thegriffon

The Jetta may have better packaging, but is smaller than a Cobalt, and also smaller than the new Astra. Rumours that the Eos would be on a larger platform were false—it uses the same platform as the Jetta and is nearly 6 inches shorter. The Astra TwinTop rides on a wheelbase 1.4" longer, is 2.7" longer overall, has a trunk 60 L bigger. The only measure by which the Eos is larger than the Astra is width in which it as a 1.2" advantage.

It's the vehicle to be sold elsewhere as the Chevrolet Captiva (production S3X), a lower D-segment crossover similar in size to the new 7-seat Santa Fe and Mitsubishi Outlander. The "midsize" CX-7 and Highlander aren't much bigger and the current Highlander probably doesn't offer as much room in the third row. Although based on the same wheelbase the next Vue (Opel Antara) is a good deal shorter, closer to the North American RAV4.

A manual would need to be automated for remote start to work - automatic clutch actuation. You may have to wait for the new Dual-clutch and planetary manuals, if and when they arrive, most likely in more expensive vehicles. As for push-button start, you'll see it in more and more vehicles as it's relatively cheap and simplifies things in many ways.

Yeah. The new plant (for compacts and subcompacts) is not a secret, it just isn't building anything for the US market, although perhaps many of you will wish it was.

If the new fwd V8 is more compact than the Northstar, then I can see the rwd version going away rather quickly as well. More space is always good, especially with future pedestrian-safety rules requiring increased crumple zones to protect pedestrians from hard points under the bonnet.

It is nice though and would help counter the Scion tC.

It's not a new option, it's been around for quite a while now. The Panorama option has been publicized since the GTC was introduced and was previewed by the GTC Geneve concept. AutoWeek even used the Panorama Roof version to illustrate it's article on the Astra coming to Saturn.

A car for New Yorkers who don't know what a real car is.

So was the Montero and the previous generation Pathfinder.

So why is GM showing it's Brazilian small cars to American journalists?

One problem with the 360s is they are not lhd, nor well-suited to international markets. Toyota has several midsize SUVs sold in various markets, the cheap Hilux-based Fortuner, the 4Runner and the LandCruiser 120 (GX470). GM could well do with two, based on the NG small/medium truck platform—the NG H3 to compete with the Landcruiser and Grand Cherokee, and a Chevrolet to compete with the 4Runner and Fortuner. It's probable GM will do both, but whether the Chevrolet is offered anywhere other than certain international markets such as South America and Asia is far less certain. Asian markets will almost certainly get a replacement for the Tavera, an MPV-like, truck-based crossover.

I guess most of you missed this bit: “If we can keep growing where the opportunities are to grow […] someone’s going to have to hustle pretty hard to catch up with us like that,” he said.

I agree Ven, no matter what the price will be. Was it you who suggested they do a new Rendezvous based on the next-gen long-wheelbase TE (a putative GMT 173)? The Enclave is possibly too big for most buyers, and a cheaper, midsize crossover would better challenge the next RX350 and rack up higher sales.

This is an extension of the program that developed the current GM/Isuzu small pickups, the D-Max, Rodeo, Colorado and Canyon, and the previous partnership on the Panther/Crosswind and Tavera. Isuzu will design the pickups, GM will design the SUVs and AUVs which use the same platform (an AUV is a smallish SUV/minvan hybrid—Mitsubishi, Toyota and GM/Isuzu build them for Asian markets, hence the name).

Coupes don't really generate a lot of sales. The CLK and G35 post modest numbers, but then the CLK is probably mostly cabrios, as is the 3-series. Everything else is normally only a few hundred a month. In contrast the CLS is priced like the 6-series and XK and sells at least twice as much. There are "sweet spots" in the market, some of which are obvious and most companies compete in, others have yet to be discovered. GM (at least in North America) has failed to hit almost all of them with its cars and car-based trucks, for a very long time. You can build a very good vehicle indeed, but if it's not in the sweet spot it won't succeed. To hit the sweet spost you need to have the right kind of vehicle, at the right size (inside and out), and with the right powertrain mix, in the right price range. The DTS and CTS have found two sweet spots, but they are not ones which will give Cadillac the same kind of brand-equity as BMW or Mercedes. They are more expensive than a Toyota or Honda could manage but not expensive enough to match the Germans. They demonstrate there is room for a midlevel brand between Dodge and Mercedes (unfortunately for DCX, Chrysler probably isn't it). The CTS, possibly, if a little bigger and with the right powertrain and pricing, could move up to really challenge the 5-Series, but then there would be even less reason for anyone to buy an STS.

We already know the Montana is not part of the 2007 minivan lineup.

It won't, the fact that the "all-rwd" strategy is being "considered" already implies that they are not yet planning to eliminate fwd models. A GM spokesman saying as much doesn't tell you anything.

Most obvious difference: the news media has a much more expensive idea of "popular" and "premium priced".

Purely a matter of opinion, but I think they could do better than that with moderate fleet sales, and with a slightly bigger lineup. Let's say … G8 sedan … at higher prices than the Grand Prix 50-75,000 p.a. (down from 160K GP+Bonneville in 2004) G6 sedan and coupe (rwd) I think they could sustain 100K, at least, if not 125K. That's still down from 160K G6+GA in 2005 and what may be 170K this year. The right-sized compact rwd sedan and coupe should be able to hit another 125,000 together - say 40,000 coupes (even Mitsubishi should manage that this year, and the tC will do twice that) and 85,000 sedans- behind the Ion, Elantra, Jetta, Mazda3 and probably the Spectra. sustained sales of no more tha 15,000 p.a. for the Solstice is probably about right though, provide they keep up with new variants, such as the GXP and a proper hardtop coupe, otherwise maybe only 10K or less. That gives you up to 340K p.a., without the Torrent and Montana (which go to GMC).

No, that's just idrive. It's not a production fault, it's a design flaw.

There was a fwd GM car in the '90s that was converted to a longitudinal rwd setup, but it was busted by a journalist.

No hostility, just a lack of diplomacy and respect.As for the alleged Impala, no self-respecting rwd sedan has it's front wheels so close to the leading edge of the door. Chris is right again, this is the 2008 Malibu, sharing the longer wheelbase of the Aura and G6 (BTW, longer than the latest generation W-bodies' and the late LeSabre).

Hah, you go to all the trouble of buying some big piece of land miles from anyone and next thing you know there are houses all around it. Of courser it's also been suggested there are certain spots they drive past when they're ready to be seen. One wonders if they have someone watching to make sure there is a photographer at the time.

It may just have had hail damage or something - expensive to repair but not really effecting anything other than the visual quality of the sheetmetal unless it left great holes in the roof. Or it may have been flodded to some extent. How much would a 9 year-old Miata be worth now anyway? the older and cheaper thwe car the more likely it is to be written off by the insurer.

The Mini is made by BMW UK Manufacturing in a former MG Rover plant, with Chrysler 4-cylinder engines made by a Brazilian JV.Mazda, Ford and it's wholely-owned subsidiaries share engines and vehicle architectures and also manufacturing plants. If the Mini is a BMW then the BLS is a GM, just like every other Cadillac, made in Sweden or Michigan or Texas. The various plants are increasing structured as GM Manufacturing rather than Opel Polska etc.. VWs and Audis are more cheap Porsches rather than Porsches being expensive VWs. It's Porsche which has a big share of VW, although VW supplies bodies to Porsche. Audi is mostly VW, but is a public company in it's own right, with it's own engines (not all shared with VW) and largely it's own vehicle architectures (sometimes forgotten—an A8 made of aluminum is not the same a Phaeton made of steel). A Gallardo is an expensive Audi though, with a V10 based on an Audi V8 and a body made by Audi, and a Bentley or Bugatti is an expensive VW, with largely VW engines and bodies. Fiats and Lancias have borrowed from Ferrari rather than the other way round, although the 430 uses a Maserati-based V8.