Chevy Traverse First Drive

[ctsmo]

could gm at least put different seats in the lambdas. they all have the same one

[guitarlix]

Originally Posted by airglow

The only way for GM to get to 2 or 3 brands in the US is through Bankruptcy or a government bailout of some form (Pensions, Health care, low interest loans, etc). GM simply can not cut their costs fast enough or far enough to cover the loss in revenue they would incur from whacking half of their brands. GM still has too many legacy costs and too much debt to shrink to the size you suggest in a reasonable time frame and stay solvent.

I believe GM's current management is poor, but I agree with them that Bankruptcy is the worst possible option. If GM had to go through Chapter 11, they would probably emerge at half their current size in a best case scenario. Most American’s seem to hate the three US car companies with an irrational passion most people reserve for an ex-spouse. A bankruptcy filing by any of the 3 US manufacturers would simply give more Americans an excuse to send their money to Japan to buy US T-Bills, Geisha Girls and Whale meat.

It’s funny; American’s gave Hyundai a second chance after the Excel, arguably the least durable volume car of the last 40 years. Yet, the same American’s wont’ give their fellow citizens the same second chance they are perfectly willing to give the Koreans.

Don't fool yourself, Hyundai is still struggling to gain traction in America, Kia even more so. And the only reason they've managed to make it this far is because of their phenomenal marketing efforts (with Hyundai) and value pricing. Take either away, and Hyundai will crumble instantly. People don't buy Hyundai for the same reason that they buy Toyota or Honda. They buy it ONLY because it makes sense on paper and from a financial value standpoint. Kia is a totally redundant and pointless brand in America. But Hyundai's headstrong Korean management back home isn't willing to give its North American management a fair hearing and hence they keep pushing the brand. Sooner or later, they'll be forced to reposition one of the brands.

Coming to your point, the reason a FEW people gave Hyundai a second chance is because at least there was some reasonable FOCUSED marketing taking place to go along with their new (much) improved product. That is not the case with GM. Not only do their brands lack focus, but their advertising is absolutely second rate. Plus, the advertising is sporadic. They push one brand/vehicle, then they totally quit and move to another brand and so on. This is their primary problem - the inability to manage all their brands effectively. The CTS is an example of what can happen when you have a well known brand with a good product supported by solid advertising.

Yes, unions, market conditions are all issues.....but ultimately, GM's current predicament comes down to management. Was there a solution in all this? Absolutely there was. Did management make all the right decisions over the past few years? No. They fixed product to a certain extent, but again, that's the obvious decision that they were forced to make in the face of competition.

But that's about it. In terms of market positioning, long term strategy.......we see nothing.

[red_rider]

Originally Posted by EllwynX

Agreed. Flex is one of the ugliest choices out there. Edge, on the other hand, is quite attractive.

Just not feelin that. The Edge's proportions are just Way too tall and bubbly for me, not sporty at all. The Flex looks more like an old style wagon and has more car-like proportions for me. Plus I believe it has more space and some cool features. Just my perspective though.

[Vladimir1978]

Originally Posted by HoosierRon

Who cares if someone buys a Traverse or an Outlook? As long as the overall sales increase, it is good.

Well damn, let's give one to Cadillac, Pontiac and Saab too. Did I miss any? Surely that would increase the OVERALL sales too.

...

That being said, this will be the first certified home run from the Lambdas. It's the best looking and it's the only one that looks like it was designed for the brand it was made, with a cohesive interior and exterior strategy, which is funny since it's the last out of the gate.

They've done well so far, but not at the volumes necessary. I hope they're ready to shift capacity to the Traverse.

[Vladimir1978]

Originally Posted by TKR

If it takes all the Arcadia and Outlook sales (plus whatever else) then GM can stop spending money on developing 'rebadges' for Buick and Saturn.

They've already spent the money on 'rebadges' for Buick and Saturn and GMC in this case. That's where the frustration lies. The Traverse should have come out first along with the Enclave, and that's it. Instead they spent x amount of dollars on all 4 brands when they only needed 2.

[DuSpinnst]

Originally Posted by pontiacjs

the GMC dealer does

The GMC dealer has bigger problems than Traverse stealing Acadia sales.