Chevrolet Still Sees Cars As An Important Part Of Their Lineup

Totally agree with GM, there is still valid business to be had here. No reason to abandon the car business like Ford is doing.

I still see a need to consolidate the auto business, way to many models, name plates and build capacity. I think China and Europe have pain ahead of them in a consolidation that is coming.

Europe especially needs to consolidate.  That market is shrinking as we speak.  China will have a recession where some automakers will pull out or die. Survival of the fittest in action.

Chevy needs to clean up Spark, Sonic, Cruze, Malibu, Impala.  5 cars is too many when they should probably have 3 and make those 3 really good.  And those 5 are especially too many when you have Volt and Bolt also, I feel like they could do a plug-in hybrid Cruze and Malibu on the next generation and retire the Volt, or make the Volt a mid-size EV sedan or something.  

1 hour ago, smk4565 said:

Chevy needs to clean up Spark, Sonic, Cruze, Malibu, Impala.  5 cars is too many when they should probably have 3 and make those 3 really good.  And those 5 are especially too many when you have Volt and Bolt also, I feel like they could do a plug-in hybrid Cruze and Malibu on the next generation and retire the Volt, or make the Volt a mid-size EV sedan or something.  

True..

The Impy and Sonic are already on the way out. The sonic is extra, while models like the Malibu RS will help start easing the pain for those who will miss the Impy (like me)

While it is shrinking, there still is a market for cars out there- whether they like cars (in general) and easier for the budget. Plus, there are many who simply don't need a SUV/CUV....

GM is going to trim a few more cars out of their lineup, but being prepared (next gas spike, anyone?) doesn't hurt at all...

There needs to be a transition where either all these compliance cars are the ones left standing or they simply rename their compliance cars with popular name plates.

but they should not pull a Holden and replace the Commodore with the Insignia. That would be dumb.

10 hours ago, smk4565 said:

Chevy needs to clean up Spark, Sonic, Cruze, Malibu, Impala.  5 cars is too many when they should probably have 3 and make those 3 really good.  And those 5 are especially too many when you have Volt and Bolt also, I feel like they could do a plug-in hybrid Cruze and Malibu on the next generation and retire the Volt, or make the Volt a mid-size EV sedan or something.  

At least it is not bloated with excessive models like Mercedes-Benz. Interesting how they innerchange roadster & cabriolet for in essence just being a convertible. Plus you also have the AMG version of just about every one of these cars.

Comparing the sales numbers to this extensive list of cars and the listing of of them shows they could cut 50% easily and not really affect sales. They might as well just make 3 really good models only since they have so many versions of each one listed here.

CAR BLOAT of Daimler Mercedes-Benz:

A-Class

• Hatchback
• Sports Tourer

B-Class

• Hatchback
• Sports Tourer

C-Class

• Cabriolet
• Coupe
• Sedan
• Plug-in Hybrid
• AMG

CLA

• 4 door Coupe
• AMG

CLS

• 4 door Coupe
• AMG

E-Class

• Cabriolet
• Coupe
• Sedan
• Wagon
• AMG

S-Class

• Cabriolet
• Coupe
• Sedan
• AMG

SL

• Coupe
• Roadster
• AMG

SLC

• Coupe
• Cabriolet
• AMG

AMG-GT

• GT
• GT Roadster
• GT C
• GT C Roadster
• GT 4
• GT 63 S
• GT R
• GT 4-Door Coupe
• GT S
• GT S Roadster

Mercedes-Maybach

• S-560
• S-650
• S-650 Cabriolet
• S-650 Pullman

23 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Plus you also have the AMG version of just about every one of these cars.

That is the absolute best part about Mercedes, they make a gnarly version of everything they make.

24 minutes ago, dfelt said:

CAR BLOAT of Daimler Mercedes-Benz:

I think every manufacturer wishes they had the diverse lineup Mercedes has while still making money. I hate their coupe SUVs but everything else is about what you'd want and expect from a premier luxury automaker. 

15 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

That is the absolute best part about Mercedes, they make a gnarly version of everything they make.

I think every manufacturer wishes they had the diverse lineup Mercedes has while still making money. I hate their coupe SUVs but everything else is about what you'd want and expect from a premier luxury automaker. 

I agree that the AMG is an awesome line just like Cadillac's V edition that I still do not get why they have not done a V-edition to every product. Escalade, XT5, etc. 

Yet the worst part is also their most common BLAH part. From the S-Class to the A-Class they all look the same. On top of this, stop duplicating with a Roadster and Cabriolet. Just do a freaking convertible for the few that want it, no need to have one in every product line that sells less than 100 a month. I truly think there is an excessive waste of car duplication in MB which also is a waste of money.

They are in their hey day and right now it is great they are so profitable to waste money on excess, but this is also how Cadillac fell and right now, the German brands have allot of black eyes due to the diesel emission scandal and other issues. 

If all was great in Daimler, they would not have broken the company down into 3 stand alone divisions. Starting next year, a true picture will show on just how well Mercedes-Benz is doing now that the other profit sections are broken out from them.

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

Just do a freaking convertible for the few that want it, no need to have one in every product line that sells less than 100 a month. I truly think there is an excessive waste of car duplication in MB which also is a waste of money.

As consumers, we should be welcoming a brand that is giving us this many options. Yes, I personally, could care less about any convertibles but if you are in the market for a convertible MB has like 6 different vehicles available in convertibles and all three GM brands has two and one is pretty crappy in the Buick Cascada. 

They're not wasting yours or my money so I see zero issue with them having this many options. 

Cadillac has never had this many options across their brand. 

5 hours ago, ccap41 said:

As consumers, we should be welcoming a brand that is giving us this many options. Yes, I personally, could care less about any convertibles but if you are in the market for a convertible MB has like 6 different vehicles available in convertibles and all three GM brands has two and one is pretty crappy in the Buick Cascada. 

They're not wasting yours or my money so I see zero issue with them having this many options. 

Cadillac has never had this many options across their brand. 

MB Brand covers Chevy versions to luxury versions and they are watering down their brand as a luxury line with the excessive duplication at every level. They are the king right now from a brand standpoint but I see them already dropping as their ATP is not what it used to be, people are confused as to what they want to be. They would have been better off doing a low to mid level brand line under a different name.

I have to question if Mercedes-benz will be the same company in 10 years.

As far as Mercedes goes, I think they can kill the CLA because they have the A-class sedan which looks better and is more functional.  They can also kill the SLC because compact roadster is a pretty tiny segment, they could probably sell that buyer a C-class convertible.  

But the rest of those cars they need, because they sell wagons in other parts of the world and they sell a lot of S-classes globally and that is their #1 margin car.   And like ccap said, having all those choices is good for the consumer.  

I will say I think the new CLS is ugly, the E-class looks better and the AMG sedan looks better so that CLS is pointless but someone will buy it and it isn’t costing them much to re-body an existing car.

Perhaps Chevy could make the Impala a mid-size electric sedan to carry on with the name plate.  An electric sedan with external dimensions of a Malibu would have interior dimensions of an Impala, if not more.

3 minutes ago, dfelt said:

MB Brand covers Chevy versions to luxury versions and they are watering down their brand as a luxury line with the excessive duplication at every level. They are the king right now from a brand standpoint but I see them already dropping as their ATP is not what it used to be, people are confused as to what they want to be. They would have been better off doing a low to mid level brand line under a different name.

I have to question if Mercedes-benz will be the same company in 10 years.

Where is the overlap other than SL and AMG GT ?  which are basically the same size and price, but one is a luxury car the other is a sports car.  There is $55,000 between an E400 coupe/convertible and an S560 coupe/convertible , that is spread apart pretty well.

You can argue CLA and CLS are pointless but they are just body styles of the A and E class.  Especially when the AMG GT sedan has an inline six option, you might as well get that over a CLS53.   And people buy those coupe SUV’s, my friend bought a GLE coupe because he liked that body style, and he had 2 BMW’s before that.

Mercedes still has the highest ATP of any full line luxury brand, they aren’t hurting there.  I think in 10 years they will be stronger because of their electric cars.  Mercedes is going to put a hurt on Tesla because 80% of electric Mercedes won’t need to go down a re-work line or leave the factory with miss-matched door trim, etc.

11 minutes ago, dfelt said:

MB Brand covers Chevy versions to luxury versions and they are watering down their brand as a luxury line with the excessive duplication at every level. They are the king right now from a brand standpoint but I see them already dropping as their ATP is not what it used to be, people are confused as to what they want to be. They would have been better off doing a low to mid level brand line under a different name.

I have to question if Mercedes-benz will be the same company in 10 years.

So what? The models that compete with the "luxury only" Cadillac are still superior vehicles in most ways. Then their low appliance-like cars are still offered with a gnarly AMG variant. 

They don't have duplications anywhere. Where do they have two of the same cars offered? The closest things would be the GLE and the GLE Coupe(and GLC). 

The only two vehicles that come off in any possible way as appliances are the CLA and GLA. Everything else is very premium for their respective classes.

15 hours ago, smk4565 said:

Where is the overlap other than SL and AMG GT ?

They've never been produced at the same time, have they? If they did it had to have been leftovers of the SL selling while the AMG GT was being produced. 

19 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

They've never been produced at the same time, have they? If they did it had to have been leftovers of the SL selling while the AMG GT was being produced. 

They still make the SL and AMG GT AFAIK...

16 hours ago, smk4565 said:

Where is the overlap other than SL and AMG GT ?  which are basically the same size and price, but one is a luxury car the other is a sports car.   

There is a $36k spread between the SL and AMG GT roadster starting prices...( going off the prices listed on the MB USA website). 

1 minute ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

They still make the SL and AMG GT...

OH SL! I was thinking SLS the whole time. Thank you! 🤦‍♂️

1 minute ago, ccap41 said:

OH SL! I was thinking SLS the whole time. Thank you! 🤦‍♂️

Ah, yeah..the AMG GT replaced the SLS. 

18 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Ah, yeah..the AMG GT replaced the SLS. 

Yeah that's why I was confused because I really didn't think they were ever produced side-by-side. 

17 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Yeah that's why I was confused because I really didn't think they were ever produced side-by-side. 

Probably not much...they did overlap in the 2015 model year.  Production of the SLS ended in 2014, production of the AMG GT began in 2014.

On 8/29/2018 at 9:00 AM, dfelt said:

car duplication in MB

What duplication? 

54 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

There is a $36k spread between the SL and AMG GT roadster starting prices...( going off the prices listed on the MB USA website).

While there is definitely some overlap one is a GT car and one is a sports car. At least that is how I view them. 

8 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

What duplication? 

While there is definitely some overlap one is a GT car and one is a sports car. At least that is how I view them. 

Yeah, and the one named GT is the sports car.  Kind of ironic. 

9 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Yeah, and the one named GT is the sports car.  Kind of ironic. 

Hahaha, RIGHT???

I like the look of the racing version of the GT..

I just think the car looks hot in general. 

On 8/29/2018 at 9:00 AM, dfelt said:

car duplication in MB

@dfelt Why no response?