Yet another General Motors executive has thrown support behind the shrinking passenger-car segment. Although the crossover and SUV segment has exploded in recent years, GM North America President Alan Batey believes the sedan is still an integral piece to the industry.
Batey, who also oversees Chevrolet’s global operations, told Automotive News in an interview published Monday that GM realizes there are consumers who do not want a crossover, truck or SUV.
“We just launched an arsenal of new crossovers, and we’ve been able to fully capitalize on that opportunity. Having said that, I still maintain that the car segments are very important,” he said.
The executive added that many consumers have switched to a high-riding crossover or SUV and likely won’t look back, but “there are also those people out there that don’t want to drive a crossover.”
Notably, rival Ford plans to do away with all of its sedans and will leave the Mustang and one Focus variant, the crossover-like Activ, for the North American market.
Per Batey, the compact-car segment was still larger than the mid-size SUV segment through May. The segment still gives GM plenty of room to bring new buyers to the brand—especially ones who can’t afford a larger crossover or SUV. Smaller cars remain important introduction points for brands at affordable prices.
Yet, Chevrolet Cruze sales have tumbled from their height in the early part of the decade. GM recently ended the Lordstown, Ohio, plant’s second shift. Now, just one shift assembles the Cruze sedan.
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I don’t think companies realize why sedan sales are dwindling. sedans are still relevant. It’s just that “We, the People” cant stand the sedans that are available today. When people want an american sedan, we don’t want a Japanese wannabe car, we want an American car. Nobody wanted American cars to go to these front wheel drive Camry and Accord chasers. Hence why everyone loves chargers, except for the fact that people are not impressed with Mopar’s reliability or their affiliation with Fiat. The same thing that excites the Australian buyers to the Holden HSV cars is what attracts American buyers, power. We love powerful, v8 engines in cars that have a rear wheel drive chassis, even if they are all wheel drive. We also love the simplicity of a Chevy small block, that’s why American fell in love with the Chevrolet 350ci V8 and why today that same V8 design is still holding strong and beating cars around the world. General Motors should and could be the go to car of America like it used to be because Chevy (GM) had a car for every level.
Stop and think for a moment to a time not so long ago when Pontiac was around. People loved Pontiac because it was that middle of the road brand that offered power, luxury, performance and practicality all in an attractive package. America wants cars like the Camaro, the full Holden HSV lineup just renamed to american cars (like the Impala SS, the Malibu SS, the El Camino SS, a 2-door Tahoe, a Chevy 1500 SS, a Chevy 1500 Zr2, Pontiac vehicles like the Firebird, the Grand Prix and the Bonneville and things like that. Yeah we still want Tesla killers (the FNR-X) and things like that but we also want a better Chevrolet Cruze on the Alpha-2 platform as an AWD rear-wheel drive based hot hatch with high performance turbo-4 and twin turbo-6 options along with pedestrian options. We want the Cadillac Elmiraj concept to become a reality in a big 2-door coupe to rival (not imitate) cars like the BMW 8-series or AMG S-Class coupe but with the classic El-Dorado styling and current Cadillac body language and things like that. As much as we want classic elegance and raw power, we still love our tech, and we love simplicity both inside the car and under the hood. Also, car’s are priced too expensive. Now i agree cars like the ZL1, GT500 and things like that should be at a premium of $50,000.00 and up but mostly everything else should never reach over $35,000 fully loaded.
Also, stop sending so much over seas. There are plenty of spots right here in America where the infrastructure for the factories and everything else is right here. There are billions of dollars worth of commercial property even right here where i’m at in Philadelphia that GM Could open up plants and factories and there are people who would be lining up to work in these places. Chester, Pennsylvania. An old site for the Ford Plant is wasting away just like Detroit. America needs a second and longer lasting industrial revolution to bring jobs back to the country and bring money back in the country. Nothing would need to be clear cut or anything because the buildings are already here. the blue print was set way back in the fifties and the opportunity and the workers are here. But back to the point, GM has the potential to do much better than what they are right now. The question is will they?