AutoBlog: REPORT: Samsung looks to be most likely supplier to a Penske-owned Saturn

[NewsFeeder]

Filed under: Saturn, Renault

As the bidding to take over over the Saturn brand from General Motors nears its conclusion, it looks increasingly likely that Roger Penske will walk away with the "prize." Regardless of who takes control, all Penske is slated to receive is a network of dealers and a brand name. GM has already announced it will cease producing new Saturn cars at the end of June 2009, which means the new owner will have to line up another company to provide products for those 380-odd stores. One of the rumors making the rounds is Renault would be a supplier, however, as GM learned trying to import the Astra from Europe, importing cars from the continent is not a viable business plan under current exchange rates. It turns out the supply of vehicles could come from Renault Samsung Motors, the small South Korean maker that's 80% owned by Renault. That's a plan that could be financially viable with vehicles based on shared Renault-Nissan platforms. Hyundai has demonstrated that South Korea can produce quality products and priced aggressively as Saturns.

[source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

REPORT: Samsung looks to be most likely supplier to a Penske-owned Saturn originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 May 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[David]

Those are some weird looking autos.

[CSpec]

Interesting. I'm all for more competition in the auto industry.

[regfootball]

if they bring a megane, fine. if all they want to sell is more warmed over korean/asian crap cars, then shut down saturn now.

[ZL-1]

I wasn't expecting this. Interesting idea...

[regfootball]

saturn has no reason to exist unless it can bring a car to the table that has cred. another me too asian box with no established reliability does nothing for the brand.

i would rather see magna produce saturns using opel designs (as magna is rumored to possibly be in the hunt for the opel end of it)

[Satty]

This could be interesting. Have to wait and see what ends up happening.

[Robert Hall]

Interesting development. I've seen Samsung phones and TVs, they are decent, not necessarily tier 1, but not the bottom of the barrel either...wonder what their cars are like.

[A Horse With No Name]

Sadly, I think this is one more nail in the coffin for the US auto industry...

Chris

[Hudson]

Interesting development. I've seen Samsung phones and TVs, they are decent, not necessarily tier 1, but not the bottom of the barrel either...wonder what their cars are like.

The companies that make phones/TVs and cars are connected in name, but little else. There's no reason to compare the quality of products between the two just as you wouldn't compare the quality of DirecTV service, a Frigidaire refrigerator, and a Chevrolet car, even though all (at one point or another) came from the same company.