GM considers selling Chevrolets in South Korea

[mikmak]

If there is anything that people seem to be missing out, it is the fact that GM can't afford to **** it up. They simply don't have the cache [sic] .

As for adding another brand below Holden, has anyone heard of the Holden Viva? It's a new nameplate that has similar qualities to Hyundai/Kia et. al but is in the toilet. This thing already carries the Holden badge which as BBDOS pointed out earlier, QUADRUPLED Daewoo Kalos sales when Holden took over.

Australias market is very tightly wound. We have a lot of choice already ( possibly more brands per capita than anywhere else). Adding another brand that removes the only anchor, that regular consumers have, to something familiar is very similar to buying a Plasma TV these days. You don't know where it's come from or who owns it. Safest bet is to stick to what you know otherwise allegiances go out the window. Removing the Holden brand from its small cars will send its moderate sales into freefall. We know what is what. My parents didn't even know that their Holden Apoollo was a Toyota Camry.

As yupyupyup pointed out, nationalism can tend to erect some blinkers on people (myself included) but if you don't have exposure to the auto industry (such as this fine meeting of the minds ), then you stick with what you know. Remove what you know and it's back to ground zero. Does anyone really think that the Daewoo models have anything other than the Holden badge to use as leverage? It's a pretty tight margin.

[RedVee8]

Originally Posted by YupYupYup

Because of a name change? Oh, my...Didn't you already know that Holden is American-owned and controlled by. Does that bother you? Does it bother you that this board is from the U.S. and not an Aussie-only site? Wow...

Nobody said Holden will become Chevrolet. In some ways I could see two brands operating side-by-side. Chevy at the value end and Holden a little bit more upmarket. Just look at the global GM product lines and you can visualize it.

Yes, I do know that. Doesn't bother so much (except for GM breaking the gentlemans agreement to keep the Australian shareholders) because of the longstanding focus on our market and requirements.
This board isn't Australia specific? Yes, I did manage to spot that too.

I stand by what I said earlier, if the Holden brand is replaced by another brand - all bets are off. This means that yes I may still purchase them but they will be competing on an even playing field with every other brand. They will no longer have the advantage of incumbancy, of the good history my family and I have with Holden.
I have purchased other brands : Subaru, Ford, Mazda, Datsun. Guess what - I found I really like Holdens, and now I can afford to buy what I like as opposed to what I "should get" or what is "sensible". So I will most likely be sticking with Holden (or HSV). If there is no Holden then who knows.

Where did all those Oldsmobile owners go again?

[vcs2600]

Global Chevy brand = they can consolidate a lot of the advertising.

Fire the ad agencies they have in every little country and just use translators.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by vcs2600

Fire the ad agencies they have in every little country and just use translators.

Good idea. To save even more money, they could rely on that online translator mikmak keeps using.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Hurricane

GM considers selling Chevrolets in South Korea
Friday May 16, 10:30 am ET
General Motors exec says automaker considers launching Chevrolet brand in South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- General Motors Corp. is considering launching its Chevrolet brand in South Korea to capture a larger share of the country's growing market for imported cars, a company executive said Friday.

The U.S. automaker will make a decision on the move after completing a study by the end of this year, said James H. Raymond, executive director of GM's Asia-Pacific vehicle sales, service and marketing division.

GM Korea currently sells Cadillac sedans at 41 million to 120 million Korea won ($39,000-115,000) each and Saab sedans at 37 million to 59 million won.

South Korea has become more important lately because imported vehicles are now claiming a bigger share of the market, said Raymond.

GM hopes to more than double its South Korea sales this year, Raymond said. It sold about 600 Cadillacs and Saabs last year.

However, it will be fighting against the market trend. The South Korean passenger car market share of the U.S. automakers based in the Detroit area -- GM, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC -- has shrunk to 11.7 percent in the January-April period from 15 percent in 2004, according to the importers' association.


More here: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080516/skore...olet.html?.v=2

OK... how could that guy write so much text yet forget to say the ONLY thing that we need to know?...


Chevrolet (globally) is nothing more than a whole lineup of Korean Daewoos, which are ALREADY sold in Korea.

So, "introducing the Chevrolet brand in Korea" could mean one of two things.

1) Get rid of the Daewoo badge (it's the only place where it still exists anyway) and replace it by a bowtie,

or

2) Start selling "Chevrolets" (the North American ones) in addition to the already available Daewoos.

The two are completely different...

So, anyone knows whether it's #1 or #2 ???

[RedVee8]

Originally Posted by SierraGS

I would agree, the Australian market is not large enough for another GM brand and GM will have hard enough time getting Cadillac right and the Corvette can be marketed as a seperate "brand" as it was in Europe for years.

Holden needs to get Opel models made in lower cost plants (isn't that what GM has been planning all along?) and Chevy models that may do well Australia like the HHR can also be offered as Holden products, what is so hard about putting a Holden grille on it and calling it a Holden HHR?

To me the Concept 60 should be the next Monaro since it has a strong following and see no reason to sell the Camaro there.

If the GMDATs were to be rebranded as Chevrolet surely the right time to do that would have been when hey killed off the Daewoo brand in Australia. Guess what? they didn't. Possibly decided it wasn't a good idea as Holden is the "everymans" car here. Possibly the same reason that Toyota Aust killed the Daihatsu brand for cars when introducing the Echo/Yaris as a Toyota here? Perhaps not a big enough market to be competing against yourself?

Now to rebrand these cars/nameplates again seems to me to be rediculous. Consistancy?

IMHO Holden requires more models, not less. Still don't compete head to head with the Toyota range. One example - how long has it been since we've had a Holden (or Isuzu, or Bedford) One tonne Van? and yet I see thousands of Hi-Aces, Mitsu's, Nissans driving around. Even Hyundai has one now.

So, I agree with you SierraGS.

[RedVee8]

Originally Posted by Robert Ryan

[/list]I think the success of HSV is killing the market for the so called "Premier Group". HSV has people trading in their 6 cylinder Mercedes/Audi's for their wilder V8 options. I cannot fathom the logic of having Saab, Hummer and Cadillac as a seperate so-called luxury grouping, when the first two already are struggling for sales and we have thrashed the Cadillac issue to death. HSV has already become Holden's "Premier Grouping"

Perhaps HSV will be added to the GM Prestige list.
Saab
Hummer
Cadillac
Camaro
HSV
may help with traffic in the showroom.
Though most people would automatically head to a Holden dealer for a HSV than to a GM Prestige dealer.