GM News, New Models and Market Share

ateixeira

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/13/gm-builds-prototype-handcycles-for-wounded-ve- ts-w-video/

circlew

Forgot this one:

CARS Sold YTD Nov2012

D3 = 1,472,508

ToyHonNisHyunKia =3,344,554

Regards,
OW

andre1969

If I were buying a truck soon, I think I'd just as soon save the $$ and buy a '12.

I dunno, in this case it looks like the engine upgrades alone might be worth getting into the 2014 model. But, if they come out with some too good to be true rebates on the older model, it could still be a good value. And, if you don't do a lot of driving, the improved fuel economy isn't going to help you all that much.

Sometimes I wonder if I should have waited until the 2013 Ram came out, and got the model with the 3.6 V-6/8-speed. I really like that 18/25 EPA rating. My 2012 is rated 14/20. But, I estimate that the thing is only going to get driven about 6,000 miles per year at best. And I seriously doubt I'd be able to find one of those V-6/8-speeds for nearly as cheap as I got my 2012, so the fuel savings would probably never offset the higher price of the V-6.

dieselone

Sometimes I wonder if I should have waited until the 2013 Ram came out, and got the model with the 3.6 V-6/8-speed. I really like that 18/25 EPA rating. My 2012 is rated 14/20. But, I estimate that the thing is only going to get driven about 6,000 miles per year at best. And I seriously doubt I'd be able to find one of those V-6/8-speeds for nearly as cheap as I got my 2012, so the fuel savings would probably never offset the higher price of the V-6.

I think you did the right thing. You don't drive enough for the FE to really matter and plus the v8 sound track is worth paying for;)

uplanderguy

For the first time in probably a decade (guessing) this a.m., I parked next to an early Hyundai Elantra that didn't look that bad. I had forgotten how that was an almost 100% design ripoff of a mid-and-late '90s Cavalier sedan. I can point out several design features that are nearly an exact copy, without even trying. Even the seat design was nearly identical.

It had that funky "Elantra" script on the trunklid.

Amazing it's held up. Conversely, I still see a lot of '90's and early '00 Cavaliers on the streets around here, even though this is a salt-laden area in the wintertime. They were built just 40 miles down the road which probably helps.

dieselone

I can point out several design features that are nearly an exact copy, without even trying. Even the seat design was nearly identical.

Well that would partially explain why I wouldn't own that gen Elantra.

I've been casually looking at used compacts. I've looked at Cobalts I'm sure they're not bad cars, but my God, I can't get past how cheap and homely they look.

I am looking forward to the diesel Cruze. That has the potential to be very interesting. Good lucks, nice interior, roomy enough, and a strong diesel option sounds like something I might like.

uplanderguy

I think the Cobalt coupe is handsome. I have a sedan, and I never liked the cut of the rear doors. That said, I am constantly nearly-amazed at how smooth and silent that engine is. You literally cannot tell it is running at idle. Original plugs and wires and fuel filter at 62K miles.

To me, the worst-looking--no, not really, but plainest--car in its class was the Corolla. A guy I used to work with had one and the instrument pods reminded me of a '66 full-size Dodge...looked like two big bra cups. Ick.

uplanderguy

Elantra:

http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/1999-Hyundai-Elantra-Overview-c2204

Cavalier:

http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/2364/4841/5909920005_large.jpg

I can't think of two cars that look more alike--other than maybe a '55 Packard and a Russian ZIL .

I owned two new Cavaliers, and put 242K trouble-free miles on them combined. Never had the head gasket issue so often discussed, on either of them. My first was a sedan, and it looked like an egg but was practical. The second was a coupe, in the new dark green metallic for '02 (deeper than previous dark greens). It had the lowest-level aluminum wheels I could buy, 15", on bigger tires, the very subtle spoiler, and black interior. Like our Malibu, I had pride of ownership in its appearance and with the teardrop rear quarter windows among other cues, think it looked waaaayyyyy better than other coupes in its price class.

circlew

As discussed regarding the 2014 PU Trucks GM will launch, no real breakthroughs from the Government-owned truck company. Will this launch fail regarding sales expectations like the 2013 Malibu did?

Combined market share for the Silverado and Sierra 1500 was an impressive 31% in 2008, according to IHS Automotive. By 2012, that combined market share slipped to 23.9%. Ford’s market share rose from 19.2 to 24.1% in the same period. Ram’s market share stood at 14.6% in 2008 and plummeted to 10.2% in 2010, but has been steadily climbing since and currently sits at 12.2% as the revised 2013 models arrive at dealerships. These pickups are the center of profit for each of the Detroit automakers and function as a barometer of each company’s respective financial strength. How can GM expect to gain any significant market share with these new trucks?

When I look at the 2014 Silverado and Sierra, I see a couple of nice trucks. What I don’t see is a breakthrough feature or risk being taken. Ford and Ram both gambled with the changes they brought to the half-ton truck game. Ram made the bigger gamble because it had the potential to gain a lot of market share. Ford, the perennial top truck seller, had to be more conservative because its formula had already proven to be a winner. GM has had years to react to both strategies and decided to stick with tradition instead of innovation. There’s nothing surprising about the 2014 GM trucks unless they turn out to be huge sales successes. I wouldn’t bet on that.

Ditto. Ford will rule.

Regards,
OW

circlew

My BIL has 228K on his 2004 Corolla. He is leaning to replace it next year. No issues whatsoever outside of routine maintenance.

He's leaning toward a 2013 Malibu!!!! :sick:

Regards,
OW

circlew

Take note that for accounting purposes, GM, like other car companies, books a sale the minute a vehicle leaves the factory. So GM’s results are at risk of being skewed by excessive production of its usually very profitable full-size pickups. The point here is that GM must be more disciplined about controlling production – about aligning production with real demand. If not, bloated inventories necessitate profit-siphoning incentives.

What a mess. In releasing its most recent quarterly results, GM said it lost nearly half a billion dollars in Europe for the third quarter and expects to lose $1.5 to $1.8 billion for the full year, before interest and taxes (all figures in U.S. dollars).

Yes, GM earned $1.5 billion or 89 cents a share in the third quarter and as The Detroit News reports, the company did beat Wall Street expectations by 60 cents a share for the quarter. But the fact is, GM’s European business has been a financial drag on the company for decades. Here is the single most important question facing GM today: when will the company fix its European mess?

Three years after emerging from bankruptcy, GM remains far less profitable than archrival Ford Motor Co. in the bread-and-butter North American market, points out Automotive News. In its third-quarter earnings conference call, GM’s finance chief for North America, Chuck Stevens, offered up a list of reasons why the company’s pretax profit margin of 7.8 per cent in North America lagged Ford's 11.9 per cent., notes the industry publication.

The highly influential publication Consumer Reports rates the 2013 Malibu Eco 21st of 28 sedans. This is the restyled and re-engineered Malibu, not the old 2012. The Eco version has a mild hybrid power train and while launched in the U.S in the spring, the new Malibu was only recently introduced to Canada. CR, notes Automotive News, plans to evaluate the 2013 Malibu with the 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine in its February issue.

But even before that review appears, GM will be fully involved in “hurrying to complete a mid-cycle refresh of the midsize sedan, 18 months after the Malibu launch, CEO Dan Akerson told Automotive News. Why? Soft sales and unflattering reviews. This sort of product misstep is worrisome and should not happen at the “new” GM.

Earlier this year, GM paid $400 million for a 7.0 per cent stake in PSA Peugeot Citroen, the struggling French auto maker. Plans for a deeper tie-up have been halted, notes www.just-auto.com, citing the troubles at PSA. GM’s history with alliances is not a good one, so this is reason for GM stakeholders to rejoice.

A little history: GM’s 20-year attempt to fix Saab ended in bankruptcy in 2010. GM spent $4.4 billion getting into and out of a five-year partnership with Fiat. GM has had tie-ups with Subaru and Suzuki and Isuzu and each one ended rather badly, too. GM should vow to go it alone for now and evermore. Leave the alliances to companies that are good at them.

Regards,
OW

circlew

Facts show that even in the biggest portion of it's market, GM does not lead.



At the end of November, GM was sitting on 139 days supply of pickups. That is nearly double the preferred, normal supply of any vehicle. As a result, GM has been forced to add another $2,000 in incentives to help clear out the backlog.

For a company that has been showing uncharacteristic discipline when it comes to avoiding higher incentives, the move to goose sales is a reminder of the old GM. Before it went through bankruptcy, GM was putting so much money on the hood of its vehicles it cut into profits. Reuss explained how this new round of incentives is different and more a case of keeping up with the competition. "We missed November and calling the incentive load that we had, we have corrected that."

Regards,
OW

busiris

To me, the worst-looking--no, not really, but plainest--car in its class was the Corolla.

I don't think very many Corolla buyers select the Corolla based upon its outstanding looks and physical design. By far, it's durable, reliable, and inexpensive (relatively speaking) transportation.

The current model still sells well, but technologically speaking, it's fairly old in its design. Yet, for basic transportation, evidently it's a good value.

andre1969

Not trying to be a Toyota fanboy, but I do find the 2008 re-do of the Corolla to be attractive. I hate the style of the '03-07...IMO it takes that egg-shaped look to the extreme. IMO though, Toyota did mess up the 2008 design a bit when they gave it a trim re-jiggle for 2011 or so.

I agree, the tech is getting old. It still uses a 1.8/4-speed automatic which, I believe, is the same unit that my uncle's '03 has. Back then it was rated 30/38, but when they started revising the numbers in 2007, it dropped to 26/34 and I think that's where it still is.

uplanderguy

My coworker's Corolla was an '08. His was white. He was impressed that my Cobalt had built-in satellite radio as standard (well, the service was standard for awhile). He had an under-dash radio, aftermarket, installed for satellite radio. Maybe because his car was white and a low-line model (like my car is), but another coworker and I used to joke among ourselves that if there was ever a car that could be called 'generic', his was it. We said it could have 'Car' written on the trunk instead of 'Toyota' or 'Corolla'. That, and the 40DD instrument cluster, turned me off, although I rode in it and can't say anything negative about it, nor did he.

rayainsw

'Take note that for accounting purposes, GM, like other car companies, books a sale the minute a vehicle leaves the factory..... '
Source for this quote?

tlong

My coworker's Corolla was an '08. His was white. He was impressed that my Cobalt had built-in satellite radio as standard (well, the service was standard for awhile). He had an under-dash radio, aftermarket, installed for satellite radio. Maybe because his car was white and a low-line model (like my car is), but another coworker and I used to joke among ourselves that if there was ever a car that could be called 'generic', his was it. We said it could have 'Car' written on the trunk instead of 'Toyota' or 'Corolla'. That, and the 40DD instrument cluster, turned me off, although I rode in it and can't say anything negative about it, nor did he.

About 7 or 8 years ago my wife and I rented a Corolla while on vacation. I was surprised at how drab the grey interior was, and how raspy the engine was as well. I'm sure your Cobalt is better. I guess the advantage of the Corolla is that it holds together forever. But I sure would not want one, I think they're generic to the point of almost ugly, too.

circlew

It was an article from CTV News editor Jeremy Cato. For more on GM statements regarding when sales are booked, take a look at page 13/#72 of a lawsuit to GM regarding channel stuffing claims.

All manufacturers book sales when the vehicles leave the plant.

Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against GM For Channel Stuffing

Regards,
OW

michaellno

Uplander I've got an '06 ION and I couldn't agree more. Mine has almost 82k and it too has the original plugs wires and fuel filter.

It still has the original brake pads as well.

andre1969

It still has the original brake pads as well.

Considering you do pizza delivery in it, that's *VERY* impressive!

berri

Yeah, but maybe he doesn't drive like that pizza delivery kid in Home Alone!

michaellno

The ION has led two very different lives in the 6.5 years we've had it. For the first four years my daughter drove it back and forth to college. 34k and almost all of it highway. Last 2.5 years I've put 48k on it doing pizza delivery, virtually all city.

The guys at the shop where I get it serviced are amazed as well. I'm sure it will need pads (and a fuel filter) soon.

ateixeira

You're using the wrong metric, Circle Dub.

As of end November, 9.7 million vehicles were built in the USA in 2012 and that's up an impressive 21% from 2011.

Add Canada and Mexico and it's about 14.8 million, up 19%.

USA is doing very well. Europe is the one suffering.

ateixeira

no real breakthroughs

DI in *all* engines is a break through.

ateixeira

If anyone's too busy to take theirs in, I'll volunteer to take it in for ya!

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/14/lamborghini-recalls-aventador-over-headlamp-p- roblem/

ateixeira

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aR5a_N0LQu0

obyone

Did you read the comments that go along with that video?

busiris

I don't get the idea that many viewers were all that impressed...

circlew

As of end November, 9.7 million vehicles were built in the USA in 2012 and that's up an impressive 21% from 2011.

Not by the D3!! Particularly not CARS!!!!

Regards,
OW

uplanderguy

My coworker's Corolla that I talked about earlier, must have been a 2009. Here's the instrument panel I was complaining about:

http://izmostock.photoshelter.com/image/I00007BRb1J4LVzU

ateixeira

Who cares so long as a lot of jobs are needed to build those 10 million cars?

ateixeira

Looks like a brazier.

ateixeira

Love this low cost tech interface.

This is how it should be done. Navi from your smart phone, and dirt cheap! Screen is standard on 1LT and 2LT models, so an econobox price ($13 something list) with modern tech!

http://cnettv.cnet.com/2013-chevy-spark/9742-1_53-50136834.html

You used to have to spend $20k plus to get Navi on a nice screen like that.

Kudos.

plekto

Well, I think the Earth just started to rotate backwards. Because my dad, who is old, and has bought GM cars his entire life (GM credit card and so on as well - so hard-core he might as well be a GM executive) finally started looking at other brands after yesterday.

So we were at the GM dealership waiting for his 2nd, older car to get some work done on it (it's 13 years old and he's hoping to get it to last until next fall). We decided to look at the Buicks there, since there was really nothing else to do. We ended up looking at several but the one that finally broke him was the Buick Verano.

$30K for the model he was looking at. It had interior trim pieces that were damaged and not put together correctly, gaps in the bumpers and panels that were uneven (touching in some places), loose door handles, and most of all, the paint on the bumpers was a completely different color than the body. It weighed as much as his LeSabre yet had 20 less HP, plus a huge amount less torque. Dog slow, full of creaks and rattles, floppy trim pieces, and all of that. Brand spanking new.

Simply put, it looked like something from the 80s the way quality control was not being done. I think it would have gotten a pass by him if it wasn't for the price of $30K. And the fact that a Honda Fit (as an example) suffers zero defects like this. Even the salesperson was at a loss to explain how the bumpers on all of the cars with pearlcoat/tricoat on the lot were different colors than the body panels. It obviously was due to some error at the factory or miscalculation of the plastics involved. Stuff that they have had sorted in Japan and Europe for a decade now. His two year old CTS has the same pearl white color and has no such issues anywhere.

Then we looked at the other cars, plus the GMC SUVs there and they all were similarly put together and overpriced. Fit and finish quality is simply crap for GM now, and he finally asked me if there were other makers who made better cars. (The clouds part moment and a ray shines down on him as he gains three levels of enlightenment). I don't know what happened in the last two years, but quality has dropped like a rock in terms of their fit and finish. I'm sure their engines are good, but who really wants to buy a new car that already looks tired and has issues from day one?

It looks as if GM is back to their old 90s idiocy of rental cars and fleet sales with some private sales of Cadillacs on top.

fho2008

And why did they go bankrupt?

plekto

The thing is, they were building great cars right before the bankruptcy. But something has actually gotten worse since then. Not in terms of politics or their leadership. Or their engines and reliability.

It's that the car looks like it was put together in South America. Something's gone horribly wrong with the production lines themselves if they can't get paint right and miss obvious quality issues. The bumper honestly looked like it had been replaced with an aftermarket pattern part and improperly fit. There was a 1/4 inch hole in the A pillar covering (right at eye-level) that simply was "overlooked".

The list went on and on and the car felt like a 1 year old rental. And every one had similar minor issues throughout. It felt like they were aware of quality issues but rather than fixing them/sending the cars back/etc, they simply kicked it out the door anyways.

He even commented on the ATS, saying that it felt like "a cheap CTS". I can't fault him on the analysis, either. Everything just felt cheaper due to obvious cost-cutting in all the wrong places and lack of quality control. It was a lot like the Honda Insight vs the Civic - it looked the same as the CTS until you actually started touching and using things.

busiris

He even commented on the ATS, saying that it felt like "a cheap CTS".

I was at a GM dealer last week and took a quick look at the ATS models there.

While I didn't take the time to study them in detail, from a quick look I didn't get anywhere near that impression. The body panels and trim pieces were all aligned and I noticed no paint blemishes or issues.

But, like I said, I didn't spend a lot of time examining the cars.

ateixeira

Jim Coleman Cadillac has an ATS in Montgomery Mall right now, cherry red metallic, and it's got some pretty bad orange peel texture on the paint.

Not that I care about such things, but luxury buyers probably do.

Other than that it looked great. Better in person than in photos.

ateixeira

Toyota Motor Corp. has been ordered to pay a record fine of $17.35 million for failing to report a safety defect to the U.S. government in a timely manner

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20121218/OEM11/121219885#ixzz2FQa9OZ4R

I'm curious to see if they do the same to Ford once that investigation wraps up. Edmunds looks and said Ford's complaint rate was double that of Toyota's before Nov 2009, when Officer Saylor crashed.

jae5

to me seem as though they need to go back in the pot and cook more. Though the engines are new, all-aluminum construction, I feel the body design / style leaves something to be desired. I am hoping the new 4.3 is not simply a bored and/or stroked 3.6. The 6-speed is a welcome addition across the board and hopefully will maintain it's demeanor, especially with the smaller engine. Also hoping each is rated for regular unleaded.

Overall it looks really derivative, as someone stated earlier, it's as if they used the new Ford front-end on a GMT platform. The squared will arches look better on the old Kodiak / Topkick series of trucks.

Hopefully will get to take a closer look soon.

ateixeira

It's a real risk to redesign these. Go too far and you alienate the core buyer. Not far enough and it doesn't seem new enough.

I like the GMC a bit better than the Chevy, while in the past it's usually been the other way around.

dieselone

to me seem as though they need to go back in the pot and cook more. Though the engines are new, all-aluminum construction, I feel the body design / style leaves something to be desired. I am hoping the new 4.3 is not simply a bored and/or stroked 3.6. The 6-speed is a welcome addition across the board and hopefully will maintain it's demeanor, especially with the smaller engine. Also hoping each is rated for regular unleaded.

From what I've read the new 4.3 is based of the v8s, so I'm sure it's a 90 degree OHV engine. I'm sure the powertrains will be competitive. The 6.2 will be interesting. Can it match the low rpm torque and fuel economy of Ford's 3.5 Ecoboost. It will have plently of power regardless, but fuel economy will be interesting. I'd be shocked if these engines couldn't use regular unleaded, so I doubt that will be an issue.

The interior and exterior design doesn't stand out, that's for sure, but maybe the sum of all the parts will result in a competitive truck. The 4.3 v6 will be interesting. It should have more torque than the competition's v6s, so maybe GM will have an advantage there.

ateixeira

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/17/infiniti-queues-up-questionable-q-and-qx-nami- ng-scheme/

I thought they'd be recalled for not being able to see out of them.

ateixeira

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/18/dodge-recalls-2013-durango-over-incorrect-sea- ting-capacity-info/

fintail

You linked to the new Infiniti naming convention scheme, which is probably the most amusing thing I have read in months.

andre1969

That's not the first time Chrysler has done a lame recall like that. Here's one of my favorites, from when I had my Intrepid...

Summary:
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 225, "CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHORAGE SYSTEMS." SOME OF THE OWNER'S MANUALS FOR THESE VEHICLES ARE MISSING INSTRUCTIONS THAT PROVIDE A STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE, INCLUDING DIAGRAMS, FOR PROPERLY ATTACHING A CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM'S TETHER STRAP TO THE TETHER ANCHORAGE.
Consequences:
IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE CHILD SEAT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY ATTACHED INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE CHILD.
Remedy:
OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH AN ADDENDUM TO THE OWNER'S MANUALS.
Potential Units Affected: 1211756

ateixeira

Oops, sorry.

Here's the Evoque recall:

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/18/land-rover-recalls-2012-evoque-lr2-for-brake-- issue/

As for Infiniti, dumbest scheme ever.

You would think the Q60 and QX60 share a platform, but the former is RWD and the latter is RWD.

The QX70 is smaller than the QX60.

The Q60 is a Q70 coupe, usually coupes are numbered higher.

All they need now is a Forest-and-Trees ad campaign.

ateixeira

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/18/cadillac-teases-production-elr-ahead-of-detro- it-auto-show/

ELR is lookin' good. I hope they don't price it way above the Volt.

fintail

Funny how the Evoque was born to so much fanfare, and is now kind of pointless.

Only thing I can think of when I see the Infiniti scheme is Volvo. I don't know why the coupe gets a higher number. The numbers are absolutely meaningless. MBAs and senior marketing types at work.

A comment on that page sums it up - A Datsun is a Datsun is a Datsun :shades:

ELR looks interesting, for what it is. At least one GM brand has some interest.

ateixeira

Naming conventions have become meaningless.

It should be series, displacement, than t for turbo or h for hybrid.

RX350h not 400h.

320t not 328i.

C180t and so on.

G25 and G37 were some of the only names that still made sense!