If you live in South Korea (or any of the markets where Korean-built Chevys are available) and are in the market for a Chevrolet Orlando equipped with a roof rack straight from the factory, then the Orlando Camper Package might tickle your fancy.
The bundle consists of (surprise!) a roof rack, 18-inch alloy wheels with black accents, a black decal on the D pillar, and a roof-mounted rear spoiler.
The GM Authority Take
While it’s nice to be able to get a vehicle with a roof rack right from the factory, we’re not certain that the equipment offered here is worth an entire package. Do you?
Comments
A roof rack does not a “camper” make!
In US market the Orlando is released, #1 automaker GM becomes 🙂
One of the most installed and never used items on most SUV and CUV’s.
The Orlando right now as it is would be limited in appeal here. Now once it is moved to the new D2XX it could be tailored to the market better.
I do think it would do better than a Cruze or Malibu Wagon would. All they need to do is make it more CUV like.
It worked on the HHR as it was a Cobalt wagon.
But with the new Nox coming on the D2XX I really wonder if there would be a need for a Orlando vehicle. They really need a Traxx before that if they could price it right.
Yeah scott, I totally agree with your last sentence that they really do need a Trax. Next gen Orlando would be an interesting proposition as well. But firstly I say get us the Trax.
Well before we get too far along we need to see where the Nox ends up and how the price structure fits in.
It is easy to add cars to any line up but to price them and not rob sales from other models is the trick.
There is a gap left by the HHR but the Orlando really was not a good replacement for many who had the HHR. I have seen about half the HHR owners show no interest in a Orland. Many went to a Nox or Terrain.
Now a smaller lighter Nox would fill this gap but the trick to the Traxx is to price it far enough away from the Nox and option it away to not rob sales from yourself.
Just because you can sell X amount of vehicles you need to be careful where they come from. GM has learned this the hard way in the past with the F body. Camaro sales are now higher than they have been for years but many came from the Firebird. But buy doing one car it has also made the Camaro more profitable.
There are about six ways to Sunday you have to figure on this stuff and it is difficult to always hit it right.
Also it is what GM knows that we don’t know that is also a big factor as they know the product line up for the next 5 years and can anticipate things we have no knowledge of yet.
The C-class hatchback is where roof racks would be more valuable. CUV/SUV roofs are too high. Those people will put there bikes on a hitch rack. Small boat owners often go the CUV/SUV route but they are also the first ones to complain about the height of their rack. My colleagues see me with my 40+ MPG Mazda 3 after market bolt-on rack and it gets them thinking. Of course, GM gave me nothing to consider in my purchase. The Encore was the closest match, but gave comparatively poor gas mileage and poor driver comfort.
The market for roof rack equipped cars would be dominated by bicycle owners in this country. Many cyclists care a lot about gas mileage, so they are not fans of SUVs. I think the U.S. manufacturers make it painful for these people to add good racks because they want to bump buyers up to pricier CUV/SUVs. You can see what that did in my purchasing decision.