GM Has High Hopes For New Traverse As First Batch Is Released To Dealers

[Perian]

Link: http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs..../1003/BUSINESS

Article quotes:

For more than a year, Steve Kirby has watched with envy from his post in the showroom of Jim Reed Chevrolet as customers at his competitor across Broadway drive off in their new GMC Acadia or Buick Enclave crossover utility vehicles.

Kirby, sales manager at Jim Reed, had nothing to offer those customers because Chevrolet's entry into the fast-growing crossover market was still on the drawing board. "Chevrolet has not had anything in its own product line to do battle with the other crossovers," he said.

That's about to change.

On Saturday, the first shipment of Chevrolet's all-new, 2009 Traverse crossover left the Spring Hill assembly plant. GM introduced the Acadia and similar Saturn Outlook in fall 2006, then added the Enclave last summer. The Traverse is the fourth vehicle to be built on that same architecture, GM's so-called Lambda platform.

While the first three models have been selling well, even in the current slow auto market, GM expects sales of the Traverse to quickly eclipse those.

Production began Sept. 2, but most Nashville-area dealers won't have one in stock until Oct. 3, when GM plans a celebration at the Spring Hill plant to mark the vehicle's official launch. Top GM officials will be on hand, as will Gov. Phil Bredesen.

Kirby said he plans to drive Jim Reed's first Traverse away from the plant at the end of the celebration; other local dealers will do similarly. "Everyone will have at least one on their lots after the event," he said.

Chevrolet has already kicked off its national ad campaign for the Traverse, beginning with two TV spots aired during the recent Olympics broadcasts.
Both of those ads were aimed at "style-savvy females," said Steve Bartolone, Chevrolet's marketing director for SUVs and crossovers.

In one of the commercials, a woman is driving along in a Traverse as shoes begin raining from the sky. She stops, gets out and begins stuffing the shoes into the vehicle's cargo area — clearly big enough to get a good haul when it begins raining shoes.

Aiming the initial marketing efforts at women makes sense, he said, because they buy 42 percent of crossovers and are the primary drivers of 67 percent of them. Early consumer studies have convinced GM that the vehicle's styling probably will be its strongest selling point, he said. "As we designed it, we made sure that it is everything the customer wants, and we believe it is drop-dead gorgeous," Bartolone said.

"We say it's the vehicle you won't want to hide in your garage."

"The quality of the vehicle at this point in the launch is outperforming all measures, and I attribute that to the team here at Spring Hill," Herron said. "We've had a lot of contact with the retailers in this area, and they say they can't wait to get the vehicle."

Full article at link.

[Perian]

I wonder if Spring Hill will produce the new Escalade if the Lambda based model rumors prove to be accurate. They should have the production capacity.

[FierySolstice]

This vehicle is way too big and there are way too many Lambdas now. I thought GM was going to cut back on some of the overlapping??? I still like the Outlook much better than this.

[WishIhadatruck]

I saw one of these on the street over Labor Day weekend and was pretty suprised. I was nearly at the Holland State Park beach in Michigan at the time. It was sitting at a small general store / ice cream shop along the road. I was on my bicycle and got a good look at the plates and expected to see a mfg. plate but it wasn't that I could see. I didn't think they had been released for sale yet.

Great looking vehicle, I wouldn't mind having one someday. It looked just as good in person as it does in the pictures. Glad to see they will be available soon. Chevrolet should have had one from the start. Why both GMC and Buick have one makes no sense to me.

[Shotgun]

Since the Traverse is simply the dumbed-down, cheap version of the other three, I'm glad the Chevy dealers finally have their pacifier to suck on instead of whining now. I agree that it makes no sense that there are so many variations already.

[goatgary]

Originally Posted by FierySolstice

This vehicle is way too big and there are way too many Lambdas now.

No one is asking you to buy one, but this size is just right for a family that vacations and hauls stuff. Somehow marketers have convinced you and others that European size vehicles (that BTW HAVE to be small because if the narrow village streets) should be the norm in the USA. Of course fuel economy will continue to be a big deal but there are thousands of households who NEED a large vehicle and can afford them AND the gas. Further, it is good to have a choice of style and you make the case for that when you say you prefer the Outlook over the Enclave, Traverse OR Acadia. MANY will prefer the Chev OR one of the others.

GM DOES make smaller alternatives and is coming with more that will be world class.

[chade]

Originally Posted by goatgary

No one is asking you to buy one, but this size is just right for a family that vacations and hauls stuff. Somehow marketers have convinced you and others that European size vehicles (that BTW HAVE to be small because if the narrow village streets) should be the norm in the USA. Of course fuel economy will continue to be a big deal but there are thousands of households who NEED a large vehicle and can afford them AND the gas. Further, it is good to have a choice of style and you make the case for that when you say you prefer the Outlook over the Enclave, Traverse OR Acadia. MANY will prefer the Chev OR one of the others.

GM DOES make smaller alternatives and is coming with more that will be world class.

I agree with you 100%. So many believe we should only drive econoboxes. If that's what you want, buy it. But some of us need space for family, hockey gear, ability to pull snowmobiles and boats while still having a vehicle that achieves descent fuel economy. What fits one, doesn't fit all. That's why the manufacturers make the number of models that they do.

[dindak]

GM should have made the Chevy version a van and axed the Uplander. 4 versions of the same vehicle is not needed.

Oh well, at least it's a good vehicle. I'm sure it will be well received.

[Timekeeper]

Bye Bye Outlook!

[Shotgun]

Originally Posted by dindak

GM should have made the Chevy version a van and axed the Uplander. 4 versions of the same vehicle is not needed.

Oh well, at least it's a good vehicle. I'm sure it will be well received.

Yes. Using the platform is fine, but a different style/kind of vehicle would have been better for Chevy. I like the idea of a van on the platform. Heck, all you'd need is sliding doors and a little different interior variation.

[ph39]

Its about time -

I know 4 lambda's are two too many - but this is the new "bread n butter" people mover. Its the replacement for the minivan and the truck based SUV. Not having the Chevy version come out right in the beginning was a huge mistake.

Build the vehicle and slap the Saturn tag on it an sell 40,000 per year - or slap the Chevy tag on it and sell 120,000 per year.

At least now your largest dealer network has a vehicle to compete against the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander.

I'd like to see the Saturn and Acadia dropped - but I dont think thats going to happen

[PA Dweller]

Originally Posted by FierySolstice

This vehicle is way too big and there are way too many Lambdas now. I thought GM was going to cut back on some of the overlapping??? I still like the Outlook much better than this.

So don't buy it, some people need a room/fuel efficient vehicle. I keep hearing how they are going to kill the Outlook, so your wish might come true.

[mikmak]

I'm sick of waiting! Bring out the Pontiac version already!

[osv_alero]

If only it was flexfuel. Otherwise our Tahoe and Suburban stay.

[HoosierRon]

Originally Posted by FierySolstice

This vehicle is way too big

When my wife and four children and I go somewhere, what are we supposed to drive? Are the six of us supposed to take the Aura? The Solstice? A 25 year old Trans Am?

And before you answer, consider this: Where are you going to put the two child seats and the two booster seats?