With news of the Chevrolet Sonic’s impending death, another Chevy passenger car could very well be on its way to the scrapheap: the Chevy Impala.
Within yesterday’s Wall Street Journal report detailing the Sonic’s cancellation, sources close to the matter also said the Impala is on General Motors’ chopping block. The Impala was last redesigned in 2014 for its tenth-generation and has seen minimal updates since then. Details on a potential eleventh-generation car have been slim.
It’s important to note the sources nearly confirmed the Sonic’s death, while GM brass is still mulling over the Impala’s future. The car still returns rather positive reviews, though passenger car sales continue to slip in favor of crossovers and SUVs. The Chevrolet Malibu has also grown in size to nearly eclipse the Impala’s full-size footprint.
The latest news on the Impala’s potential death follows a report from last July that alleged GM may discontinue numerous passenger cars amid low sales. The nameplates include the Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Volt, Buick LaCrosse and Cadillac CT6. Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen quickly jumped on the report last year and assured the CT6’s future was not under consideration, however, Chevy nor Buick jumped to their passenger cars’ defense.
Comments
With sales not great, high development cost with no guarantee of return and Ford killing the Taurus it would not be a surprise.
It is a shame but the cold reality of todays market.
These are the hard choices GM needed to make for decades back when they were on the long decline. Not having the balls to make the hard decisions killed them.
I think it’s the decisions that GM did make is what crippled them. Roger Smith single handily brought GM to its knees. GM had the money to buy Toyota straight up but instead bought EDS systems and Hughes Aircraft. The corporate GM engine removed the autonomy from the divisions and pissed off millions. I know we could go on and on.
Although I understand the potential business necessity of this, it would still be a great tradgedy. The 2014+ Impala is one of the best cars Chevy has ever produced.
The greater tragedy is if GM goes bankrupt again due to not making the difficult choices for future markets.
Like at Buick the Regal may be the best Buick ever that no one bought.
The days of selling cars in numbers of 250,000 units and more are over for the most part accept for a couple models and they are on the decline too.
MFG must play to their strengths and GM and the market the future is in CUV models.
To be honest I am not as down about this as I once was. My new Acadia Denali with the Variable suspension is just as much a joy to drive and more comfortable as my SSEI ever was. It drives like a touring sedan.
Maybe the Impala will be reborn as a crossover lol. i.e the Eclipse Cross.
I really believe this is a huge mistake! As I mentioned in a previous post I think the Impala is the most beautiful sedan Chevrolet has produced in decades.
Surrendering the market that GM doesn’t believe delivers high enough returns, yet Toyota will gladly sell the all new for 2019 Avalon to customers wanting a large comfortable sedan. Funny that Toyota can justify the investment yet GM allegedly can’t. Of course I digress, GM will happily sell you a $70k plus CT6 …sorry about your luck if you can’t afford the Cadillac.
I am holding out hope that GM will not abandon ship and Chevrolet will have a new generation full-sized sedan. Sadly, this seems to be a lost cause with the bean counter leadership… GM sorely needs passionate car people at the table to fight for the cars that shouldn’t suffer an early demise.
I would agree that handing the segment to Toyota and FCA caries risk should market trends once again favor sedans. Impala and Malibu should be presented as a combined sales figure as Toyota does Avalon and Camary.
Buick without Lacrosse, left with only a less than premium Regal, spells the end of Buick as a potential Acura or Lexus rival. It will exist as a brandless CUV channel, a redundancy beside GMC, Chevrolet and Cadillac offerings, and a financial liability come any future economic downturn should tariffs continue.
Ideally small volume Lacrosse and Impala would come off one line in China where they are still popular and imported to reduce costs.
GM plays a great short game but stock pressure is endangering long-term viability. I admire how Hyundai can pour money into it’s brands and plan ahead.
The Toyota Avalon has 70% north American made content, the Impala doesn’t even make the top 30 list which means there is less than 60 % north American content. I bought an Avalon for this reason. Mexican made vehicles and parts are lower quality. I like my brothers Impala but I love my Avalon!
There are no American automakers. Every company is global.
GM should stand for Global Motors seeing as the current line up was designed by a global team on mostly German and Korean platforms. Obviously the US plays a big role but isn’t the deciding factor.
GM China will be taking the lead on most Buick projects and the Chinese preferences will continue to soften Cadillac.
GM has far less US content than Honda (85% for Accord). GM does pay more in taxes, as does Ford–FCA is a UK-based Dutch company so who and what they pay is up for grabs.
GM, Ford and American Honda are the new domestic big three for whatever that’s worth.
This isn’t entirely true…the Impala is at 66% NA parts.
Drink that Toyota kookaide all you want, but don’t post incorrect facts to make a point.
Mexico is part of North America and the Avalon most assuredly has some of those “lower quality parts”.
I had rented the 2014 Chevy Impala and it impressed me and my wife greatly. Even my niece, who drives an Infinity, loved it!! Please, GM, don’t kill this great sedan. If the Caprice was relegated to being a police patrol sedan, then let the Impala stay with that function too, or else the police will drive more Ford Taurus.
GM needs to realign its full-size sedans. Impala, Lacrosse, XTS, and CT6 all fight for the same market in terms of size, but at different price points. If I were GM, I would cut Lacrosse and XTS. XTS is already on the way out, so that works. Lacrosse is fighting high trim Impalas and low trim Cadillacs. Removing Lacrosse provides more space in GM’s full-size sedan offerings. Impala is positioned as the volume offering, CT6 as the premium offering.
The current Impala is one of GMs best reviewed vehicles in years, and with minimal changes over its lifecycle. It would be a shame for such a good vehicle and reputation to go away. With Lacrosse out of the picture, the next Impala could offer AWD and perhaps a lift-back to increase practicality and design. It also positions GM in a better place if sedans were to make a sudden come back in the market.
Chevy needs to make the Impala into a Kia Stinger killer. RWD/AWD with hatch.
Imagine getting an SS version for the same price as a KIA GT but getting the legendary Chevy V8. Booom
Offer 2.0T, 3.6HF V6, and the 6.2 V8.
This will never happen, nor should it.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a great performance sedan. I still am frustrated that I’ve not yet been able to purchase a Chevy SS (although I love my Pontiac G8, it’s predecessor).
Ultimately, the market is not only moving away from sedans in general, but moving away from performance vehicles except for the niches.
You mention the Kia Stinger GT. It will be very interesting to see what happens with that car. Kudos to Kia for going out there on a limb, but we’ll see how the market actually reacts to it.
So you’re saying Kia can do it but somehow Chevrolet with all it’s parts bin availability cannot?
That is a World that I do not want to think is true LOL
Nope. Not saying that at all. I’m saying that I think it will be interesting to see if Kia will be successful with the Stinger. I’m not sure they will. I give them credit for the bold move in today’s market and I hope they succeed (to show other makes like GM that there is still a market for this), but I’m not convinced they will succeed.
And, I realize I wasn’t clear in my original post. I was saying there isn’t a chance that Chevy will put any form of a 6.2L V8 in the Impala. As much as I would love them to, the car would be SO incredibly niche at the price they’d have to charge for it, it wouldn’t be worth the engineering effort and cost.
This makes me very sad, but it is the reality of the situation.
So FCA can sell V8 Chargers but GM cannot figure out a RWD/AWD architecture that will make money as well?
FCA can do it because that platform is shared across some of their highest selling and most profitable vehicles – Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Namely the Grand Cherokee and Charger. The platform is also, relatively speaking, ancient and heavy. The main engineering costs were paid off long ago.
What FCA couldn’t figure out was how to make a V8 AWD model sell well enough to justify its production.
Ahhh, the Charger/300 aren’t on the same platform as the Grand Cherokee…not even close.
The Grand Cherokee is on a platform shared with Mercedes M’s (at least very closely related.
The Charger/300/Challenger don’t sell all that well considering…they just don’t have much overhead since the design is so old. I’m not knocking them because I like them, but this is just the reality.
Kia’s actually doing just fine with the Stinger… it currently sells more than the Cadenza and Sedona with consistently increasing sales each month, and that’s just in the US of A.
I’m very happy about this. The Stinger GT is a fantastic vehicle and definitely deserves to be on your shopping list if you’re looking for a high-performance cruiser that can just as easily take a long road trip.
The one Kia I can’t figure out is them keeping, and now updating, the K900. Most companies would’ve killed it off within a year or two of launch with its sales figures.
It’s a wonder this company can even walk upright with as many times they shoot themselves in the foot. Cadillac may be the luxury division of GM but Chevrolet is the flagship of GM. Give this car what it deserves, options for all wheel drive and a 3.0 or 3.6 turbo.
This is one of the few GM’s that gets positive reviews from everyone, build on that! When will GM learn that there are people that don’t want a Buick or Cadillac to get optional drivetrains. Thankfully the new Avalon may be the ugliest car on the market but it still says Toyota. That’s enough for the lemmings. When I park my Impala next to my 03 Olds Aurora they sure make a pretty pair. I hope that name doesn’t go down in history too!
I’ll sound like a broken record, Lacrosse and Impala at this point need to be on Alpha or Omega with engines choices from 2.5 for the Chevy to the 2.0 turbo for the Buick to LT1 and 3.6tt power on the top.
Real smart move GM. Now that the Ford Taurus is going to be scrapped after 2018, the Azera is history and FCA just decided to eliminate the 300/Charger leaving them with no 4 door sedans at all here comes GM conceding full size sedan sales to Toyota with there new 2019 Avalon. How about instead you just eliminate the turtle slow selling LaCrosse and move the Impala over to the more modern architecture with better MPG and performance but keep the familiar and better Impala styling and larger trunk. Why GM just seems to roll over and give up on a great product without trying to improve on it defies logic!
Joe, that would take too much work. GM executives don’t get paid to think like that. Leave the innovation to the top tier companies, BMW, Toyota, Mercedes, Hyundai, et al. Mediocrity is all to expect from GM. Other companies just try harder. They are expanding while GM retreats all over the world.
GM will likely blame falling sales of this car solely on the shift to SUVs/crossovers. Now entering its sixth model year, almost totally unchanged, the Impala simply needed to be updated to remain competitive and viable. GM lets too many products wither on the vine, while the competition passes them by.
Could GM just put the Impala (and possibly the Lacrosse too)
On the Traverse wheelbase?
That should make them big enough in size to be different from the Malibu
I wonder if there is a profitable middle ground for some of these sedans? That instead of chopping block’em, you’d go Scion. Offer one model that is that sweetspot of features. With an interesting yet profitable BUY IT NOW price.
In this way a dealer wouldn’t have to wheel and deal. The designers would only design one vehicle with one engine. The car could be built on one assembly line one way. Perhaps in batches. Build 50,000 of ’em, stop, and wait for all of them to sell. No fleet. They might even abandon putting a year on it but instead a model number. So if it takes 1.2 years to sell them all, so be it.
I own a OnePlus Android phone. This company has its head up its butane now and again but they do one thing right. They never try to see how many phones they can sell over a period of time. Instead they make a big batch which they know will sell out before a certain time. They never discount. Or, you might say, the discount up front. A la Scion.
In that their new OnePlus 6 phone is looming. When it comes out, it’s already a dead phone walking. They release a special Star Wars edition a month or so later, and another version in a cool color, and then POOF it’s all gone under 6 months.
So the Impala, for instance, wouldn’t be about getting the 2018 or not. It would be about getting that one with the cool stripes this month or wish you did.
The signs are there for another slow downward spiral at General Motors. They kill one of the best sedans they have made in years, yet throw massive resources into producing 650 horsepower Camaro’s. The next event that rockets oil prices sky-high will catch them unprepared when the SUV market tanks and it will be the end this time.
I have a 2014 Impala….my wife and I love it! It’s fast and sporty looking and; now hear this GM, we get complements from guys and gals in their 20’s about how they like our car! I dare say this Impala was as big a change over the last model as a “55 Bel Air was over a ’54 ( i was NOT around for that). My point is this: I have Chevy pickups and a Tahoe but that Impala makes my soul feel good! There is nothing better than to take that car out for an evening drive with the roof open! It has brought back a passion for just going for a drive! I can’t believe GM would take the choice of buying another one away from me!! The chase for profits will lead them down another path of destruction! I’m 47, got plenty of years left to buy and I don’t want anymore damn trucks!
Amen. The notion of buying trucks for most instead of sedans will be short-lived. The car-buying public is fickle, and this is just another fashion statement rather a real need for trucks and SUVs. I, too, want to drive a luxury sedan like Impala and not a truck for which I have no need, though some people have that need. GM DEFITITELY SHOULD NOT KILL THE IMPALA OR THE LACROSS. I hope that GM wakes up on this issue!
As a Chevy salesperson, I can say with authority that the only problem with the Impala is the interior! All of my customers have a positive association with the nameplate when I suggest it to them. They love the exterior as we approach it and do the customary walk-around.
Then we actually get inside the Impala… “Yeah, this looks kinda cheap. Can we look at the Equinox again?”
They enjoy the ride quality when I can convince them to drive it, but there’s no excuse for that awful interior!
Chevy is weak on interiors. Hi end stuff like Silverado LTZ, Camero, Corvette and i am sure others are really nice but mid range cars and trucks are horrid.
Some outstanding comments gents. Thanks. I favor keeping the Impala because of it’s flagship position and it’s beauty. I have never driven one and am surprised by David’s comments just before me. When I gen a loaner it is almost always a Malibu but sometimes a Cruze. Bot are nice but no pizazz. The comments about engine options should be taken seriously but there is clearly a need for an AWD Impala. Such a car, with an adequate engine and nice interior would replace my CTS-4 in a heartbeat.
It’s nice to hear you Pontiac folks speaking out. My most recent Pontiac (Firebird) turns 50 in 11 days. I’m keeping it.
But also mentioned, in the story by Sean that started this, is the Volt. I have owned two and will not hesitate to get #3 in a couple years, if I can. It is the finest built car I have ever owned except perhaps for my 57 Corvette. But the fellow above who questioned whether GM execs could walk upright after shooting themselves in the foot so many times, is on target. The company seems to be run by a bunch of dopes. They spent a lot of money developing the Volt and do you ever see it advertised? Not really. The often show you their line of cars and the Volt is missing. How on earth do they expect a large number to be sold if they don’t spread the word? And Chev does not listen to the Volt Cult, for if they did the car would have a power memory seat for at least the driver. The E-geeks speak out loudly about this, including me.
Why doesn’t Camaro do a Firebird or Trans Am special edition with unique front clip, spoiler and other cosmetic nips? It would sell fantastically as a special edition.
Holden used old G8 clips on Commodore and the process can’t be overly expensive. I’m sure bean counters could make it work.
Challenger is great at courting buzz and Chevrolet could learn from this.
That might still warrant some lawsuits from scorned former Pontiac dealers who got screwed over if they were to try to pull that off.
Went to the N.Y.C. Auto show 4/3/18 , asked to see Impala and was told -” we didn’t bring one, we wanted to focus on the 2018 Malibu !”I thought that strange! Must be some truth as to its demise! T.Y.
I was scanning my Inbox, deleting many of the annoying folk, and saw one of my favorites waiting for me…I opened it and saw the picture of our beautiful, sporty, road trip comfortable, and powerful enough to cruise the surrounding Sierra mountain range, without
any issue (that V-6 is awesome and economical), and I no longer miss those Mercedes Sedans: I drove for 30+ years ?
The Chevrolet Impala Premier is one of the finest, well built: and beautifully styled inside, and out automobiles the GM has offered, in many years…Sadly, like other GM offerings, you hardly ever see it advertised, unless it’s being Promoted at 20% Off!!
I have also been around long enough to watch the Stupidity of the GM bean counters, who put their Insane 7 figure Bonuses ahead of building great product…Remember the 1980’s??
We love our new siren red Impala Premier, that we searched the western States for, and paid a fair amount to have it shipped by a fantastic, professional Shipper, in his custom trailer…it arrived a week before a Christmas 2017, with considerable praise from our neighbors ☺️
This beautiful Impala, will be with us, and Pampered by Us for many years…and hopefully, when the time comes, it will be replaced by another deep red, 6 cylinder Impala Premier
( or Impala SS) … Lets all hope that the bean counters, will soon be Replaced by Car People…
By the way,our new Impala looks fantastic in our garage, next to our 2015 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ 6.2 V-8, in deep ocean blue…
We also have a stunning Mercedes-Benz SL 500 with very low miles, in midnight blue, which I will be advertising soon…we love the SL, it always puts a smile on our face, and it’s in excellent shape. We just want to have American built Cars, Trucks and SUV ( aka Tahoe ) in our garage ?? So once our little German roadster is gone, we hope to find a pristine, ultra low mileage Chevy Corvette, to park next to our new siren red Impala…
And just maybe one more 1955 Bel Air hardtop in gypsy red, over shoreline beige with a V-8,
and 3 On the Tree, to Replace the one that got away several years ago…
They don’t build Hardtop V-8’s anymore either, cause Nobody likes them anymore!!
Chevrolet sold 7.581 of the Impala in March 2018 while Cadillac managed just to sell 894 of their CTS, so it makes perfect sense why the Impala might be on the chopping block while Cadillac’s CTS will get to see another generation as it’s obvious that GM CEO Mary Barra is a Cadillac fan as this is the only explanation why Cadillac gets a free ride on everything including 2 new exclusive engines (the LTA twin-turbo 4.2L V8 and LSY 2.0L DOHC-4v 4-cyl turbo).
I feel like this a bad move to end the production of the Impala. This car is currently leading the full-sized car market and competitors like the Azera, 300, and Taurus will be discontinued. I think discontinuing the car will not only destroy the potential of higher profits but also cause lost revenue as Chevrolet abandons its market share in the full-sized car segment to the Japanese and Korean companies :(. Honestly, if Toyota had the guts to redesign there slow-selling Avalon, Chevy should at least realize the potential for some profit in this segment. Oh well, at least I have the CT6 V to salivate over.
i dont understand GM.. impala is best selling Gm sedan in UAE
My wife gets frequent compliments on her ’15 black LTZ and I enjoy taking it for a spin. Over the Holidays it shined as elegant transportation for 4. One reason I will never buy a cuv/suv, the sedan trunk is a separate compartment and my junk is down in the trunk, not sitting behind the rear seat, spilling out and there for the world to see when I step back for the giant tailgate to open. I’m talking some tools, emergency stuff, maybe a fishing rod, spare shopping bags, etc. A small underfloor storage cubby in an SUV is not a replacement for a real trunk. I’ve had Chrysler products, ’nuff said. Also, no 4 banger for us.
This generation of Impala is well prized, but GM don’t advertise it. Chevrolet has no RWD and performance sedan, it can be next Impala. put the next Impala on RWD platform and AWD as option, and you’ll have a dodge competitor and a replacement of the SS.
In addition, build it in sedan and wagon and cross wagon AWD with engine choice from 4 cylinders to V8 especially for an Impala SS, and a hybrid iteration.
furthermore, the Impala is one of the oldest Chevy name plant it’s part of Chevrolet and GM history and heritage, they can’t just kill it.
Some good comments by many. Lets face it folks, GM is doing a poor job of designing, producing, and marketing cars…PERIOD!! They are drilling in to consumers heads third row seats, entertainment and safety features, all of which belong in boring CUVs and SUVS. Chevrolet ads on TV have become embarrassingly, futile with red headed weeney boy, with his tablet, impersonating Captain Obvious, talking about features most educated consumers already know about.
Mary Barra and her team might have bailed out GM the first time around, but the ship is slowly sinking again.
GM appears to be more focused on Huge Bonuses for Upper Management, which comes from Huge Profit Makers…the huge profit models are CUV’s and SUV’s, so why would they wanna Spend any money promoting the Impala or Lacrosse, or anything that would Impact their ‘personal gain’…Hmmm
I personally drive a Silverado. BUT I really think the Impala is a super neat car and if I wanted a car that would be the one. I feel GM is putting too much into BIG Trucks and SUVs. My 2015 Silverado LTZ is a great truck.. Did I need a big truck like that? NO. I had a 2004 Silverado which was a much much better it. I am a 74 year old woman 5’4″. The problem is getting in and out and the Colorado is actually more difficult to get in and out of. I have a friend with one and we both have swapped back and forth and agree. Silverado is easier. It was too big when I bought it and too big now.. and I probably will buy a Ridgeline. I need a truck but I don’t need a huge truck. It barely fits in a standard garage. I hoped that one Colorado or Canyon would be configured more like a road truck than an off road muscle type truck but I waited 3 years.. NOTHING and the use of interior room in the Colorado and Canyon is horrid in the back. After being with GM all my life…starting with a ’55 BelAirConvertible I am going to have to walk from GM.. that is sad. Women buy a lot of vehicles.. If you haven’t noticed Baby Boomers are getting older.. We don’t have a need for a big tough truck even if we need or like driving trucks. As far as I am concerned GM missed the boat.
If you liked your 2004 so much why did you get rid of it? Do you need 4wd, that could save you a little height to get in and out. It’s a shame you would give up so easily being a GM person since your 55 Bel Air.
I felt 11 years was enough.. I wanted some of the safety features in newer trucks. I don’t have 4wd.. an LTZ is not a 4 wheel drive truck. Yeah it is a shame that GM could not remember that women buy a lot of cars and that the general population is aging and don’t necessarily need to tow as much or carry as much but still need a truck. One can like a vehicle and still feel it is time to get a newer one. I hoped the Colorado was going to be a real midsize but after riding in a friend’s a lot the only thing smaller is the Width. Big deal
The Impala is definitely gone. If they didn’t introduce a new one at the most recent auto show then it’s dead. I like my Impala, it’s a shame. I would move to a Malibu if they offered a V6 but they do not.
Just watched CBS this morning, Chevrolet commercial, probably the only one today, showed the Chevy lineup with a black Cruze, a CUV and a grey Malibu. No Impala mentioned. The whole point was 20% off Malibu. That’s what it must be worth 80% of a car. Next up, Toyota’s commercial with a pearl white and red leather Camry screaming through the curves with a beautiful blond and rock music. Now I want to go look at the Camry, it’s sexy. Chevrolets are rental car grade, even Hyundai is more exciting.
C’mon Brian, you Asian trolls need to work on your game. Two words that would never be used in the same sentence, sexy and Camry.
I respect Ford for making those decisions of eliminating those passenger cars.
GM needs to do the same and quickly. I always felt GM sold way too many models. I would not be surprised if there is a second bankruptcy. Corvette seems bloated and out of touch, impala needs to go along with the Volt.
I became an Impala fan the first time I drove one. I own a 2016 LTZ, and it’s by far the best car I’ve ever owned, and I’ve owned Toyotas, Fords, Mazdas and VW’s. As gas prices inevitably rise, the truck/SUV market will dwindle, and the modern sedan, of all sizes, with AWD and either hybrid or electric powertrains will become the mainstay of the long-term future. If GM discontinues the Impala, I will move to the Toyota Avalon. I suspect many sedan lovers will as well, now that Ford is discontinuing its sedans. GM has proven they can build outstanding cars – the Impala is currently Consumer Reports top-rated large sedan, beating the Avalon, and the Kia Cadenza, and has been #1 for three years! Where GM fails is in anticipating future trends, rather than reacting to current ones. They seem to consistently fail at improving on a good thing like the Impala in the long term, giving up too easily and conceding ground to the Japanese. It’s why they needed a bailout in 2008, and now that they’ve recovered with innovative design and quality built cars, they’re about to make the same mistake again.
John,
I will say i really like the look of the impala..you said you had the LTZ model, it must be a joy to own. I agree with you on anticipating trends instead of playing catch up. I think a LTZ malibu could fill the impala void. I sometimes wonder why there is a equinox and traverse…they seem pretty close to the same. I am sure it costs the company millions if a model fails, with that said, i will say sometimes less is more.
Ford has decided no money in cars in America. I still think the Volt has a market and the Bolt. Prices need to come down. They need to make a truck that is the size of the 2004 Silverado… that truck is not smaller than the colorado… The Colorado is higher off the ground… more difficult for short people to get into… more difficult for short people to get stuff in and out of the bed.. 2004 Silverado should be the size of the Colorado. Colorado and Canyon make horrid use of the interior behind the front seats.. I have a 2015 Silverado LTZ and I probably will be selling it and buying a Ridgeline which has the same dimensions as the 2004 Silverado
the problem with GM is that they have mirror cars (darn near) in the Chevy line up and the GM line up and that is a horrid duplication of effort. Sierra and Silverado. Canyon and Colorado and the Acadia and Traverse I think etc etc.. But really why?
Frances,
i didnt think about the GMC angle, sorta of like the Ford/Mercury thing..I wonder how Lincoln will do with the loss of passenger cars at Ford. Anyway you talk about 2004 size vehicles..are you saying that Chevy/GMC are getting bigger and bigger?..I have a 99 Toyota 4runner and that generation is quite smaller than where they have grown. I looked at the new Ridgeline and really liked the size.
GM has had a platform mate (mirror car) stategy for most of its history. Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac and Buick allow GM to target different demos, price points while requiring little extra capital.
Nox and Terrain look as different as their Toyota, Honda and Nissan rivals. The mechanical side may be identical but styling and branding make the CUVs different. VW does the same with Skoda and Audi.
FCA is frugal with capital. If Sergio ran GM he’d kill off a ton of vehicles but GM is thriving in its current form.
In the 1980s Buick, Olds and Pontiac were near identical but that’s over.
As long as the Trucks and SUVs are so big and are high off the ground older people.. particularly women around 5’5″ won’t buy them and if they can use a car would like an impala. I drive a Silverado and I am selling it. Honda has that Ridgeline dialed in really nice and it specs identical to the 2004 Silverado except it is shorter. I need a truck but I don’t need to break my neck getting in and out.. I am 75.. female and 5’4″.. Love my LTZ but getting in and out sucks.