GM Inside News Forum banner

Explain Badge Engineering to me please.

2K views 16 replies 13 participants last post by  AdmiralViscen 
#1 ·
I think I understand it, but maybe I dont. People seem to be bashing the Torrent because it is badge engineering of the Equinox. It seems like everyone thinks badge engineering is bad. If it is what I think it is, I like it.

I grew up in the 80's loving GM. One of the coolest things about GM was that I could get a Monte Carlo, or a Cutlass, or a Grand Prix, or a Regal. There were choices! Camaro or Firebird. How about those great Muscle Cars?
GSX, GTO, Chevelle, 442
Going foward, there's no Bonneville? What if I don't like the LeSabre?
No Sunfire? What if I don't like the Cobalt.
There's no 2 door Regal or Grand Prix. What if I don't like the Monte Carlo?

Isn't every Mercury or Lincoln essentially a badge engineered Ford?

What is your opinion?
 
#2 ·
Badge-engineering is just that...the only "engineering" is simply the addition of a badge.

Platform-sharing should not be confused with badge-engineering. Many vehicles share platforms (the basic architecture of a vehicle) but are distinct from one another (good example, the Chevrolet Malibu and Saab 9-3 share a platform but not many other traits).

Badge engineering has been lessened over the past 10-15 years. Ford's first FWD Escort and the Mercury Lynx were basically "badge-engineered" vehicles. Same with the Dodge Aries/Plymouth Reliant twins and the Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon. The same argument can be made with the GMT830 triplets (Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade). And, probably, the Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent. The G-specials (Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, Regal, and Cutlass Supreme coupes) were not "badge engineered" as they shared very little in styling (aside from silhouettes), interiors, and sometimes even powertrains.

Again, don't confuse platform-sharing with badge-engineering. Badge-engineering leaves very little room for brand personality while platform-sharing provides only the basis on which a brand can build a car unique to its own character.
 
#3 ·
Badge engineering is the Montana SV6, Uplander, and Relay. The Buick Terraza actually has some differences - Quiet Tuning and independent rear suspension standard.

The only good thing about badge engineering is when one type of dealership is closer to your house than the other, for when you bring it in for service. A Chevy dealer won't do warranty work on your Pontiac, even if it is a 100% rebadge.
 
#4 ·
Torrent is supposed to be mechanically different from the Equinox. It's "supposed" to feel sportier, despite having the same engine. But it has the same interior and exterior except for the grille.

Pretty much badge engineering is just putting a "badge" on another car without changing much else significantly.

GM has gotten better at platform sharing over the years, and pretty much all the new cars are not longer badge engineered. We'll see how the new trucks and SUVs fare shortly. But GM's Epsilon -- G6, malibu, 9-3, Vectra, BLS -- are platform shared, but not badge shared. Each looks differnt inside and out.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for clearing it up. It's platform sharing that I like. I can understand GM not wanting to compete against itself, but I like having choices. Anyway, Thanks again.
 
#9 ·
Badge engineering is where the mfr tries to pull the wool over the customer's eyes by taking an existing car and giving it a classic name. Like the Korean LeMans and the Aussie GTO. Or it can take a Chevy and turn it into a Cadillac with just the touch of grill and chrome. Only the people are wise and don't buy. But the lure is so strong that the mfr keeps trying to do it.
 
#10 ·
69nova said:
Badge engineering is where the mfr tries to pull the wool over the customer's eyes by taking an existing car and giving it a classic name. Like the Korean LeMans and the Aussie GTO. Or it can take a Chevy and turn it into a Cadillac with just the touch of grill and chrome. Only the people are wise and don't buy. But the lure is so strong that the mfr keeps trying to do it.
Neither of those first two is badge engineering in its purest form. Those are strictly cars imported from another country. The Korean LeMans mechanically did not change, just trim. If the car it was in Korea had been imported simultaneously then you would have badge engineering. The GTO does not use the same engine back home as the Monaro it is based on so it is not strictly badge engineered.

The Omni/Horizon twins were badge engineered. Taurus/Sable. Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade. The Camaro/Firebird were close but think about the subtle differences between them. The Cadillac CImmaron WAS badge engineered Pontiac 2000 (or Chevy if you prefer).. In its purest form two badge engineered cars will share almost all body panels.
 
#11 ·
chiefpontiac said:
Neither of those first two is badge engineering in its purest form. Those are strictly cars imported from another country. The Korean LeMans mechanically did not change, just trim. If the car it was in Korea had been imported simultaneously then you would have badge engineering. The GTO does not use the same engine back home as the Monaro it is based on so it is not strictly badge engineered.
I agree - you need to have more than one car in the selling country's market for it to qualify as a "rebadge". Otherwise people would call a lot of Lexuses "rebadges" of Toyotas, like the Toyota Harrier and the Lexus RX300.

The way the Korean Lemans would be a "rebadge" is if Chevy had the same car with a bowtie, like the Pontiac T1000 and the Chevrolet Chevette.
 
#14 ·
Imagine this...this is how badge-engineering 'GM' style is.....take a Chevrolet Corvette and slap and Pontiac badge on it...now call it the 'Panther' or 'Python' or some garbage name and sell it on the market for $39,500 just because it isn't as 'prestigous as the Corvette'. Take off the navigation system. There you have badge engineering....

GM's badge-engineering trick is pretty easy. Just like taking the CSVs and slapping different badges on them, it is similar. GM does the same by taking one car, slapping a different badge on it, and possibly changing a few things....the interior (Chevrolet Trailblazer v. Saab 9-7x), certain features (Stabilitrak standard on Buick Terraza v. Chevrolet Uplander), or maybe the design in the front (Buick LuCerne v. Impala; the interior is the same but the exterior is different)....yet, these days, things have become more sloppier.
 
#17 ·
GMCSonoma said:
LaCrosse and Grand Prix are the same platform, the Impala/Monte Carlo are of the previous generation W-body.
Yea, I know that. Read my quote, he was talking about the Lucerne. I didn't say anything about the Lacrosse, Grand Prix, or Monte Carlo. He called a G-body Lucerne and a W-body Impala rebadges, and I said he was wrong.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top