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8325 messages, Last post on Nov 24, 2009 at 2:49 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: 62vetteefp (Jan 12, 2009 9:32 am) Meanwhile, Pontiac will dwindle to a five-vehicle line, GM also said it would consider options for Saturn, without saying whether the line would be sold or shuttered. So Hummer is for sale with no takers, Saab is quietly for sale (again with no takers), now Pontiac is supposedly going away, but will still be around as five models, and Saturn is undecided? It has been obvious from the get-go that GM had too many brands and too many models and needed to downsize in order to be viable. This just sounds like smoke and mirrors. So what is it?
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Replying to: anythngbutgm (Jan 12, 2009 10:06 am) Saab makes 1 decent vehicle, the 9-3. The 9-5 is archaic, while the 9-2x and the 9-7x are sad clones that ironically are dressed in very fine clothes. I admit I think the 9-7 is the best looking among the Trailblazer brothers. Saab has potential imo (though not as much as Hummer), but it deserves better owner. This just sounds like smoke and mirrors. So what is it? IMO this simply proves that reality is undeniable, once again. |
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is that it is priced at or above an Audi A3 and it should be priced in-line with a Mazda 3. About 10K overpriced! 
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Replying to: 62vetteefp (Jan 12, 2009 9:22 am) |
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Replying to: bumpy (Jan 12, 2009 11:04 am) Preparation for the plant, to be located in Michigan, is to begin early this year, with production tooling to be installed midyear. Output is expected to start in 2010. Until GM's battery facility is operational, Volt's battery cells will be supplied by LG Chem Ltd.'s Compact Power Inc. unit, based in Troy, Mich. A joint engineering contract with Compact Power and LG Chem is expected to speed up development of the Volt's lithium-ion battery technology. GM has been testing battery packs for the Volt, powered by cells from LG Chem, for the past 16 months. "The design, development and production of advanced batteries must be a core competency for GM, and we've been rapidly building our capability and resources to support this direction," Chairman and Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where the Volt concept was rolled out two years ago. Mr. Wagoner said more than $1 billion has been committed to the Volt. Uncertainty over its future widened in December after GM delayed construction of a Flint, Mich., factory slated to build the car's engine. Batteries have been one of the biggest hurdles for U.S.-based electric- and hybrid-vehicle manufacturers. Batteries have been made in volume in Japan, South Korea and elsewhere in Asia, and auto makers have been concerned that if battery supplies tighten, expensive Asian battery-making capacity may go to Asian auto makers first. GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said the new plant initially would produce battery packs using cells produced by LG in Korea. The Chevrolet Volt, an extended-range electric vehicle that delivers up to 40 miles of gasoline- and emissions-free electric driving, will use battery packs manufactured in the United States by General Motors, Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced at the North American International Auto Show. GM will establish the first lithium-ion battery pack manufacturing facility operated by a major automaker in the United States to produce the Volt's battery pack system. It consists of lithium-ion cells that are grouped into modules, along with other key battery components. The Volt's lithium-ion battery cells will be supplied by LG Chem. Compact Power Inc., a subsidiary of LG Chem based in Troy, Mich., will build battery packs for Volt prototype vehicles until GM's battery facility is operational. A joint engineering contract with Compact Power and LG Chem also has been signed to further expedite the development of the Volt's lithium-ion battery technology. I don not know but it looks like the prototype packs will be made by Compact Power here in Michigan using cells made in Korea and then GM will start making their own production packs later. The Lutz statement makes it sound like the production cells will be made here. But in reading other statements it looks like there will be an effort to get Li-ion cell manufacturing here in the states.
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Replying to: 62vetteefp (Jan 12, 2009 11:52 am) Why not make everything in US to support more jobs? So much for patriotism, so one sided... |
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is that it is priced at or above an Audi A3 and it should be priced in-line with a Mazda 3. I'm not sure I agree. I believe Saab belong in the near luxury level, along with Buick, Chrysler and Acura TSX. Should be priced accordingly, though I agree that it's overpriced (alas, not by 10k  ).
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Replying to: anythngbutgm (Jan 12, 2009 10:06 am) Thank you for saying it out loud! Which ones are the lies and which are the truth? When GM went up to Washington, they said they would become a 4-brand organization, with Pontiac a "niche brand". Now Saturn's fate (a 5th brand) is "undecided", Pontiac is suddenly a 5-model lineup (hardly "niche"), and they can't sell Saab or Hummer because no-one's buying???? Lies, lies, and more lies. I'm so glad Ford didn't take the money (yet), gives me one domestic brand to root for (for now). 
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Replying to: nippononly (Jan 12, 2009 12:22 pm) 6.1 Marketing and Retail Operations—Today, General Motors competes in the United States with 8 brands. Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC represent the company‘s core brands, accounting for 83% of current sales. The company will focus substantially all of its product development and marketing resources in support of these brands. This will result in improvements in awareness, sales, and customer satisfaction for these 4 core brands. Significant efforts have been expended to combine the Buick, Pontiac and GMC (BPG) brands into a single dealer distribution network, with approximately 80% of these brands‘ combined sales sold through BPG-branded stores. This channel will be fully competitive in terms of total entries offered, with Pontiac serving as a specialty/niche brand with reduced product offerings solely intended to complement Buick and GMC models and reinforce the channel as a whole. Hummer has recently been put under strategic review, which includes the possible sale of the brand. GM will also immediately undertake and expedite a strategic review of the Saab brand globally. Finally, Saturn, which has performed below expectations, has a unique franchise agreement and operating structure. As part of the Plan, the company will accelerate discussions with Saturn retailers and explore alternatives for the Saturn brand. As indicated in Table 5, the Plan focuses the company‘s resources in the U.S. around a smaller, more profitable set of nameplates (40 by 2012) with further consolidations in GM‘s dealer network planned to get to a more profitable and stronger dealer network. For 2008 GM has 48 nameplates and will reduce to 40 by 1012 (chart 5).
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Replying to: 62vetteefp (Jan 12, 2009 1:27 pm) 6.1 Marketing and Retail Operations—Today, General Motors competes in the United States with 8 brands. Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC represent the company‘s core brands, accounting for 83% of current sales. The company will focus substantially all of its product development and marketing resources in support of these brands. This will result in improvements in awareness, sales, and customer satisfaction for these 4 core brands. Significant efforts have been expended to combine the Buick, Pontiac and GMC (BPG) brands into a single dealer distribution network, with approximately 80% of these brands‘ combined sales sold through BPG-branded stores. This channel will be fully competitive in terms of total entries offered, with Pontiac serving as a specialty/niche brand with reduced product offerings solely intended to complement Buick and GMC models and reinforce the channel as a whole. Hummer has recently been put under strategic review, which includes the possible sale of the brand. GM will also immediately undertake and expedite a strategic review of the Saab brand globally. Finally, Saturn, which has performed below expectations, has a unique franchise agreement and operating structure. As part of the Plan, the company will accelerate discussions with Saturn retailers and explore alternatives for the Saturn brand. As indicated in Table 5, the Plan focuses the company‘s resources in the U.S. around a smaller, more profitable set of nameplates (40 by 2012) with further consolidations in GM‘s dealer network planned to get to a more profitable and stronger dealer network. For 2008 GM has 48 nameplates and will reduce to 40 by 1012 (chart 5). Pontiac will be down to only 4 models: G8, G5, Solstice and Vibe. As they said "to complement Buick and GMC". Buick/GMC have no G8 RWD vehicles, no small cars and no sports car. For the Buick/Pontiac/GMC dealership channel to be viable they need some small cars. I will agree that the G5/Vibe would not be my choice and hopefully something else will take it's place that is more Pontiac in the near future. I see no smoke and mirrors here.
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