GMI Exclusive: Some GMC Product Programs Bite the Dust

[member12]

Major mistake cutting the second largest division.

They may be blatant re-badges, but they sell. I can't explain the success of the brand, but I can't deny it. They sell, and they sell to different people than Chevrolet drivers somehow.

I love how people say "cut GMC's marketing and engineering". They are all Chevrolet's with a different front end. What are they saving by cutting GMC other than floor space for more lame Pontiac and Buick models.

I'd cut Pontiac AND Buick before I'd cut GMC...and let Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealers opt for a Saturn franchise.

[61BelAir]

Originally Posted by dav305z

This move makes little sense unless GM goes ahead and cuts the brand entirely. It leaves GMC with nothing other than blatant rebadges of slow-selling full size trucks.

My guess is that GM hopes for Cadillac to take GMC's luxury customers with its upcoming Lambda and for Chevy to pick up the rest.

Blatant rebadge? Have you looked at the Silverado and Sierra lately? Seriously I don't understand how people can say the two of them look alike. The front fenders, grille, hood, and bed are all different.

[Hitman1970]

Originally Posted by Sal Collaziano

I really like the Acadia. I really like the Outlook.. I really like the Enclave... And I really like the Traverse... Oh, and I'm really going to like the Cadillac that sits on this platform as well.. Does GM really need 5 of these trucks? So I can see why the Acadia and/or Outlook are getting cut.. If you want either one, get the Traverse..

Chevy Traverse - Really cheap
GMC Acadia - A little luxury, sort of
Saturn Outlook - Really cheap and I don't know
Buick Enclave - Lots of luxury
Cadillac Whatever - Lots of luxury and sportiness

You only need three..

Chevy Traverse - Cheap enough that anyone can buy it
Buick Enclave - A little expensive and quite luxurious
Cadillac Whatever - Expensive, luxurious and very sporty

We have a winner.

[paul8488]

I don't care so much about the Acadia... but I really hope that they do some sort of SUT, even if it's for Chevy. I can see this sort of truck alternative becoming popular if they can really get decent fuel economy out of them. The Ridgeline isn't hugely popular, but I can see that market growing.

[WishIhadatruck]

Originally Posted by 61BelAir

Blatant rebadge? Have you looked at the Silverado and Sierra lately? Seriously I don't understand how people can say the two of them look alike. The front fenders, grille, roof, and bed are all different.

Kind of sad that they went to the effort of giving them a bunch of different sheetmetal from the Chevrolets and nobody seems to notice that anything other than the grill is different.

[ekool]

If you have Digg, please Digg this up: http://digg.com/autos/GMC_Product_Pr..._Bite_the_Dust

[DirtyMoney]

Originally Posted by nsap

I'm quite confident that the Traverse will out-sell the Acadia in no time.

That is not the point. Why kill the current Lamba sales leader. The Chevy would not take sales from GMC. They are styled totally different and GMC has a good base/reputation. If GMC is not getting the AX, it could only benefit GM to keep it, unless Cadillac is taking it. Oh, I guess Cadillac is taking it to be the new Escalade/EXT.

[gardnet1]

I think the Acadia sell too well to cut. Outlook obviously should be canned. GM should let GMC, Buick, Cadillac & Chevy sell Lambdas. The Caddy should be uber-exclusive and more sportier to distinguish it from Enclave.

[windvale]

Forgive me...but 90% of this discussion is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

GM needs to get down to three divisions > Chevy, Cadillac and GMC. GM desperately needs to concentrate it's remaining capital on designing, buiding and marketing a strong entry at each market point (sub-compact, compact, mid-size, compact CUV, mid-size CUV, small and standard truck, etc.) for Chevy. Cadillac needs to be Cadillac. GMC should just sell trucks - period.

The above lineup *will* cut into GM's market share - I know that - but I can't see how GM really has the resources to design, manufacture and market Buick and Pontiac.

The bulk of GM's efforts from here on in need to be in designing and marketing a *highly* competitive sub-compact, compact and mid-size Chevy offering.

[Bvonscott]

I don't like this at all, but if you have to make cuts, I say sell Hummer, Absorb the best saab products into other brands and sell SAAB, sell pontiac.

Keep:
Chevy -full line volume
Caddy -ful line Luxury
GMC -more crossovers, keep Sierra
Saturn -full line American Opel, maybe even change name to opel
Buick -mid level luxury, same as china lineup

5 brands. Diversified product. Platform sharing, not rebadges.

Cars to cut or replace ASAP:
Solstice (Sky is way better looking)
Lucerne
Lacrosse
Envoy
Torrent
Uplander
9-7x

[SUPERBADD75]

GM could easily drop GMC and its redunadant products. fuel prices are going to lower truck sales dramatically, and it just doesn't make sense to have a truck only brand in that environment. drop GMC and let Chevy sell all of the large trucks, Cadillac can sell luxury trucks and crossovers (the Yukon Denali directly competes with the Escalade anyhow, that's stupid.), and kill any other overlap. it's a great idea, and one that's been a long time coming.

[vanshmack]

Originally Posted by SUPERBADD75

GM could easily drop GMC and its redunadant products. fuel prices are going to lower truck sales dramatically, and it just doesn't make sense to have a truck only brand in that environment. drop GMC and let Chevy sell all of the large trucks, Cadillac can sell luxury trucks and crossovers (the Yukon Denali directly competes with the Escalade anyhow, that's stupid.), and kill any other overlap. it's a great idea, and one that's been a long time coming.

Agreed. It's not 1999 anymore. Back then, it would have been stupid drop GMC, but with gas prices on their current trajectory, it makes no sense to have a truck-only line that competes with Chevy.

Since GMC has always been a "a Chevy truck, only a little nicer", perhaps after killing GMC, GM could do more to differentiate the LTZ trim level from the rest of the line, maybe adding a GMC-style bar-grille with a big bow tie on it, something to give it some Denali flair.

[BigThreeForever]

So, the Lambda II program will comprise the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, Cadillac Escalade and a Chevrolet SUT . . . . do we concur?

The GMC division seems doomed. How quickly things change.

[guitarlix]

Originally Posted by windvale

Forgive me...but 90% of this discussion is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

GM needs to get down to three divisions > Chevy, Cadillac and GMC. GM desperately needs to concentrate it's remaining capital on designing, buiding and marketing a strong entry at each market point (sub-compact, compact, mid-size, compact CUV, mid-size CUV, small and standard truck, etc.) for Chevy. Cadillac needs to be Cadillac. GMC should just sell trucks - period.

The above lineup *will* cut into GM's market share - I know that - but I can't see how GM really has the resources to design, manufacture and market Buick and Pontiac.

The bulk of GM's efforts from here on in need to be in designing and marketing a *highly* competitive sub-compact, compact and mid-size Chevy offering.

Pretty much.

I've been saying (actually SCREAMING) this since my first few posts on this site which were years ago.

GMC and Saturn have to go. They're absolutely pointless. GMC, because of its totally redundant nature and Saturn.......because that's like trying to sell an Isuzu. GMC could work if you could make it just a HD division. Saturn could work if you stopped trying to sell products in segments that GM already covers and offered something unique like all diesel or all hybrid powertrains.

Chevrolet + Cadillac alone would be ideal but it's not going to happen.

I'm very different from many of you in that I believe Hummer should actually stay. However, it can only stay if it's market properly as a luxury brand. You can't buy the Hummer image anywhere. It's unique, it has brand equity and it stands out. In Hummer's case, you have a product issue though. None of the products are truly world class. Even with the new interiors, they're not where they need to be.

Pontiac seems to be a diminishing brand by the day. Buick can work in between Chevy and Cadillac but for that, Cadillac would have to move slightly more premium and have more to offer at the top end.

Now if you're just going to dwindle down each brand to 3-4 products just so that they don't overlap with each other and then sell them all as one "channel", you're just shooting yourself in the foot and won't really get anywhere. If that's the strategy that GM's going to use, you can start shorting stocks today. No matter how you do it, you can't have these many brands in America if you can't position them appropriately and support with necessary marketing.

[killerrd2]

Originally Posted by guitarlix

GMC could work if you could make it just a HD division. Saturn could work if you stopped trying to sell products in segments that GM already covers and offered something unique like all diesel or all hybrid powertrains.

I'm very different from many of you in that I believe Hummer should actually stay. However, it can only stay if it's market properly as a luxury brand. You can't buy the Hummer image anywhere. It's unique, it has brand equity and it stands out. In Hummer's case, you have a product issue though. None of the products are truly world class. Even with the new interiors, they're not where they need to be.

Pontiac seems to be a diminishing brand by the day. Buick can work in between Chevy and Cadillac but for that, Cadillac would have to move slightly more premium and have more to offer at the top end.

Now if you're just going to dwindle down each brand to 3-4 products just so that they don't overlap with each other and then sell them all as one "channel", you're just shooting yourself in the foot and won't really get anywhere. If that's the strategy that GM's going to use, you can start shorting stocks today. No matter how you do it, you can't have these many brands in America if you can't position them appropriately and support with necessary marketing.

Great ideas! I especially like the "all hybrid" or "all HD" idea.
I think Hummer could work as a branch arm of GMC to keep the Hummer name equity.

Cheers!