Greetings from 32,000 feet! (I love in-flight wi-fi.) I'm returning home from a most unusual product preview. Automakers sometimes reveal their future plans to journalists, but it's usually off the record. General Motors had a bunch of us out to Detroit to view all four divisions' future products for the next two years, and while we weren't allowed to take pictures, everything was on the record -- so I can't show you, but I can tell you. We also got to drive some of the 2010s, and I even got a quick ride in the back seat of a Chevy Volt. There's a lot to tell, so if you'd like to hear about GM's future product plans...
BUICK:
Buick showed a six-vehicle lineup that they say will be a reality within 24 months. At the bottom end is an attractive compact sedan that shares its architecture with the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze. Next is a new mid-size sedan, to be called Regal, that bears a strong resemblance to the European-market Opel Insignia (link goes to Flash site). Capping the car lineup is the new 2010 LaCrosse. On the SUV side, Buick showed a cute mini-CUV that looks a bit like a shrunken Nissan Rogue. Next up is a new compact crossover based on the same platform as the new 2010 Chevy Equinox. Buick plans to launch it with two powertrain choices, and then follow up with a plug-in hybrid version. (UPDATE: The Equinox-sized CUV has since been shelved.) The existing Enclave rounds out the lineup. Notably absent from this showroom of the near future was the Lucerne, which will be discontinued.
Read more: Buick - What's coming in 2010 and beyond
CADILLAC:
Cadillac will add a sharp-looking rear-wheel-drive entry-level car, available as both a coupe and a sedan, that will slot in below the CTS and take on vehicles like the Infiniti G37. They also confirmed a V version of the CTS Coupe and said that a CTS-V wagon is a possibility, but not definite. (Fingers crossed!) A new large sedan will replace both the STS and the DTS. The new car's shape is more like the DTS, aside from the deeply-sloped rear window. Cadillac hasn't said whether the car uses front- or rear-wheel-drive, but the whispers are that it shares its platform with the Buick LaCrosse, which is front-wheel-drive.
Read more: Cadillac - What's coming in 2010 and beyond
CHEVROLET:
Lots to talk about here. The five-door Spark, based on the Beat concept car, will take over as Chevy's entry-level car in 2012; it's smaller and will probably cost less than the current Aveo, with much more youth-oriented styling. The Aveo, meanwhile, will undergo a transformation. GM showed a sharp-looking styling mock-up of a 5-door hatch that looks like a cross between a VW Golf and some sort of Renault, with a touch of Alfa-Romeo thrown in for good measure. A more conventional sedan version will also be offered.
An updated 2012 Malibu is on the way; it's a bit bolder, with what looks like a higher roofline (no more banging your head when you get in the back seat!) and a good-looking interior. Oh, and the ugly taillights are gone. Chevy also showed the production version of the Orlando, which is quite a bit different from the Orlando concept car at the 2009 Detroit show -- it's a longer three-row wagon, a bit like a Ford Flex without the glitz. I think it'll do well. And, of course, the Cruze -- now on sale in Europe and Asia -- is still on schedule for a North American arrival in 2010. I've been excited about this one, although it's baby-Malibu styling pales a bit compared to some of the other vehicles Chevy has coming.
The convertible Camaro put in an appearance; it's coming in 2011. And speaking of big, fast cars, I got a chance to take a quick spin in the 2010 Corvette Grand Sport. Like all Corvettes, it's loud, fast and fun, and its handling is noticeably sharper than the LS3 base model.
Meanwhile, the Chevrolet Volt is well on its way; GM is producing several dozen prototypes for testing, and I got to take a brief ride in one. (Not much to tell -- it's quiet and smooth every other electric-drive car I've been in, including the Honda FCX Clarity.) GM did announce that the EPA has come up with a new fuel-economy test for range-extended electric vehicles like the Volt. Under the new methodology, the Volt gets 230 (two hundred thirty) MPG in the city. The highway figure hasn't been announced, but it'll probably be a lot lower.
Read more: Chevrolet - What's coming in 2010 and beyond
GMC:
GMC has just introduced its new 2010 Terrain compact CUV; the only other news was that they are contemplating a Denali version of the Acadia (an idea they shelved when money got tight). We were shown a clay model of a small, boxy CUV, although it's apparently nothing more than a design study. The important factor for GMC is to retain its identity as a purveyor of trucks -- any vehicle that consumers perceive as a car isn't considered right for the brand. And yes, the Sierra pickup and oversize Yukon SUV are staying in the lineup.
So that's the news -- and it's all pretty good, if you ask me. I was really pleased by a lot of the new Chevrolet products, especially the Aveo and the Orlando, and I was surprised that Buick will sprout a new model lineup so quickly. Questions? Comments? Click the "comments" link below and speak your mind. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © General Motors
It all sounds good. I just hope that they don’t:
- neuter the handling
- cheap out the interiors
- use controls that feel like they’re gonna crack off in your hands when you operate them
It sounds like GM has a pipeline full of cars and trucks that might do well if they were available for sale today. But, the automobile market is never simple or easy.
GM is facing a lot of problems, even if its upcoming products are as great as we might hope. Perhaps chief among these problems is the lingering resentment that many Americans feel about GM’s taxpayer-financed bankruptcy and new government ownership.
An awful lot of people think that GM made so many wrong-headed product and investment decisions for so long, that they should never have been rescued from their own stupidity. And especially, that they should not have been rescued with tax dollars.
Since Ford was able to right itself and survive both the economy and its own mistakes without taxpayer money, GM’s failure to do so looks even worse. In fact, GM’s reputation has been so damaged by events of the past year that it may not survive even with class-leading product.
The big question is, will American customers come back to GM?
I was just wondering was the new caddy that is smaller than the CTS.. the the Euro spec BTS?? I have heard really good things about it. Was there any diesel engines?? I like the hybrid but the start cost is steep. Thanks for all of the great info!!
Jay — Nope, it’s not the BLS, at least not the current BLS. It’ll be an all-new car. GM showed us a styling clay that looked… well, rather like a two-door CTS, but not quite as swoopy as the upcoming CTS coupe. — Aaron
it’s all pretty simple, if g.m. makes cars people want and are built well they will be fine. if not then they are done
Sounds like GM’s got big plans! I’m not surprised that the Lucerne’s gonna kick the bucket. I haven’t seen many around where I live. I wish the Park Avenue and LeSabre would make comebacks on this side of the Atlantic. I also wish Chevrolet would bring back the Chevelle.I never got to see it since I didn’t live through that day so it would be really cool.
Sounds like an interesting lineup. Should hopefully bring GM back to competitiveness at least.
I know there are a lot of people out there who resent GM because of it’s bailout. I’m not one of them. My first choice for a new car right now is a new Dodge Challenger, Government bailout or not. A lot of others feel the same way. They like what they like, and will buy accordingly. I’d certainly consider some of the new GM products too if they’re built right and competitively priced.
Any more about the Impala or Caprice (Chevy version of the G8)?
It seems like they’re leaning toward smaller cars? I wonder how the Buick version of the Cruze would do. I won’t criticize until I see it, but I can go ahead and say that I’m not a fan of compact cars like that. Mid-size is as small as it gets for me as I’m sure is the case for many.
John — I got a chance to tell Bob Lutz that I was all in favor of a Chevrolet version of the G8, and his reply was “Talk to Fritz” (as in Fritz Henderson, GM’s CEO, who said no to the Chevy G8 idea after Bob said it might happen). For the latest chapter in the story, check out this post on Autoblog.
I was really stoked about the Volt when word of it first came out. The latest news about 200+ mpg was terrific. Unfortunately, all the good news was ruined by an outrageous price tag.Once again GM comes out with a car with most of the right elements and then drops the ball with some major disappointment that ends up making the car just another loser. I hope these upcoming cars will prove out…but I’m not getting excited anymore about any upcoming G M cars.
The Volt will unfortunately fall victim to the same problems nearly every other electric car in history has….cost of production. Although electric powered cars have been around since the dawn of the motoring age, they have always been toys for the very rich because they cost so much to make and mass produce. This is why the gasoline engine caught on so well, and has been the mainstream power source for vehicles for the last 100yrs.
The Volt and other cars like it will cost a bunch to make, they will cost a bunch to buy, they will cost more than we can imagine to power, and they will cost even more than we can ever imagine to recycle and get rid of when they’re no longer any use to us.
Let me see if I have this right ………. “Cadillac will introduce something BELOW the CTS to take on the G37″…… Apparently, if this is a factual representation of their strategic market thinking/positioning, GM still doesn’t get it. Good grief.
Aaron, There is only one problem with all of these future plans. GM is planning cars to compete with what is already out on the road. I doubt if any other car companys are going to slow down to allow GM to play catch up. GM is behind the curve and it will probably cost them the company.
I am living in China now working at my new job. I am amazed at the new vehicles on the road here. GM has quite a presence. I can tell you the “new” LaCrosse is on the road in China and it is quite nice looking. The Cruze is as well. It is funny that you may think that the U.S. is a leader and a “first” when it comes to new car rollouts but it couldn’t be further from the truth. The Chinese are driving more modern cars than we Americans are.
Sorry! GM is going small! The IMPORTS will come inwith medium to large vehicles that will create desire from the American public. GM is telling the American public that it is going to force feed SMALL down our throats. SORRY but I for one will not buy small! Why? I am an over 80 yr old, widower, slightly overweight, tall and I want COMFORT and SAFETY as I drive the USA interstates to see my adult children/grandchildren. I drove rear wheel cars for years and am upset that GM and FORD are dropping all rear wheeled vehicles! What is a former law enforcement person going to do?? BUY FOREIGN!!!
@Mal Are you somehow suggesting that the G37 is competitive with a CTS-V? The Fastest production sedan to make it around the … (that really hard to spell german racetrack – Nuhenburg?). That the 330 hp it puts out is comparable to the 556hp the caddy produces? It might hold its own against a normal CTS, but I kind of doubt it.
Looks like we’ll have to buy trucks and SUV’s if we want anything that’s full-sized and RWD for that matter……
Maybe I’ll hang on to my Impala. It might really be worth something soon!
Officer Billie Joe,
As a former law enforcement officer, you should know that your vision and relexes, at your age(over 80) are probably equivalent to that of a 30 yr old driver with a B.A.C. level of .08. Perhaps you should be looking at a small, nimbe car that can make up for your deteriorating abilities. Others here probably won’t say it, but I’ll bet every last one is thinking it! By the way, I manage a retirement facility and I see what goes on in our parking lot.
I would never buy another GM product……..it’s Ford all the way now….GM should have closed shop…and cleaned house. Now it’s subsdized by tax payers because they do not know how to run a business,
Yesterday while was out walking in the neighborhood I saw my first Cammaro. It was all in Darth Vader Black and it was a six, but boy, it was impressive
Aaron,
Can you discribe in more detail the differences between the concept Orlando and the production Orlando. It sounds like the production version is bigger?
Thanks.
I would buy a new GM product much sooner than I’d buy a foreign company’s automobile. If GM doesn’t repay the tax payer financed loans, then this would be a reason for US citizens to hold a grudge. But who says the loans won’t be repaid. Time will tell. In the meantime, GM won’t make money if people continue mis informed stereotypes contrived from cars made 15 or 25 years ago. Maybe a lot of the nay sayers should drive a GM car made recently. For some people though it’s easier just to be ignorant and continue on bashing something. I like what I read among blogs for the new Taurus SHO model. A bunch of the usual “it sucks” commentators wrote in saying the new SHO was ugly, whimpy, dumb looking, etc. Finally one guy had the guts to say what was so true. He wrote something like “Look, all you American car haters, if this new SHO was a Toyota Avalon (meaning same car with a Toyota badge), you’d all be creaming yourselves.” Kind of lude, but I totally agree with his assessment. A lot of people want to hold on to their old dislikes of US car companies and won’t give their new vehicles a chance, won’t give them a second try. Well, cars are expensive, so if these people were screwed on a previous US car they bought, I don’t totally fault them, I can see their points. But, things improve, things change, 7,10,15, 20 years is a long time, much can happen. My recently made Chevy car is a very good, dependable, nice car. People in their Toyotas, which I’m sure are also very well made, good cars, may think their car is superior to mine, but I disagree, and I think many other people would be nicely surprised if they would just give US cars a chance.
Regarding the US bailout of GM and Crysler, many of the foreign car companies also got some sweet deals, in the US, in the past few years. Not bailouts, but definitely hand outs. For instance, some of the southern states, such as Alabama, gave foreign very attractive tax breaks if these companies would first build new factories, and then cars, in their states. This was true for the Korean auto companies, as well as Mercedes, and I’m sure Japanese companies too.
For all Toyota’s touting of its “greenness,” this seems a little over done and pretentious, especially if one travels to Nagoya, where Toyota recently build a tall modern sky scraper where it’s white collar workers spend their time. Not far from this building is a fairly large polluted (from industrial waste) river which runs through the heart of the city. Maybe Toyota should apply some of it’s green ness to this river and help it out. No doubt the near by Toyota factories did their part to pollute it.
And, when the workers in the Toyota factories finish their shifts, one can’t but notice all the Brazilian on the streets. You know, the (I’m sure lower paid) workers from Brazil who Toyota imports to Japan to build the cars Americans go gaga over.
In a few different areas of the Seattle-Tacoma international airport, their are major Toyota advertisements draped over very public areas of the airport (such as a huge Tacoma pickup ad/banner, right at the beginning of the unloading area). Then there’s the huge Verenza (or whatever Italian themed stupid name they came up with for their newest model). This is draped down from about 3 stores, right by the security check line and sanning area. I’m sure Toyota pays the Seattle Port Authority for this advertisement space. But I think (rightly so) that these are real eye sores. They’re huge, in one’s face, arrogant, and I don’t want to see them when I’m about to start a trip. I help pay with my tax dollars for the new construction at the Seattle airport, as did every other Washingtonian, and we shouldn’t have to see Toyota’s unsightly, in your face, gigantic banner ads every time we go to this public space.