As GM Authority has covered in the past, General Motors is drastically reducing the number of paint options on offer across all four of its U.S. brands (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC). This change is seen predominantly with the launch of the 2025 model year, with a just few examples including the Chevy Corvette and the Chevy Silverado, both of which offer four fewer color options for the 2025 model year than was the case for the 2024 model year. Now, GM Authority is taking a closer look at General Motors’ strategic move to slash its list of exterior color options.
In a recent episode of the Chevy Society podcast, GM Authority Executive Editor Alex Luft dives into General Motors’ decision to reduce the number of exterior color options across its vehicle lineup. This strategy is part of a broader General Motors initiative dubbed “Winning with Simplicity,” which aims to simplify the automaker’s production process through reduced complexity in a number of different areas. Obviously, this includes the number of exterior color options, but it also includes model trim level lineups and the number of buildable configurations in general.
The Simplicity initiative will result in fewer unique part numbers and software releases, leading to lower design, engineering, logistics, and supplier costs. Additionally, it will streamline the ordering process for dealers and General Motors itself.
For example, the 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV will offer six exterior colors, down from eight in 2024. This trend continues across much of General Motors’ portfolio, including popular models like the Chevy Silverado, Chevy Tahoe, Cadillac Lyriq, and GMC Sierra, which are all seeing fewer color choices.
The timing of this move aligns with GM’s broader business objectives, particularly as the company looks to maintain profitability in a highly competitive automotive market. With an extensive portfolio of nameplates and models, managing the complexity of a broad range of options is costly and labor-intensive. The simplification strategy is projected to save General Motors around $200 million in 2024, a relatively modest figure for a company with billions in revenue, but still a meaningful step in cost reduction.
Stay tuned, as next we’ll cover why this move could be considered somewhat dangerous for the automaker.
Comments
More of don’t give the customer what they want. These manufacturers need to learn or they are again going to face hard times. Customers are getting tired of the bullying.
but not tired of buying GM, as their sales volume proves.
Sales are down slightly in the US through the first three quarters and are projected to be down 6.5% globally (400,000 units) this year.
So no, their volumes are not improving.
Can’t believe GM dropped Ceramic Matrix Grey Metallic for Hypersomethingorother Purple!
AS Henry Ford said, “Give’em any color they want. So long as it’s black”. Looks like gm is looking back.
That saying is famous because it is what caused Ford to lose the vehicle sales race to gm – who offered cars with colors. Ford has been behind gm since. Obviously Mary slept through her history and marketing classes.
Streamlining makes some sense but not when you get stuck with one choice like current interior options on the EV pickups (except top trim might have 2). Also, there is a contradiction here in that the Silverado/Sierra EVs get different color choices so that production line still has 8 or so paint colors. All the GMC paints are dark or drab except the white. OK, maybe their target customers are older but that doesn’t mean we all want to show our age with the color of our truck. Another related gripe I have is we can’t delete stupid marketing choices like ridiculously large wheels that cost us in acceleration, braking, efficiency/range/”fuel”, ride and handling or the glass roof that doesn’t have a sun shade.
After buying over 100 GM cars in my lifetime, I feel GM really doesn’t want my business any longer. Stupid is what stupid does IMHO!
After 50 years of being a “bow tie guy” and “bleeding blue” and driving Corvettes, Camaros, pickup trucks (also a Chevy Truck Legend member) and many other Chevys and a few Pontiacs, no more. Thanks to Mary and her new policies of making it simple for the consumer to order (bull) I will be looking at the alternatives. Made my mind up when building a new Silverado to replace my ’19 model and I wanted to add one option. In order to do that I had to add a package which included nine more options, seven which I didn’t want. For a $100 option, I had to add just over $1000 to the sticker. I’m done. I’ll be looking for other manufacturers that will allow me more to freedom to order what I want, not what they want to sell. Might be tough, but I will try.
Another strike against them for me personally are the air conditioned seats (no longer available in GM lines) which I have in my ’19 and use often when it’s hot (I’m only 6′ and weigh 180lbs for you trolls). My wife’s new Equinox has “ventilated” seats which are useless, a complete waste of money. They do not work.
I don’t think I’m the exception, I’m sure there are others with similar feelings. So Mary, remember Roger Smith? And don’t forget the customers make the company, alienate them and there is no company.
Does limiting the interior colors make them more money? I would think offering more choices of interior colors would make them more money.
THAT PAR FOR GENEROUS MOTORS!
Because they’re cheap. duh!!
Offering 8 – 11 colors guarantees most will have like 5% penetration. It adds a lot of cost and complexity for minimal plus sales. Tesla sells the majority of its cars with 3 colors and then offers a couple more if you are willing to pony up thousands more.
It is my contention that GM employes a lot of employees whose job it is to simply find ways to save The General a ton of money in every single endevor GM attempts to stick it’s hot crusty sausge fingers into! Could be paint, could be interior trim, maybe tires, brakes, styling, ect. ect. Think about it, how many parts are in various GM products, and if if some “slick willy” cost accountant can find a way to save money (but still keep the products end result buy able for at least the first purchase contract, after that, well….you be the judge if you are going to continue purchasing GM products) but I’m pretty sure ifyou were the CEO of GM
you’d be happy as a kid on Christmas morning knowing your next stock report is going to show even a one percent gain in productivity and your shareholders, who could give a damn whether the Mighty Corvette lineup has 2 or 5 less colors to have to deal with! It’s a business boys and girls, and the goal of a business is to make lots of money for it’s shareholders, and those greedy little idiots just want to see positive numbers, so now you see why some times you cut various parts of your product lineup and pay those “Bean Counters” a crazy amount of cash to look into every aspect of saving money so GM’s “Queen Bee” Princess, Mary Barra can go stand before her constituents and give you a GM stock issue report that’ll keep you, the investor coming back for more of what GM’s selling! ‘Ya got’a love it. Chevy could realistically cut more stuff from the Mighty C8 Corvette line up and no one would be the wiser, cause you’ve previously sold a ton of C8’s since 2020, with all sorts of different paint and trim options, so it’s no big deal if you cut back even more options in 2025! Just build ’em, and don’t loose any sleep over there being less C8 paint colors, they’ll sell, you’ll see.
i feel gm wants their products to be like a refrigerator, they all look the same, you buy a new one every 5-7 years
What difference does it make, people only order 3 colors anyway! White, black & grey/silver!!
Most people *buy” one of those three colors when they’re shopping for models on the lot. However, they order different colors.
Got myself a cacti green vette this year. The color gets tons of compliments every trip out, yet they discontinued it and other great colors for 2025.
I will never buy red, white, black, in any vehicle. No judgement on anyone that does, they just don’t appeal to me.
If I don’t like the colours offered I just don’t buy. GM needs to step up their paint colors. IMHO.
Please replace Red Mist. Love the color, but enough is enough. Getting to be a lot of them. Mix it up a little. Had a 99 Magnetic Red, after a few yrs it was changed a little and called MR 2, every few yrs they changed it a little. Same with my Crystal Red Tintcoat Camaro ZL1. My 23 ZO6 is Red Mist. Obviously I like these type of reds but if I get a ZR1 it would be nice to have a little change. Just a thought.