On Friday, November 7, GM dropped the bombshell that they could run out of cash in only a few months. This sparked a wildfire of stories about the General delaying many future products in order to save cash. We’ve now got our hands on the delay details including specific dates. This rundown comes directly from the people who make the parts for these cars, not from the mailman of someone’s uncle who cuts the lawn at the Milford Proving Grounds.
First things first. The Chevy Cruze and the Chevy Volt are not part of these delays despite several rumors that suggested that possibility. The Cruze is currently set to start its North American production run in April of 2010. The Volt is scheduled to start a few months later in November of 2010.
Moving to the SUV/CUV segment, the all-new Chevy Equinox, and its platform-mate, the GMC Terrain, are still moving ahead as planned. The 2010 Equinox will currently start running down the line in May of 2009, with the GMC following a few months later in August of 2009.
Cadillac ’s new SRX, riding on the TE chassis, suffers only a minor setback. Slipping back a few months, the SRX now has July of 2009 circled on the calendar for its birthday.
GM’s other luxury brand, Saab , doesn’t get off so lucky. Its TE-based crossover vehicle, the 9-4x, will be held back an entire year, with production now scheduled to get underway in September of 2010. It still remains a bit of mystery why Saab’s TE-based CUV is being held back while Cadillac’s TE is full steam ahead. Might this be a grim sign for Saab’s future? Too soon to say.
Buick is also part of the scheduled delays, though not by much. The 2010 Buick LaCrosse will have to wait an extra two months to start being bolted together, with production now starting in May of 2009.
Finally, the drop top Chevy Camaro has been put on the back burner for quite a few months. Originally, the Camaro Convertible was set to start production in December of 2009. Then it was pushed back to the summer of 2010. Now you’ll have to wait an additional eight months until February of 2011 to buy the soft-top. Two full years after the coupe goes on sale.
While these setbacks may make GM fans less-than-happy, the grim reality is, if GM doesn’t get the government help it needs, these delays become a moot point.
Words by Chris Doane.
