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

[sjsjedi]

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?

Acadia Sales have always been better than the Enclave by a wide margin. (The Outlook trails the Enclave).

http://www.saturnoutlookforum.net/index.php?topic=356.0

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by lam

Wrong, its mgescuro who don't have no clue about GM.
About small cars,GM is going to do what they did with the Malibu,this time with the Cruze. The other thing is VEBA, the "problem" about small cars will be gone very soon.

Last I looked... Cruze aint' coming to the US. "Cobalt hasn't run its course."
GM needs to cut its losses with Cobalt and launch the Cruze. Consequently, GM shouldn't provide us with an identical Pontiac version of it either.

VEBA is one thing. But if the market continues to shrink, and GM's cash position becomes even more precarious, VEBA cost differential will be insufficient. Not to mention that GM has to provide money for the thing... and it's been deferred.

Originally Posted by chade

I believe many American's will step down from full-size SUVs to CUVs still capable of pulling on occassion. I, for one, am one of them. I need the capability to pull a 5,000 lb boat and enclosed trailers. Sorry, your small car won't be able to do that. What I see GMs focus being going forward is to make the CUVs more capable for the average pulling requirement while using dual-mode and supplemental powerpacks to achieve better mpg.

While fuel efficient cars should also be of focus, you can't forget those that need an alternative vehicle to pull the play toys.

There will be a percentage of people that move from SUV to CUV because they need the carrying capacity or towing capacity. That much is given.

But what about the people who bought SUV's for themselves and can really deal with a nicely style wagon or a coupe or a sedan at 30-40 mpg? I wonder what the percentage of people those are.

And for that matter.... where are teh compact trucks at GM? The market has already been ceded to the Tacoma, for crying out loud. Is that not a priority?

Fuel efficient CARS and WAGONS need to be the focus. CUV's are secondary.

The reason why small cars aren't that big a priority is not that GM believes that AMericans won't buy them. (I refuse to believe GM is THAT blind to market trends.) But it's the fact GM has no way to make money on them.

[88Fiero]

Originally Posted by Quickening

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

Ageed mg.

Because it sells better % than chevy!

[GM-Joe]

Originally Posted by Perian

Link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=129066

GM CEO Rick Wagoner reiterated that the only GM brand under strategic review continues to be Hummer, which he said has lots of interest from outside of GM. General Motors will focus on profit improvement for its other brands.

"All of our product franchises will be abundantly provided for with passenger cars and crossovers of various sizes," he said. He added that the Buick-Pontiac-GMC group will get smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, with GMC emphasizing crossovers, including a version of the Chevrolet Equinox. Buick will sell a new yet-to-be-named car based on the Invicta concept unveiled at the Beijing motor show in April.

Cadillac, despite some "modifications" in its future product portfolio, will be "very, very, very" well positioned with the CTS station wagon making its debut in spring 2009, the CTS coupe going on sale in summer 2009 and the new SRX crossover, based on the Provoq concept, being introduced in the second quarter of 2009.

The Envoy and Yukon are pretty much not needed; people who buy Yukon's are either interested in Acadia or Escalade.

[steinravnik]

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.

I agree, Cobalt, Astra and Aveo are not enough small cars, even if they were competitive, which they are not.

[sigma]

Originally Posted by Hurricane

I want to see those pics!!!

That's the new Cruze. Makes me even sadder/madder we aren't going to get it here until 2010.

[nsap]

Originally Posted by mgescuro

Last I looked... Cruze aint' coming to the US. "Cobalt hasn't run its course."
GM needs to cut its losses with Cobalt and launch the Cruze. Consequently, GM shouldn't provide us with an identical Pontiac version of it either.

VEBA is one thing. But if the market continues to shrink, and GM's cash position becomes even more precarious, VEBA cost differential will be insufficient. Not to mention that GM has to provide money for the thing... and it's been deferred.

Cruze is coming to the US a few months after it launches globally.

[ral1960]

The Chevrolet Equinox will be revamped and equipped with a new 2.3-liter, four-cylinder direct-injection engine.

Anyone heard of this engine before? Chinese? Let's hope the Equinox weighs less than the 4,000 lb VUE.

What is VEBA?

[GM-Joe]

Originally Posted by nsap

You're looking at a snippet of their product plans and saying they are focusing on crossovers. They have vastly more cars coming than they do crossovers.

Highest-priority programs:

*Volt (car)
*Epsilon II (all cars)
*Delta II (all cars)

Correct, I would be more worried if GMC decided to sell a rebadged Cobalt. I will be interested in the Invicta concept and like to see an Excelle type vehicle; that new Volvo hatch is sharp.

[DealerGuyAtl]

The Volt will be completely new technology and will likely have some issues after it's been on the road a while, like the early Prius did. You don't want a quarter million of them to recall for some expensive fix. GM is smart to be cautious with this rollout, make sure that the product is right and reliable, and then flood the market with it.

Originally Posted by calgaryhhr

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.

[eaton53]

You people do realize that 2010 is only a year and a half from now, don't you?

[RCDonner]

Wow that Cruze looks great. Sometimes living in Europe is not that bad. But I hope you guys get that car soon...

[nsap]

Originally Posted by eaton53

You people do realize that 2010 is only a year and a half from now, don't you?

I'm not sure some of them do. Need we remind them that until then we have a Cobalt that has best in class fuel economy (auto and manual), best in class power, and all the features the class-leaders have for a price that undercuts the leaders. It isn't like we are still strapped with the Cavalier.

[sigma]

Originally Posted by nsap

I'm not sure some of them do. Need we remind them that until then we have a Cobalt that has best in class fuel economy (auto and manual), best in class power, and all the features the class-leaders have for a price that undercuts the leaders. It isn't like we are still strapped with the Cavalier.

With an interior straight from Fisher Price and an exterior straight from a late 90's Jetta with some Corolla/Civic randomly thrown in. It has never done well because it's not a standout product and it won't do well until it is. You have to give people a reason to come back to a Chevy dealership and 1MPG probably isn't going to do the trick. Especially when you don't advertise it.

[TruckMan]

Originally Posted by GM-Joe

The Envoy and Yukon are pretty much not needed.

GMC has sold twice as many Yukons this year as Cadillac has Escalades, and you think they're not needed?

Originally Posted by GM-Joe

people who buy Yukon's are either interested in Acadia or Escalade.

I bought a Yukon and I'm not interested in an Escalade or Acadia. Escalade is too expensive for what I need, the Acadia doesn't come in 4WD, doesn't tow enough, and doesn't look as nice as the Yukons.


People on this site are narrow-minded.