Quote From GM CEO: GMC Will Be "Emphasing Crossovers"; Receive Equinox Version

[megeebee]

Originally Posted by calgaryhhr

I see the Volt program as being a distraction for the public right now. GM is just using it to divert away from major problems. They use it as an answer to those that question trucks and SUV's as being a focus.

Like the Prius and other hybrids do for Toyota.

[nsap]

Originally Posted by calgaryhhr

The Volt product will do little for GM in terms of sales and profit and marketshare. GM has said that Volt production will be low volume until 2015. Lutz has said that production is planned at 10,000 for the first model year (2011) and 60,000 the following year. If they manage 200,000 by 2015 I would be surprised. The more I here about the Volt and the production numbers and the cost the more I see this as a niche, promotional vehicle for GM. This will have no real significance in terms of the product line up. They should really divert funds and man hours into vehicles that they can produce in high volume or into the BAS system or other hybrid plans.

I see the Volt program as being a distraction for the public right now. GM is just using it to divert away from major problems. They use it as an answer to those that question trucks and SUV's as being a focus.

Here's my recent source for some Volt information:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...ESS01/80709092

Niche vehicle or not it is the highest priority program at the moment. Which was my point.

[Lichtronamo]

Originally Posted by megeebee

Like the Prius and other hybrids do for Toyota.

Toyota's "problems" aren't anywhere close to the crisis level of GMs - last time I checked, they still made money building cars (instead of laying off workers, cutting benefits, slashing salaries and selling anything not nailed down).

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by Quickening

So GMC gets yet another rebadge. Why are they spending the money on this brand?!

Ageed mg.

They're not. It doesn't cost a lot to slap a GMC badge on a Chevy. And they still sell.

So GMC will now emphasize crossovers...yet the Acadia is canceled.
Okay GM...

[sigma]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

They're not. It doesn't cost a lot to slap a GMC badge on a Chevy. And they still sell.

So GMC will now emphasize crossovers...yet the Acadia is canceled.
Okay GM...

Makes me wonder if that crossover pickup truck (built of Lambda) that they showed in New York is really dead. It would be a great Acadia replacement and people are going to want something with a bed to haul stuff that gets better gas mileage than the GMT900's.

[swgyoooo]

Wagoner showed "production" pics of the new Equinox, SRX, Cruze, CTS Coupe, CTS Sportwagon, and Buick INVICTA...seems they have decided on the name.

[nsap]

Originally Posted by swgyoooo

Wagoner showed "production" pics of the new Equinox, SRX, Cruze, CTS Coupe, CTS Sportwagon, and Buick INVICTA...seems they have decided on the name.

I'm amazed these have not leaked out yet...

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by pinch a loaf

So the GMC they are talking about, is that the new Terrain?? I'm looking to replace my wife's Equinox and I'd be willing to give the Terrain a shot. I love the Acadia, but we don't need anything that big yet.

LOL, we went from an Equinox to a Yukon XL Denali - we needed the space!

Of course, I think a GMC Terrain makes more sense than a Pontiac Torrent...

[calgaryhhr]

Originally Posted by nsap

Niche vehicle or not it is the highest priority program at the moment. Which was my point.

Maybe it's just me, but I tend to think that making a niche vehicle which will be low production for the first 5 years of its life (if it makes it that long) as being wrong or poor focus. Instead of focusing on this they should focus a bit on producing mass market appeal vehicles and work on this as a side project.

I want to see the Volt come out because I like the idea of the range extended electric car but I also think that there are more pressing issues at GM that need to be worked out.

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by swgyoooo

Wagoner showed "production" pics of the new Equinox, SRX, Cruze, CTS Coupe, CTS Sportwagon, and Buick INVICTA...seems they have decided on the name.

I want to see those pics!!!

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

They're not. It doesn't cost a lot to slap a GMC badge on a Chevy. And they still sell.

So GMC will now emphasize crossovers...yet the Acadia is canceled.
Okay GM...

Yeah, that doesn't make sense to me. The Acadia seemed to me to be pretty distinguished from the Enclave. Are Acadia sales that bad?

[Lichtronamo]

Originally Posted by swgyoooo

Wagoner showed "production" pics of the new Equinox, SRX, Cruze, CTS Coupe, CTS Sportwagon, and Buick INVICTA...seems they have decided on the name.

I saw a screen capture somewhere from one of the cable show interviews with RW. You could see the Cruze and CTS on the vid screen in the background.

[TruckMan]

Originally Posted by Quickening

So GMC gets yet another rebadge. Why are they spending the money on this brand?!

Ageed mg.

Because they sell ~500,000 high-profit units a year? Sounds like easy money to me?

[oachalon]

Originally Posted by mgescuro

Further proof that GM has no clue where the market is going and what the hell it's going to do from a strategy standpoint.
The emphasis on crossovers is doomed.

GM is betting on big SUV drivers to trade down to crossovers. I just don't see that happening. Saving 2-3 mpg on gas? When you can save 10-15 by getting a small car?

Sorry GM, this isnt where your strategy needs to be aiming. Fix the problem that makes it impossible for GM to build small cars profitably in the US. THAT'S the problem.

GM actually has a clue somewhat this time. People are not going to step down from their tahoes or suburbans to a volt or a cobalt. They dont make those kind of changes. They will step down from a suburban to say an Acadia though. When people get used to these gas prices or maybe the gas prices drop people will start driving SUVS again. If all gm does is make all small cars then once again stupid people will be complaining saying that all gm has is small cars how stupid are they for not making a truck while toyota has one. You create cars for everyone. That includes the small cars, the medium sized cars, the trucks, the small suvs, the medium suvs, and the big suvs.

Yes sales dropped on trucks but not keeping your product up to date and losing 500,000 sales a year because you never kept ur trucks up to date or killed them is stupid. Lets say forget the trucks and lose all those sales because we can only have small car after small car after small car. You know how many people that are looking for new cars that had a minivan before will not step down to a malibu or a volt because they are too small. I have friends of the family saying that. They want something to replace their minivan and get good gas mileage. On that front ford did it correctly with the escape hybrid. Its almost big enough but still gets good gas mileage and is not a huge premium over the regular version.

All small cars is not the answer to this problem. A whole lineup of good cars from small to big. Which gm almost has. Their trucks are good, the new equinox will be out, the malibu is a nice medium size car and when the cruze and the volt come out you will have some good small cars.

We really are at a time where car buyers dont know what they want. They say that they want tiny fuel efficient vehicles but im not sure that they do in the amount they say they want to.

I also think if gm does sell the volt for $40,000 then gm should just close up their doors and call it quits. I understand that its expensive to make but what are they smoking if they think thats going to work.

While im getting things out why do people keep complaining about gm platforms and being old. Honda and Toyota have been using the same platforms on their cars forever. All they do is make a tweak and say new platform and everyone believes it and goes with it. Gm makes a tweak and if they try to say new platform the car magazines just rip on them and say thats not a new platform. Why is this country so biased against any american company. I understand that companies are greedy but the chinese and japanese companies are just as greedy. Ive looked at the foreign products and as an engineer im not impressed. They are overcomplicated pieces of crap (keep it simple stupid). The difference is that when an engine blows on a toyota or honda (which ive seen a lot of when the timing belt slips) people just say oh well and thats normal but when a window motor or a light burns out on a gm car they say how its the biggest piece of crap. I really am just sick of this stupid crap. GM right now really has the best products out compared to its competitors its just the company is ran by a bunch of jackasses.

I am done.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by Hurricane

Yeah, that doesn't make sense to me. The Acadia seemed to me to be pretty distinguished from the Enclave. Are Acadia sales that bad?

No, in fact they're very good...