Gm Considers Cutting Some Brands

bowserb · November 27, 2008

I may catch hell for this on here, but I have an issue with this. Gm wants to cut Pontiac.......While I am looking at Sierras and Silverados, I gotta ask why, wouldnt they cut GMC its all rebadged, yes there are subtle differences including the Denali and the grilles which I prefer on the GMC.

Seems to me that while GMC needs to exist for the Buick, Pontiac, GMC dealers to support a dealer through their rebadged products it doesnt necessarily help in having like 4 different versions of the Enclave, Acadia, Traverse, Outlook. Or the Envoy, Trailblazer, and that Saab one. I could see Saab being sold off, and Hummer, but Pontiac? They have the G6 (good volume seller) and G8 (fast, unique)

Seems to me that they could reestablish Pontiac as more of a separate brand, then GMC, while I am torn on this because I like the look of the Sierra over the Silverado.......but GMC is all rebadged, and that could give a better focus on the major products if rebadging was cut.........however, I am assuming with the volume GMC does these 3 brand dealers need them as Pontiac and Buick don't make the dent in the market they use to....

Maybe its me but I mentioned my thoughts on this to a buddy, and he made the point of, "well if GM goes to Congress with news it is going to cut one of its major truck brands (GMC) and get rid of saab and hummer, and focus more on the shifting marketplace, as well as making more of the current models higher volume, and focusing more on the cars, but making it a more lean company, that could get congress' attention"

I just wanted thoughts on this, like i said I prefer the look of the Sierra, but something needs to happen.......Thoughts on what should go........what should stay

MS3DALE · November 27, 2008

I actually thought GM might consider getting rid of Buick,However Buick is a very,very popular nameplate,and seller,in China...so I don't think there considering dropping that nameplate.

I agree with you,I don't think dropping Pontiac would be a good thing....Like you said,they have the G8 that none of there other nameplates have...they also have the Solstice (Which I know Saturn has as the Sky)

Also,The Trailblazer/Envoy's are done as of next month,The assembly plant in Dayton,OH. is being closed.

I also agree that the GMC nameplate should be dropped,we don't get a lot of guys coming into our dealership to look at a GMC "specifically" they usually say...."I'll take a Chevy or a GMC,I don't care"

I can also see Hummer going bye-bye in the very near future.

DofD · November 27, 2008

Just in my opinion the popular Pontiac lines (G6, G8, Solstice) should be rolled over into Buick. The truck lines should be consolidated into Chevrolet maybe with making the GMC styling an option on the trucks. Hummer is just too niche and expensive to be a viable line right now. I'm not sure on the Saab sales figures, but it could be a good candidate to be sold off.

SLESierra · November 27, 2008

I understand why Pontiac is being killed off - it has died two times already and their thinking probably is that another revitalization is not worth it. Pontiac has no single car it produces All the cars are rehung bodies on another divisions chassis. The reason they will not get rid of the GMC nameplate imho is it had/ still is somewhat somewhat synonimous with the corporate brand. Could you imagine the ignorance in the media if GM would quit making GMC. As much as we know they are the same trucks but you would read headlines like

GMs CORPORATE NAMEPLATE FALTERS is the company next, and GMC TRUCKS has failed will Chevrolet fail next? See it is a matter of marketing on their part not so much smarts in the company. Why not if you are going to keep the GMC editions then do just like in years past and hang the same body and rebadge?

geektoad · November 27, 2008

Here's my question...what point does Saturn serve anymore?

When the Saturn brand came out the whole point was to differentiate from GM and have it stand on it's own against the imports without being tied to "crappy GM cars". Now that it's well known that they're just another GM brand AND they're just selling the same re-badged platforms that the other lines are selling, what is the value of the Saturn mark?

Hummer: DIE DIE DIE.

Saab: GM killed this brand's identity too. Once upon a time, Saabs were lower-end euro-luxury cars. The car that folks that wanted a European luxury car but couldn't afford a BMW or a Benz bought. GM has turned them into over-priced Pontiacs as far as the interiors go. As nice as the interiors on the GMTs and the Acadia, etc are, i'm always stunned at how nasty the interiors of the Saabs are. (they're what my dealer gives as loaners). If they could find a buyer, I think they should sell it..if not, mothball it.

ColoradoSkiCountry · November 27, 2008

The problem with Buick in America is that it is still "A old person's car" and always will have that reputation. Rolling the Pontiac products over to Buick would not be a good idea. It's just too bad that the really cool looking cars like the Grand Prix and Grand Am are no longer in production

GM has established a good respected reputation on it's trucks/SUVs, it now needs to work on it's reputation on it's cars, just like Ford and Chrysler need to do.

Tucson_02Silverado · November 27, 2008

Buick should be done with in the US, and left alone anywhere else that it is popular

Pontiac is the perfect nameplate to rebadge US styled versions of the Holden's, Vauxhall's and Opel's

Any of the "good" Saturn models should roll to Chevrolet.

Stop making an all brands version of models i.e. Traverse, Acadia, Outlook, Enclave

This pains me a bit, as I do like the styling of the GMC over the Chevy GMT-900 TRUCK, yet the Chevy over the GMC SUV,

Chevy gets the LD trucks and SUV's; 1500, 2500, 3500, Tahoe, Suburban. Long time name recognition/reputation would be the main reasons.

GMC is the Medium/Heavy duty trucks, TopKick, W-Series and T-Series. (General Motors Commercial)

If GM ever wants the Taxi/LE market back, this is where to put the purpose designed/built vehicles. (not the gussied-up civy models)

Cadillac needs to ween themselves off the Escalade unless it's only a high-end version such as a V-12 and massage your butt, otherwise PDL, PW, Leather, NAV etc all is available in the the Tahoe/Yukon. Cadillac needs to be exclusive and stop selling just the image on a re-front-clipped Tahoe with LED tail-lights.

They could lighten-up on the Hummer presence in the US, they'll always be a niche market in the US for military-styled vehicles. In Russia and all of the other oil-mad countries, Hummer stays more than just alive in those countries with the numbers that sell.

SAAB is a furin' brand, always will be. Sell 70% of the interest, if not all back to a Swedish group where it belongs anyways.

zxcv · November 27, 2008

I will buy Pontiac.

$5.

Thanks!

unit731 · November 27, 2008

Here's my question...what point does Saturn serve anymore?

When the Saturn brand came out the whole point was to differentiate from GM and have it stand on it's own against the imports without being tied to "crappy GM cars". Now that it's well known that they're just another GM brand AND they're just selling the same re-badged platforms that the other lines are selling, what is the value of the Saturn mark?

It's a sad story with Saturn. I watched this from the very beginning. This car was supposed to 'beat' the Japanese at their own game. A new factory in Spring Hill, TN and a unique labor agreement with the UAW. A small economy car built in good ole USA - and going to be as good or better than the Japanese.

In the beginning, Saturn had 'outings' in Spring Hill every year. Kind of a 'cult' following - similiar to the original VW Beetle. People were pasionate about their Saturns back then.

GM just plain blew it.

Now the factory in Spring Hill, TN doesn't even build Saturns. And the small entry level Saturn is built in Belgium and is a rebadged Opel. And the exchange rate of the Euro fluctuates and at times makes this new Saturn priced out of the economy market. Certainly a good car, but over the decades, I have seen GM import cars from England, Germany, Japan, Korea, and now Belgium. Used parts are scarse and new parts are expensive.

Why didn't GM stick to the original business plan?

I own a Saturn Ion 2. The last model made in Spring Hill, TN. This car is an exercise in mediocraty. GM had a clean sheet of paper on this car - the ION. They just plain screwed it up. Whose idea was it to place the instrument panel in the middle of the dash? They should have redone the dash and continued to make the Saturn Ion in Spring Hill, TN.

The Opel Saturn just cost too much compared to the competition. And Saturns are not discounted like all the other competition. In this segment, one has to be a real loyal Saturn fan to pay the asking price for the Opel Saturn.

svensk · November 27, 2008

I will buy Pontiac.

$5.

Thanks!

Just give me a G8 GT before they shut down.

Dana_15 · November 28, 2008

Sucks, but GM is in dire straits, hard decisions will be made so they can survive.

dayday · November 28, 2008

Pick up a G8 while you can...

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/23/rwd-pon...-in-five-years/

SLESierra · November 28, 2008

I doubt they will kill the rwd models if they keep Pontiac - it is the only thing keeping the brand in the beloved racing series they love. However I would love to see Pontiac release a new trans am NOT BASED on the Camaro but based on the G8 platform

LawmanSS · November 28, 2008

I disagree with the negative assessment of Saab. I have only owned GM vehicles...nothing else. We bought a Saab 9-3 for the wife back in August and it's a very nice, refined car. As far as quality and refinement is concerned, I feel it is definitely a step above any other GM I've owned. Just my opinion...

slomo007 · November 28, 2008

GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, and Buick all need to go. Let's get this company down to Saturn (if they can get the prices back down to where they should be - why would anyone spend $25-30k on a Saturn?), Chevy, and Cadillac. Screw the rest of it.