This article is part of the GM Authority Opinion Desk series, where you can see exactly what’s on the minds of the GM Authority crew.
Perhaps you took in this year’s NAIAS (North American International Auto Show) and were expecting something from Chevrolet that would blow your socks off. Maybe you wanted to see an 800 hp version of the concept Corvette or perhaps a production model of the soon-to-be available SS Camaro Convertible.
Instead, we were given a presentation by Chevrolet General Manager Jim Campbell that clearly demonstrated the future direction of Chevrolet’s focus: value, style, and fuel saving. In case you missed it, watch it here.
Bravo!
Well, after watching this presentation, I have to say a resounding bravo to Chevrolet. Presenting vehicles such as the Volt, Aveo RS, Spark and Cruze really made a statement to the public that Chevrolet will once again start building “bread and butter” cars – vehicles that the vast majority of North Americans will purchase.
Chevrolet Aveo RS Concept
Bread And Butter
Bread and butter vehicles do not need to be flashy. They simply need to be what the public wants at a given moment in time. Given the current and short term future of the global economy, combined with the long-term escalation forecasts in the price of oil, it leaves little doubt that car companies should be focusing on affordability while decreasing fuel consumption.
2011 Chevy Cruze
GM’s Strategy In The Days Of Yore
When General Motors had its six divisions in the ’60’s (Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac and GMC), its intention was to have a car for everyone. As one progressed in life and became more successful, they would naturally trade up their Chevy for a Pontiac, then trade in the Pontiac for a Buick, and so on until one day – they would have that shiny new Cadillac in their driveway. In fact, a Caddy told all of one’s neighbors that he or she has “made it.”
This was a good strategy and worked very well during the industrial age. But as time went on, The General’s divisions began to share platforms and options to save development costs. This practice became so prevalent among divisions, that a unique term is now used to describe it: badge engineering. The concept assumed that you could offer the same vehicle with a different name, change the grill, wheels, and car color, wrap it around a unique marketing program and the consumer would believe it was a totally unique product.
Indeed, badge engineering did bring development costs down, but the consumer wasn’t buying it (pardon the pun). Instead, they would look at one GM product and compare it to what Ford, Toyota or Honda were offering. In the end, we understand that General Motors has overestimated its dominance in the automotive industry and underestimated the public’s intelligence.
New GM ≠ Old GM
Without a doubt, the New GM has realized the mistake of its older self and is now going back to what made the company strong in the 50’s: create core brands that are distinctively unique compared to one another while giving the consumer the ability to move from one brand to another with a feeling that they have either moved up in vehicle class, or moved into another genre.
In this case, old is new – and Chevrolet is once again in the process of becoming the common man’s vehicle. The vehicle that first time car buyers, those on a low income, or retirees on a fixed income will consider.
So where was the Spark at this years NAIAS? It was right where it should have been – on stage at the Chevrolet presentation as the common man’s vehicle. And with that, there’s no doubt in my mind that Chevrolet is headed in the right direction!
PS: just in case you’re wondering, both the Spark and the next-gen Aveo seen here will be available in 2011, while the Cruze and Volt will launch in late 2010.
This article is part of the GM Authority Opinion Desk series, where you can see exactly what’s on the minds of the GM Authority crew.
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