Reuss: No Chevys Off Buick Encore Platform
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When Buick unveiled the 2013 Buick Encore at the Detroit Auto Show, sources were quick to tell us that a Chevrolet variant is on its way. In fact, some even said that the Chevy version will be a bit longer while being what the Chevy Cruze is to the Buick Verano.
But GM North America President Mark Reuss was quoted as saying that Chevy will not produce a vehicle based on the Gamma Plus platform that underpins the Encore (and the Opel Mokka, as well). The reason? The Chevy Equinox:
“We’re not doing Chevrolets off this platform,” he said. “The last thing we want to do is put a Chevrolet alongside this and take Equinox sales away.”
The GM Authority Take
While Reuss’ words do, indeed, carry a lot of weight, we wonder if he’s referring to not selling the Encore’s Chevy cousin in North America. After all, it would be quite silly for Chevrolet to not offer an alternative to the upcoming Ford EcoSport with a subcompact crossover of its own.
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Dude… What… Every time I start to like Reuss he tosses out a nugget that just blows my mind… Then bring on a refreshed Captiva; good grief schitzophrenia anyone…
Aww, it does look like a white bunny!
My thoughts exactly…
🙂
Let each vehicle speak for itself, take away from Nox sales ru serious… If I want a Nox I will buy a Nox, if I want a Gamma based Chevy then I will buy one of those…
My thoughts exactly. Equinox buyers will buy the Equinox. Those who want a smaller vehicle won’t even look at it; or they will look at it, then buy somewhere/something else.
It’s important to note that Reuss has mis-spoke before:
At one point, he said that the Spark was not decided for the U.S. market:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2011/01/hold-up-despite-multiple-confirmations-american-launch-of-chevy-spark-still-seems-undecided/
Then confirmed it:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2011/04/shocker-reuss-confirms-chevy-spark-for-u-s-market/
Just something to keep in mind 🙂
I’ve wonder if he knows that the size of the equinox is about a size of a Ford Edge
I think Ruess mixed some cars up, I mean imagine having to know every single product sold by GM AND future products and replacements.
You mean everyone on GMA doesn’t already know all the cars sold by all GM brands currently and for the next 48 months by heart?
I mean it’s not that hard to remember all the nameplates if you know the platforms first and the varrants from such platforms.
It’s how I get by. I mean it worked for the letter-bodies and for the Greek platforms. I can’t say the same for other automakers; not all of them use predictable platform names.
Lol, your right, I just couldnt think of any other reason for him to say that if its not true.
Is this a new Reuss quote or the one from an interview at the Detroit Auto Show?
So far Reuss is offering sub-Nox customers only the Sonic. Well, sadly, I’m not comfortable in the Sonic, and there’s a good chance I won’t be comfortable in the forthcoming Encore. GM attached the arm rest in both vehicles to the driver’s seat, which puts it close to the body and renders it comfortable only to people of a certain arm length. (No me, and I only have a 35 inch sleeve.) This despite plenty of adjustability in the seat and steering wheel. Hard to believe.
Ford offers me the Fiesta or Focus — both designed to haul passengers, not cargo. Ford compromised one of the primary reasons people buy hatchbacks and wagons when they designed the rear seats, which simply don’t fold properly.
And, of course, both GM and Ford think that anyone who wants to utilize the roof will move up to a mid-sized SUV, never mind the utter waste of fuel during the daily commute. But then over in the far corner are a couple of small companies — one by the name of Mazda….
Like the new CX-5? Or how about the new Escape? Or even the not-long-for-North-America Ford EcoSport? The first two are larger than the Encore (compact vs. subcompact), of course, while the latter is a subcompact in its own right, but isn’t coming here (as of this writing).
Either way, Chevy needs at least one CUV smaller than the too-big-for-its-own-good Equinox. Bringing an updated Captiva from the fleets to the masses would be a good start.
Unless GM is planning on doing a GMC-only version of the Encore (check out notgoingtohappen.com), it’s almost inevitable that there will be a Chevy version of this little CUV. It’s hard to imagine that Buick will sell that many copies to justify the development costs for North America.
Schitzo’s; stop the schitzophrenia… Create a diverse selection of vehicles… Okhere is what is happening (my guess) all products and intros are being reviewed for North America; because the bottom line Chevy is not as competitive in the market as it should be… Reuss is probably concerned as he should be by Hyundais onslaught in the marketplace and continual rproduct reinvention. A year or so from now the Chevy line up will begin to look dated, even the new Sonic, as other manufacture pull out all the stops… Yikes; slam on the brakes and use this time to strategize the future; good move Reuss, if that is indeed what he is doing… Let’s hope so…
We at GM are trying to identify all possible combinations of vehicles to make a complete corporate portfolio of cars and trucks and suv’s. An example of this is the new buick encore it is being produced overseas due to the fact the market for that type of vehicle is limited and estimations do not dictate local production. that being said the chevy brand will have a vehicle that fits the general subcompact/compact CUV market, the chevy version will go for utility at an affordable price, the replacemetn for the HHRor that size vehicle is still being developed and should impact this part of the market in the not to distant future, release date is soon but not released yet more to follow. and yes the encore will have a chevy version in some limited markets. more to come…..
Will HHR replacement have any retro styling; if so I hope it’s done more subtly, as a new owner of a HHR I personally like the retro but can see some consumers wanting less pronounced retro styling.., by the way I love my HHR…
Wow, @Yabadabadoo…. I’ve NEVER heard anyone say they loved their HHR. Almost every one I’ve seen has been a rental. They didn’t sell well in LA. And HHR has to win some prize for the dumbest name: High Heritage Roof – I guess HHR sounds better than the full name, but still…
JD – the replacement for the HHR is called the Chevy Cruze hatch and maybe wagon. Why at least the hatch isn’t available here is beyond me. Looks like its time to buy a Focus 5dr or worse, a Kia Forte/Hyundai Elantra Touring.
Ha, ok part of the reason I got it was cause everyone I talked to including stopping people in parking lots; said they LOVED it, no joke… I even talked to a lady beside me in a two way traffic jam… Love it was the first thing out of her mouth; a neighbor; it’s great ect… Might want to check your sources next time; I get info from people who own there GM’s…
If only I could find someone who owned one that wasn’t part of a rental fleet. The people I’ve talked to who have driven an HHR got it at the airport or as the insurance car while theirs was in the shop. However, I’m sure if someone actually went to a Chevy dealer (hard to find around here too) and bought one that they probably loved it and got a GREAT deal on one.
Well, personally, if I had to choose at the time Cobalt or HHR, I would pick the HHR.
PROS:
The slightly higher is better than the Cobalt.
Hatch utility > Sedan utility
HHR’s seats came with independant armrests standard (i think) whereas the armrest in a Cobalt is optional.
HHR has a better looking gauge cluster.
SS + TC = win
CONS:
The HHR did have the window buttons on the centre console for reasons yet unknown. I’m unsure if they were moved to the doors in a refresh in later MY’s.
People know about the PT cruiser.
People think it’s an SUV.
Retro styling is dying out (again).
The HHR DLO’s is abysmal unless you’re use to looking at the world through the slats of a Venetian blind.
Another person, best car ever owned; not sure why they felt that way but got my attention…
A number of people here keep saying that this product or that product would be better as a Chevrolet.
Keep in mind that dealerships do not have unlimited asphalt for inventory, there are also financial limits on floorplan size. The Chevrolet lineup already has so many models that many Chevrolet dealerships can’t possibly stock anywhere near all the available combinations now.
They currently have sixteen vehicle lines. Imagine if you have a total inventory of less than 100 vehicles and 1/3 of it was pickup trucks.
I don’t see how this is of much relevance.
For starters, most dealers don’t expect to stuff every piece of their inventory into their showroom. That much is obvious to everyone, I hope. But even then, most dealers don’t hope to place one example of their new inventory inside true showroom.
Usually, the most popular and the most expensive models get a spot inside… While fleet vehicles (cut aways, etc.) and trucks (2509, 3500) stay outside due to limited demand and a specific customer.
I’ve yet to see a dealer not be able to fit all its new and used inventory on its lot… Unless we’re talking about a store in the city, in which case an off-site lot is maintained for inventory storage purposes and an expensive showroom is presented at the location itself.
The bottom line is this: Chevy is a full-line automaker and must be able to serve its potential customers in all segments. The lot/space issue, if real, must be solved for continuous growth, sales, and success often brand.
Alex, allow me to clarify. When I use the term “floorplan” I am referring to the dollar amount that a dealer has available from the bank or finance company to finance the inventory.
Floorplan expense is a very real part of managing a dealership.
Dealerships have a finite amount of parking spaces on their physical property. These are used for inventory, customer parking, service dept. customers, body shop customers, employee parking etc. Available land for expansion is frequently limited or non-existent.
Thanks for the Clarification, Craig. The floorplan issue you bring up is interesting, but I’d think it’s part and parcel of running a full-line dealership. If a dealer has trouble securing the cash/financing funds needed to buy inventory, then it should be helped by the manufacturer (GM). In any event, it’s a real yet “solvable” problem.
As for the lot space needed to stock the vehicles, I’d hope that a full-line dealer has more space than a limited-line store. Take Chevy and Cadillac, for instance. Chevy has more than four times more vehicle/vehicle lines than Caddy; as such the Chevy store should be physically bigger to allow for greater volume and inventory. The same goes for a Chevy service department.
Craig, thus hard to find a dealer stocking sonics..,
Great point though too…
Alex, what’s the latest story on the Verano hatch. I recall one of your stories making a definitive claim that we would see one, though my guess is it won’t be here in the U.S. (Reuss probably thinks it could detract from Equinox sales.)
Lot’s of discussion here on the HHR (replacement), and rightly so in my way of thinking about cars. I tend to put CUVs in the same line as hatchbacks and wagons, but I think of the classes more in terms of weight and interior volume rather than footprint. So, for example, if the CX-5 is too big (i.e., burns too much fuel for the need), then I’m looking to go down a “size” to the Mazda 3. Aerodynamically a car should get lower as its length decreases anyway. Looking at Chevrolet, going down a size from the Equinox forces one to a different brand.
Now here this Mr. Reuss: I am NOT going to buy an Equinox because you don’t offer a smaller choice. And those willing to provide CUV-like utility in a small package are most likely to get the sale.
Jim — the grapevine has been mum about the Verano/Excelle hatch for North America over the last couple of months. I think it will eventually come here only if Buick decides on what it wants to be (more on this in an upcoming article).
The reason the vehicle is offered in China is simple: the market/growth is so huge right now, that automakers (including GM and Buick) are throwing anything and everything at the wall, which is made of a huge velcro; anything will stick Heck, GM will have both Opel and Buick in the Chinese market, with mostly the same vehicles this year.
The U.S. is a bit different, since Buick — despite recent growth — is still finding itself. That said, I totally agree with you. Chevy needs to offer a few (couple) of vehicles below the Equinox. One obvious way to do this is to bring the Cruze hatch to North America… like yesterday; no reason why Ford has the Focus hatch, and Chevy does not.
Jim just nailed it, for utility in a smaller package Chevy has nothing. A wagon of some kind should be considered going forward, or a granite style vehicle… I would have considered the Orlando had it been available instead of my HHR.