Automobile production is an outrageously expensive endeavor, and without proper resource management, waste can quickly pile up. As such, General Motors streamlines the process through parts sharing, just like every other major automaker out there. However, modern GM parts sharing practices are a bit different from those of the past, as outlined in the following GM Authority Exclusive.
Indeed, the GM of today has come a long way from the GM of the past. The old GM was notorious for badge engineering, or rather, slapping a new badge on a vehicle and calling it something completely different. Just a few examples include the Chevrolet Aveo and Pontiac G3, as well as the Chevrolet Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade EXT.
Chevrolet Avalanche
Cadillac Escalade EXT
Luckily, things are different these days, as The General now makes a greater effort to differentiate vehicles that include some GM parts sharing. For instance, a casual observer would be hard-pressed to tell that the new Chevrolet Blazer rides on the same platform as the GMC Acadia, Cadillac XT5, or Cadillac XT6.
Chevrolet Blazer
Cadillac XT6
To explain GM’s thinking on the matter, we spoke with sources involved in GM’s product planning operations, who succinctly summed up the modern GM parts sharing strategy in a single sentence: “Share the stuff that the customer can’t see.”
The most obvious application of this strategy is with regard to the mechanical bits, such as the engines and transmissions, as well as the electrical system or any other “hidden” vehicle feature.
Meanwhile, the “seen” features, such as the exterior and interior, are typically more differentiated. A good example of this would be the C1 platform crossovers already mentioned, or the Alpha platforms vehicles, which include the Cadillac ATS and CTS, as well as the Chevrolet Camaro.
GM Alpha platform
What are your thoughts on modern GM parts sharing? Is it more hidden now than it was at times in the past? Let us know by posting your opinions in the comments, and make sure to subscribe to GM Authority for ongoing GM news coverage.
Comments
My Cadillac has the same 3.6 that so many other gm vehicles have, and it doesnt bother me at all, in fact i welcome it! As long as it does the job i need it do, then i dont care.
Commonality keeps cost down when i have to fix it.
And that is why Cadillac is perpetually in trouble
Platforms, transmissions , computers etc al, can b e shared and hidden easily,
But engines, suspensions any hardware you touch or see should not only be different but better by the time you get to a Cadillac.
Even if Cadillac shares an engine it should have more HP and it should be dressed better without some cheap plastic cover separating it from a Colorado engine.
You may fool some folks but the core of the segment wants more than an expensive Chevy sedan.
It used to be buying a Cadillac was special in many ways today it is not really that special anymore.
As for the CUV models the platform is not bad but it not hidden very well with the same drivetrain in nearly every version. Chevy and GMC are fine with the 3.6 but Cadillac should have either more power or a different engine. The Turbo 4 should be 300 hp with today’s ability.
When charging the prices they are charging there should be more for the money.
Absolutely no shared door handles or knobs inside. The power seats should be quieter. The base models should be better.
Remember you settle for less you will get less and that is just what you are getting now. Only an idiot would pay the price of a new Cadillac right now. Save money buy it used as the deprec is killer. There are good loan turn ins out there.
Exactly what I was thinking. Is there a difference in wiring etc. I once had a 1975 Cadillac and it was pointed out to me that it had solid core copper wiring where other GM vehicles used stranded wiring; the solid core provided a more positive connection.
]n my younger years I worked in a couple used auto parts yards. It always struck me how much GM could save if it only shared more parts. Plain steel wheels, for example, although it’s harder with the new aluminum ones. When sharing something as visible as body shells it’s very hard to differentiate.
I don’t think engine sharing is a bad thing. Those things are very complicated, expensive, and take a long time to develop, so if they have a good reliable engine, use it wherever practical.
I can see the argument for a bump in power for premium brands or maybe an exclusive optional engine, but then people complain that the availability isn’t wide enough.
Also most consumers don’t visit sites like this and probably don’t put much thought into what engine their vehicle has.
Exactly why I don’t own an XT6, the look is there but nothing else is so why should I pay for a Traverse powertrain in a brand new Cadillac.
At least use the 3.0TT in the Cadillac’s! Problem is the bureaucrats that run GM don’t know the difference between the 3.0 TT and the 3.6 or any other V6 on the planet. A V6 is a V6 is a V6, all the same right?
That’s exactly what Toyota and VW have been doing for decades…
Yet VW is NOW the largest mfr in the world and Toyota is #2. VW does it Soooooooo much better its nearly impossible to see as a consumer. But GM is different and thats ONE reason they’re no longer the largest vehicle mfr in the world and far from it now…