Lutz Chimes in on the Chevy Beat: 4 Years?

[neshapop]

In plain English "We are not working on this at all"

[CharlotteFirebird]

Can anyone figure out what Gamma is going to be built at Lordstown? First we hear that the Aveo will be made in Mexico...and then, seemingly Lordstown. If it's not the Aveo, what is it?

Back to the topic...why does it take so long to get the Beat on the road? It's needed ASAP.

[windvale]

I don't think small cars is something GM should rush into. I'm not sure the public really wants small, fuel efficient cars...
How about an update of the GMT-900's ?
I also think GM needs to concentrate on the Camaro, as this is the sort of car the public is demanding right now.
Bob Lutz "understands" the market. He "knows" what people want...like the GTO and the SSR. Just leave it to him...

[fdry]

If Wall Street Journal writers can engage keyboard before brain, why not posters to GMI?

[Astra RL]

If it is later than 2010 they have real problems. It has already been designed USization should not take too long. This boggles my mind hopefully it is sooner than that.

[steverino]

What will arrive first. BANKRUPTCY or the BEAT

[camaro_freak]

Originally Posted by steverino

What will arrive first. BANKRUPTCY or the BEAT

that sounds like a great tagline to put on a Tshirt

GM - backruptcy or Beat

hahahhhaah

not surprising as GM has clearly been focused on cash cow SUVs for so long that by the time gas prices started going up, they were not able to switch to producing smaller more fuel efficient micro/small cars.

[mgescuro]

If the Chevy Beat isn't rolling on US streets by 2010.... It is simply too long.

Something tells me that GM is just dragging its feet hoping that gas will fall again.

[Gigantor]

Originally Posted by mgescuro

If the Chevy Beat isn't rolling on US streets by 2010.... It is simply too long.

Something tells me that GM is just dragging its feet hoping that gas will fall again.

It won't. It's sad to say that they didn't see the trend from the last 10 years that when gas spikes, large vehicle sales tend to dip. The bigger the spike, the bigger the dip...now we have a spike that isn't just a spike, it is a real trend upward. Yet, if this thinking is what parades as "intelligence" and "creativity" in Detroit, than GM will go bankrupt.

Unbelievable.

[GM-Joe]

Lutz doesn't always tell the truth. Let's see when the Volt comes to production and then the Beat and Groove may follow. But don't be surprised if the Volt shows up a little earlier than expected, remember the current Tahoe/Suburban and the Silverado showed up faster than expected because it was a priority; I see the Volt as the same and the Beat/Groove should probably follow them by about a year.

[zete]

I fail to understand why we should worry about this. They're not going to give a date and they're much more likely to indicate some far off date and then "surprise" the market. I can't truly believe they're this far out to lunch.

Besides, didn't we hear there's a "small Chevy" coming in the new year? What's that about? Isn't that the Beat?

I find there's a lot of "bitch and moan" -- like with fuel efficiency -- and then GM does something like the Cobalt XFE which shows they say one thing and do another. It's probably simple misdirection so folks think they won't have anything out for years.

Yet the Beat was to be built for the non-US market, and there was little appetite for it in North America until a few months ago. However, if it's a truly global platform -- on Gamma? -- then building it in North America becomes more straightforward.

I have a feeling they're pulling a lot of stuff forward, but don't want to excite the markets by overpromising. Best promise 2+ years and deliver sooner than promise January and not deliver.

[zete]

If this article is correct then the Beat should be around fairly soon. That article is reinforced by this article.

If it's due out next year in Asia how hard would it be to tool up here? That's the question and is that what's going to happen at Lordstown?

The other question I have is, if the Gamma goes to Lordstown and the Volt is at Hamtramck (or however you spell it), then couldn't they build the Cobalt and Volt on the same line as they're both Delta IIs?

edit: And if Lordstown is going Gamma that means they can build the Aveo, Corsa, and the Beat, if I'm not mistaken, as they're all on Gamma and the new Aveo is due out next year, so the factory will have to be retooled to handle the new platform.

Of course, I may just be utterly confused.

[GMusa]

It'll be out sooner... ill put money on it!

[D C]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...SS01/807040341

According to that Free Press article, Lutz said they may bring the NEXT generation Beat to the US and that it's too late for this one. That clearly suggests the WSJ's 2012 timeframe. It's completely mind-boggling to think that GM is going to sit and wait for the next generation and not to everything concievable to convert this generation Beat to US standards within the next 2 years.

[Rocket 88]

Originally Posted by zete

I fail to understand why we should worry about this. They're not going to give a date and they're much more likely to indicate some far off date and then "surprise" the market. I can't truly believe they're this far out to lunch..

Surprise the market? Why wouldn't they just get the thing to market? How smart not to let people know you'll be building the cars they want any time soon.

Originally Posted by zete

I find there's a lot of "bitch and moan" -- like with fuel efficiency -- and then GM does something like the Cobalt XFE which shows they say one thing and do another. It's probably simple misdirection so folks think they won't have anything out for years. .

Again Why? If this is right why would GM not want people to think they are responsive?

Originally Posted by zete

Yet the Beat was to be built for the non-US market, and there was little appetite for it in North America until a few months ago. However, if it's a truly global platform -- on Gamma? -- then building it in North America becomes more straightforward..

How come Toyota, Nissan and Honda saw the market? OK forget the japanese, even Ford called this with the new Fiesta? Gas prices didn't go from $ 1.25 to $ 4.50 overnight. They've been high the last two years and just got pushed to the point where people are freaking out. If GM's Braintrust (as the article called them) couldn't see this comming they are worthless.

As I recall a lot of folks were screaming for GM to build the Beat (or all three of the show cars) because they new then it was an important product.