25 Models & 24 Months Later, Where Will GM Be?

Are we through the woods yet?

After tough times and a disintegrating economy that deflated around the world, it seems we could have reached the end of the downturn. The glimmers of hope are appearing just about everywhere. Homebuilder’s confidence has risen, unemployment has rebounded from its endless plummeting and auto sales ticked over the 11 million mark for July. Whether it will last is another question.

And, it appears the economy is not the only thing rebounding; so is General Motors. Last week GM hosted an event to showcase their current and future products – and to gloat about the unprecedented fuel economy of the Chevrolet Volt.

After having the rare opportunity to visit GM’s design facilities and get a chance to see what the company has up its sleeves for the next 24 months, I have taken the time to reflect on what is in store for the troubled automaker. Now that its focus is solely on Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC, it appears that the manufacturer may have the opportunity to “get lean.”

The tour provided a rare and in-depth look into “the new GM,” and the beginning of what may be a rebound for a haggard Detroit.

Source: General Motors

Leading off was Cadillac. Taking a glance at its CTS Coupe concept, it appears very impressive. Low and wide, bearing a clean design with some edges here and there makes it very aesthetically appealing, particularly when wearing a Pearl White paint job. Although it was certainly easy on the eyes, it was not nearly as mind bending as the CTS-V Coupe mules that were wearing a helluva lot of camouflage. These mules were spotted on the GM Proving Grounds, but GM had taken my camera and patched up my telephone. No luck, sorry.

Probably the most interesting aspect of Cadillac’s design language is its new focus on interior craftsmanship. Some new mock-ups showed new, intriguing approaches to subtle design modifications that could make a massive difference. For instance, one interior had a purple contrasting stitch that can be best described as a dot-dash pattern. It looked sensational. This approach to design, specifically on interiors, will be a huge element that separates Cadillac from future competitors. What it will come down to are two things:

1) Producing these new changes in PRODUCTION cars, not concepts that do not see light outside of the design studio.

2) Quality, quality, quality. No one cares about how great a stitch looks if it’s ratty and falling apart.

In addition, Caddy unveiled two new models: the ATS and XTS.

The new “baby Cadillac” looks absolutely fantastic. The show car, painted in a vibrant blue, looked stunning. Now, if the brand can gather everything together and put together a solid interior, top-notch powertrain and an overwhelming driving experience, it will be LIGHTS OUT for the competition. It really looks that stunning. Armed with rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive variants, it will be taking on Audi and BMW head-on.

The big-daddy-Caddy, the new XTS, looks like one serious machine. Do not believe the hype that says it looks like a Cadillac Sixteen, that’s simply inaccurate. If anything, I firmly believe that it appears to have the same general shape as a Maybach. It is an elegant vehicle that appears as though it would whisk you away gently, rather than storm off in a hurry. Hands down, it is a greater design than Jaguar’s XJ – from the exterior, as it appeared to be a static model with no interior.

Whether or not it will be able to steal market share from the other big luxury sedans will be the measuring stick determining success. Competition remains fierce as ever with staggering technology and hybrid systems making their way across the landscape. It will be interesting to see how Cadillac plays out the XTS.

Next in line was GMC, which was relatively dull. To be frank, I could have fallen asleep during this brief presentation. The only announcement that left an idea what may be in GMC’s future was a smaller, Scion-like concept. Interestingly enough, it seemed to be more “car-ish” than truck-like, but it wore large tires and looked like a cool hauler. Essentially, imagine a Scion that does not look geeky and does not make you feel like less of a man. Blam-o, that’s the GMC concept.

By seeing the trends from last year’s oil speculation, it is clear that GMC has recognized that it has to make smaller vehicles or at least manufacturer fuel efficient ones. Keeping that in mind, it is likely we will see GMC beginning to rebadge… I mean produce, greener vehicles in the future.

Speaking of rebadging, Buick is about to turn up the heat. Already beginning its assault with the 2010 LaCrosse, Buick has a lot of fascinating vehicles in its pipeline. With exception of the Buick Vue*, which will likely be the compact electric sport utility vehicle, they all look attractive.

An example that should strike fear unto entry-level luxury brands like Lexus, is the Buick Insignia*. Literally, the midsize sedan concept – that was on display for journalists – is an Insignia with a Buick grille slapped on. Recall that the Opel Insignia won 2009’s European Car of the Year award.

I thought GM’s CEO Fritz Henderson said that he was “not a fan of rebadging.”

Above, an Opel Insignia OPC

Source: FancyTuning

Regardless, it is a brilliant car that has shown its prowess overseas. This is one of the most exciting cars that will make its debut in the U.S. With some luck, Buick will make a return to a more performance-oriented saloon, as seen with Opel’s Insignia OPC. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Elsewhere in Buick’s design lounge was a compact concept. Its design was a mash-up of an Insignia and the previous generation Mazda 3. I do not know what to make of this type of car for the “new Buick" nameplate.

I have always envisioned the brand to be geared towards the older crowd and I was not mistaken. While driving the 2010 LaCrosse, I inquired about the market demographics for the new LaCrosse; it is for 40-59 year old professionals. Whether or not the brand will be able to penetrate a younger audience is up to Buick’s marketing team.

The LaCrosse will not be the brand’s saving grace in the U.S. If anything, I think the electric Vue* and an Insignia OPC are going to inject some liveliness into the upcoming, versatile American brand.

At the end of the day, there has to be some serious reimaging at Buick and fast. Time is ticking and speaking for the New York and LA crowds, no one in the 18-30 year old age group wants to be caught dead in a Buick. That is a fact.

Source: General Motors

Yet someone at GM has it right, because Chevrolet’s Spark is going to become a competitive offering in the low-end market, particularly with a young demographic. The Asian production model that I poked around was edgy, well-built and had practical controls. For the first time, it appeared to be an American econo car that did not seem that way. After recently spending a week with a Nissan Cube, I enjoyed the refreshing look at an economy car that has some spunk while NOT being overrun with cheap materials.

Perusing the other models in GM’s infamous design dome, I was surrounded by a Volt, a new SUV offering – the Orlando – an all-new Malibu, the 2011 Camaro convertible, Europe’s Cruze and the all-new Aveo. Out of the entire group, only the Camaro and the Volt excited me.

The rest just seemed to be rather dull and bland. There was no excitement or pizzazz. For instance, the new Malibu’s interior, which has a lot to live up to due to the current generation’s success, is heinous. One specific element is this new dash treatment that places a large band of mesh across the width of the interior. Although it is design flair and an attempt to cover the HVAC vents, it comes off rather hideously.

Hopefully the designers will make some modifications to their work within the next six months. Otherwise we may see a new trend of mesh running across future GM products. Think I am overreacting? Look at some of the interiors of the latest GM products. A new theme is an expansive piece of plastic that runs from the middle of the windshield to the door. It makes an appearance in: the Camaro, Volt and Insignia.

Electrifying the world last week was the Volt’s supposed 230 MPG rating. This had me thinking: although GM knows that the Environmental Protection Agency merely has a draft, they went along and rejoiced anyhow. However, the EPA backed away from this claim. So, GM has either taken a calculated risk and has thoroughly tested the Volt’s capabilities, or they have spoken too soon.

Time will reveal the truth and for GM, it better pray it is in its favor. Until the official testing method by the EPA is determined, I am not buying the numbers.

Although I do not have a crystal ball, after last week’s trip it is easy to see that GM has been putting a lot of work into itself. It is evident in a large amount of its designs and its craftsmanship continues to increase. Doors shut with confidence, not rattles. Workers continue to take pride in the fruits of their labor and new management is here to stimulate the brand. Imagine if the company went bankrupt 25 years ago?

Whether or not it’s determination to live will pay off, now that it has damaged its image, will come full circle after the next two years. If GM can surpass the negative persona forced upon the manufacturer, a return to success is imminent. Otherwise, we know what happens next.

~nz

rp

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*Not the actual name of the new vehicle mentioned. But, from what was observed in Detroit last week, we made an educated assessment.