GM to Bolster Liquidity by $15 Billion through 2009

[CamaroCrazy]

Anybody else catch all this? Bob's details on upcoming products are telling.....

Chevrolet: Lots in the pipeline. Cruze, Volt, new Equinox, but no mention of the Beat, Aveo, or another small car. Malibu is a success and the marketing methods used at the launch are a template for future product promotions. Bob again mentioned the 9 mpg improvement the Cruze will have over the Cobalt (and the way he said it, I think he meant a 9 mpg over the Cobalt XFE).

Cadillac: Some "modifications" have been made to the future lineup to make Caddy competitive on a global basis (he seemed to emphasize the "global"). Begin to speculate....

GMC: Keeping the full size pickups, mentioned the "highly differentiated sister product to the Equinox" (Terrain)

B-P-G Channel: "Needs smaller, more-fuel efficient vehicles" and future products in this channel won't be copies of products in other divisions and won't compete with one another. But no specifics on Buick or Pontiac.

Saturn: Has a good product mix....they sounded happy with the types of vehicles they have, probably just need to further improve them with the next generation.

Marketing cutbacks will be made on the "old" way of doing things.....promotions in motorsports will be assessed as well. More promotions and advertising like they did with the Malibu and the CTS, which IMO was really good. Saw those ads everywhere

[SirRaven]

Originally Posted by 1487

they also confirmed upcoming products like the CTS coupe and wagon, SRX, 9-4x, lacrosse, a new chevy compact crossover, etc.

Fixed it for you, they are keeping the SRX name for the Caddy cross over. These should all be very nice products and help GM out a lot once they come out.

[CamaroCrazy]

From Autoblog:
http://www.autoblog.com/

UPDATE: Wagoner addressed GM employees and shed some light on what products are in the pipeline.

The Chevrolet Cruze will begin production in the U.S. in 2010
The Chevrolet Equinox will go into production in May of 2009, equipped with a direct-injected 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine.
The Cadillac CTS coupe has been green lit and is coming in the summer of '09.
The Cadillac CTS Sportswagon will be on the market in next spring.
The next Cadillac SRX, inspired by the Provoq concept, will go on sale globally in 2009.
The rear-wheel-drive (????) Buick Invicta will be released in the U.S. next spring.
The Saab 9-4X is on its way in late 2009.

[SimonDavid]

Originally Posted by T-Type

Basically GM's problem right now is that it will be about two more years before the renegotiated union contract kicks in - along with the Billions of savings that it will provide. Because the US economy has gotten so bad, so fast it was looking like GM wouldn't make it until then. GM had to raise more money/cut spending to make sure the business survives until then.

exactly

they need to hoard their cash until the new contract comes in, the health care trust fund is set up, the Volt is launched, and the current generation of UAW employees start to retire

then they're back in business

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

CNN said that GM doesnt make the cars that Americans want.

And I guess the Malibu's chopped liver?

[377Z]

Originally Posted by Ming

...I mean, I'm sure it's big to people working at GM, but for outsiders it seems like just another speech, another plan and perennial promises of a turnaround from Rick.

That completely sums it up for me.

Reminds me of the definition of insanity.

[Geotpf]

Originally Posted by CamaroCrazy

Anybody else catch all this? Bob's details on upcoming products are telling.....

Chevrolet: Lots in the pipeline. Cruze, Volt, new Equinox, but no mention of the Beat, Aveo, or another small car. Malibu is a success and the marketing methods used at the launch are a template for future product promotions. Bob again mentioned the 9 mpg improvement the Cruze will have over the Cobalt (and the way he said it, I think he meant a 9 mpg over the Cobalt XFE).

Cadillac: Some "modifications" have been made to the future lineup to make Caddy competitive on a global basis (he seemed to emphasize the "global"). Begin to speculate....

GMC: Keeping the full size pickups, mentioned the "highly differentiated sister product to the Equinox" (Terrain)

B-P-G Channel: "Needs smaller, more-fuel efficient vehicles" and future products in this channel won't be copies of products in other divisions and won't compete with one another. But no specifics on Buick or Pontiac.

Saturn: Has a good product mix....they sounded happy with the types of vehicles they have, probably just need to further improve them with the next generation.

Marketing cutbacks will be made on the "old" way of doing things.....promotions in motorsports will be assessed as well. More promotions and advertising like they did with the Malibu and the CTS, which IMO was really good. Saw those ads everywhere

Does the Cruze replace the Cobalt, or do they actually plan on selling both side-by-sde? Both are horrible ideas. The internal competition from selling both side-by-side is insane, and changing the name is one of the ways GM loses market share. They need to be like Toyota and Honda, who have been making Corollas, Camrys, Civics, and Accords for decades. Lots of people go into a Toyota or Honda dealer and every five years and buy another of the same vehicle; changing the name turns those automatic sales into "maybes".

Caddy is not a global brand. Their yearly sales outside North America are less than one month's worth of North American sales. For example, in all of Europe, total sales of Caddy from Jan-June 08 were 2,595 units. In that same time period in the US alone, they sold 88,709 vehicles.

As BPG getting unique products, can GM afford to actually engineer unique stuff for them, considering the low sales that that channel brings?

Saturn has the same problem as BPG, but even more so.

[CamaroCrazy]

Originally Posted by 377Z

That completely sums it up for me.

Reminds me of the definition of insanity.

Insanity would be if they sat around doing NOTHING. GM is doing something, reacting. They should be better at predicting, yes, but if you asked me last summer what I thought gas prices would be this summer, at most I would have said $3.00 a gallon, not $4.10. The whole market is in turmoil right now and its good to see GM taking action NOW and not waiting one day longer.

Is it the right action? Is it enough? Stay tuned........

[Geotpf]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

And I guess the Malibu's chopped liver?

Well, considering that the Civic, Corolla, Camry, and Accord each sell three to four times as well overall as the Malibu, yeah, it is, especially if you just look at retail sales (IE, if you exclude cars sold to organizations like rental car companies and governmental agencies). If you exclude fleet sales from both, the difference in sales between each of the CCCA and the Malibu is probably six or eight times.

[CamaroCrazy]

Originally Posted by Geotpf

Does the Cruze replace the Cobalt, or do they actually plan on selling both side-by-sde? Both are horrible ideas. The internal competition from selling both side-by-side is insane, and changing the name is one of the ways GM loses market share. They need to be like Toyota and Honda, who have been making Corollas, Camrys, Civics, and Accords for decades. Lots of people go into a Toyota or Honda dealer and every five years and buy another of the same vehicle; changing the name turns those automatic sales into "maybes".

Caddy is not a global brand. Their yearly sales outside North America are less than one month's worth of North American sales. For example, in all of Europe, total sales of Caddy from Jan-June 08 were 2,595 units. In that same time period in the US alone, they sold 88,709 vehicles.

As BPG getting unique products, can GM afford to actually engineer unique stuff for them, considering the low sales that that channel brings?

Saturn has the same problem as BPG, but even more so.

Cruze will replace Cobalt, not sold side-by-side. I agree dropping the Cobalt name is unwise here in the US, but considering they want "Cruze" to be used globally, I bet "Cobalt" doesn't work as a nameplate in some countries. I have heard that Cobalt roughly translates to "Gremlin" in German. "Cruze" is probably like "Exxon".....the spelling and pronunciation in a variety of languages is neutral to positive, no negative derivatives. Besides, don't you want to "Cruze" in your Chevrolet? Or drive a sweet "Cruze" missile?

I hear you on the Camry/Accord naming legacy. Good thing they kept Malibu for this new generation of mid-sizer then, eh?

Caddy is not a global brand, true, but at least not yet. Same could be said for Lexus. Ever seen Lexus' sales numbers in Western Europe? Horrible. That's why Hyundai isn't marketing the Genesis there, they know the Germans, French, and Italians won't switch out of their Audis, BMWs, and M-B's. But Cadillac can make the investment and become that global brand. Hence, the CTS wagon.

[drew630]

Originally Posted by Geotpf

Does the Cruze replace the Cobalt, or do they actually plan on selling both side-by-sde? Both are horrible ideas. The internal competition from selling both side-by-side is insane, and changing the name is one of the ways GM loses market share. They need to be like Toyota and Honda, who have been making Corollas, Camrys, Civics, and Accords for decades. Lots of people go into a Toyota or Honda dealer and every five years and buy another of the same vehicle; changing the name turns those automatic sales into "maybes".

Caddy is not a global brand. Their yearly sales outside North America are less than one month's worth of North American sales. For example, in all of Europe, total sales of Caddy from Jan-June 08 were 2,595 units. In that same time period in the US alone, they sold 88,709 vehicles.

As BPG getting unique products, can GM afford to actually engineer unique stuff for them, considering the low sales that that channel brings?

Saturn has the same problem as BPG, but even more so.

The Cruze is replacing the Cobalt. Basically it will be a redesigned Cobalt with a new name.

[prototype66]

Originally Posted by Geotpf

Well, considering that the Civic, Corolla, Camry, and Accord each sell three to four times as well overall as the Malibu, yeah, it is, especially if you just look at retail sales (IE, if you exclude cars sold to organizations like rental car companies and governmental agencies). If you exclude fleet sales from both, the difference in sales between each of the CCCA and the Malibu is probably six or eight times.

TWO THINGS...
1) Civic and Corolla are not malibu compitition.
2) You are comparing last years Camry and Accord (established in the market) to an all new Malibu that replaces a stop gap mediocre vehicle.

Your arguement does not make sense to me at all .

[PAULSTS1]

This talk of "Liquidity" is double-talk! How does shoveling an ailing Corporation with $15 Billion dollars more debt, get it liquid? With all the losses in the last 3 years, no turnaround was accomplished, they are dragging out the Bankruptcy filing until the new adminstration changes the Bankruptcy Regulations. This is a Ponzi scheme in process.

Someday in the not too distant future, when you go to your local bank and find it shuttered with a note on the door 'OUT OF BUSINESS, FDIC HOLIDAY" you'll have GM to thank.

[377Z]

Originally Posted by CamaroCrazy

From Autoblog:
http://www.autoblog.com/

UPDATE: Wagoner addressed GM employees and shed some light on what products are in the pipeline.

The Chevrolet Cruze will begin production in the U.S. in 2010
The Chevrolet Equinox will go into production in May of 2009, equipped with a direct-injected 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine.
The Cadillac CTS coupe has been green lit and is coming in the summer of '09.
The Cadillac CTS Sportswagon will be on the market in next spring.
The next Cadillac SRX, inspired by the Provoq concept, will go on sale globally in 2009.
The rear-wheel-drive (????) Buick Invicta will be released in the U.S. next spring.
The Saab 9-4X is on its way in late 2009.

All great news if it pans out this way. I do wish the Cruze would be out sooner, like fall '09 but don't expect it for an all new car with an all new powertrain. The Equinox particularly piques my interest--I like the size, I might be able to live with the styling (I do wish they'd fix the wierd way the hood is integrated) but couldn't swallow the outdated thirsty powertrain; I always wondered why they didn't give it a 4 cyl. I'll be happy if the Invicta gets released next spring, RWD or not since Buick's current cars are unfit for the brand.

Funny, the possibility of the Invicta going RWD reminds me of the thread started by one of our distinguished AU posters with the camo'ed Invictas lifting their inside front tires in the corner.

I am tickled by the prospect of GM finally standing a chance of producing enough attractive cars to make the decision of what to get & how much to spend difficult on me.

[Ultra Magnus]

The Invicta is RWD? So does that confirm that EPII is flexible enough for all types of drivelines (FWD, RWD, AWD)? Thats an interesting reveal if it is indeed true. When are we supposed to get more info (production config) on the Invicta?