red

Creed's designs (during his DCX peak) were well executed & inventive, but always a little too quirky. Plus, the final products kept the quirkiness but did away with the execution...his cars had some of the worst execution I'd seen since the Aztek & ION. Hopefully Gilles can resurrect Chrysler designs - he has a very limited budget. He also is on the J Mays side of conservatism - his designs are well executed and proportioned but are often a little plain (I fail to give him full credit for the 300 as Tom Gale set the stage for that one). Future is not too bright for Chrysler, or any other American manufacturer at this point...

Oooh, that's not good... Clunky, heavy, and somewhat cheap looking. And they're going to charge 40k?!? Good luck.

Looking nice, not entirely dull either. Does look a little chunky, the side profile shot reminds me of an Avenger, and the side mirrors are hopefully only for the movie. For this car to be successful, it not only has to look good & function well, it has to be priced affordably and uphold excellent reliability. Remember what happened when Iacocca rushed the Pinto into production...

I don't see any side mirrors on this vehicle...oh wait, there they are!

Having seen this and the other new products around the bend, it appears that GM is sliding back into old habits, design-wise. The fun's over, I guess...

Nice proportions. Looks to have improved surface proportions and a good ol' prominent Chevy grill. We'll all agree on the plastic c-pillar doodad...I just hate these, they really cheapen the design. In some cases, it's really needed, but in the car, I still think the greenhouse would have the "flow" designer wanted without the plastic add-on. The headlights are kind of thoughtless, though, kinda like..."we're out of ideas, let's see if this fits, it's different...right?" The taillights are different and creative. The overall design itself, though, while well-proportioned, is rather derivative. It's not really exciting or forward-thinking. I'm liking the creativity that Honda put into its Civic line - the fast windshields, horizontal headlights were against the norm and it works. I'm not saying Chevy or GM should do the same, but now that they've got the execution-part down, they should try and stretch their designs out for a little more groundbreaking creativity.

God, I hope they don't call it the Beat. That name has waaay too many negative associations...especially with its likely target audience.

Interesting. I'll reserve judgement until I see more pics. Ah, but what the hell: - Interesting arrow-shaped headlights. I don't know if I'm sold on these yet - also found on the Maxima - these headlights are kinda like a designer said "we've run out ideas - how can we make this look different" and came up with this design...read: half-baked. - It appears that they took some of the "weight" out of the design, which was one of my biggest criticisms of the current generation. - The dip in the greenhouse has good intentions, but comes off as either a forced retro-tribute or attempt to mimic French quirkiness. read: not authentic. - The flat creases surrounding the wheel wells are too thick and clash with the overall design. Kind of like ricer ground effects on a sultry Jaguar. ...other than that, not bad!

Cadillacfan, my sentiments exactly. I haven't seen anything for Saturn...and I've been watching a lot more TV lately. When I do see Saturn ads, they're really not effective, either. Not bad, but not memorable either. It's been said before, Saturn's ad budget needs more $$$ to up the frequency/quality. Side note: I remember seeing beautiful Opel Astra 3-doors while in Europe - this is still a beautiful design. I can't believe I haven't seen a SINGLE ad for this car: print/online/billboard...nothing. And unlike most people, I keep my eyes out for industry-related ads. If that isn't a sign that Saturn needs more ad dollars, I don't know what is. Again, the product is there - finally - but no buyer has a frickin' clue that these cars exist!

Very nice design...I haven't liked a whole lot of the Ferrari designs over the last few years, but this looks nice. Perfect for a Ferris Bueller remake, no? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MxPoxxt7n0 :AH-HA_wink:

It's marketing likely needs an overhaul...but the biggest problem right now is its reach. With a limited ad budget, you're not going to see Saturn TV spots in high frequency on most channels. Same goes for print, radio, outdoor signage et al. Saturn needs a larger budget to enhance its media placement in order to effectively get its message out to consumers that - "hey, are cars are pretty damn good now, believe it or not!"

Whoops, thanks for the correction guys. A friend of mine convinced me that I had it, and I could have cared less...either way, shifts really well for an automatic! Now I won't sound like an idiot at the repair shop...

Can't agree more that Saturn's lack of marketing has a direct impact on the brand's sales. This is where guys like DeLorenzo (AutoExtremist.com) have it right...GM has too many brands, too many models and not enough advertising dollars to go around. And it's been clear that Saturn has been the one to suffer. On the flipside, I think it was a good move to give cars like the CTS and Malibu a larger portion of the marketing budget. Otherwise, all cars and divisions would have had a miniscule budget - and in today's competitive environment, it takes a lot fo dough for your voice to be heard. But going back to Saturn, it is good to hear that the quality of their purchases has improved. It can be hoped that "word of mouth" will compensate for a lack of ad dollars until GM commits more funds to increasing Saturn's showroom traffic. After all, they've finally got good products...

Nice affirmation that my gamble paid off...I own a Rabbit with 25k. Shopping around, I could not find a better value. Relative to is class the Rabbit has great interior quality (for those of you who know I'm quite a critic), fantastic handling, good acceleration off the line and in traffic, and more interior space than you'd think. And I'll tell you, this is one fun car to drive...the DSG (dual-clutch 6-spd manumatic) is worth the extra dough. Gas mileage does suck, however. Keep in mind, it's a 5-cylinder and it's a German...meaning it's overweight with redundant engineering and sound deadening materials. I also tend to floor it every now and then, which can't help. As for reliability, problems have been minimal: iPod adapter and a rattle in the interior air diffuser (which went away a few months after ownership). I will say that the rear brakes are pesky, as both myself and most owners will likely have to get new rear pads at about 25-30k miles. Luckily, I know a guy, but can't say the same for my peers. It's been a great purchase and I love driving it - I hope it holds up!

Wish you the best of luck in reaching your goals. A few pointers that I've found successful: -Eat small portions about every two hours. This is great for your metabolism. -When snacking, replace chips or sweets with healthy items. I usually go for low-salt almonds, fruit, or beef jerky when I need a fix. -Don't go carb-free, go carb-smart. Look at what you're eating and ask yourself: do I need all this energy? If you're having pasta for dinner, ixnay the garlic bread, for example. If you're making sandwiches, focus on ingesting useful carbs provided by a 9- or 12- grain wheat bread...much less likely to convert to fat ala plain white or plain wheat. Lastly, change the quality of carbs you eat in the morning - try switching from Froot Loops to Grape-Nuts with berries. The key here is to up the quality of carbs you're ingesting...without sacrificing much of the full-stomach goodness they provide. Like a few of said, exercise is key. Best way to lose body fat is either jogging at about 4.5 speed on the treadmill at a high incline for 30-45 mins, or doing sets of intervals. Simply running only burns calories, but will keep you healthy and from gaining weight. Keep in mind, when you lose weight, you lose both fat and muscle, so be sure pound the iron a bit to keep your form intact. Hope any of these suggestions can help!

So let's get this straight...next G6 will be a Epsilon-II Malibu with unique front and rear treatments ala Acadia vs. Relay or Acadia vs. Traverse? Or will it be a complete badge job similar to Cobalt vs. G5? And this won't be out until 2013? What will be done in the interim...surely the G6 won't have an 8 year run...then again GM has been known to do that. I understand this from a sales channel and margin perspective but I don't necessarily like it. I for one would prefer a RWD-junior-G8. I'm impressed with the current G8, while it is a little too conservative in style, it is a true Pontiac - and well executed. A smaller, more affordable version of the G8 would do wonders for the brand's image, and would be a great point of differentiation in a crowded midsize sedan market. From a B/P/GMC perspective, this would be the division's bread-and-butter sedan, more affordable, bold in style and performance-oriented vs. the Invicta. It would also not interfere with both Chevrolet and Saturn's target markets - as it would be priced a little higher (RWD) and again, offering something more than a commuter car. But, I can understand that utilizing economies of scale provided by Eps-II is much more profitable, and much of GM's brass do not see the long-term value in creating brand authenticity, but only short-term profits to appease investors. That's the biz, I guess...

I really like the creative gauge housing - notice how it appears to be created from one metal sculpture. The leather wrapping is a nice touch. I'll spare my typical plastiluminum criticism. The IP seems like an afterthought though - perhaps GM did not have the budget to paint it silver or they felt it would be aluminum overkill...but the plain black is just that. Why not - on lighter colored interiors - color coordinate the IP/console controls to that of the dash? For that reason, the interior only looks good in black...for the grey theme in the Provoq concept reveals its cheapened, unfinished black IP and center console. Hope the ambient lighting can make the jump to production. Personally, I feel that its a little gimmicky and trendy but I'm sure the critics - and target market - will like the blue ambiance found in the concept. Shaping up to be a nice looking vehicle. As much as I think this should be for Buick and all Caddies should be RWD, it looks like GM is doing its best to make this an appropriate entry (minus the black IP of course).

Nice stance, was the Compass inspiration? Like the new grill...

Quite a disappointing vehicle, especially considering the high-quality product the GM Europe has turned out over the last decade. Can't say I like the exterior one bit...and the interior is equally disappointing - dare I say...Korean? Don't know what happened to GM Europe's sense of style, but apparently, it took a long vacation during this vehicle's development.

I'm hoping for revolution...like you said, we haven't seen much change in the design since the C4. But there might be a few things going against a "revolutionary" bodystyle. Aerodynamics, engineering capability/budget, as well as design "ballsiness" may come into play. Either way, I'm pretty confident that with the organization in place, Corvette fans will finally get the car they deserve.

Wow, that's actually pretty well done. I like this look as opposed to the bland/chubby direction that GM Europe appears to be heading towards...

Jeez, find a slogan and stick with it for once... (BTW this is a terrible slogan)

Great post, CARBIZ. I always like to hear about salesmen doing things the right way, especially automotive sales, which gets quite a bad rap. I for one, just quit my job from a large B2B sales company, and this quote drove it home: "I was too honest for this business" Frankly, I took the job because of the opportunity to analyze & consult businesses on improving certain systems in order to help them become more efficient. But while I found this to be intriguing, selling consistent numbers involved a lot more manipulation and "flexible" ethics, demonstrated by top sellers in the region. I'm not incapable of selling, closing, or getting my foot in the door...I simply didn't want to start lying and screwing business owners over to appease management. For this very reason, this is why you see alot of salespeople who just don't care about the customer...they've got to meet their number. So it's not just car sales...it's most sales. To do the job right, the commitment to the customer has to come from the top down. While I tried to do things the right way and put up great numbers from time to time, I didn't have the support from management to do so. And that's the trap a lot of salespeople fall into...

If my '07 Rabbit continues to be reliable as its been (22k and no problems, minus the iPod adapter), I'll consider a TDI Rabbit as my next purchase. Diesel engines are more efficient, have great torque, and get much better gas mileage (wish price per gallon was a little cheaper though). I thoroughly enjoyed driving them while in Europe and I'd prefer one in my next purchase.

Definitely not a knockout, but thankfully differentiated...for the latter I laud GM Design & Beancounters. Interior architecture & design is a significant step up from the Malibu...same basic design but much more "solid" looking. Dash is probably hard plastic though...but this probably isn't a deal breaker in GM's eyes. Exterior is bland but not overly boring. Design/styling kinda looks old from the front 3/4. Nice integration of Camaro cues in the rear taillights, but there is a large void of sheetmetal in the rear tailgate, somewhat of a styling flaw that makes the rear look unfinished. I think this is a crucial SUV for Chevy considering its current product hole. On paper, this looked like another "3 steps back" idea: a rebadge with little differentiation. But with it's acceptable styling, great interior, improved engine, and praised Lambda driving characteristics, this car is definitely a few steps forward for the Chevy brand. But not a knockout. It will be important that this vehicle gets a proper launch ala Malibu...platform-mate or not, this is a very significant car for Chevy and GM.