Actually not having to fill up gas so often is a luxury feature that everyone here seems to miss. Think about the loss time you spent going to the gas station when you can be with your family or making more $.

i think its a good way to go. i wouldn’t mind seeing it under the buick brand and chevy.

hooooooooooly ****!!! Somebody at GM might have finally figured out what people want in a car. And Buick would be the perfect division to have that type of car.

Hell yes.

^ why do you even leave comments…

I don’t understand why it has to be a ‘premium’ micro car. If the goal is to produce enough fuel efficient vehicles to offset your gass guzzlers, shouldn’t volume be your priority? And does that also mean they’re planning on producing the Cobalt/G5 indefinitely? I’m not implying it’s a bad idea, but shouldn’t GM attempt to build a competitive bread and butter small car- something they have yet to prove they can do- before they worry about upscale. Or, like Chrysler with Nissan and Chery, are they just planning on rebadging still more Daewoos with bowties.

Personally I like the idea, because I like smaller cars, but think about the total volume of the Mini, A3 and overpriced 1 series. 60k units between all 3 cars maybe…
GM might be able to sells some units if they keep the price down. Keep the vehicle weight down too, so they actually get good mileage.
Pricing and weight of the 1 series is a huge disappointment.

I thought that problem was solved by them with Opel. There are upscale Opel models that cost on par wit Audi and BMW. Neither Benz or Audi has rwd small car – it is less fuel efficient then fwd. Engineers already developed tricks of the trade to make fwd as agile as rwd. I think some execs in GM just looking for lifeline to keep themselves employed.

Small cars have a good place in the market if they are reasonably priced and are reliable. Mini, BMW 1 and A3 are way over priced. With the way gas price is and new CAFE rules a small car that achieve 40 – 50 miles per gallon using current technology (Very possible)will easily out sold expensive hybrids with complicated systems

autonut: you’re forgetting the infamous Opel ****ty quality. They might as well make something completely new to compete with the 1 series.

The key phrase is “premium small car.” Not a rebadged astra.

Pontiac, Saab, and Saturn would all be good candidates. They are all a “step up” from Chevy, but not Caddy. Not sure Buick customers would be excited about a small car of any type, and I don’t thing anyone looking for a car like that is going to step foot in a Buick showroom.

Here would be a good structure for GM similar to that they had in the heyday of the 50’s-70’s:

Caddy= Bigger RWD lux/CUV, Buick= Bigger FWD lux/CUV, Pontiac = Sporty RWD cars, Saturn = Premium small/midsize cars/CUVs, Chevy = entry level full line cars/trucks/CUVs + Corvette, GMC/Hummer = Premium Trucks/SUVs. Still too many brands, I know, but I don’t think GM is going to dump one anytime soon.

Oh damn they just go about it the wrong way..

How is this car suposed to be successful if they have such a central planning apparatus?

They should have the own brands deciding these things, otherwise it’ll just not be a car that suits the character of the bvrand, although the GM brands don’t have a lot of that left, except for Cadillac maybe..

Do you think there was a central committee at VW thinking “hmmmmm we need a luxury mini, who’s gonna build it? Bentley? Audi? Volkswagen? Skoda?”

Don’t think so.. Audi is just applying everything they are doing with the A3, A4, A6 A8 and so on on another segment and I don’t think it would work particularly well if it were different..

I hope you guys understand what I mean.

Oh and Fletch:

The Mini plant in Oxford is churning out about 280.000 units a year, and they are steadily increasing the capacity because the demand far outreaches anything anybody at BMW or anywhere else had expected.. But since no Buick or Cadillac will sell any considerable amount of cars in Europe in any time soon I think your figure might be right, for the US market only, though.

Euro Focus and less so VW Golf, should be their bench marks. 1 series and A3 are cool but way overpriced to sell in any volume.
Dont forget the importance of these models in emerging markets where the real growth in business will be. Roads are tight parking is an issue in these countries. So even for those who can afford a bigger car its not practical.

Remember that Buick-Opel were twinned as a dealer strategy back in the 1960s and early ’70s. The Opel was positioned as a stylish European product line, a little more premium than VW. Nothing wrong at ALL with positioning a premium small car through Buick; it could be great for GM.

They are calling it the “LutzLutz Nano.”

built me an electric car…..!

I think Opel Astra actually had a decent quality in Europe. Opel sold more Astras in Europe then Toyota Camrys in US in 2006. I don’t consider Europeans to be schmacks: they know and love their cars especially quality cars. As matter of fact very same Astra is supposedly saving GM’s ass in US.
Before the car will be assigned to any of GM divisions it needs to be build.

This sounds like Saab should get the new model. Saab used to be known for small cars, it would fit in their lineup and their portfolio. Saab desperately needs a new halo model, or something atleast to put some energy back into them, and Saab is about the only brand that hasn’t received such a model.

gizmo- Unfortunately, that isn’t true. There are a few cars, in the American market, that can get low 40 miles per gallon, and they aren’t outselling any hybrids. I’m telling you, it’s the image!

SwerveEarly- Then that makes this an even better opportunity if you consider the 1 series and A3 as overpriced! GM could surely undercut their prices by a few thousand, and

Ever play a word association game? You know, “delicious” followed by “cheeseburger!” or “sexy” followed by “Angelina Jolie!”

This Buick-microcar association is as logical as “tasty meal” –> “rotting corpse!”