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For Friday, February 26, 2010
Toyota is having its biggest recall in history – perhaps even in automotive history!
GM reacted by providing incentives for Toyota customers. But is that overly aggressive?
Let us know the winner of this debate by voting in the poll below!
GM wowed many a car enthusiast (us included) when it first unveiled the Chevy Aveo RS Concept at the Detroit Auto Show. And just a few days ago, we were lucky enough to see some of the first official digitized pictures of the Aveo sedan. As the Geneva Motor Show gets underway this coming week, Swiss residents will have the pleasure of getting a hand-on look at Chevy’s mighty compact. But as good a product as the new Aveo may (seem to) be, its success in the marketplace hinges mostly on marketing as opposed to the product itself.
Let’s face it, General Motors has never had truly competitive small pickup trucks. The Sonoma and S-10 twins were never huge sellers but those still sold in bigger volumes than GM’s current generation of compact pickups, the Colorado and Canyon. The compact pickup truck segment itself has been shrinking for years as people have come to realize the comparable utility of a midsize SUV or significantly increased capability of a full-sized truck. The Toyota Tacoma is one of the only vehicles that has achieved significant success in the segment, leaving behind the Dodge Dakota, Honda Ridgeline, Nissan Frontier, as well as GM’s offerings.
Continuing with the negative trend in compact pick up sales, Bob Lutz recently revealed in an interview with Pickuptrucks.com that the future for the Canyon and Colorado is “uncertain at this point… they may well [be discontinued].” Although there are no official plans at this time regarding the pair of pick ups, there is a good chance GM will discontinue them in the next year or two. Chrysler already has plans to give the current Dakota the ax next year.
That said, if GM does decide to give the proverbial ax to its next-generation line of compact pick-ups, what would Scott Brown drive?
[Source: PickupTrucks.com]
With the proverbial hammer having dropped on Hummer just yesterday, it’s somewhat refreshing to discover that GM’s brands, both “core” and discontinued, have the very best to offer in customer service according to the most recent J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service Index study.
In the “Mass Market Brands” category, GM dealers beamed with customer satisfaction – taking six out of the top seven spots. Ironically – Hummer took first place with a score of 815. The scores were based on a scale of 1,000. Following Hummer is the now-discontinued Saturn with 808 points. Buick came in third with 805 and Chevy took fourth wit 787. The euthanized Pontiac scored 785 (sixth) while GMC got 783 (seventh). All GM brands rated well above the industry average of 758 while PR afflicted Toyota came in eighteenth with 741 points.
In the Luxury Brand category, Cadillac finished second with a score of 827, following Lexus in the rankings. The average score was 813 for the category. Of note – (now Spyker-owned) Saab fell short of that average with a score of 796, followed by Audi, Porsche, Infiniti, and Volvo.
Experts say that most of the improvements may be attributed to lower foot traffic volumes of dealers, but it’s great to see GM brands doing so well in this nation-wide study. We have the full press release, along with J.D. Power images, right after the jump!
[Source: J.D. Power and Associates] (more…)
As we learned yesterday, GM’s sale of Hummer to China’s Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. went sour due to Tengzhong’s failure to secure approval of the Chinese government. According to the Wall Street Journal, two bidders have expressed renewed interest. The WSJ would not go so far as to specify just who is interested in the ailing uber SUV brand, but did say that the latest suitors have previously submitted bids for Hummer, only to have been passed over by The General in favor of Tengzhong.
Citing a person familiar with the situation, the WSJ reports that GM is said to be giving these bidders a fresh look even after picking Sichuan Tengzhong.
It’s very easy to remember the whole Saab Sales Saga when looking at this situation. Though we at GM Authority hope for an eventual sale of Hummer, we don’t wish for such a roller coaster that ultimately became the sale of Saab. Hopefully the go-anywhere SUV brand does not go the way of Saturn (or Pontiac), although it looks like it has already purchased its one-way ticket.
Trust GM Authority to keep you posted as the story develops!
[Source: WSJ]
Robert Purcell, the former chief of GM Advanced Technology Vehicles Group (ATV), has joined the board of directors of Boston-Power, Inc., a company focused on lithium-ion batteries. Purcell worked at General Motors from 1994 to 2002 and led the ATV in developing and producing the GM EV-1. The division also developed and produced the S-10 Electric Truck as well as the GM Precept Hybrid Vehicle that was part of President Clinton’s Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles program. In addition to his responsibilities at GM ATV, Purcell also served as Chairman of the GM-Ovonic Advanced Battery Joint Venture. (more…)
After this morning’s rumors that GM’s sale of Hummer to Sichuan Tengzhong Industrial Machinery Co. was not approved by Chinese regulatory powers that be, The General has just announced that it will begin the orderly wind down of Hummer operations. According to John Smith, GM Vice President of Corporate Planning and Alliances,
One year ago, General Motors announced that we were going to divest HUMMER, as part of focusing our efforts on Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac going forward. We have since considered a number of possibilities for HUMMER along the way, and we are disappointed that the deal with Tengzhong could not be completed. GM will now work closely with HUMMER employees, dealers and suppliers to wind down the business in an orderly and responsible manner.
As we learned with the Saab Sales Saga, this may not mean anything in particular, as a last-minute buyer may swoop in to save the company from the automotive graveyard, where Saturn and Pontiac shamefully lie. Nevertheless, GM will continue to honor Hummer warranties as well as providing service support and spare parts to current owners around the world.
Stay tuned as it happens…
Chinese regulators have failed to approve General Motors’ proposal to sell Hummer to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co., according to two people close to the deal.
The approval was the last hurdle for the deal to go through, which would transfer ownership of the legendary American SUV brand to the privately-owned Chinese maker of special-use vehicles, structural components for highways, bridges, and construction equipment for only $150 million. This amount is nearly 70 percent less than GM originally valued the brand in bankruptcy court in the summer of 2009.
In the beginning of 2010, GM extended the deadline for the sale until the end of February. (more…)
Surprise! The new 2012 Chevy Aveo has shown its face (and cabin) in the first release of official pictures.
Described as a “kissing cousin” to the Aveo RS concept that manifested at the Detroit Auto Show last month, the front fascia is only slightly modified in what appears to be a smaller grille and more protruding headlamps. This photo of the four-door sedan model shows that it’s slightly more tame than the RS version, and is proof that there will be more than one variation than the five-door hatch caught testing in the Michigan winter. (more pictures after the break!) (more…)
How niche? How about no diesel engine choices…
In the U.S., that would be the equivalent of taking away the BBQ sauce option for our chicken wings and leaving only Buffalo. For Cadillac to stand out in Europe as a brand, this may be a necessity.
Since Cadillac sales in Europe have been so terrible – mainly due to issues with distribution agreements – GM needed to do something, and do it fast. As a company, Cadillac will reestablish itself by presenting all-new models to Europe and creating the organization dubbed Cadillac Europe, much akin to what BMW USA is in the ‘States. The vehicles will be sold through authorized Cadillac dealers all over Europe, with the Geneva Motor Show serving as the official introduction to the new brand image.
The CTS will expand its European line by introducing the new Sport Wagon, the upcoming coupe variants, as well as the record-setting CTS-V coupe. The SRX CUV will debut later this year and the Escalade Hybrid will also make its way over as well, although most likely only for a spot on Top Gear. All models will strictly feature the anticipated 2.9-liter turbodiesel V6 gasoline engines.
As evidence to this very American approach to engine choices, GM Europe spokesperson Nick Twork told Autoblog that Cadillac will “be a niche brand.” Here’s to hoping it works, and that diesel variants are in the pipeline. But then again, European buyers may go crazy for the newest option on the CTS sedans – premium Recaro racing seats.
Full press release after the jump!
Future Product Guide: GMC Vehicles For 2012, 2013, 2014 Model Years 
Rumormill: All-New Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra To Resemble Cheyenne Concept 
Spied: The All-New 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 
Spied: A Better Look At The 2014 Chevy Silverado 
The 2014 C7 Corvette: What We Know 
Officially Official: 2012 Corvette Sees Much-Needed Upgrades 
Spied: Buick Enclave Gets A Redesign For The 2013 Model Year 
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