.

I'll admit, Pontiac and Buick don't sell as well as Chevrolet, but at least their cars are either on a different field (Pontiac = Performance, Buick = Old Luxury), rather than how Saturn is another "bread and butter" type of car brand like Chevrolet (Corvette excluded from "bread and butter"). Saturn has nothing to offer that isn't already covered by other GM brands.

I like Saturn. It has great customer service, and its dealership demeanor is by far the best I've ever experienced. But from a money standpoint, I would rather cut Saturn than Pontiac. Please GM, make all your dealerships adopt the Saturn way of dealing with people! And maybe put it in with Pontiac and Buick after GMC bites the dust? PBS!

[RB35SLT]

Originally Posted by babybluebass03

I sell PBG as well as Cadillac and Chevy and I do enjoy the PBG lineup more as far as overall styling and customer excitement, however, there really is too much overlap even in our own lot. Having G5's next to Cobalts and Lucernes and DTS and Malibus and G6 and of course Chevy Truck as a whole next to our GMC anything. It all gets repetitive and then having to try to upsell one vs another is just useless. I don't know what they have in mind but if GM wants to keep a truck company, I say they kill the Chevy Truck division and keep GMC as their flagship "Professional Grade" company.

Exactly.

It would be like this...

Chevrolet/GMC Trucks
BPS (Buick, Pontiac, and Saturn)

[RedVee8]

Originally Posted by RB35SLT

Exactly.

It would be like this...

Chevrolet/GMC Trucks
BPS (Buick, Pontiac, and Saturn)

Argh, so you'd wipe the current GMC sales then?

How about

Chevrolet/GMC Trucks
BPS (Buick, Pontiac, and Saturn)/GMC Trucks

[*JC*]

If they axe Pontiac, they just lost a buyer forever...

[Millefune]

Yeah, now that FoMoCo is coming out with some hot stuff, I MIGHT be able to jump ship if they close Pontiac... but I don't want to.