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GM General Model View, Market Share & Profit News - READ ONLY

2415 messages,  Last post on Feb 12, 2007 at 4:41 AM

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#1 of 2415
GM: General Model View, Market Share & Profit News by torque_r
Oct 21, 2006 (8:26 am)
I know this is a very wide topic, but I hope it is here to stay. We need a forum where we can view and discuss GM models and news.
#2 of 2415
Arcadia Pricing by torque_r
Oct 21, 2006 (8:35 am)
Priced at $29,990. Which makes me wonder how they will price the Outlook and Enclave, given both are supposedly more upscale as per GM's new makrekting strategy.
#3 of 2415
Re: Arcadia Pricing [torque_r] by derrado1
Oct 22, 2006 (1:29 am)

Replying to: torque_r (Oct 21, 2006 8:35 am)

That confuses me, though. If Saturn's becoming the import fighter and trying to hit Honda head on, then the Outlook would be below the Acadia, right? Or are they trying to be the cut-price near-lux brand?
 
What annoys me most though is that the Outlook looks better on the outside than the Acadia, but the Acadia has a far more attractive interior.
#4 of 2415
Monaro to help Pontiac combat Camaro? by derrado1
Oct 22, 2006 (4:51 pm)
[SOURCE - carpoint.com.au]
 
Words - Joe Kenwright
 
Forget what you may have read elsewhere, it now looks almost certain Monaro will play a part in the future of GM affiliates here and in the US
 
While Holden’s new Ute and Commodore Sports Wagon were always destined to see production (see separate story here), Monaro’s future has been less certain. Now CarPoint can report exclusively that there is light at the end of the tunnel for the iconic Aussie nameplate. But don’t expect the ‘new’ Monaro to be a carbon-copy of the old
 
Indeed, top of Holden’s VE wishlist (but dependent on strong sales acceptance of a VE sedan range, then ute and sports wagon), CarPoint has confirmed VE Monaro reached final clay stage, or perhaps even early tooling before it was killed off.
 
According to those who saw it, it was stunner in the same tradition as the recent generation coupe.
 
Holden sources say disappointment that the car will never see the light of day is huge in some quarters. Yet insiders are adamant that it will not be dusted off and put into production as the market has already moved on. A VE Monaro would need to reflect a totally different market and timing they say.
 
So how did the VE Monaro get so far and then be so abruptly abandoned? At the time it was being finalised in 2002-03, there was powerful sentiment around the Monaro with a strong baby boomer buyer base reliving past Monaro glories. There was also great hope that the Pontiac GTO version would be a big sales winner.
 
Just as all these factors needed to come together to support a convincing business case for the VE replacement, the Monaro picture unravelled in several key areas.
 
After an initial buying spurt from a limited older buyer base, V2 Monaro sales almost stalled exposing the hefty entry price and lack of appeal that kept younger buyers away.
 
Clearance staff offers kept it alive until the VZ’s arrival. Then the Americans were so underwhelmed by its soft engines and presentation, that many saw the Aussie Monaro as an insult as a replacement for the hallowed Pontiac GTO heritage.
 
The Americans were proved correct after US-market revisions kick-started a massive local VZ Monaro sales revival locally that was still running red hot right to the end. Even export sales improved enough to consider a replacement.
 
However, there was an interim period when VE Monaro had no internal champion especially when Pontiac was not sticking its hand up for a replacement as pre-facelift export GTO models stockpiled in holding yards.
 
Against a backdrop of GM austerity, Holden had to kill off the VE Monaro and assign valuable resources to more profitable projects.
 
There is now a wildcard that has changed all that.
 
The development of the new Chevrolet Camaro on the VE platform will deliver a cheaper, more youthful model for both the local and US market. It will help fund a two-door platform in both left and right hand drive, on a shorter wheelbase.
 
The US launch of this model will break the current equilibrium among GM’s US divisions and force Pontiac to match Chevrolet’s hot new star.
 
And that’s where Monaro comes in!
 
The days where Pontiac could market a Camaro with a different nose cone and tail lights badged as a Firebird (pictured) are gone. Pontiac will need to come up with its own coupe, the specifications for which now appears to be more in line with what Holden needs in a Monaro replacement.
 
Pontiac has already requested variations of the VE sedan range to supplement its US models and the door is open for both Holden and Pontiac to develop a shared Coupe to complement shared sedan models.
 
In other words, the synergies between Pontiac and Holden are about to get much closer than when the Aussie team was supplying a Pontiac-badged Monaro.
 
Now both Holden and Pontiac need a more youthful and sportier model to compete against the Camaro and fresh new Daimler-Chrysler challengers in a younger, lower price market.
 
The Monaro is now in a remarkably similar position to when the final HJ Monaro GTS version was facing internal competition from a more youthful Torana range including the later SS Hatchback.
 
This time it seems that Holden, instead of killing off the Monaro as it did then, will respond with a shared Pontiac model that has never been more exciting or alive!
#5 of 2415
Ford in 3Q by torque_r
Oct 23, 2006 (7:27 am)
Ford lost $5.8 billion. Whoaaaaa! GM should report soon. I expect a small profit
#6 of 2415
Re: Ford in 3Q [torque_r] by sls002
Oct 23, 2006 (9:00 am)

Replying to: torque_r (Oct 23, 2006 7:27 am)

GM's report is Wednesday morning.
#7 of 2415
MT's SUV of the Year by torque_r
Oct 24, 2006 (7:20 pm)
2007 Motor Trend's SUV of the Year: Mercedes GL-Class. I guess bad news for GM which is releasing at least 7 SUV's this year.
#8 of 2415
GM posts narrower Q3 net loss by torque_r
Oct 25, 2006 (5:50 am)
GM posts narrower Q3 net loss
 
DETROIT (Reuters) -- General Motors today posted a sharply narrower quarterly net loss, citing progress in its turnaround effort including cost cuts for labor and health care. The world's largest automaker, which lost $10.6 billion in 2005, posted a narrower net loss of $115 million, compared with a loss of $1.7 billion a year earlier. story Published: 10/25/06 8:12 AM / UPDATED: 10/25/2006 9:06 A.M. [REG]
#9 of 2415
Re: MT's SUV of the Year [torque_r] by wlbrown9
Oct 25, 2006 (12:22 pm)

Replying to: torque_r (Oct 24, 2006 7:20 pm)

Well, if I was going to spend over $50K on an SUV, I would definitly consider the Mercedes GL. My price range is more the $25-$40,000 range, so I guess I will look but not touch. You would have to go with a fully loaded Yukon Denali or an Escalade to get into that price range. High $$ stuff for most of us. Not really going to take much of the GM market away. Would be nice for GM to maybe have a SUV of the year to crow about though.
#10 of 2415
Re: GM posts narrower Q3 net loss [torque_r] by jae5
Oct 25, 2006 (1:00 pm)

Replying to: torque_r (Oct 25, 2006 5:50 am)

Know this is off topic but Chrysler reported losing $1.5 Billion.
 
In GM's case I hope this number is not going to made larger in a year or two by restated "accounting". A loss is still a loss, but not as bad as Chrysler and FOMOCO!!

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