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The base coupe has an attractive overall shape. I like the car much better without all the add-ons and that hideous rear wing spoiler. The front end design is this vehicle's major downfall. The car has one of the most boring headlight designs combined with an elongated bucktooth grille (I love the Bugs Bunny references in the previous posts) that singlehandedly destroys the iconic nature of Pontiac's twin nostril grille. If Pontiac could give the G6 coupe an interesting, yet attractive front end design, then I think it would be one nice looking coupe. The GXP version is atrocious. It's too "boy-racer" for my tastes. On a side note: I think the G6 convertible is a definite indication that a "TwinTop" coupe version of the upcoming Insignia would be one hot looking car.

Cadillac is 3rd and Buick is 6th: Congratulations GM!!! Mercury is 2nd while Lincoln and Ford were both above the Industry Average: Good Job Ford!!!

I think Buick is the brand that should handle FWD luxury cars. The LWB Epsilon II LaCrosse replacement (hopefully christened "Invicta") should be the flagship sedan. A SWB Epsilon II compact sedan should slot in below it in the lineup. A LWB Epsilon II Riviera coupe and a SWB Epsilon II compact coupe should also be added to the lineup. The Enclave and a Theta based Rendezvous crossover would complete the lineup. Cadillac would have an all RWD lineup. A compact RWD sedan, coupe, and wagon series based on the Alpha platform,a midsize sedan, coupe, and wagon series based on Sigma (or Sigma-Zeta in the future maybe?), a fullsize flagship sedan based on Sigma (or Sigma-Zeta in the future?), a luxury retractable hardtop roadster based on Kappa, and the XLR flagship retractable hardtop roadster based on the Corvette platform would be all that Cadillac would need for a well rounded top-tier luxury lineup. Then GM should combine Buick and Cadillac to complement each other in a luxury dealer network. I do think there is a market for FWD luxury cars and Buick is the perfect brand to offer this type of product. The big question is will the corporate bean counters allow GM to properly build these products for Buick?

You present some intelligent, well thought out ideas. I agree with you that Chevrolet should be the global mainstream, affordable, volume brand. I partially agree with you about the Corvette; I think it should be marketed as a separate marque in foreign markets where the car has no historical ties with the Chevrolet brand, but it should remain in Chevrolet's lineup in the U.S. If GM wants to keep GMC around for retail sales, then the division should be bundled with Chevrolet. Chevrolet would focus solely on affordable cars and crossovers, while GMC would focus solely on trucks and SUVs. GMC would be the only division with truck/SUV products in its lineup. It looks like I agree with you about Saturn and Pontiac. I think both brands should be retired in favor of launching Opel in the U.S. market. I think Saturn and Pontiac have too much market baggage and are too strongly linked to GM to competently draw in new customers with Opel's upscale, Euro derived products. I think GM could position and mold Opel into the brand that will finally attract buyers who have long since given up on domestic vehicles. I do disagree with you about the assembly location and the trim levels. I think they should offer more trim levels than just the sporty OPC trim level in the U.S. and I think the products should be assembled in North America (it's the origin of the brand that's being marketed not the point of assembly; Opel should be marketed to represent German engineering). I am on the fence about Saab. I see advantages in selling it and I see advantages in retaining it. It should be bundled with Opel if GM decides to keep it. This would create a nice import focused dealer network for GM with Opel handling the higher volume end of the network and Saab focusing on the luxury end of the network. I do like your idea of offering AWD and turbocharged engines as standard equipment on every Saab product; this would provide some additional differentation for Saab in GM's brand hierarchy as well as in the marketplace. GM needs to work hard to restore the brand's trademark Swedish quirkiness in the products and in the brand's marketing. I do disagree with you about Buick. I think it can effectively be bundled with Cadillac to form the luxury dealer network. Buick can focus on FWD luxury cars and FWD/AWD luxury crossovers to complement Cadillac's lineup of well executed, top-tier RWD luxury cars. I think there is still a market for a well built FWD based luxury vehicle with understated, yet elegant styling; Buick is the perfect brand for this type of customer (not to mention that the brand is a smashing success in China). Cadillac would be targeted more towards people who prefer edgier styling and RWD; as you mentioned in your post, this would be the brand that would compete head on with BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Lexus, and Infiniti. I agree with you about Hummer. It should be sold. GMC can effectively and competently handle the SUV/truck segment. If GM wants to develop a Wrangler competitor, then they can just slap a GMC badge on it. This plan would leave 6 brands arranged in 3 dealer networks: * Affordable, Mainstream, Volume Dealer Network: Chevrolet/GMC * Import Focused Dealer Network: Opel/Saab * Luxury Dealer Network: Buick/Cadillac

Fair enough. I had previously called this car a "stopgap" measure because GM basically shipped it in pretty much unmodified from the Euro version to fill in the compact segment void left from the discontinuation of the ION and the cancellation of its proposed U.S. replacement. Since GM was bringing it over relatively unchanged and so close to the end of its model cycle, I considered the move to be a "stopgap" measure. Labeling it as such seemed to upset quite a few people, though. I can't wait to see the next generation. If GM can build on the strengths of this generation (looks/Euro tuned handling) while addressing some of the issues that will make it more attractive to U.S. buyers, then I think GM will have a genuine compact competitor on its hands (I know I will add it to my future car shopping list). I truly believe GM has the resources and talent to make the next generation a true standout in the compact segment.

I think this would work in conjunction with consolidating divisions. Right now GM has too many brands without well defined identities targeting the same portions of the market. GM shouldn't need Chevrolet, Saturn, and Pontiac to target the same affordable portion of the market. With the truck/SUV segment in a freefall, GM shouldn't need to install truck/SUV products into the lineups of Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Hummer. If GM is going to keep Saab, Buick, and Cadillac to target the luxury portion of the market, then GM needs to give each division a distinctive image and purpose. I think sorting out the corporation's perplexing multi-divisional pileup issue would help them solve how many platforms they actually need and how to use these platforms to implement each division's product strategy.

The basic building blocks seem to be there, it's the weak engine and attention to details (at least those that are valued by the U.S. buying public) that stand in the way of a successful run for this generation of the Astra. It's really sad because this car looks great; it just lacks some of the necessities (again for the U.S. buying public) to justify its price tag.

If it was executed as well as the current CTS, then the price advantage would make it even more of a standout in the large luxury sedan segment. A beautiful, well executed luxury sedan that costs significantly less than a 7-Series or S-Class would seem like a clear winner to most people (except to brand snobs who foolishly like to boast about how much they spent on their ride). I'm sure Cadillac has enough status to successfully pull this off; their only obstacle would be current market conditions that have made even the segment leaders (7-Series/S-Class) experience a slowdown in sales. That being said, compact Alpha based products should still be considered the priority for Cadillac. I do have a question: does this cancellation signal the cancellation of the proposed future Sigma-Zeta platform merger or is this just a single model cancellation for the current Zeta platform? I sincerely hope this action doesn't signal the end for the Sigma-Zeta platform merger. A combined Sigma-Zeta platform seems like such a promising start to creat some awesome future products for GM. If it is the end for Sigma-Zeta, then I hope GM is still committed to providing further updates/improvements to the Sigma platform to keep it alive for future Cadillac products.

It seems like GM keeps wasting money on developing platforms only to abandon and neglect them. Sometimes I just don't understand what they are thinking. It seems like their indecisiveness results in a huge waste of development dollars. I can see delaying the flagship sedan in order to prioritize development on the Alpha platform. Cadillac needs a RWD series of compact products (sedan, coupe, wagon) much worse than a new flagship sedan. The only thing is there wasn't any kind of announcement (that I'm aware of) stating this. All we heard is that the Zeta Cadillac program has been cancelled. If GM is going to let Zeta fade away, I would at least like to see them continue to update/improve the Sigma platform and utilize it to underpin future Cadillac midsize-large cars. I would also like to see GM develop a luxury retractable hardtop roadster for Cadillac based on the Kappa platform. Considering current market conditions, this car would be more appropriate at the moment than the Corvette based XLR. I just hope GM doesn't intend on returning Cadillac to a FWD lineup in the future. The division will never be on par with the BMW/Mercedes luxury segment mainstays if it intends to do this.

I really like this car, but the lack of some of the minor niceties will turn off a lot of people. This car is supposed to be an upscale compact product, but you still have to buy an aftermarket center armrest (that only offers one cupholder) for it. I also think it looks bad when the Chevrolet Cobalt (which is supposed to be the affordable, mainstream compact for GM) has more powerful engines than this car. I just hope GM gets the details right in the next generation car without diluting the great ride/handling that this generation offers.

I am going to step around the trainwreck that is Pontiac and avoid discussing the validity of supporting or keeping Hummer and focus on some of the General's other brands in regards to small vehicles. Chevrolet: This division needs replacements for the Aveo and Cobalt as soon as possible. The Aveo replacement should be a subcompact sedan and coupe built on the Gamma platform with styling influenced by the Beat Concept (I think the "Nova" name should be resurrected for this vehicle). A subcompact 5-door mini-crossover based on the Groove concept and built on the Gamma platform would be a nice addition to the lineup; it should supplement the Aveo replacement in the lineup instead of being the sole replacement for the Aveo as some reports have indicated. The Cruze sedan seems to be a nice, competitive replacement for the Cobalt (although I would prefer that they resurrect the "Monza" name for this car). It will be interesting to see what the coupe version will look like. A compact 5-door mini-crossover should also be developed to replace the HHR (I would resurrect the "Nomad" name for this car). As great as I hope the Volt will be, I do hope GM doesn't pin their entire future on the success of this product. It will be beyond the budget of many buyers, so GM still needs nice small car alternatives to supplement this product. Saturn: I like the idea of offering rebadged Opels in the U.S. (although I still wonder if Saturn's former position in the market makes it the best choice to do this). If GM is committed to doing this, they do need representatives from Saturn involved in the development process of Opel's products to avoid the glitches that have prevented the Astra from being successful in the U.S. (lack of power and minor niceties that U.S. customers expect in their cars; there is no reason why the Cobalt should be more powerful than this car). The cars also need to be assembled in North America in order to avoid the exchange rate issues that have also affected the success of the imported Astra. I would like to see the next generation Corsa (3-door/5-door/maybe "TwinTop" roadster - Tigra replacement absorbed into the Corsa lineup to save marketing costs), Astra (3-door/5-door/sedan/maybe "TwinTop" coupe), Meriva (Gamma based MPV), and Zafira (Delta based MPV) all become North American built additions to Saturn's lineup. I would like to see the MPVs become Saturn exclusives, but I think GM is also developing versions for Chevrolet (which I think should stick to the "mini-crossover" idea). Buick: The next gen LaCrosse (hopefully renamed "Invicta") should do a lot to improve Buick's fortunes in the U.S., but the brand still needs a quality compact car to slot in below this nice new midsize sedan. I think Buick should receive a nice compact sedan and coupe built off the SWB Epsilon II platform (Delta should be limited to Chevrolet, Saturn, and maybe Pontiac in the U.S.). Buick could also use at least 1 sub-Enclave size crossover. This becomes a little trickier for GM since Cadillac and GMC are both already scheduled to receive sub-Lambda based crossovers (This dilemma could be remedied by combining Buick with Cadillac. Buick could supplement Cadillac by carrying FWD luxury cars and FWD/AWD luxury crossovers. Cadillac would then be free to focus on well executed RWD luxury cars: sedans, coupes, coupe-cabrios, and wagons.). Cadillac: As much as Cadillac needs a proper flagship sedan to cement their "renaissance" status, I still think a compact RWD Alpha based sedan/coupe/wagon should still be a higher priority. This product is more essential for Cadillac to weather current economic market conditions than a flagship sedan.

It might make money for GM, but it will further damage Pontiac's brand image. As far as waiting for cooler Pontiac products...I'm tired of holding my breath in anticipation of products that never materialize. Best car scenario for Pontiac would be for them to create a RWD 2+2 subcompact 3-door/5-door on a modified Kappa platform or a shortened Alpha platform. I doubt this would seriously ever happen since it is obvious that GM just basically intends to continue to stuff Pontiac's lineup with "twin-nostrilized" rebadged Chevy clone products.

If they could have built the 3-door, 5-door, and sedan in the U.S. with cupholders, a sunroof, an improved mp3 accessible stereo, a front center armrest, and the Cobalt's engine choices, then I think they would have had quite a successful compact product. The sedan is a slick looking little car (except for the somewhat boxy rear, which still looks much more attractive than the Cobalt sedan's design). Although I generally hate rebadging, I would have given Pontiac the 3-door and 5-door (which would have been much better for them than the rebadged Cobalt clone G5 coupe) and Saturn would have received the sedan. Oh well, another missed opportunitiy for GM.

I still think that it's a shame that this car will be diluted to fit in with Saturn's brand image and price restrictions. It will end up being a mainstream alternative to the Malibu instead of something that might truly attract new buyers to GM. After all this time, it looks like GM is still content to waste valuable marketing dollars targeting three brands (Chevy, Pontiac, and Saturn) at the affordable, mainstream portion of the market. When are they going to realize that this strategy doesn't increase their market share or attract new customers to the corporation? I still think that GM could establish Opel as a brand that would appeal to people who normally wouldn't go near a domestic product. Opel doesn't have the market baggage that Saturn or Pontiac have in the U.S. auto market. If GM would build the next generation of Opel products in the U.S. pretty much unaltered from their Euro counterparts (starting with the Insignia), badge them as Opels, and focus the division's marketing on the Euro origins/styling/engineering/driving dynamics of the brand (while downplaying GM's connection/involvement with the brand), then I think they would actually have a chance of attracting new customers and gaining back some market share. I think this move would be much more lucrative to GM in the long term than to continue to give Pontiac "twin-nostrilized", rebadged Chevy clone products or stumble along attempting to move Saturn upmarket into Oldsmobile's place when the brand has become synonymous with "cheap and cheerful" transportation.

I have looked over my proposal and I agree with those of you that believe that there are still too many products. My revised proposal takes GM from currently offering approximately 43 vehicle model lines across 8 brands in the U.S. to offering 34 vehicle model lines across 4 brands. The revised proposal only reflects how the restructuring would look in the United States; the lineups would need to be revised to fit in with the brand structuring in other regions. My revisions to the U.S. lineups are included in the quote below:

It is a big improvement over the current interior design. It looks much more refined and upscale.

I totally agree. To ensure longevity and success, an auto manufacturer must continue to make great products to cover all market segments. Ford, GM, and Chrysler seemed to forget this at the height of truck/SUV mania. Now they are hurting much worse than some of their foreign counterparts. What's so strange about the situation is that Ford and GM have excellent small cars that they offer in foreign markets, but never considered engineering these cars to comply with U.S. regulations just in case they would need to bring them here. The current Corsa is the most glaring example as far as GM is concerned. I also hope that the domestic automakers have learned their lesson and never get caught as unprepared as they have been since the bottom fell out of the truck/SUV market.

I owned a 1999 Olds Alero GL sedan (actually I leased it for three years). While I did appreciate the exterior styling and some other elements of the car, I would hardly have called the interior class leading or even well executed by any stretch of the imagination. The seats and headrests were thinly padded and quickly became uncomfortable on moderate to long journeys. The rear seats were placed low to the floor which reduced leg support and comfort for rear passengers. There was a gap where the top part of the interior of the B-pillar was to meet the lower part. One interior door panel had to be replaced because the panel material started to separate from the panel. A fan switch had to be replaced because it ceased to work. The rear window defogger stopped working at one point. There were numerous quakes, rattles, and othe interior noises. Although the car featured a lot of soft touch materials on the upper part of the dash and door panels (which was a nice touch), the other interior issues would disqualify the car from obtaining well executed interior honors. As far as the exterior, there were problems with it also. One of the headlight housings had to be replaced because of moisture buildup inside the lens. A foglight had to be replaced because it collected water. The mirror fell out of one of the sideview mirror housings and the entire housing had to be replaced. In addition to the issues listed above, I also had to have the battery replaced within a year of commencing the lease. During the last year of ownership, the alternator had to be replaced. The only saving grace to these issues was that GM honored their warranty and fix all of these issues without charge (although it took the dealership three attempts to fix the rear window defogger). Although I still appreciated my time with my Olds Alero, there was little about it that would make me nominate it for any "Car Of The Year" awards. I blame the corporation's obsession with the SUV/truck segment during the height of SUV/truck mania with the haphazzard execution of GM's car products during this time. This is how the import brands took over the car segments and is the major reason why the domestic auto companies started to tailspin once SUV/truck mania had subsided. There seems to be a lot of emotional attachment to Olds on this forum and I can certainly understand why. They had some fairly attractive cars (Alero, Intrigue, and Aurora) near the end of the brand's existence. I still don't think loyalty to the brand should blind people to the fact that while Oldsmobile's final products were certainly more attractive than GM's other offerings at the time, they certainly were not any better built than the rest of the corporation's products (at least the car products).

I was considering this restructuring/reconfiguration on a global scale, instead of being solely exclusive to the U.S. market. I realize that this might not work either. I know that the Pontiac products would go by the Holden name in Australia. This presents a problem in the Australian market since there are also Chevy/Daewoo (Barina, Viva, Epica, Captiva) and Opel (Astra) products in Holden's lineup as well. There are also other global regions where models and brands do not exactly line up with what I proposed here. So basically, the thought of this plan working globally is not completely feasible. There are some eliminations I could make to try to pare down the number of vehicles: Chevy: * Eliminate Monte Carlo. I am not sure mainstream midsize coupes are exactly setting the auto market on fire at the moment. Pontiac: * Eliminate G2. No Cadillac counterpart to leverage development costs. GMC: * Eliminate entire lineup and relegate brand to commercial fleet vehicle sales only. Having crossovers in any part of the midmarket dealer network might be a little redundant since Opel is offering MPVs. Buick: * Eliminate Velite and Riviera. I like the thought of these 2 hardtop convertibles as image vehicles for the brand, but this move might be a little excessive given Buick's clientele and GM's precarious financial situation. I looked over the my previous proposal several times. This is all I could see cutting at the moment.

The lineups and brand strategies are just based on reading the original linked article and applying my vision of what direction I believe GM should follow to achieve their goals and successfully implement a turnaround. I also based the restructuring and reconfiguration of the dealer networks on the much posted opinion that GM cannot afford a repeat of the Oldsmobile discontinuation fiasco. If that is the case, then GM must find a way to make each division relevant in both the U.S. and global auto markets. This was my way of trying to utilize brand image and available platforms in an attempt to make it happen. To me, Saturn is the most redundant division. I do like the brand and its current lineup, but it is positioned too close to Chevy to make any major impact on the market or help GM increase its market share. Saturn is in a no win situation. If it stays positioned where it currently is, then it competes head on with Chevy. If they move it upmarket, then it loses its established customer base while also failing to attract any new customers to the brand or the corporation. That's why I firmly believe that Saturn should be converted to Opel because Opel would probably have the best chance of appealing to customers who normally wouldn't consider a GM brand. I equate giving Saturn premium Opel products to offering high end merchandise at Walmart; Saturn and Walmart are simply not places that potential customers consider when they shop for premium products. There is nothing wrong with Pontiac that an all RWD lineup couldn't fix. If they could apply some engineering prowess to make the proposed Sigma-Zeta platform lighter while also downsizing the products a bit, then I don't see why Pontiac couldn't continue into the future with this type of lineup (I did research BMW and Mercedes products to establish lengths and wheelbases for Pontiac's products). Turbocharged 4-cylinder/V6 engines and/or other alternative engine technologies (hybrid, diesel, etc.) could provide a nice balance between performance and fuel efficiency. They do not have to stuff large gas guzzling engines into every product or trim level to reinforce the division's affordable performance image. I also changed my mind about Saab for a couple of reasons. First, if the brand was returned to its quirky origins, then it wouldn't be competitive with Cadillac or Buick in the luxury portion of the market. Second, if it was included in the luxury network, it might give Buick and Cadillac some credibility in the luxury segment in global markets where Saab is a much more established luxury brand. I used to be on the "sell Saab" bandwagon, but I changed my mind. If the division is handled right, it could still be a vital part of GM's turnaround. I did forget to include the Volt on the original post. I did perform an edit to include it in Chevy's lineup. I did enjoy reading your feedback and I appreciate the time you took to read the rather long post that I submitted (which I realize is not out of character for me).

Chevrolet is strong enough to handle the mainstream, affordable, volume portion of the market on its own. If GM really wants to see any kind of return on the money it spends to market its other brands (AKA increased market share), then the brands need to be properly repositioned and/or completely transformed to allow them to function in their original and intended purpose of targeting other portions of the market (AKA reduced cannibalization). Chevrolet, Saturn, and Pontiac (and Buick to a lesser extent) compete for the same customers while escalating the corporation's decline in market share. The proposed plan below would reduce internal competition while giving each division a specific purpose and distinct identity in the market and GM's brand hierarchy. Affordable, Mainstream, Volume Network: Chevrolet CHEVROLET: * Beat: 3-door minicar on modified Gamma(?) platform. * Groove: 5-door minicar on modified Gamma(?) platform. * Aveo: Subcompact 3-door/5-door/sedan on Gamma platform. * Monza (my preferred name for the upcoming Cruze): Compact sedan/coupe/5-door on Delta platform. * Volt: Plug-in hybrid on Delta platform. * Malibu: Midsize sedan on LWB Epsilon platform. * Monte Carlo: Midsize coupe on LWB Epsilon platform. * Impala: Large sedan on LWB Epsilon Plus platform. * Camaro: Pony car coupe/convertible on LWB Alpha platform. * Corvette: Flagship sports coupe/convertible on C7 platform. * Captiva: Compact crossover on SWB Theta platform. * Equinox: Midsize crossover on LWB Theta platform. * Traverse: Large crossover on Lambda platform. * Colorado: Next gen shrinks to compact truck size. * Trailblazer: Compact 5-door SUV; Jeep Wrangler competitor on next gen Colorado platform. * Silverado: Fullsize truck. * Suburban: Next gen 5-door SUV shrinks to Tahoe size (Tahoe name is retired) on Silverado platform. Midmarket Dealer Network: Pontiac/Opel/GMC. These 3 divisions should be combined to form this network. PONTIAC: * Converts future lineup to RWD. * Targets customers who want a BMW, but can't afford BMW's price of entry (basically a cut-rate BMW). * Marketing/advertising should be focused on sportiness and fun to drive character of the products. * Next gen Solstice roadster/coupe would be built on modified SWB Alpha platform (162 inches long/100 inch wheelbase). The next gen car's styling would be aligned with global versions sold by Vauxhall/Opel/Holden/Daewoo (the Sky would be discontinued in favor of "TwinTop" roadster/coupe versions of the Corsa/Astra/Insignia). The car's modified SWB Alpha platform would be shared with a luxury retractable hardtop roadster for Cadillac. * G2: Subcompact 2+2 3-door/5-door on SWB Alpha platform (171 inches long/105 inch wheelbase). Styling would be aligned with Holden product. * G4: Compact sedan/coupe on LWB Alpha platform (180 inches long/109 inch wheelbase). Styling would be aligned with resurrected Holden Torana. Platform would be utilized for compact sedan/coupe/wagon for Cadillac. * G6: Midsize sedan/coupe on SWB Sigma-Zeta platform (189 inches long/114 inch wheelbase). Styling would be aligned with downsized next gen Holden Commodore/Monaro. Platform would be utilized for next gen midsize CTS sedan/coupe/wagon products for Cadillac. * G8: Large sedan on LWB Sigma-Zeta platform (197 inches long/118 inch wheelbase). Styling would be aligned with downsized next gen Holden Statesman. Platform would be utilized for flagship sedan for Cadillac. OPEL: * Replaces Saturn in GM's brand hierarchy. * Targets customers who prefer premium, Euro influenced products and wouldn't go near a domestic vehicle. * Marketing/advertising should be very sophisticated and focus on the Euro origins and driving dynamics of the products. * Corsa: Subcompact 3-door/5-door/"TwinTop" roadster on Gamma platform. * Astra: Compact 3-door/5-door/sedan/"TwinTop" coupe on Delta platform. * Insignia: Midsize sedan/wagon/"TwinTop" coupe on SWB Epsilon platform. * Meriva: Subcompact MPV on Gamma platform. * Zafira: Compact MPV on Delta platform. * Olympia: Midsize MPV on SWB Epsilon platform. GMC: * Carries FWD/AWD premium crossovers/SUTs. * Targets customers who prefer a sportier, Euro feel in their crossover or SUT. * Marketing/advertising should be focused on the sportiness and metropolitan utility of the products. * Envoy: Compact crossover/SUT on SWB Theta. * Terrain: Midsize crossover/SUT on LWB Theta. * Acadia: Large crossover/SUT on Lambda. Luxury Dealer Network: Saab/Buick/Cadillac. These 3 brands should be combined to form this network. SAAB: * My first intention was to sell this brand for the revenue, but I changed my mind after some reconsideration of the merits of refashioning this brand. * Returns to original concept of quirky Swedish luxury brand with a lineup that consists solely of FWD/AWD luxury hatchbacks and wagons. * Targets customers who like to fancy themselves as intelligent and independent. * Marketing/advertising should be abstract and quirky, but still convey the luxury intentions and Swedish origins of the brand. * 9-1: Subcompact 3-door/5-door/wagon on Gamma. * 9-3: Compact 3-door/5-door/wagon on Delta. * 9-5: Midsize 3-door/5-door/wagon on SWB Epsilon. BUICK: * Moves upmarket with FWD luxury cars and FWD/AWD crossovers with increased content and features that truly target the luxury portion of the market. * Targets customers who value luxury features combined with the advantages of FWD. * Marketing/advertising should be mature and sophisticated while focusing on the brand's American luxury heritage and the products' advanced technology/engineering. * Regal: Compact sedan on SWB Epsilon platform. * Invicta: Midsize sedan on LWB Epsilon platform. * LeSabre: Large sedan on LWB Epsilon Plus platform. * Velite: Compact coupe-cabrio on SWB Epsilon platform. * Riviera: Midsize coupe-cabrio on LWB Epsilon platform. * Rendezvous: Compact crossover on SWB Theta platform. * Centieme: Midsize crossover on LWB Theta platform. * Enclave: Large crossover on Lambda. CADILLAC: * Focuses on well executed RWD car products that will restore the division's former "Standard Of The World" status. * Competently targets BMW and Mercedes Benz. * Marketing/advertising should focus on the international luxury appeal of the brand and the products' superbly crafted details and advanced engineering. * I struggle with the alpha model nomenclature that the division employs, so I just provided descriptions and platforms for most of the products. * Compact sedan/coupe/wagon on LWB Alpha. * Midsize sedan(CTS)/coupe/wagon on SWB Sigma-Zeta. * Large flagship sedan on LWB Sigma-Zeta. * Retractable hardtop roadster on modified SWB Alpha platform. * XLR: Flagship retractable hardtop roadster on Corvette C7 platform. HUMMER: * Sell it. The traditional truck/SUV segment is rapidly shrinking and Chevrolet is more than capable of handling this segment on its own. This brand has totally outlived its usefulness. I would love to see GM generate some revenue by selling this division to an up and coming foreign company who foolishly thinks that it can make something relevant or desirable out of this jurassic brand.

I think GM realized that they couldn't possibly sell the Euro version of the Insignia here as a Saturn because the Euro version is too upscale and would need to be priced too high to appeal to Saturn's shoppers. So we will get a cheapened and decontented version that will essentially continue to compete with the Malibu. Instead of launching Opel in the U.S. and offering their products here essentially unchanged from their Euro counterparts to properly target the premium, import flavored market, GM will continue to support Saturn and allow it to cannibalize Chevrolet sales. Why not make Chevrolet strong enough to challenge Toyota, Honda, etc. in the mainstream market? If GM would do this right, then they wouldn't need three divisions (Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Saturn) to cover the same mainstream portion of the market. GM could then fully convert Saturn into Opel and mold Opel's image and product portfolio to target buyers who prefer premium, import flavored vehicles. Right now, Chevrolet, Saturn, and Pontiac are just cannibalizing each other's sales instead of helping GM to gain back market share. It seems to me that the money wasted to give each of these three divisions products that target the same portion of the market could be better spent properly launching Opel in the U.S. to attract new buyers back to the corporation.

I really do like the Cruze. The overall design is a fresh new direction for a Chevrolet compact sedan and it looks to be a well executed design (the only exception being that cheap black plastic piece on the C-pillar). I still wish they would change the name to "Monza" for the U.S. market, though. I think the Buick sedan might look quite a bit better once clearer pictures are available and some of the fine details can be seen and appreciated. I want to see better pictures (and from more angles) before I make any final judgements on this car. Although it may be toned down somewhat from the Invicta concept (which should be the name for this car), I think it will still be a winning product for the Buick division. The Equinox looks more upscale than the current model (which seems to be a trend with Chevrolet; the current Malibu and the upcoming Cruze look more upscale than the preceding models). It still looks to be more of a midsize crossover, which makes me believe that Chevrolet could still use the compact Captiva in its U.S. crossover lineup. From what I can see in the photo, it is an improvement over the current model. The Cadillac looks nice, but I still think Cadillac should not be in the FWD/AWD luxury crossover segment. That segment should belong to Buick (which I would still love to see combined with Cadillac in the luxury dealer network). FWD/AWD luxury crossovers just seem to fit in better with Buick's image than Cadillac's image. Cadillac should solely focus on providing well executed RWD luxury cars (sedans, coupes, wagons, retractable hardtop roadsters/coupes). I'm not a big Saab fan, so I really don't appreciate the 9-4X like I would if I were a fan of the division. I still think Saab should be sold. It needs a lot of attention and GM doesn't really need the distraction. GM could really use the revenue that would be generated by selling the division. I really hope these products can rescue the corporation from their slump and help GM with their turnaround efforts.

I think they should give the current Aura a chance to make more of an impact. The installation of the 4 cylinder/6 speed auto combo will certainly make the car more competitive. The car is very attractive (especially compared to the Camry and Accord) and the availability of this engine/trans combo makes it even more appealing (as well as class leading). That being said, I still think Jill's comments are partially a public spin that smokescreens the issue of where to place the Insignia if it were to be sold in the U.S. From what I understand, the Insignia is quite a bit more upscale than either the Vectra or Aura. While it is a bit larger than the Vectra that it replaces in Europe, it is still smaller than the current Aura. How well will a smaller, yet more expensive, premium midsize sedan do in Saturn's lineup? While the current Aura is a nice looking car and a big step forward for GM midsize sedans (although they may have surpassed it already with the current Malibu), it is still essentially a midsize alternative to mainstream midsize sedans (Camry, Accord, Malibu, etc.) and nothing that is truly more upmarket or premium than the volume offerings. To replace it with a smaller, more expensive model will more than likely be a recipe for failure. I think the less than stellar (or anticipated) sales performance of the Astra (which suffers from the same issue that the Insignia faces: smaller car that costs more being offered by a brand that has become synonymous with affordable transportation) has GM rethinking their product strategy yet again. I think the biggest challenge with giving Saturn or Pontiac premium products is that neither division has carried any vehicles that were truly more upscale than Chevrolet's offerings in the recent past. Saturn began its automotive existence as a sales channel for inexpensive small cars that were supposed to challenge the imports' offerings. I think the Astra and current Vue have already given many Saturn loyalists a big degree of sticker shock by being priced quite a bit higher than the vehicles that they replaced. Pontiac has really been nothing more than an alternative to Chevrolet for quite a long time now; some of their recent product offerings have been nothing more than "twin-nostilized" Chevy clones. Both divisions essentially just provide alternatives for people who don't want to drive Chevrolet branded products instead of truly targeting the premium market. To drop premium vehicles into their lineups (especially without a huge dose of marketing/advertising to push the products or inform the public about the products) is setting these really nice vehicles up to be sales failures and market underachievers. That is why I think that it might be better to convert Saturn to Opel. Opel doesn't have any market image baggage in the U.S. and could be carefully molded/crafted to be a premium, captive import brand. I know it will take quite a bit of marketing/advertising to introduce the division to the U.S., but it will also take a lot of marketing/advertising to reposition an existing U.S. division that either has a damaged brand image (Pontiac) or original market position that is essentially opposite of where the brand is supposedly headed (Saturn). I think the money and effort invested in properly launching and maintaining something new to the market (Opel) would provide more long term advantages than trying to repair/transform something that already exists (Saturn/Pontiac) that may never be accepted or embraced by the public. I really don't see the Saturn and Pontiac names attracting the target customers that GM needs to appeal to in order to sell premium, Euro inspired captive imports. With Pontiac and Saturn, GM is currently spending money to essentially cannibalize their own sales instead of gaining market share or attracting new customers. A properly introduced/executed/maintained Opel division could give GM an opportunity to attract customers who don't consider their existing brands when shopping for a premium vehicle.

I do agree that importing the products from Europe would not be a financially sound decision. I don't totally agree with the location of assembly argument that you presented. I think the execution/overall feel of the product and the brand's country of origin are far more important in the perception and marketing of the brand/products than the location of assembly. The models that Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, and Subaru assemble in North America are still considered Japanese products by the general public although they are not assembled in Japan. The models that BMW and Volkswagen build in North America are still considered German products. If GM would build Opel models in North America with their essential Euro character and feel intact, I think they could still be marketed as Euro sourced premium products. The execution of the product and the marketing/advertising spin would be the ultimate deciding factors in whether the Opel experiment would be successful in the U.S. I don't think GM can pull off the same affect with the "Saturn" name because of the brand's past. It started life as a maker of inexpensive small cars and was marketed as an American import fighting division (which was appropriate because that was exactly what the division was intended to do). The division had a sort of cult following and even sponsored homecoming events at the Spring Hill, Tennessee plant that produced the little cars. I don't think GM can successfully transform Saturn into a captive Euro import brand after giving it such a strong opposing initial brand image. If GM can properly execute the next generation of Opel products and properly market the Opel brand image in the U.S., I think GM would have a good chance of creating the captive import division with Opel that they misguidedly attempted to do with Saturn. The only way I could see GM salvaging Saturn at this point is make them a Chevrolet sub-brand (like Geo previously was or Scion is to Toyota) to market production versions of the mini-cars based on the Beat, Groove, and Trax (I actually think this would be a waste of marketing dollars since Chevrolet is more than competent to handle these products without the need for a sub-brand). If GM did this they would create another problem of how to handle the stand alone Saturn dealerships who would be understandably angered by this move. As far as the products, I was under the impression that the Insignia was the first product to represent Opel's intention of moving upmarket. If that is the case and the Insignia is properly executed to be a premium product, then I don't think it will be viewed as just a Malibu with a lightning bolt badge (it certainly doesn't look like one). I think the same could be said of the current Corsa. I think if it was built and sold in the U.S. to be nearly identical to the Euro version, I doubt anyone would perceive it to be an Aveo with Opel badging. All the reviews I have read of the Astra so far make me believe that no one would confuse it with the Cobalt. Execution and marketing go a long way to shaping perception and reputation. I seriously doubt GM would seriously consider any of this, so it's just a pipe dream. It's nice to look at or consider what could have been...