Will New GM Succeed??

[44 mpg by 2010]

Here is the SKUNK in the WOODPILE!


'July 9, 2009 - KOREA: 4OMPG BY 2015: A new plan from the Korean government will "require passenger cars and mini-vans with less than 10 passenger seats to get an overall average of 17 kilometers per liter by 2015," the equivalent of 40 miles per gallon, according to The Korea Herald. They say this will save 15 million barrels of oil and reduce 8 million tons of carbon emissions by 2015. So why can't the U.S. do the same thing?'

http://www.40mpg.org/

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSI...0907070066.asp

So, what happens to US Ford and the NewGM/Chrysler market share by 2015 ... IF ... Hyundai and Kia start delivering up to 9 passenger US compliant vehicles (diesels and hybrids) getting OVER 40 mpg combined average to their US dealerships in 2015 or before ... while Detroit continues "trying" to get to 35~39 mpg by 2016?

Keep in mind that the first phase of these Korean regulations start in 2012 and will probably target Euro Step VI ... OR BETTER!

I just thought I should warn EVERYONE in hopes that Ford and the NewDet2 will NOT ... “sleep through” this one ... like they have so many others in the past ...

*** GOOD LUCK to US ... ALL! ***

** MAY ALL of YOUR DECISIONS BE WISE and PROFITTABLE!! ***

[chevyman1973]

how can people say bad things about the cruse? its not even out yet and what is with the name? who cares whats its called? if its first rate then it will sell

[civilzues]

Originally Posted by steve333

The Astra. Which we will not get.
The next Focus-which Ford makes.
GM NA gets middling crap once more.

really the astra? they tried it. didn't work. Did you buy one? if so then you can complain....

[CUtiger08]

Originally Posted by chevyman1973

how can people say bad things about the cruse? its not even out yet and what is with the name? who cares whats its called? if its first rate then it will sell

Actually it is out everywhere else in the world (Europe/Asia/Australia) and so far has not gotten amazingly good reviews, generally more "competent but not anything new" type comments. We do get a new engine, and maybe some other changes, so we'll see how it does in NA form.

[GMFAN85]

Originally Posted by fp115

Fritz has screwed too many people over, stole several ideas,... it will only come back and haunt him.

You can't say that and not expect people to wonder where in the world you heard that and what exactly do you mean saying he screwed people over and stole several ideas. Unless you have some damn good evidence, it's just hearsay.

Originally Posted by steve333

The Astra. Which we will not get.
The next Focus-which Ford makes.
GM NA gets middling crap once more.

Uh.. everything I've read on here and on other websites points to Buick becoming the recipient of the new Astra.... unless GM announced this morning that Buick is being sold off too and I didn't hear about it... which would make your post technically correct... But you're not.
Why else would GM sell off Saturn to Penske and include everything but the Astra and the Sky(which is dead) unless GM wanted to place the Astra under a different brand in the NA market. I think you're listing to mgescuro a little too much. You're mixing uniformed rants with fact.

[steve333]

Originally Posted by chevyman1973

how can people say bad things about the cruse? its not even out yet and what is with the name? who cares whats its called? if its first rate then it will sell

Would you buy a Chevy Gonad? Names matter, and the car is midpack against cars that are already here, how will it do against the next gen Civic and Focus?

Originally Posted by civilzues

really the astra? they tried it. didn't work. Did you buy one? if so then you can complain....

They saddled it with a weak engine and a timing belt. From a brand with few dealers plus it was overpriced. Build it here with the right Powertrain and I would have been all over it.

Originally Posted by CUtiger08

Actually it is out everywhere else in the world (Europe/Asia/Australia) and so far has not gotten amazingly good reviews, generally more "competent but not anything new" type comments. We do get a new engine, and maybe some other changes, so we'll see how it does in NA form.

Its gotten 3 out of 5 stars in one review, a 'its OK but the Focus and Golf are better' review, and basically tepid reviews all around. I have never seen GM improve a car for the NA Market so I am not hopeful.

Originally Posted by GMFAN85

Uh.. everything I've read on here and on other websites points to Buick becoming the recipient of the new Astra.... unless GM announced this morning that Buick is being sold off too and I didn't hear about it... which would make your post technically correct... But you're not.
Why else would GM sell off Saturn to Penske and include everything but the Astra and the Sky(which is dead) unless GM wanted to place the Astra under a different brand in the NA market. I think you're listing to mgescuro a little too much. You're mixing uniformed rants with fact.

When, in 2012? Maybe? It hasn't even been green lighted yet.

[vcs2600]

Originally Posted by jasaero

I for one would probably have one more car if I could pick up some $20k V8 powered lightweight vehicle that is just more or less illegal to build or so heavily taxed or penalized at the moment that it could never reach a customer anywhere near $20k.

Better hurry up and order yourself a Ford Crown Victoria then. I'm sure you'll enjoy the ancient design which allows the car to be priced cheaper than a well-equipped Honda Civic. It has 8 cylinders, afterall.

Meanwhile back in the current auto market, GM doesn't even sell an I4 midsized sedan for less than $20K.

[mgescuro]

No.

So long as there is a political agenda overseeing GM Co., and there is not concerted effort to focus on 4 very individual and very distinct brands, GM Co will fail.

There is too much pride at GM, I'm not convinced everyone at GM Co has taken a fall.

GM should have died and been divested of its most valuable units. I believe an entire legion of "VP's" should have been axed. And I think the majority of the executive management should have also been axed, including the entire GM board. And I still firmly believe the UAW should have been broken.

[TriShield]

History is already repeating itself. Every new press release and snippet about the company since it's gone bankrupt show the same problems from top to bottom that the got GM there in the first place.

Two of the four brands kept or virtually worthless, the crown jewel is crashing hard and fast and GM is hellbent on taking it downmarket to cannabalize all the rest and the same people with the same old GM attitudes are still in charge and saying the same things they've been saying for years.

Fail.

[Xenon]

Originally Posted by ChevroletRevived

If the Cruze doesn't meant that requirement, what does?

You tell me.
The Astra can MAYBE pull it off, but who knows since it wont be sold in the US. The Cruze is profitable, it will sell in volumes, but looking at it so far, it's not a car that I'd even consider trading in a Corolla for, and keep in mind that the top competitors are getting either full-on makeovers soon (Civic, Focus) or mild MCEs to keep them coherent. There's no "wow" factor for the car at all, so its hard to believe that the Cruze will do favorably against the stiffening competition.

And I'm not even including whatever Chrysler/Fiat, or Toyota will do. Things aren't exactly looking great for the Cruze.

[Xenon]

Originally Posted by civilzues

really the astra? they tried it. didn't work. Did you buy one? if so then you can complain....

When it was brought here, it had a lot of things going wrong for it. First off, it was badged as a Saturn, so that really kneecapped the availability of it. Also the engine was small and weak, the fuel economy was not impressive at all, and it was one of the most expensive compact cars available. And lets not forget the complete lack of options available for the car, like say a beefier engine, sound systems, XM radio, etc.

That said, why would I, as a consumer, pay more for an Astra, when I can get a better equipped hatch elsewhere? Think about it.

[ZO-6]

Originally Posted by nsap

Will New GM Succeed??

So, what do you think? Will General Motors Company be a smashing success or will history repeat itself?

Well, aside from it's too early to tell, let's take a look a current and future product:

In line with the fact that retro is very popular at this time i.e. Mustang /Challenger /Camaro etc. and to take a quote from Ford of long ago..."Most cars have a new name, this name has a new car" ( When they introduced the midsized Ford Fairlane in 1963).... It should be called Bel Air since it will be the top line Chevrolet sedan, the top V-8 LS3, 400+ hp. model should be the Impala SS...when the current Impala is redone it should be called Chevelle....there could be much hoopla over all this , and if advertised with much fanfare and saturation using the theme THE NEW, REINTRODUCED, CHEVROLET LINE-UP....IMPALA, BELAIR, CHEVELLE, MALIBU, AND OF COURSE. CAMARO AND CORVETTE....the new Cruze or whatever would be slotted in hopefully with a better name, like CHEVETTE, since it will be the economy champ.....think about it, the only things that have lasted and stood the test of time are the old names, Impala,Malibu, Corvette, and back again, Camaro....gone are crap like Lumina,Caprice, Baretta,Vega, etc.,etc. There is also the line-up of Chevy trucks.

The Buick showroom will consist of 1 car and 1 truck, the new LaCrosse and the Enclave, until the others, Regal and Zeta, come online, and frankly, I don't consider these vehicles adequate for this segment. With the V-6 280hp. La Crosse as the top car in this luxury segment, it's going to have some stiff competition...

GMC is all trucks and if we are to believe any of this eco\hybrid trend, sales of gas guzzling vehicles will decline...

The DTS, STS, and XLR are dead at Cadillac, the 2011 lineup will consist of the CTS, sedan and wagon, and hopefully the coupe, the SRX, and the Escalade. A thin line-up until the new DTS/STS replacement (D7) comes on line. If the Converj makes it into production this will be good, but Cadillac desparetely need a flagship car. This is THE luxury division and Cadillac needs to compete with S class, 7 series, LS 460, S8, types of vehicles in this segment. Not to mention the Genesis, and the soon to come Equus from Hyundai.

My thoughts: GM is too truck Heavy, with Buick considering another SUV/crossover when they desparetely need another car, is a badf management decision.

They should have kept Pontiac as a sports/niche division with a GXP G8, Solstice, a coupe version of the G8 as a GTO, and/or a version of the Camaro, since it is red hot as a Firebird/Trans Am.

If the new General Motors Company is too be taken seriously by future customers as well as the world, they must take the initiative, keep the promises they made about being consumer oriented and create great product. Stop playing the catch up game by saying "targeted at" BMW or Lexus. GM is where it is today by losing its way, forgetting the consumer, and building crappy product. It has a shot at a new beginning, to be a leader, create great product, not copy your competition....

[throwback]

Too early to tell. But, with the government calling the shots I have my doubts. yeah I know Obama claims they will have a hands off role. When the government gives you money, especially 50 billion it comes with strings attached. Also, his bail out is as unpopular as the bank bailout.

[CADZILLA_53]

They will succeed just fine if the american public will get their collective heads out of their behinds and look at the wonderful products that GM is and will be building.

[kenman923]

Originally Posted by RamJet502

Time for a little optimism.

With what GM has to offer, I am optimistic that they won't succeed.