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If Saturn offers vehicles that can compete with Honda and Toyota, but are sold through its "warm and fuzzy" dealer network, it has a real chance of making headway.
The new Aura looks very sharp. I have heard, however, that Mr. Lutz is touting it as a competitor to the Acura TL. I would hope not. Saturn doesn't have the reputation to play in that league. But something with that style, sold through Saturn dealers, and competitive in price with the Accord (four cylinder), would make waves in the market.
Bad/cheap interiors seems to be a North America problem. I've seen pics of Opel interiors, as well as other Holdens, and they are very nice. This is one of the reasons I'm sad the Zeta platform is dead for North America - we won't get the chance of getting some of the awesome cars GM builds elsewhere in the world. Saturn's going to get some Opels, but we'll see if GMNA can resist cheapening the interiors again...
Pieces falling off -- but of course "it's a sample of one." Would they have said that for a GM car where something's falling off or feels thin and cheap!!!! Nahhhhh.. :surprise:
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I will say that the interior door plastic on the car I saw at the auto show yesterday was very unimpressive.
But the bigger question is whether Bob Lutz has the time to continue improving things at GM. From my perspective, things are still moving too slowly. The competition - both foreign and domestic - isn't sitting still, waiting for GM to get its act together.
This afternoon I browsed at some local dealers. Two things struck me regarding GM. The first is the Impala. Looking at the current model, the one thing that jumps out at me is the dual round taillights. I'm not crazy about the execution, but it is a distinctive feature, and it recalls the Chevys of the 1960s.
I've seen the revamped 2006 model at the Philadelphia Auto Show. What is missing? The current Impala's most distinctive styling feature - the dual taillights. That's a shame, as the market is crowded with family sedans, and GM has just taken away the Impala's one styling trademark that made people notice it. Not a good move on GM's part. GM should have built upon that feature while improving the rest of the car.
The second is the Buick lineup. I noticed that there is a large amount of price overlap between the LaCrosse and the LeSabre.
Most of the LeSabres on the lot were priced between $29-33,000, with one or two at $27,000, and two at $35,000. Most of the LaCrosses were priced between $29-32,000, with one or two priced at $24,000.
Buick is down to two car lines, and they sell for roughly the same price, and have roughly the same configuration. Granted, the LeSabre still has an available bench seat. Buick loyalists who want a bench seat will still have to buy a LeSabre. But it seems as though GM has two cars that compete with EACH OTHER more than the vehicles from other manufacturers. Even worse, they are parked on the same lot! Customers only have to walk over to the next row of vehicles to do a quick comparison.
Century, Regal -> LaCrosse
LeSabre -> Lucerne
Park Avenue ->Zeta-based car (Invicta? Roadmaster?). Not sure what the plan is here - this might still happen, but it would be a next-gen Holden Statesman imported as a Buick, perhaps...
The Lucerne seems to replace both the LeSabre and the Park Ave, IMO ... the V8 Lucerne is nicer and pricier than the Park Ave...
Also, as always, a really 'loaded" LaCrosse is probably similar or maybe even more expensive than a "base" Lucerne.
The RWD 'flagship' was planned for 2007 MY but with the delay/cancellation of the Zeta platform, who knows?
One reason that there might be some confusion over the LaCrosse's place in the market is the LaCrosse concept car. It was a big 4-door hardtop that even had little quarter windows in the C-pillars that retracted. It also had kind of a clamshell rear, where the rear window could retract into the ceiling and the trunk retracted down into the floor, kind of like those old '71-76 GM full-sized wagons. If it had gone into production, even without the hardtop styling and the clamshell rear-end, it would have easily been a replacement for the Park Ave, instead of the Century/Regal as it turned out.
Also, like Oldsmobile, I wonder if Buick isn't risking losing alot of their "traditional" buyers by dropping the old nameplates like Regal, LeSabre, Park Avenue
There's also something about names like "LaCrosse", "Lucerne", "Rendezvous", etc that just sound kinda effeminate, or wussy. Even though "LeSabre" had the Frenchy "Le" in it, it just had a more substantial ring to it. So did Regal, and Century. I always thought names like "Park Avenue" (and 5th Avenue, as well) were a bit pretentious, but "Electra" was a nice one, too.
LaCrosse CX = Special
LaCrosse CXL/CXS = Century
LeSabre/Lucerne = Super
Unknown Zeta Car = Roadmaster
Deluxe Zeta Car = Limited
They're sort of in a tough spot - they want to attract younger buyers but at the same time retain their 'traditional' buyers....it's a gamble, though because they could end up like Oldsmobile if they turn off their 'base' without attracting new buyers...
Sort of off topic but....as far as nameplates go, it's a little sad how the domestics will take a perfectly good model name and just ruin it to the point that it can't be used anymore....Citation, Celebrity, Corsica, Century, Cutlass, Taurus....you can bet that 20 years from now, Toyota will still be selling Camrys and Corollas, they won't need to rename the car to try to get a 'fresh start'.
They need to compete pricewise with the Chrysler 300. This may have been the big problem with the zeta platform.
Bob
Well, if so, as was already mentioned in this thread, I think he gave his best shot, but he didn't have unlimited time and resources...the Titanic doesn't turn on a dime.
Bob
Bob
Somehow I get the feeling that he was being called on the carpet for early returns on his work, got seriously fed up and decided to paint the real picture for the press last week, and is now headed for "special projects", which in corporate-speak means "might as well pack dude".
Unfortunate. Meanwhile, the tail-spin continues, and with SUV sales beginning to soften like ice cream in Bermuda, GMAC better be making some hefty profit...
My guess is, he got tired of trying to turn the Titanic around...It's a bad sign for GM if they are kicking the "car guy" upstairs so the "bean counter" can have more day-to-day control...
Dave: Absotively! I had to put in that little disclaimer. No choice!
believer
I really think that's how dire the situation is. Unfortunately, Wagoner, Lutz and Co don't seem to be doing much about developing best in class vehicles.
As far as rolling out mediocre vehicles goes, I would say they've definitely been improving, but the cost is huge. Logic will correct me if I'm wrong, but the Cadillac rebuild is still incomplete and has cost many, many millions to date (started in the 90's after all), yet that is precisely the kind of deferred maintenance cost that's keeping the other lines mired in mediocrity. They fundamentally owe billions for the reinvestment they never made in other lines. To get them all ship shape and truly competitive would require a Cadillac effort and cost for each marque. Won't happen soon.
That's not Bob's fault IMO.
He'll go back to the Cunningham project in about 18 months I think...
From Chrysler - not GM.
You sponge!
Actually, after paying for two colleges (in a few years), I'll need some supplemental to draw on too!
Believer
GM is in trouble, but bankruptcy isn't inevitable. If things get even worse, GM management can hold a gun to the heads of dealers and the UAW and demand more cuts (factory closures, reductions in spending for health care, the elimination of a division or two).
At that point, GM management will be holding the cards, because both the UAW and the dealers have much to lose if GM declares bankruptcy.
It came out at the 2002 Detroit auto show as this...
Pontiac Solstice Roadster Concept
and was shown in production form last year at the Detroit auto show
2006 Pontiac Solstice
Pontiac.com
It will weigh around 390 pounds more than the new 2006 Mazda MX-5, but it will cost around $2,000-$3,000 less than the MX-5. It will weigh and cost less than the Audi TT or BMW Z4.
M