Chevrolet Returns To Tokyo Auto Salon With Camaro, Captiva, Sonic Concepts
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It’s been a while since Chevrolet made an appearance at the Tokyo Auto Salon. And judging by the dismal sales figures for the brand in the region, it’s easy to understand the lack of effort. But in any case, Chevy is overdue for some much-needed exposure in the Land of the Rising Sun, and looks to make a splash during the 2013 show, which happens January 11-13, just before the official start of the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
While information is extremely limited at this time (and only readable thanks to Google Translate), we are able to make out that there will be a trio of Chevy concepts, which are a Camaro, Captiva and Sonic.
All we currently know about the Camaro is that it features a set of Giovanna wheels, and that’s about it. As for the Captiva, it goes by the official name of “Captiva Freedom Rider”, and is equipped with 20-inch Gianna Crown wheels and sports a carbon flash metallic hue complimented by sky blue fenders and side skirts, and a roof-mounted bicycle to match.
Lastly, the Chevrolet Sonic Street Icon features an aggressive red and black getup, and is meant to appeal to the “street generation,” or something like that.
Can the buy NEW Captivas there, or do they have to go to Enterprise and buy the ones off the rental lot? Excuse my sarcasm.
The Captiva we know from fleet service (former Vue) is called the Captiva Sport in other counties. The Captiva (without the sport, except for the US) is actually a different, and I believe newer design, vehicle. I don’t know what’s stranger – the naming system or the reasons why other countries need these vehicles, but not the US. Part of the reason for the Captiva and Caprice being fleet only has something to do with legal issues related to “retiring” the Saturn and Pontiac names, then re-introducing those vehicles with another brand at retail without significantly changing them.
Sorry, but I don’t buy that.
Why does having the Caprice available for police fleet have anything to do with Pontiac or Saturn?
I don’t think it’s a legal matter either as GM owns all the aforementioned nameplates. I couldn’t possible have a legal obligation to prevent itself from using product names it already owns.
From Auto-Guide: Re-introducing a car after it’s already been sold isn’t as quite as simple as prying one badge off and gluing another on.
Because of franchising laws in certain states, the Caprice can’t come to retail market because it’s essentially a repurposed Pontiac G8, same with the Saturn Vue and the Chev Captiva. Those laws don’t apply across the country and can differ from state to state, but seem to be significant enough to prevent en immediate re-release. I think the intent of the law is to protect dealers from a manufacturer telling them to close the doors because they will no longer make a product (ie Saturn, Pontiac), but then offer it under a different name, which they can’t sell.
The new SS will need to be significantly different looking than the Pontiac G8 for GM to sell it at retail.
I don’t belive anyone would confuse the late G8 with a Caprice, even if they were intoxicated.
I mean, what you’ve just stated didn’t apply to the Saturn Outlook and the 2nd gen GMC Acadia; nobody’s balking at those cars being remarkabily similar.
But the outlook and the Acadia isn’t sold in other countries though
Canada isn’t another country?
Canada is right next to it it doesn’t count
BS. Now you’re just making up stuff.
who are you talking to for the BS part?? because really do you see acadias or outlooks in europe, Asia (save it for the Enclave in China), Australia, etc??
No, because I’m in Canada (which is right next to the US) where I’ve seen countess Gen Acadias and Outlooks.
I want to know why franchising laws in US would apply in Canada. They don’t, as the aforementioned laws didn’t stop the Acadia and the Outlook from being sold there.
So when you say “But the outlook and the Acadia isn’t sold in other countries though”,
and I say “Canada”
and then you say “Canada is right next to it it doesn’t count”…
I want to know where you’re going with all this, because you’re going to need to tell me why US franchising laws apply to products sold in a foreign country.
I guessing they don’t, which is why I’m calling BS.
not sure what the law’s definition of what significant change is, but there is much more differentiation between the new acadia/outlook (entire front clip, dash board, tail lights) than there is on the vue/captiva (only a minor grill change). That article also stated that GM had to add the V8 to the Buick Ranier to create enough changes when they resurrected the Bravada with a Buick grill and nameplates after the Olds dealers were shut down. The article said they doubted anyone would challenge GM as to how well they are conforming to the law – the only ones who might have an issue with it shut down their dealerships a few years ago.
Hof, totaly different captiva; Hah oh I get it…
What’s with the giant open mouths that’s all the rage in styling now? I much prefer the right buttoned down look of the Volt to the huge black hole on this Captiva.
This Captiva does not look much different from the regular Captiva. See this image from Wuppertal, Germany:
we should replace the Traverse in the USA with the sexy captiva
Replacing the 5207 mm long Traverse with the 4635 mm long Captiva?
It may well be that the Korean developed Captiva is better than the US-developed Traverse, but isn’t that nonthelesse a little bit of too much downsizing?
5207 mm = 203.7 in; 4635 mm = 182.6 in