Comments on: Report: Saturn puts next Aura on hold

By: TOZO

TOZO — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:32:44 +0000

Haggling rules, Saturn. MSRP = Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price! “SUGGESTED!” Get with the program, GM.

By: sprockkets

sprockkets — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:07:31 +0000

Chevy for the general stuff, definitely kill GMC, Pontiac should be the “mazda” of GM, but it never goes beyond skin deep, Olds is dead already, keep Buick for the 65+ population, Caddy for high end (though up until now only 65+ wanted those too.

Aside from trucks/SUVs, caddys, the Corvette, and one or two others, GM IS just a rebadged Opel or Holden. Sad.

By: jayjc08

jayjc08 — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:19:50 +0000

Like we’ve all said, Saturn goes, GMC goes and Hummer’s sold. Saab should be sold, aging product line and nothing to share.

Chevrolet
Pontiac
Buick
Cadillac

Simple as that, and at the same time GMC can still cover the whole market.

Break up union from getting into operations, retool a few factories to be more flexible in the near future, cancel all body on frame SUV’s aside from the Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban and Cadillac Escalade. Work on smaller four cylinder engine, possible the newer rumored ones. Offer something competitive with “ecotech”, then begin work on new small trucks/cars/CUVS such as the Equinox, Colorado, Aveo, vehicles that COULD be big sellers.

By: murphy1

murphy1 — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:27:03 +0000

saturn should go. i think gm sees that making saturn a full line division is just not going to work. pontiac could work if made into a “mazda” type division, with smaller hi-po cars, so not to upset power almighty chevy. gmc and buick, that is another question….buick is dead here in the usa, and gmc is representing a fading segment…gm could be radically different in the very near future…

By: mazdaman

mazdaman — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:13:01 +0000

I think they should slowly start to convert Saturn into Opel when (or if) this car arrives in the U.S. Saturn made a name for itself as a “touchy feely”/”cheap and cheerful” vehicle division and I don’t think it will ever be taken seriously as a premium Euro chic division. I think this car should be christened “Opel Insignia” (just like the Euro version) and marketed as the upscale, Euro inspired masterpiece that it is.

GM should engineer all next generation Opel products to be compatible with all U.S. vehicle regulations. The next generation of the Corsa, Astra, Meriva, and Zafira should all be offered in the U.S. as Opel products. The Outlook should be discontinued and the Vue should be reassigned to GMC as the new GMC Envoy (unless GM kills GMC; if this happens, the Vue should be given a midcycle makeover and renamed the Opel Antarra and the Acadia should be rebadged as an Opel to replace the discontinued Outlook). The Sky should be discontinued at the end of its model cycle. The next generation Ponitac Solstice should be aligned stylistically with the global Opel/Vauxhall/Holden/Daewoo version and Cadillac should receive a luxury retractable hardtop roadster as the premium version of this platform. Opel could then bring its “TwinTop” products to the U.S. to replace the Sky in Opel’s lineup.

I think if GM gave Opel the proper lineup and advertising/marketing to convey the upmarket, Euro inspired aspirations of the brand, the failed Saturn revitalization project could be transformed into a successful and profitable rechristened Opel niche division in the U.S. for GM.

By: bigp

bigp — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:22:56 +0000

thats some thing they should not be doing be its nice but unfinshed

By: xyunya

xyunya — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:49:07 +0000

LoL johnnycanuck

By: xyunya

xyunya — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:48:21 +0000

61Vette, the problem with GM is GM. In Japan Toyota has a number of divisions, just like GM here. The difference is that they are profitable and produce vehicle that people actually buy. 30 years ago GM had almost 50% of US market; nobody could help GM to loose 30% market share other then GM.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:47:27 +0000

At least with the original Saturns you could fire pucks at them and not hurt anything. And if you were really good on a cold day you could aim for the gaps in the body panels.

By: 61Vette

61Vette — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:38:37 +0000

I agree with those that think Saturn should be killed, and maybe this is an indicator of that. GM has too many North American divisions in this day and age of 20% market share. Their product overlap is killing them. I dispise (read: HATE) Toyota but they have one thing right with their structure – they have Toyota and Lexus, with Scion sprinkled in there for fun; they basically have 2 divisions to play off of. The only things holding GM back (seemingly) from going to a Chevy and Caddy divisional structure would be the unions and the franchise laws – both hurdles that keep them from basically shutting down plants and dealerships, respectively. It’s about building product AND staying profitable, and right now GM can’t do them both well at the same time.

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:26:21 +0000

Sick said it right about Saturn’s “Take it or leave it” approach. This only appeals to those who are to chickenchit to negotiate. As times get tighter, this is an ever-smaller group unless Saturn actually prices the cars so that the value/price ratio is better than 90% of the cars out there at actual negotiated transaction price (i.e. NOT msrp).

Wonder what the mileage targets are that GM wants from this car.

By: cookie4me

cookie4me — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:08:55 +0000

It’s amazing they would design a european spec’d car with poor MPG. Maybe they are holding off until they can put a new 4 cylinder into production?

By: howsmydriving

howsmydriving — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:52:11 +0000

GM just can’t quite let go of its branding strategy. Gosh, I so miss Geo and Olds….

By: xyunya

xyunya — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:49:20 +0000

I agree with RaineMan. Saturn can be closed and nobody will notice. All inexpensive vehicles can be assembled under Chevy and expensive under Caddy. The rest of infrastructure is just layered bureaucracy.

By: SickofGarbageMotors

SickofGarbageMotors — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:44:46 +0000

Supposedly the Outlook is on the chopping block once the Traverse arrives. So what does that leave Saturn with? An overweight, cramped, fuel deficient fugly cute ute, a completely oblivious, overpriced econobox and the Sky. Not exactly a promising lineup and certainly not something that’ll save GM. The money that goes into Roger Smith’s “pet rock” would best be re-directed to Chevy or Pontiac so they design and engineer a decent compact offering.

By: tripleonefive

tripleonefive — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:39:25 +0000

Nice GM do exactly the opposite of what should be done Sounds like you are listening to Ford lol
GM sucks so bad

By: SickofGarbageMotors

SickofGarbageMotors — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:39:11 +0000

Hopefully they’ll pull the plug on Saturn and keep this in Europe. Even with a fresh lineup, sales are sucking wind. Sure, it could be blamed on the numerous quality problems, cheap interior but most likely it’s Chevys own Malibu that is grabbing sales from Saturns midsize failure. At least you can bargain with a Chevy dealer, Saturns take it-or-leave it approach turns off a lot of potential buyers and frankly why would you pay a higher price for an identical (even if better looking) car?

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:35:30 +0000

GM needs to get a clue and put Saturn on hold period. Sky is the only competent thing they offer… and it’s just a rebadge.