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Lutz: No Beat for US, Cobalt not near EOL, CUVs on the way, Aura stalled

17K views 236 replies 138 participants last post by  paul8488 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/15/lutz-no-beat-for-the-u-s-smaller-cuvs-on-the-way-insignia-st/

General Motor's car czar, Bob Lutz, sat down with the little people of the blogosphere after GM's announcement that it would be reducing white collar expenditures by 20-percent, cutting truck production and eliminating retired health care for salaried workers over 65, all in an effort to boost its liquidity by $15 billion by the end of 2009.

Hit the jump for all the details.

[Photo: David McNew/Getty]

Maximum Bob addressed questions about GM's entire brand portfolio, saying, "Pontiac will be nourished with products" and confirming that GM is in talks with financial institutions about HUMMER, and that, "If we could sell the brand, we'd be interested in doing that."

Predictably, much of the conversation centered on fuel efficiency and the General's plans to address the growing demand for miserly transport in the U.S. Lutz made it clear that "as fuel costs in the U.S. begin to resemble those in the rest of the world" it will be easier for GM to realign its products on a global scale.

So what about the Chevy Beat? The subcompact hatch is slated to arrive in Europe next year as the Spark, replacing the Chevy that shares the same name. However, GM didn't intend for the Beat (or Spark) to be offered in the U.S., so it currently doesn't meet federal safety and crash standards. It would take too much money and about two years to bring the Beat up to snuff for sales in the U.S., so Lutz conceded that it wouldn't be coming to the U.S. until the next generation arrives... whenever that is.

In more unfortunate news, the Chevrolet Cruze, set to debut in Paris and sold in Europe next year, won't be replacing the Cobalt in the U.S. anytime soon. Lutz maintains that the current Cobalt is "no where near the end of its life-cycle" and that it's "finally coming into its own" in the U.S. market. When the Cruze does debut, expect an interior that's a cross between the Cobalt and the Malibu, and powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-pot that will get 40+ mpg.

When asked about Saturn, Lutz was insistent that GM "likes the brand," but is concerned that the franchise isn't generating enough volume. While earlier reports suggested that Saturn would short-cycle the Aura and replace it with the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, Lutz says that it won't be coming forthright.

When the 2008/2009 show season ramps up, expect GM to debut several new compact crossovers that are significantly smaller than the Lambda CUVs currently on sale. Lutz wouldn't elaborate on what brands would be getting these new cute 'utes, but expect them to span GM's brands.

On a completely unrelated tangent, Lutz divulged a few tidbits about his personal rides, which include a Saturn Sky Redline, an Aura and four (count 'em, four) Segways. Go figure...
 
#166 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

NO BEAT FOR THE US!!! Morons!!!
Why debut the three minicars in NYC if they wouldn't be engineered for federalization?

Stupid, GM. Just stupid. You can't take that car, which will be seen in Transformers 2, apparently, debut it here then slap us with the same old excuses!

That was the Corsa excuse... and Saturn could have a market leader there.

Wasn't the new GM supposed to develop world cars now?
 
#24 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

No Beat. No Cruze. No Insignia. But lots of Pontiacs and CUVs.

This is how GM responds to America's demand for fuel efficient vehicles?
unfortunate :(
 
#7 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

I don't think this is what the street wants to hear. "Nourishing" Pontiac? A subcompact that isn't even out yet that wasn't designed to allow to be sold in the US. The next generation Beat could be out as far as 2015!!!!!!! This was a colossal blunder. As much as I like what Lutz has done, that kind of thing is inexcusable today, and heads need to roll. We've been told for years how far GM is ahead of Ford in the turnaround process. Yet Ford is about ready to launch the Fiesta globally, including in NA, yet GM is going to continue trotting out the Aveo for potentially as long as six more years???????????
 
#8 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

How can anyone say how good the Cruze will be?
 
#225 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

How can anyone say how good the Cruze will be?
It is that they continue to develop global prodicts that cannot be sold globally. I for one am tired of the BS. They design good cars for over there! that don't, guess what, meet our regulations. Now tell me, where is the forethought in that? These men should be fired and jailed for theft...
 
#9 · (Edited)
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

Well, if things weren't bad enough for GM in North America currently anouncements like this are certainly going to make things even worse. GM needs to introduce new products to NA like the Beat and Cruze and such. I won't argue that this class of cars hasn't sold well in NA in the past and it might take consumers some time to adjust and start buying smaller cars but by not offering an option GM is shutting the door and turning their back on NA. The current products are weak (Aveo, Cobalt, G5) and GM needs something that will stir up some excitement and maybe even become class leaders. If they can bring out cars like the new Malibu and the Lambda's and the G8 why not do something similar for the small car marketplace. These recent new platforms and redesigns are a step in the right direction but are limited to a larger car/truck market segment.

My girlfriend and I were just shopping for a small car about a month ago. We looked at the Smart 4two, Versa, Yaris, Fit, Golf/Jetta and Mini Clubman. GM did not even have something that we could look at the wouldn't just be a waste of time. The Aveo is horrible compared to these other cars. We did have a quick look at the Saturn Astra but it came up short in the interior feel so it didn't even get a test drive. The decision ended with a Golf in the driveway.
 
#116 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

My girlfriend and I were just shopping for a small car about a month ago. We looked at the Smart 4two, Versa, Yaris, Fit, Golf/Jetta and Mini Clubman. GM did not even have something that we could look at the wouldn't just be a waste of time. The Aveo is horrible compared to these other cars. We did have a quick look at the Saturn Astra but it came up short in the interior feel so it didn't even get a test drive. The decision ended with a Golf in the driveway.
Really? You chose the golf over the MINI? I'll admit, I didn't like the Clubman either (mostly due to the stupid looking 3rd door and the barn doors on the back), but the new MINI Cooper S is about the same size as the Golf and an absolute blast to drive. I'm assuming that the Golf came out cheaper since you cannot negotiate on the price of a MINI.....
 
#206 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

Some bad news in there. One can only hope this is just 'misinformation' for the competitors.[/


is it april or something----i just bought a cpo 08 taurus x limited (7passenger)since my old gm was 11yrs. old and again tried to buy a gm.(bought an 07-odessy last aug. gm/ford did have anything--8pas.). could not come up with enough excusess to live with anything gm had. wanted efficiency/room/price/looks/options.

gm will downsize to smaller than honda---by their own doing. dont blame the cust gm. u know what we want but your stuck on pushing what u want me to buy---sorry my 32grand--to japan (honda) and now ford 28grand.
 
#11 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

This is insanity. Opel is taking all this time and effort to engineer what will likely be a world class family sedan, and yet, Saturn and Pontiac will enjoy none of the benefits.

The Cruze is another insane decision. Bring it here, rename it the Cobalt.
 
#12 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

Wow, GM sucks.

Cobalt's life cycle is already over... he wants to milk what, another three years out of it? Focus is outselling the Cobalt because it's a redo, not because it's 'coming into it's own'. The Cruze should be their number one priority for the US right now... instead it's going to be the last world market to get it. How much is it going to burn that it will be built but not sold in the US?

As FoMoCo fan said, the Beat should have been intended for the US from the get-go. I wonder who will get to market first with this sort of vehicle? Toyota? Honda? Hyundai? I'll be home in a few years and I'll buy the smallest, most fuel efficient new car I can buy (Smart doesn't count). Looks like it won't be a GM.

GM has spent a fortune revamping Saturn and starving Pontiac... and now they're thinking of bolstering Pontiac? Sheesh! These guys can't look more than 1 month ahead.
 
#41 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

As FoMoCo fan said, the Beat should have been intended for the US from the get-go. I wonder who will get to market first with this sort of vehicle? Toyota? Honda? Hyundai? I'll be home in a few years and I'll buy the smallest, most fuel efficient new car I can buy (Smart doesn't count). Looks like it won't be a GM.
It was never intended for North America, it was always intended for Asia and maybe Europe. The Beat was never announced to come to North America either, all of it started from speculation. The Beat will take an additional 2 years to engineer to make it legal for North American roads.
 
#13 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

When the 2008/2009 show season ramps up, expect GM to debut several new compact crossovers that are significantly smaller than the Lambda CUVs currently on sale. Lutz wouldn't elaborate on what brands would be getting these new cute 'utes, but expect them to span GM's brands.
So no Beat or Cruze for the NA Market anytime soon, but several new crossovers !! Well why would they sell the beat and cruze here , when half-assed attempts like the cobalt and Aveo are selling in fairly good numbers. The entire objective is to make small cars as crappy as possible to divert buyers attention to trucks and crossovers.

Old habits die hard.
 
#124 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

So no Beat or Cruze for the NA Market anytime soon, but several new crossovers !! Well why would they sell the beat and cruze here , when half-assed attempts like the cobalt and Aveo are selling in fairly good numbers. The entire objective is to make small cars as crappy as possible to divert buyers attention to trucks and crossovers.

Old habits die hard.
Helped along by the fact that it's entrenched in our culture that anyone who drives a small, fuel-efficient car = LOSER.
 
#14 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

Nobody in the US is buying SUVs, trucks or crossovers anymore. That market completely evaporated overnight with fuel prices.

So what is GM's grand product plan in response to this?

Offer MORE new crossovers rebadged across their brands! Delay new cars! Keep new compact cars in foreign countries only!

The hits just keep coming!
 
#15 · (Edited)
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

"When the Cruze does debut, expect an interior that's a cross between the Cobalt and the Malibu, and powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-pot that will get 40+ mpg."

Why the hell would anybody want to cross the Cobalt interior with anything ???

GM's number one priority needs to be to get the Cruze out to the North American market ASAP, and the Volt immediately there after. Everything else is just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

The leadership just doesn't get it...
 
#16 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

"When the Cruze does debut, expect an interior that's a cross between the Cobalt and the Malibu, and powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-pot that will get 40+ mpg."

Why the hell would anybody want to cross the Cobalt interior with anything ???
Don't worry, we've already seen the interior, it looks awesome. :yup:
 
#17 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

Complete Lunacy!! I give up! Clearly, there is nobody that can forsee past their noses at GM's highest levels that actually approves future vehicles. It's definately a sad day.

What happened the the sub-compact that was rumored to be out in a year with 40+ mpg?
 
#18 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

Not exactly a happy day.

No Beat, No Cruze...my guess is we're looking at Cobalts with decontented interiors instead.

Here we go again...Happy days are around the corner. Just you wait and see....

I've been to this movie before...
 
#21 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

Not exactly a happy day.

No Beat, No Cruze...my guess is we're looking at Cobalts with decontented interiors instead.

Here we go again...Happy days are around the corner. Just you wait and see....

I've been to this movie before...
Haven't we all? If they don't have the Cruze here for the MY2010, I will personally fly to Detroit and join you all with the pitchforks to demand Bob Lutz's and Rick Wagoner's head. There is absolutely no excuse for that car not to be sold here in the US market, when it's built on a global platform that will be assembled in the US and Mexico (so no weakening dollar excuses) and will yield US variants. It's complete crap.
 
#19 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

Here's my $.02:

No Beat for US: OK move. Yes, the concept DID debut in ths US and arguably the best-looking minicar ever. However, I would rather have a solid car designed for the US than a car designed for Europe brought to US standards.

Small CUVs: Good move. An Equinox replacement can't get here any sooner.

No Cruze for US: Bad move. GM needs a great small car like the Cruze in the US.

Insignia Halted: OK move. The current AURA is not a bad car at all - it's a solid car that's quiet inside and has creature comforts. However, the Insignia is better - I'd like to see it as a 2010.
 
#60 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

Here's my $.02:

No Beat for US: OK move. Yes, the concept DID debut in ths US and arguably the best-looking minicar ever. However, I would rather have a solid car designed for the US than a car designed for Europe brought to US standards.

Small CUVs: Good move. An Equinox replacement can't get here any sooner.

No Cruze for US: Bad move. GM needs a great small car like the Cruze in the US.

Insignia Halted: OK move. The current AURA is not a bad car at all - it's a solid car that's quiet inside and has creature comforts. However, the Insignia is better - I'd like to see it as a 2010.
the beat was designed for the US, they had the competition of what america likes best from the 3 subcompacts they made at the auto show a few years back. the beat should be hitting streets now, not when the cobalt is coming to its own. only where the cobalt is going is the grave, as that car cannot compete with anything. mechanicals of the ss are fine but the interior and styling is just sooo far behind.

GM is blind, just shows how ignorant they are of themselves.
 
#20 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

Want to know what Lutz/GM think.

1. Small car buyers are imbeciles. They don't deserve to be driving at all. (if you cant buy a Tahoe, you shouldn't be driving at all)

2. America does not want small cars (because we are incapable of turning a profit on them, even though honda/hyundai have figured a way of doing just that)

3. America does not want small cars (Aveo sold more than the entire hummer brand for a few months in 2008)

Message to lutz : Not everyone makes as much money as you do. Not everyone can buy only those cars that turn GM a profit. Just because GM does not make quality small cars doesn't mean buyers will switch to Lambda's. When you dont give a sh** about small car buyers, why would they give a Sh** about GM.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

About the Cruze/ Cobalt thing:

He's right that the Cobalt is relatively new (Here's hoping for a facelift and interior enhancement soon). And it certainly wouldn't make any sense to cancel it for the Cruze. Not before the development costs are at least recouped. And it makes even less sense to sell them both in the US side by side.

Is it at all possible that the Cobalt might get the turbo-4 powerplant and a 6 speed transmission?

Someone clarify this for me. The Cruze is to be built in Lordstown, but exported, right?

Isn't Cobalt built at the same plant?


Could the Insignia thing be a Euro/Dollar issue? Or do I remember reading that production was planned in the US? Which begs a bigger question: Are both versions of the Epsilon platform (I and II) capable of being built in the same plant?
 
#39 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

About the Cruze/ Cobalt thing:

He's right that the Cobalt is relatively new (Here's hoping for a facelift and interior enhancement soon). And it certainly wouldn't make any sense to cancel it for the Cruze. Not before the development costs are at least recouped. And it makes even less sense to sell them both in the US side by side.

Is it at all possible that the Cobalt might get the turbo-4 powerplant and a 6 speed transmission?

Someone clarify this for me. The Cruze is to be built in Lordstown, but exported, right?

Isn't Cobalt built at the same plant?
I'd like to mention that if GM wants to keep the Cobalt in the US to try and recoup development cost or because they have an inventory of current production pieces than they can keep selling the current model/generation along side a new one.

A great example of this is what VW is doing. VW has recently redesigned and reintroduced the Rabbit as their small car. In the US the Rabbit replaces the Golf but in Canada the Rabbit sells along side the previous generation Golf. The Golf has been carried forward because it is still being built and sold in Brazil. The Golf for 2008 has been slightly redesigned. In Canada the Golf sells as the "City Golf" and sells at a considerable discount as compared to the new Rabbit. The City Golf sells remarkable well and is a great design with a nice, small fuel efficient engine. For 2008 it has a new front and rear end and has a new 6 speed auto.

GM could run a similar program in NA. Keep the current Cobalt and refresh it a bit every year but knock the price down to make it very affordable. Bring in the newly designed and upgraded version, Cruze, and sell it at a "regular" price. This sort of plan would likely bring in customers who want the enhanced new model but could also bring in customers who want something efficient and inexpensive.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

Unbelievable. Hasn't the Cobalt already been around for, what, four or five model years or so already? I know the Cavalier lasted a long time, but I am not so sure about using that as a measuring stick for what to shoot for...
 
#27 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

Its official: GM is run by a bunch of idiots. SUV sales are dropping, yet he wants to continue selling similar vehicles? High fuel efficiency vehicles are in demand here, yet the Cruze and Beat aren't coming stateside?

Honestly I'm amazed at the amount of stupidity that came out of Lutz's announcement. Does GM want to fail?
 
#29 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

have people already forgotten that GM has already announced that a next gen small car will be built in Lordstown in 2010? What Lutz is saying is that the Cobalt has two more years to go and we will no be getting the Cruze in spring 2009 like other markets. Please consider ALL the information. GM JUST announced the next gen small car and new Aveo by 2010. come on folks.

As for small crossovers, they need them because there are tons of import models in that segment. The Equinox is old. Also, he is confirming that Pontiac will get new products like the G8 GXP, Solstice hardtop and an updated G6 which is sorely needed.
 
#37 ·
Re: Lutz: No Beat for US, small CUVs on the way, Insignia halted

have people already forgotten that GM has already announced that a next gen small car will be built in Lordstown in 2010? What Lutz is saying is that the Cobalt has two more years to go and we will no be getting the Cruze in spring 2009 like other markets. Please consider ALL the information. GM JUST announced the next gen small car and new Aveo by 2010. come on folks.

As for small crossovers, they need them because there are tons of import models in that segment. The Equinox is old. Also, he is confirming that Pontiac will get new products like the G8 GXP, Solstice hardtop and an updated G6 which is sorely needed.
That next gen small car would be the Cruze. And the Cobalt has been around since MY 2005, or 2004. At this point I honestly thing GM should focus on getting the Volt and other high MPG cars out ASAP, instead of sprinkling us with CUVs.
 
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