what you YOU propose for the 'new' GM?

[mpvue]

this gets mentioned from time to time, but what lineup do you think the General should have to survive? I'll kick it off w/ my idea:
CHEVROLET: Camaro, Cobalt (or the new Cruze), Malibu, Impala, Corvette. Just like 1970, but less. I would rename the Cruze 'Nova'. No trucks or suburbans.
GMC: work trucks/utility only. no luxury Denali Escalade wannabes.
SATURN: Opel outlet, or just forget saturn and call it Opel. 3 models, Sky, Astra, Vue.
CADILLAC: doing what it should be doing, luxury high end vehicles, targeting BMW/Lexus. MAYBE Escalade, just because of the popularity.

No buick or pontiac. Cadillac can be expanded to get Buick customers.

 

[rg200amp]

Side note- I REALLY cant belive GM has been DRAGGING the Buick name this long as it is.

I would drop Saturn to.

Perhaps Do it like Ford.

Have low, mid, and high price range.

Ford, Merc, Lincoln

Chev, GMC, Cadillac (something like that)

 

[addyguy]

I agree with ditching Buick, and 'stretching' Cadillac to accomodate these buyers with 'cheaper' Caddy models.

I think Pontiac should stay. I think they have done a good enough job setting themself up as the 'sporty' division of GM - let Chev have the Corvette, and give the new Camaro to Pontiac, to re-badge and sell as the Firebird. I like the idea of having Opel and Holden models re-branded as Pontiacs.

I think Saturn should go back to making really, really cheap, home designed and built econo cars. The original 'SL's were a great idea. At worst, maybe they could sell re-badge Korean econo cars - bring back that whole range of cars - the Aveo, the Optra, and the Epica....

 

[Cutehumor]

too much badge engineering and too many brands

Cadillac, Chevy, Buick, Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer, Saab

at least 3 brands have to go. I agree that Cadillac and Chevy will stay.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Keep Cadillac and Chevy and either Saturn or Pontiac.

Chevy would target the middle aged buyers, Cadillac stay what it is, and Saturn or Pontiac would target the younger customers.

Keep SUVs and trucks that are practical in Chevy but keep the numbers low. Mid-level priced cars such as the Malibu stay in Chevy. Compact and economy cars would be sold as Saturn or Pontiac.

 

[ViragoBry]

Chevrolet: Corvette, Camaro, Malibu, Impala, HHR (let's face it..the HHR is selling at the moment), Cruze, and a viable Aveo replacement (the current one doesn't deliver in the price or MPG departments).

Buick: Buh bye

Pontiac: Re-badge the G8 as a Chevrolet and call it "Impala". The rest of Pontiac: Buh bye

GMC: Range of midsize and full size RWD trucks and SUVs from strippo to high-end.

Saturn: Ditch the Aura..it already exists as a Chevy. Add an Astra 4-door sedan and offer the car with 3 body styles. Keep the Sky and Vue. Outlook goes to GMC as the Acadia. No-haggle pricing: Eliminated.

Cadillac: Keep going like they're going. Kill the CTS coupe. Develop 'budget' softly-sprung V6 Cadillacs to fill the void left by Buick's departure.

 

[d00df00d]

Domestically:

- Keep Chevrolet, Cadillac, Pontiac, and Buick.
- Sell Saab, their AWD, and their engines to someone who will take proper care of them, but keep a strong relationship for technology transfer.
- Engineer the small cars in Europe, for Europe, and then tweak them superficially (if at all) for sale here under Pontiac.
- Roll GMC's smaller trucks into Chevrolet.
- Bag the rest of the brands and most of the SUVs.


The next step is to build strong, distinct, sustainable branding:

- Chevrolet becomes the brand for mostly practical people who want useful, livable vehicles and a few perks. Light trucks, Suburban, Tahoe, a minivan, Malibu, Impala, and Cobalt, plus Corvette and Camaro for the halo factor.

- Cadillac becomes the upscale brand for cars that try to be bigger, faster, cheaper, and glizier (albeit less refined and sporty) than their foreign counterparts. Keep the Escalade and jack the price way up, bag the SRX, keep the STS and CTS, bring back the XLR, and make a smaller version.

- Pontiac essentially becomes Mazda with more brawn and less tact. G8, G6, Vibe, G5 or a new Sunfire, and Solstice, all heavily revised (except maybe the G8), plus a new Firebird/Trans Am for the halo factor.

- Buick drops the pretensions at appealing to "younger audiences" and continues to be octagenarian fodder. Most or all of their cars would be Cadillacs in different clothes with softer springs and maybe smaller engines. Slowly, the brand would leave the domestic market and move overseas.

- Hummer fills military contracts and sells a few H1s to crazy people, and that's it.

- GMC becomes a brand only for vehicles big enough not to be subject to fuel economy restrictions.

- Saturn gets a fond farewell.

 

[IndyIan]

No more Korean rebadge cars... bleh! Having cars like that which pretty much directly compete with your other cars and never encourage repeat buyers, is a good enough reason to fire the CEO.
Bring the real Suzuki Swift to N.A. and sell in the small car market segment even if Suzuki won't(suzuki sells the Aveo as the Swift here).
Somehow promote their engineering skills, cars like the Z06 and 09 Cobalt SS are good examples of them putting together cars that are cheaper than the competitors and out perform them.

Also, choose reliability over cutting costs in engineering decisions, Honda and Toyota did this for years and its paying off as people think they are built better even if they have some problems. Not a GM example but, the old Neon headgasket issues don't occur when you spec the right gasket, even if it costs more...
Ian

 

[Benzadmiral]

I can't imagine why so many people sneer at Buick -- and I'm not just saying this because I have one. I loved my Oldsmobiles, but I agree there were and are too many brands.

GMC for the trucks, and keep it as trucks -- at most one smallish SUV

Chevrolet for the entry level, and include a real station wagon; Corvette for sportiness; roll one Saturn model in that they don't already have

Buick for the midrange, and get a mid-sized convertible and a coupe in the lineup

Cadillac -- upscale. Maybe get a coupe in there, either the DeVille or the CTS, but not both

This way Chevy for the 'Vette, small cars and the wagon (families); Buick if you want a ragtop or a two-door, or a sedan and can't quite go to Cadillac. And that's where you go when you can afford a Cadillac and can go either sedan or sporty coupe.

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
I can't imagine why so many people sneer at Buick --


There is nothing wrong with the cars, the problem is that most of the people that buy them new already have one foot in the grave. Buick buyers are dying off faster than Buick is getting new customers.

You saw the value in them and bought a good used one,

but that doesn't help GM ju$tify keeping the brand alive.

 

[punisher]

Random thoughts:

Divide the GMC/Chevy truck brand as above. 1 ton and under=Chevy, >1ton/commercial chassis=GMC.

Customers will have to at least "perceive" a choice as to vehicle lines. You will need 3, low/mid/high grades, similar to the Ford/Merc/Lincoln line up. Just as an example: call your low end/econo class Saturn, Mid grade/sport Chevy, High end/luxury Caddy. There has to be more distinction between lines than a simple rebadge. No need for one car model to sport 3 different badges and trim levels.

I question how successful importing and rebadging mid range European models to our side of the pond actually is. I am having a problem recalling hugely successful examples of this.

There has to be a core philosophy change, not just at the big 3, but the corporate culture as well. US auto manufacturers put themselves in this position. No doubt about that. Long term stategic planning had given way to short term "take the money and run" thinking. Those happy long term stockholders reaping the benefits of massive SUV sales a few years ago are hating life about now.

UAW-die quickly.

Having a CEO that is also "Chief Bean Counter" doesn't work in this business long term. Someone with a passion for cars, who cares about what rolls off the line could make a change for the better. I agree there is a place for bean counters, but not sitting at the head of the table.

"Let the cream rise to the top." This should be a guiding factor as to who gets put in charge. These companies have some [censored] fine people working for them. I have dealt with them, albeit too infrequently. Sadly, some of the best and brightest have left to work for someone else/another industry, and left the "best of the rest" to deal with the corporate [censored] inherent with our automakers.

When you release a new model, actually test drive it/do reliability studies so it doesn't become a dealership queen with 5 pages of recalls every 6 months. Ford Contour/Mystique as example number one (also about how some European cars don't translate well). I never buy a new car if it is a new bodystyle or a new powertrain. Customers should not pay to be test drivers.

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: punisher
Random thoughts:

... You will need 3, low/mid/high grades, similar to the Ford/Merc/Lincoln line up.



Your suggestions for reducing car models in the lineups makes sense, except I can't for the life of me think of a reason to keep Mercury alive. Are there any Mercury models that aren't just tarted up Fords?

 

[OVERKILL]

"tarted up Fords" Oh my, that made me laugh!!!

They've still got the Grand Marquis, and since the Crown Vic is now relegated to fleet-only duty I guess that's the only one?

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
"tarted up Fords" Oh my, that made me laugh!!!

They've still got the Grand Marquis, and since the Crown Vic is now relegated to fleet-only duty I guess that's the only one?


Since the Marquis is a high end Crown Vic, if they dropped Mercury they could just bring back the civilian Crown Vic. Make the top of the line the Crown Vic de Sade as a tip of the hat to the Marquis brand.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: XS650
the Crown Vic de Sade

 

[kingrob]

What I'm still trying to figure out is why everyone wants Buick dropped?

Because old people buy them?

Because YOU wouldn't personally buy one?

I'm sorry, Buick still sells well. And it's a good car. You can't say the same for some of the other GM marques. Because someone is old doesn't make them less of a consumer than you. If that was the case then Cadillac should have been dropped years ago.

FWIW I've been driving Buicks since I was 16. Not because they were hand-me-downs, either. I had a choice of an Electra 225 with a 350 or some mid-sized V-6 nothing cars. I appreciated Buick's style and performance then and I still do.

 

[mstrjon32]

I'd much rather see them scrap Cadillac and make Buick into the luxury brand it should have always been. Given Buick a few high-end sporty models, most importantly with cutting edge design (not the bland design they have now), and I bet they'll sell well.

It's a sad world we live in where the Chinese buy (and love) Buicks and here in "America" we sneer at any car that don't have an ugly "T" or "H" on it.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Cadillac has been going in the right direction the last few years so why scrap it. Maybe it's because I live in retirement land but Buicks are for old people.

 

[mstrjon32]

Because Buicks sell well in Asia, and Cadillacs only sell decently in America. They could have a successful global brand, instead of two brands successful only nationally.

It's also all about perception. Take a trip to the UK and you'll find out that Toyotas and Hondas are only for old people. I think they're even less popular in mainland Europe, I can count the number of Toyotas I saw driving in western Germany during a week on one hand. I saw more Jeep Grand Cherokees than I did Toyota cars, which is saying a lot.

 

[punisher]

Originally Posted By: kingrob
What I'm still trying to figure out is why everyone wants Buick dropped?


Well, what if you took the same car and put a Chevy badge on it and called it the "Chevy Viejo?" Same car, different name.

Or, take the same Buick, put a Caddy badge on it and call it a "Cadillac Vieil."

The cars will still be there, but under a different alias.