
cire
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I also think that Saturn would be a better fit as a candidate to combine with Pontiac and GMC as a midmarket, captive import (at least as far as Saturn and Pontiac were concerned) dealer network. Saturn could offer FWD Opel based cars and MPVs, Pontiac could offer RWD Holden based cars, and GMC could offer FWD based crossovers (Terrain and Arcadia) as well as possibly offering 1 or 2 RWD car based trucks (similar in concept to the recent GMC Denali Concept). If GM would sell Saab, they could combine Buick with Cadillac/Hummer to form a three part luxury dealer network. Buick would cover front wheel drive luxury cars and crossovers, Cadillac would cover rear wheel drive luxury cars, and Hummer could cover truck based luxury products. Chevrolet would be on its own as the mainstream, mass market division. It would carry the largest and most varied portfolio since it would be the high volume division. All the divisions above Chevrolet would have limited and focused portfolios that would cater to a specific segment of the market as well as define the division's position in its respective dealer network. I doubt this would ever happen, but I think it would provide a way for GM to better utilize and streamline their U.S. brands and make them all more relevant in the market.
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I think the major mistake is the "Rethink American" campaign and the previous Aura/Camry/Accord comparison promotion. GM aligned Saturn with their European Opel division. Shouldn't the marketing reflect that the division now sells products with sleek Euro inspired styling and design? "Rethink American" and mainstream midsize sedan comparisons should be Chevrolet's role as the mainstream division. Saturn should be differentiated by marketing as well as by product. Its products should be given a unique and aspirational aura (no pun intended) by refocusing the division's advertising and marketing to communicate to the public that Saturn has been truly transformed into something beyond mainstream and ordinary. Great new products are a great start. Now the marketing needs an overhaul to emphasize Saturn's new midmarket, Euro inspired image and position to the public. I do view the Vue and Outlook as potential tough sales for the division. The Outlook is overshadowed by the Acadia and Enclave from above and will be squeezed from below by the upcoming Traverse. The Vue has a tough future ahead as it struggles to retain or gain market share as other GM divisions introduce their own new or redesigned Theta based products (if I understand correctly, Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Saab will all have new or redesigned Theta based crossovers in their lineups). I think Saturn should discontinue their crossovers once the redesigned, next generation Opel MPVs (Meriva and Zafira) hit the market (the current generation of these two products are a little too dowdy). I also think Saturn could make more of an impact if it were to expand its car lines (Astra, Aura, and hopefully Corsa) once the next generation products hit the market. I see Corsa being sold here in 3-door, 5-door, and "TwinTop" roadster (rebadged Tigra to save marketing costs) versions. I see the Astra line being expanded to offer sedan, and "TwinTop" coupe versions in addition to the 3-door and 5-door models. The next generation Insignia based Aura's styling could be easily adapted to include a nice 5-door (there have been spy shots of this configuration) and a sleek "TwinTop" coupe to complement the sedan. I don't think Saturn is dead weight, but its marketing campaign desperately needs an overhaul. I think tweaking the brand's portfolio would serve to further differentiate the division in GM's hierarchy and emphasize its Eurocentric image. The current lineup is a big first step, but there are more areas of opportunity in regards to lineup refinement and marketing focus for this division.
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De Lorenzo: It's all over but the hand-wringing for Pontiac
cire replied to wildcat's topic in Heritage Marques
I am a little confused by some of these posts about the difference between "badge engineering" and "platform sharing". I view "badge engineering" as the practice of selling identical vehicles through different divisions with a minimum of exterior and/or interior changes to the products to differentiate them from each other. Based on this definition of "badge engineering", I would include the following current products as examples: Cobalt/G5, Equinox/Torrent, Colorado/Canyon, Silverado/Sierra, Tahoe/Yukon, Fusion/Milan, Taurus/Sable, Escape/Mariner/Tribute, Ranger/B-Series, Aspen/Durango, Caravan/Town & Country, etc. I definitely think "badge engineering" serves to dilute and compromise the position and image of each respective brand that carries the product if the products are sold in the same market (rebadging the Holden Commodore as the Pontiac G8 and Chevy Lumina is acceptable because the three products are sold in three different global areas). The most glaring examples of this is the Cobalt/G5 and Equinox/Torrent. The brand that receives the rebadged products (it would be Pontiac in this case) suffers from a brand identity crisis and becomes irrelevant in the market. I view "platform sharing" as the practice of using a platform to develop multiple products for different divisions that have their own unique exterior/interior designs and/or features to differentiate them from each other. Based on this definition of "platform sharing", I would include the following current products as examples: Malibu/G6/Aura, Acadia/Enclave, Impala/LaCrosse, Lucerne/DTS, Solstice/Sky, Cobalt/Astra, Avenger/Sebring, Charger/300, Camry/ES350, etc. "Platform sharing" can be a useful and cost effective way of providing multiple divisions with necessary product if the practice is utilized correctly and the products can be marketed to different segments of the market. I am not a huge Toyota fan, but I have to admit that they do an incredible job of differentiating the ES350 from its mainstream Camry platform mate. The two sedans are properly designed and equipped to appeal to two very different segments of the midsize sedan market. I think the Solstice and Sky would serve as a questionable use of platform sharing. Both vehicles are attractive and designed to be competitive in the affordable roadster segment. The only issue I have with them is that they are both sold under midmarket GM brands. I think GM could have covered more segments of the market by giving Pontiac the Solstice to cover the affordable end of the market (which would have shared its styling with global versions sold by Opel/Vauxhall/Holden/Daewoo) and Cadillac a small retractable hardtop version to cover the luxury end of the market. Saturn could have offered the Tigra "TwinTop" roadster and Astra "TwinTop" coupe as open top products for what should remain an all FWD Eurocentric division for GM. GM has the talent and resources to develop great brand specific products by utilizing platform sharing, but they must do a better job of differentiating the products, properly marketing the products to their intended markets (example: Saturn should be emphasizing its Euro chic style, not a "Rethink American" campaign that would better serve Chevrolet), and avoid the tendency to overuse the platforms to create unnecessary, redundant products (I agree with many of you that think that GM doesn't need 4 Lambda based products; if the recent Meriva Concept was an example of upcoming slick styling for Opel MPVs, then I think Saturn might be better served by offering MPVs and discontinuing their rather bulky looking crossovers). I do acknowledge that there is sometimes a very thin line that separates "badge engineering" from "platform sharing" (I think the Avenger/Sebring kind of straddle both terms; they have unique exterior/interior styling, but not much has been done beyond that to aim them at different segments of the market), but I do view them as separate cost effective methods of providing products to multiple divisions of an auto company. -
De Lorenzo: It's all over but the hand-wringing for Pontiac
cire replied to wildcat's topic in Heritage Marques
I don't agree with some of the posts that state that Pontiac needs FWD compact and midsize cars to maintain "volume". Pontiac is not GM's volume division; that title goes to Chevrolet (and Saturn to a lesser extent). Pontiac is a "niche" division. I thought that was one of the reasons for combining Pontiac with Buick and GMC. Under this consolidation plan, each brand needs to offer focused, brand appropriate portfolios. I think Pontiac should eventually be transformed into an all RWD division to support its affordable performance CAR image and Buick should remain an all FWD division to reinforce its 2nd tier luxury status; this will give these divisions better defined brand identities in the market and within their dealership network (Although I still believe the ideal scenario would be for GM to sell Saab, combine Buick with Cadillac/Hummer and Saturn with Pontiac/GMC; this would give GM 3 dealership networks: Mainstream (Chevy), Midmarket/Captive Import (Saturn/Pontiac/GMC), and Luxury (Buick/Cadillac/Hummer). Giving Pontiac FWD compact and midsize cars will never establish a definitive brand identity for Pontiac; RWD will allow Pontiac to offer something special and unique in the market and within GM's brand hierarchy. -
GM RWD Update: FWD Impala remains, Zeta to merge with Sigma
cire replied to ZL-1's topic in General Motors
Well said! Ditto! -
GM RWD Update: FWD Impala remains, Zeta to merge with Sigma
cire replied to ZL-1's topic in General Motors
I think the following plan would help GM better define their brands and make them all more relevant in the market. Step One: Sell Saab. Saab needs a lot of attention, but GM lacks the resources to give this brand the attention that it needs. I think there would be quite a few other auto companies that would be very interested in adding Saab to their brand portfolios and would maybe have the resources to give the brand the attention it so desperately needs. Selling Saab would benefit GM by bringing in some money and eliminating the distraction and strain of having to develop products for this low volume player. Saab would benefit by being owned by another auto company that would give it more attention. Step Two: Further Brand/Dealership Consolidation. The elimination of Saab would allow GM to consolidate their other remaining U.S. brands into three dealership networks: * Mainstream, Mass Market: Chevrolet. * Midmarket, Import Based: Saturn/Pontiac/GMC. * Luxury: Buick/Cadillac/Hummer. Step Three: Base Future Brand Product Portfolios On New Three Tier Dealership System. * Chevrolet: As the affordable mass market brand, Chevrolet would carry the widest range of products. All products would be front wheel drive based except the Camaro, Corvette, Colorado/Trailblazer, and Silverado/Tahoe/Suburban. * Saturn/Pontiac/GMC: Saturn would carry front wheel drive cars and MPVs based on Opel products. Pontiac would carry rear wheel drive cars based on Holden/Opel products. GMC would carry front wheel drive crossovers (Theta and Lambda) and rear wheel drive trucks based on car platforms (Alpha and Sig/Zeta). * Buick/Cadillac/Hummer: Buick would carry front wheel drive cars and crossovers. Cadillac would carry rear wheel drive cars. Hummer would carry truck based luxury products. * The midmarket Saturn/Pontiac/GMC channel and luxury Buick/Cadillac/Hummer channel would carry smaller brand portfolios since each brand will be positioned to appeal to a limited niche portion of the market. I think this move would eliminate a lot of the redundancy and overuse of vehicle platforms: Chevrolet: * Chevrolet: Gamma (Aveo), Delta (Cobalt, HHR, Volt), LWB Epsilon (Malibu, possible Monte Carlo?), Extended LWB Epsilon (Impala), SigZeta (future Camaro), C7 (Corvette), Theta (Equinox), Lambda (Traverse), Compact Truck (Colorado, possible Trailblazer or Tracker?), Fullsize Truck (Silverado/Tahoe/Suburban). Saturn/Pontiac/GMC: * Saturn: Gamma (Corsa 3-door, 5-door, "TwinTop" roadster & Meriva), Delta (Astra 3-door, 5-door, sedan, "TwinTop" coupe & Zafira), Epsilon (Aura sedan, "TwinTop" coupe & future MPV) * Pontiac: Alpha (Solstice roadster,coupe & G4 sedan, coupe, convertible), SWB SigZeta (G6 sedan, coupe, convertible), and LWB SigZeta (G8 sedan, coupe, and convertible) * GMC: Theta (Terrain), Lambda (Acadia), Alpha (Caballero), SWB SigZeta (Denali) Buick/Cadillac/Hummer: * Buick: Delta (Regal sedan, coupe-cabrio), LWB Epsilon (Invicta sedan, coupe-cabrio), Extended LWB Epsilon (Riviera sedan, coupe-cabrio), Theta (Rendevous), Lambda (Enclave) * Cadillac: Alpha (B-Series sedan, coupe-cabrio, wagon & X-series retractable hardtop roadster), SWB SigZeta (C-Series sedan, coupe-cabrio, wagon), LWB SigZeta (S-Series sedan, coupe-cabrio, wagon), C7 (XLR flagship retractable hardtop roadster) * Hummer: Compact Truck (H3 SUV, SUT), Fullsize Truck (H4 SUV, SUT) -
De Lorenzo: It's all over but the hand-wringing for Pontiac
cire replied to wildcat's topic in Heritage Marques
I don't really agree with much that has been stated in the De Lorenzo article. If GM would realize that Pontiac could serve the corporation well as an affordable performance car division and give it brand appropriate products to reinforce this image, I think there is room for Pontiac to survive in a lower volume, NICHE capacity. Here are some suggestions that would allow GM to properly position Pontiac in the corporation's brand hierarchy and make the division relevant to both the corporation and market: 1) Give it a RWD only product portfolio. Except for the G8 sedan and Solstice roadster/coupe, all of the brand's other products (Vibe, G5, G6, and Torrent) are either redundant (G5-Cobalt coupe and G6 sedan-Malibu/Aura) or would sell better if reimagined for the corporation's other divisions (G6 hardtop convertible should be discontinued in favor of a next generation Aura "TwinTop" coupe, Torrent should be discontinued in favor of a GMC Terrain crossover, and Vibe should be reassigned to Chevy or discontinued after current generation's model cycle is over). 2) Pontiac should be the only division to carry an affordable roadster (Solstice). When the model cycle of the current generation Sky/Solstice is over, the Sky should be discontinued and the next generation Solstice's design should be aligned with the other global versions of this car (Opel, Vauxhall, Holden, and Daewoo). A retractable hardtop luxury version should then be developed for Cadillac. Pontiac would cover the affordable roadster end of the market and Cadillac would cover the luxury roadster end of the market. Saturn could cover the loss of the Sky by providing "TwinTop" coupe/roadster versions of its cars (much like Opel does in Europe with the Tigra "TwinTop" roadster and Astra "TwinTop" coupe). 3) Give Pontiac a focused product portfolio of RWD coupes, convertibles, and sedans. No wagons, trucklets, crossovers, minivans, SUVs, etc. I have provided an example of a future Pontiac product lineup below. 4) Limit Alpha and SigZeta platforms to Cadillac and Pontiac in the U.S. The only exception would be the Chevrolet Camaro. This would reduce some of the redundancy in the lineups and provide further focus and definition for the brands. The development costs could be spread by providing these vehicles as rebadged products in other global markets (Opel, Vauxhall, Holden, Daewoo, Mideast Chevy, Chinese Buick, etc.) Future Pontiac Product Lineup: * Solstice roadster and 2-seater coupe: Next generation would be on a modified Alpha(?) platform and share its styling with global versions for Opel/Holden/Daewoo and share its platform (but not its styling) with a luxury retractable hardtop version for Cadillac. * G4 compact coupe, convertible, and sedan: Based on Alpha platform shared with future Holden Torana and Cadillac BLS. The G4 could share styling with the Torana (except for Pontiac specific styling cues). The Cadillac BLS would have its own unique styling. I say this car would be around 180 inches long maybe? * G6 midsize coupe, convertible, and sedan: Based on SWB SigZeta platform shared with future Holden Commodore and Cadillac CTS. The G6 will only share its platform with the Holden Commodore (unless Holden decides to downsize the next generation Commodore) and Cadillac BLS; the G6 will have shorter exterior dimensions (190-191 inches maybe?) and its own unique styling (or shared dimensions and styling with next generation Commodore if downsized). * G8 fullsize coupe, convertible, and sedan: Based on LWB SigZeta platform shared with future Holden Caprice/Statesman and Cadillac STS. The G8 will only share its platform with the Holden Caprice/Statesman (unless Holden decides to downsize the next generation Caprice/Statesman) and Cadillac STS; the G8 will have shorter exterior dimensions and its own unique styling (or shared dimensions and styling with next generation Caprice/Statesman if downsized). The next generation G8 would be a marginally larger car (198 inches maybe?) than today's car, but be built on a longer wheelbase. * THAT'S IT! 4 BRAND APPROPRIATE PRODUCT LINES: Solstice, G4, G6, and G8! Come on GM! You can make this happen! -
Why can't GM work on a next generation Zeta II platform with updates/improvements to reduce weight and improve fuel economy? This platform is a competent platform that is utilized on a global basis by the corporation; why not invest some money into it to reduce weight and install some fuel efficient powertrain technologies? I still see a future RWD three sedan/coupe lineup in Pontiac's future utilizing the Alpha and Zeta platforms: * Compact (G4?): Sedan and coupe on Alpha platform. * Midsize (G6?): Sedan and coupe on SWB Zeta II platform. I know the current G8 is on the current SWB version of this platform, but I think a marginally larger next generation G8 could be built on the LWB Zeta II platform. This would leave room in Pontiac's lineup to offer a sedan to bridge the gap between the larger G8 and the much smaller Alpha based G4. * Large (G8): A sedan and coupe on LWB Zeta II platform that would be marginally larger than today's G8 sedan. * I haven't forgotten about the Solstice, it would continue on as a roadster and 2 seat coupe (I'm hearing rumors that the next generation would be built on Alpha?) I think GM has the talent and resources to make this happen if they would dedicate themselves to the task.
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I like the overall design. The front end needs a serious makeover; it's hideous, scary, and extremely cartoonish. The rest of the car is extreme, yet elegant; the front end design needs to mimic the rest of the design.
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I totally agree. There are enough variants of the Astra to satisfy most needs of the compact segment buyer. When the next generation reaches the market in the U.S., I would like to see the sedan and "TwinTop" coupe added to the 3-door and 5-door versions in the lineup.
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Gorgeous! This is the kind of sedan design that will revitalize Buick in the U.S. I could never understand the lament over the unavailability of Buick of China's current subpar lineup (especially the pitiful Excelle) when the Enclave and this car clearly illustrate the greatness that Buick can truly achieve. I can't wait until the production version reaches the market. I just hope they lose the lame "LaCrosse" moniker and give it a name worthy of the beautiful design that represents the renaissance of the Buick division in the U.S. ("Invicta" would be appropriate, but I would even settle for "Regal"; Buick has a wealth of great historic names that would work quite well with this awesome design).
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I think Chrysler LLC should use the Copperhead and ZEO concepts as inspirations for design cues for car products for the Dodge division. To me, Dodge should be the sporty, affordable, mainstream division for Chrysler LLC. The cars should be sleek and sporty. I think that most of their current car products have taken on too much of a "Ram Tough" truck theme; this theme is fine for trucks and SUVs (and maybe crossovers or minivans to a lesser extent?), but not for the car products. I think taking a sleek and sporty approach would make their car products stand out more in the mainstream market.
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Opel Insignia unceremoniously revealed a week early
cire replied to Intrepidation's topic in Opel/Vauxhall
The current Saturn Aura definitely signaled a great new beginning for styling for the Saturn division, but this car absolutely raises the bar even higher. This is a fairly sexy looking midsize sedan, especially considering the segment of the auto market to which it belongs. It looks sporty and upscale and should elevate Saturn's image even higher when it reaches the U.S. As far as the interior, the only thing I would change is the faux wood trim. I would prefer a metal finish in all the areas where the faux wood trim resides in the interior. Otherwise the interior looks like a winner to me. Since the current Aura's introduction, GM has continually topped themselves in midsize sedan design. This car indicates that the trend will continue into the future. I would love to see them apply a little of this exciting design philosophy to their compact and subcompact products (mainly the Cobalt and Aveo). -
I actually think that this is good news for both companies. I would like to see more collaboration between them. I don't believe Chrysler has the financial resources to fully develop new products from the ground up on their own. Chrysler will have to develop and utilize partnerships with other companies to help alleviate the cost of future product development. I don't believe Nissan is such a bad choice to help them make it happen. It's certainly much better than Chery or even Mitsubishi. I look at this as a smart move by both companies.
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It's good to see the 2.4 four cylinder paired with the six speed auto in the Malibu and that this combo is offered with the LTZ trim level. In these gas mileage conscious times, this should help the car sell even better than before. As far as I know, no other mainstream brand offers a 4 cylinder with a 6 speed auto in their midsize sedan (except the 2009 Aura). Ford, Mercury, Mazda, Toyota, and Honda all currently pair 5 speed autos with their 4 cylinders and Nissan has their famous (or infamous) CVT. This would make Chevy and Saturn leaders in this regard.
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This is a good move. Heated, power adjustable, body-color sideview mirrors (preferably with the integrated turn signal indicators) should be standard on all Buicks (as well as fog lights; the Lucerne's front fascia looks much more upscale with the fog lights). I know these are small convenience items, but Buick is supposed to be a premium division and should offer some of these small conveniences as standard equipment. It's these small conveniences that elevates a brand above the mainstream crowd into premium status. I would also love to see the Lucerne get the 3.6 DOHC V6 engine/6 speed auto trans combo, but I guess it is never going to happen. I don't know if it's true or not, but I believe someone said that this combo wasn't compatible with the Lucerne's platform? It is a shame if it's true because the Lucerne has a nice exterior design; it makes a properly elegant and stately large sedan for the Buick brand (based solely on exterior design, I would consider it ahead of the Taurus/Sable, Azera, Amanti, Avalon, or current Maxima). I think it's the interior design and the old fashioned engine tech that might be repelling some customers.
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Yikes! This car looks better after the facelift, but it is still not deserving of the Buick name. Next! Now let's see that Invicta Concept!
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If you view it as a Chinese design, then it's not too bad (although it does have a bit of a Toyota-like appliance appearance). If you view it as a descendant of Rover, it is a bit of a disappointment. On the other hand, some of Rover's last products were outdated rebadge jobs of Honda products (Rover 400 Mark II and subsequent Rover 45); so maybe this is really an improvement over some of Rover's final products.
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This is not bad looking. Definitely one of the better styling efforts from the Chinese.
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I don't know for sure. I do see a lot of negative posts on auto forums about the lack of availability of a navigation system in the Aura and Malibu. I personally don't see the inclusion of a navigation system as a necessity. I don't have one now and certainly wouldn't consider the lack of one as a deal breaker in the future.
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You did raise some valid points in your response to my proposed lineup: DODGE: * Rebel: I kind of envisioned this as a sort of Scion fighter with styling influenced from the Kahuna Concept (but without the faux wood side treatments). Since the U.S. market seems to be infactuated with crossovers, I thought this might be a valued addition to the lineup; basically, a subcompact product with greater utility. In retrospect, I agree that it might not be such a great idea or even a necessary addition; the Hornet 5-door might provide enough utility for this segment. * Stealth: I chose this name because of its sporty image. I envisioned Dodge's compact sedan and coupe to have sportier styling than a Corolla, Civic, Cobalt, Sentra, Focus, etc. I do agree that people might have a problem with the name being attached to a sporty FWD compact sedan and coupe. I would settle for the resurrection of the "Shadow" or "Aries" monikers as well; just as long as they don't call it "Neon" (that name is too cutesy and doesn't possess any sporty intentions). * Magnum: Again, I envisioned the next generation Journey to be a sportier design that fits Dodge's sporty brand image. "Magnum" seemed to fit the sportier styling that I envisioned better than "Journey". On the other hand, they should continue with Journey if the current generation is successful and builds positive market recognition with the public. If the Journey isn't successful, then I think they should call the sportier next generation design Magnum. * Charger: I think the current generation has firmly established the "Charger" moniker as a large sedan model in the market. I would love to see the next generation utilize the styling theme from the Charger R/T Concept, which would give this sedan an even sportier appearance. I don't think they should lose the current market recognition they have built in the name by changing it to a coupe. If they could maybe spin off a coupe version with the Charger R/T Concept styling theme, they could save marketing dollars by calling both the sedan and coupe "Charger" and retiring the "Challenger" moniker. JEEP: I agree with you that the Liberty should be renamed Cherokee. That is the name that Jeep uses in the rest of the world; why not utilize it in the U.S.? I am not personally fond of the "Grand Cherokee" moniker (it just seems too late 80's or early 90's to me; it also sounds more like a luxury trim level for the Cherokee than a moniker for a fullsize flagship product). I personally prefer a Wrangler (compact), Cherokee (midsize), and Commander (fullsize) lineup for Jeep. The "Grand Cherokee" name might have too much market recognition to drop and the "Commander" moniker might be too tarnished to use at this point, regardless of my personal preferences. If using "Grand Cherokee" for the fullsize product is more beneficial to Jeep, then they should continue to use it (although I still don't like it). CHRYSLER: * 300: I agree with you about the "300" moniker. I know this moniker has some great history and heritage with the Chrysler brand and also has a lot of current market recognition, but I think it is too sterile (and Euro/Japanese wannabe) for the brand's flagship cars. I don't agree with resurrecting the "New Yorker" or "Fifth Avenue" monikers; they just seem too old fashioned and out of place in today's market. If I was going to discontinue the "300" moniker, I would either resurrect the "Imperial" moniker for the large cars or I would call the midsize cars "LeBaron" and use the "Concorde" name on the large cars. * Compact Vehicles (Sedan, Coupe-Cabrio, & Wagon): I would also would like to see Chrysler bargain with Nissan to use a modified version of their FM platform to develop an upscale RWD compact sedan, coupe-cabrio, and wagon. If they did this, the compact cars could be called "LeBaron", the midsize cars could be called "Concorde", and the large flagship cars could be called "Imperial". Just some additional thoughts and ideas, although I doubt much, if any of it would become a reality. I did enjoy your feedback to my proposals. You submitted some thoughtful and intelligent counterpoints.
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It's great to see that the 4 speed automatic transmission/4 cylinder engine combo is being upgraded to 6 speed auto/4 cylinder combo. I also like the fact that the 4 cylinder will be available on the uplevel XR trim; with gas prices continuing to increase, uplevel trims with smaller engine choices will become more popular in our market. These changes alone should put the Aura back on the shopping list of midsize sedan buyers (along with the fact that this car is much better looking than the Camry and Accord). The Bluetooth connectivity package is also a great addition. Unfortunately, a navigation package is still not offered; this may still turn off a lot of customers who think this option is a necessary feature.
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If they decide to build this car, then they must give Pontiac a version of it. This is the perfect Zeta based coupe product to redefine and revitalize the Pontiac division. GM could sell it as the new Monaro for Holden, the G7 (or G8) coupe for Pontiac, and the Chevrolet Lumina coupe for the Middle Eastern markets. I say scrap the plans to bring the Holden Ute over to the U.S. as a Pontiac (or reassign it to its rightful place in Chevy's lineup) and use the resources to get this beautiful product to market and in Pontiac's lineup.
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If this really makes production, then it needs to come to the U.S. as a Pontiac product. I don't care if they call it GTO or G7 or whatever, just so it makes it into Pontiac's lineup. I don't wanna hear any whining about CAFE regulations and I don't wanna hear any more about importing a brand inappropriate, rebadged Holden Ute trucklet product for Pontiac. This is the Zeta based coupe that Pontiac so desperately needs to properly redefine and resurrect the division. Build it in Australia and import it, build it in Canada and import it (with NAFTA, would it really be considered an import?), or build it somewhere in America, JUST BUILD IT! If GM does this and gives Pontiac a compact coupe, sedan, and maybe 5-door based on the Alpha platform, then Pontiac's lineup would pretty much be complete. All they really need is the following: * Solstice * G5: Compact coupe on Alpha. * G6: Compact sedan (and maybe 5-door) on Alpha. * G7: The midsize Zeta based coupe in this forum topic. * G8: Midsize sedan on Zeta. That's It! I really wish GM would recognize what wonders a sporty, affordable, rear wheel drive lineup would do to make Pontiac relevant and desirable in the market once again.
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Cool crossover! I like the Buick Centiemme Concept look. Buick has plenty of room in its lineup for a sub-Enclave crossover and this one would be a perfect fit. It should be built on the upcoming Theta-Epsilon platform that is to underpin the Cadillac BRX and Saab 9-4X.