But to me it doesn't seem like they are going to shrink enough. It seems to me that they need to shrink to Cadillac and Chevrolet. I could maybe see keeping Buick. But the rest need to go. GM to Shrink
Speaking of shrinking.....remarkable when you consider the state of the Japanese industrial infrastructure at the beginning of this generation.... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...01/21/AR2009012101216.html?wprss=rss_business
There were only three GM brands that were not part of my account mix....Pontiac, Buick and GMC..( although at four major autoshows...Det, Chi, LA and NY I did have these accounts in the past 3 years. ) Therefore the news that Saturn, Saab, and Hummer are pretty much going away would not have been very good news for me. I suspect also that Caddy and Chevy are not seeing any increase in their auto show budget any time soon so my GM business....already cut by 60% this year...would have dropped even further into the abyss. There it would have joined what was left of my Chrysler business. Part of the bright side of being laid off is that news like this can't cause me the direct grief that it was causing before the layoff. Such is life in the auto industry.....what a blast....
I wouldn't expect that by consolidating car lines that GM will sell fewer cars, they will reduce costs by not having to maintain similar product lines. People who want a Yukon or Denali can buy a similar Chev product. There are 3 different treatments for the new platform that the has the Enclave, Traverse, and Acadia on top of it. Just have one, that's bound to be a cost savings, and people will still get what they want.
When we purchased our 1005 3/4 ton 4WD Chevy with the Duramax Diesel, I would have rather had the GMC version. However, the deal we got on that truck was not something I could find on a GMC lot. The GMC trucks are a little higher priced and and have more luxury appointments. It would not be the end of the world for GM to consolidate. As Terry said, there is not that much difference in a Tahoe and a Yukon, a Sierra and a Silverado, a Trailblazer and a Envoy, etc.
Keep Buick and dump Saturn? Most of the people I know who drove Buicks are now either dead or driving Amigos. Saturn has had problems but seemed to attract younger buyers. Would it not make sense to keep the brand that has some appeal to folks who will be buying cars in the future?
Bobda that was my first thought. I wonder if they're planning on trying to sell Saturn or just spin it off.