You are mistaken.

GM could easily export to the SKorean market (as do BMW, Mercedes, Honda, Nissan, Lexus, VW, etc.) – but it just didn’t make sense for GM since it doesn’t have products that are appealing to the SKorean market (for the price; same reason why GM models don’t sell well in Japan).

The tariff on auto imports is 8% – which is not much higher than that for Canada and LESS than the 10% duty that the EU and Australia have on auto imports.

Toyota Camry – Lexus ES350
Toyota Prius – Lexus HS250H
Volkswagon Taureg – Porsche Cayanne
Volkswago Passat – Audi A4, Audi A6
Honda Accord – Acura T/L
Ford Taurus – Lincoln MKS
Audi RS8 – Lambo Gallardo
Nissan Morano – Infiniti FX
Nissan Maxima – Infinity G37
Ford Escape – Small Land Rover

I am sure that we could double or even triple this list. Some of these efforts are better than others and others are simply an unsubstantiated premium.

GM. AN Americna Revolution!

US public? The masses will never know nor care.
Europe? I would think the same as the US.
China? Perhaps but again they will not care.
Korea? Maybe but then again Hyundai seems to be successful in their strategy. And perhaps they will advertise it as US made to actually increase the image of Daewoo.

The LaCrosse is also based on the Opel EPS II architecture which was developed by Opel. However the actual design and development is not that clear. Interior styling was done by China under US direction. Exterior styling was done in the US. The design and development was shared by both China and the US depending on the components. But components are made in both countries for assembly in both countries.

I guess it is pretty clear that GM has become a very global company. They have spread out their work amongst four major Engineering Centers : US, Germany, China and Korea. So far it looks like it is working since every vehicle that has come out in the last 2 years has been at least competitive if not at the top.

I do not know the Korean market. Is Daewoo a Toyota/Chevrolet type brand there? I would guess it is. This may be a step for Daewoo to have an entry in the entry lux market. They may even advertise its American roots.

Perhaps it will even be placed against an Hyundai upper level model. They seem to be entering the higher classes here and I would imagine there also.

Considering that the vehicles that have come over here from this make believe “inferior” brand have either failed completely or have simply been considered a no-frills economy car. No, that doesn’t make the vehicle itself worse… but I would think less of the brand name if the high-up execs believe it’s fitting for a brand like Daewoo, and I’m left thinking what the engineers, designers and execs think of this car.

And sorry but the Cruze has most definitely an Opel underneath it. No partly about it.

And from an older LLN article:
The new architecture — which is being developed in Germany — will generate sedans, hatchbacks and minivans, including a Daewoo-badged model for Korea and a Chevrolet for Europe. Mertens also revealed that vehicles riding on the new platform will share sheet metal — to simplify production — but will wear unique fascias and grilles to match individual brands.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/gm-to-launch-new-global-platform-by-2009.html

Really? What other GM division, other than Chevrolet, sells Camaros, HHR’s, and Corvettes? Yes, some other divisions sell cars that use some of the same components, but that’s not “badge engineering”. An example of badge engineering would be two versions of a vehicle that are essentially the same, except for the badges (and maybe some trim, bumper covers, etc). Like the Cobalt/G5. Or Ford/Mercury.

If LLN’s definition of “badge engineering” means “Sharing some components with other vehicles” then virtually every manufacturer on earth is guilty of the crime. Meanwhile, the rest of the world would call this “Platform sharing” or “economics”.

Do any of us live in Korea? We live in the United States. The rebranded Daewoo Lacrosse isn’t being sold in the US along its Buick “older but better-looking twin sister”. My question is: What is all the complaining about?

GM listened and just announced they are going to drop the Daewoo marque in Korea and start a new marque and call it Buick. While this will cost a billion dollars to make the name relevant to the Korean buyers and will lose sales because of the confusion GM felt it was the right thing to do because some idiot bloggers felt it sounded like badge engineering. All this so GM could actually export a GM product being made in the US.

selling a car called X in one country and Y in another country is not badge engineering…that’s rebranding…and if you will sell more cars and make more profit in south korea by calling it the daewoo thunderfuck instead of the buick lacrosse, call it the gdamn daewoo thunderfuck…who cares…

Daewoo Sh¡t.

I had respect for the Lacrosse… up till now. It can’t be THAT important of a product if GM is going to rebadge their new luxury car as a Daewoo.

I still cannot believe the complaints about an American company actually exporting vehicles to other countries. Seems like everyone would be happy we actually had something to trade for all the stuff we buy form Korea. Anybody here do anything to sell to Korea?

To echo one of the earlier postings, there is nothing wrong with more work for American workers. The same workers will build both versions and allow Buick to realize volume economies in the process.

GM, keep up the Good work and you can get the US Government out of your Board Room, etc.

Also Daewoo won’t go away. It is literally too big to fail (in Korea). Also keep in mind that Daewoo (the conglomerate) and GM-Daewoo (the auto group) are now individual companies (as opposed to in 1999-2002 when Daewoo was selling cars in US). And… Koreans are super racist and nationalistic, so even GM crap badged as Daewoo will sell better than GM-badged crap.

HOWEVER, I wish Daewoo didn’t exist and that Chevies and Buicks were sold in South Korea instead.

This Daewoo is completely not sold in the USDM, so why not take one of the better cars intended for our market and sell it in Asia? All the engineering has already been done, and it’s a great looking sedan.

Hell, GM might even be able to – GOSH – export these cars FROM the US into Asia since chances are this car might not sell at a high enough volume to warrant setting up a whole Asian factory just for it.

.

However GM has been part of some markets much longer than the others and started by either buying a company or starting a new one with a local name. Look at South America and Opel. However, different from the others, they tended to allow the areas to develop their own line of vehicles under these semi autonomous nameplates. But GM has gone global with most all their platforms and are sharing not only platforms but entire models with minor revisions. Slightly different strategy than most others but not by much.

Anyway in this case they bought a bankrupt company and kept the name Daewoo. Now they have the global products and are sharing models. It would be very stupid for GM to develop a whole new model based on the eps II platform to send to Daewoos market.

Also, LLN thinks this will be exported from NA to there. I am surprised they do not export from China though.