Topic: GM speeds development of cars delayed during battle for survival, with chrome

[articsteve]

Automotive News
December 17, 2009 - 12:14 am ET

DETROIT -- With bankruptcy behind it, General Motors is speeding up the development of vehicle programs that had been delayed.

One car, the next generation Chevrolet Malibu, will go on sale in two years. In August, GM executives said that car would debut a year later, in 2012.

“Once we got out of the bankruptcy and started having money available, we were able to pull a lot of our programs forward,” said GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz.

He said “a bunch” of other vehicles were being pulled forward, without being more specific or identifying them. He was interviewed at a press preview Wednesday night staged to show some of Chevrolet's future vehicles and highlight the brand's marketing strategy.

Through November, Chevrolet sold 142,194 Malibus, for 25 percent of its U.S. car volume. Amid this year's industry sales collapse, Malibu sales have slid 11 percent, while the division's top-selling car, the Impala, has dropped 38 percent.

Siblings

The next generation Malibu will share a front-drive vehicle platform with the 2010 Buick LaCrosse and 2011 Regal. It will be as wide as the LaCrosse, Lutz said, but the overall length will be slightly shorter than the current Malibu. He said interior space will be larger that today's Malibu; the wheelbase will be slightly shorter than the LaCrosse.

“We are going through the whole portfolio and pulling forward as much as we can,” Lutz said. “It is not forward from where it should have been. It is forward from back where we had deferred in bankruptcy.”

A mockup of the car was displayed at the preview. All of the sheet metal is new. Lutz said he's particularly fond of a chrome strip that surrounds the side glass.

“Nothing adds perceived value to a car faster than that chrome surround around the side glass because it is a hallmark of German and Japanese luxury products,” said Lutz. The high end Malibu also will have chrome door handles and other similar touches.

“If you skimp on $50 of chrome, you are reducing the customer's perceived value of the car by $500 or $600,” he said.

Lutz said all of GM's future cars will have a chrome strip surrounding the side window glass. The lone exception is the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. It was too late in the product plan to make the change.


Note To Bob:    Current Malibu already has the chrome surround.   
 

[vdk]

Chrome sells cars? 

[tpl]

My 330 had chrome around the windows whereas lesser 3 series were black. I disliked it and considered getting a black trim kit to replace.

[Erik]

Seems to work for Lexus:

[Shnak]

Yep, $50 worth of chrome is all that's needed to make the Cobalt's and Aveo's fly off the showrooms!! 

[Erik]

Yep, $50 worth of chrome is all that's needed to make the Cobalt's and Aveo's fly off the showrooms!! 

Maybe someone actually needs to read the article...

[airbalancer]

My 330 had chrome around the windows whereas lesser 3 series were black. I disliked it and considered getting a black trim kit to replace.

On my winter hard top , there is no chrome, since it is a M3 top. The car would look better with chrome on the hard top

[Shnak]

Yep, $50 worth of chrome is all that's needed to make the Cobalt's and Aveo's fly off the showrooms!! 

Maybe someone actually needs to read the article...

From the article:
Lutz said all of GM's future cars will have a chrome strip surrounding the side window glass. The lone exception is the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. It was too late in the product plan to make the change.

As I said earlier, adding chrome to all GM's is ridiculous.

[sailor723]

I think the chrome is only an example. What he's really saying is that hey need to stop skimping in areas that make their cars look cheap compared to the competition.

My SRX is a prime example. I like it a lot and it's generally pretty well finished. However, there are a couple of areas where it is glaringly obvious that They raided the Chevy parts bin to save a buck or two.

[Erik]

Yep, $50 worth of chrome is all that's needed to make the Cobalt's and Aveo's fly off the showrooms!! 

Maybe someone actually needs to read the article...

From the article:
Lutz said all of GM's future cars will have a chrome strip surrounding the side window glass. The lone exception is the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. It was too late in the product plan to make the change.


As I said earlier, adding chrome to all GM's is ridiculous.

But I don't think that the Cobalt or Aveo are seen as being "future cars"...

[Erik]

I think the chrome is only an example. What he's really saying is that hey need to stop skimping in areas that make their cars look cheap compared to the competition.

My SRX is a prime example. I like it a lot and it's generally pretty well finished. However, there are a couple of areas where it is glaringly obvious that They raided the Chevy parts bin to save a buck or two.

Yup. That is exactly what he is saying. That GM is actually starting to look at the details that they skipped over in the past.

[Mitlov]

My 330 had chrome around the windows whereas lesser 3 series were black. I disliked it and considered getting a black trim kit to replace.

I hate the black trim around the lower-spec 3-Serieses' windows.  IMO it makes the car look cheap. 

I don't like everything chrome--I hate chrome wheels--but I actually really agree that just about every sedan looks better with a chrome window surround.

[Leviathan]

I think the chrome is only an example. What he's really saying is that hey need to stop skimping in areas

[articsteve]

I think Bob is doing to many promotions. 

Malibu and Lucerne have chrome surrounds and chrome handles on the Lucerne. 

Is this the old GM back again?  Thinking that paper thin chromed plastic surrounds will bring buyers back?

This company is in major trouble.  Has no respectable Fiesta fighter.  Cruze is too late and just a better Cobalt.  Buick is on it's third General Manager in a month.  Interim OPEL boss says 2010 will be a "rough" year.  US consumer is terrified of job loss.  Japanese forecasters put US sales for 2010 under 11 million units where GM was forecasting 12 million.

... and Lutz is talking about eye candy to turn sales around which they already use. 

As illustrated in the pic, Buick went so far as to paste on those fake plastic chrome side engine vents.  That is as a chromed up vehicle as you can get and where did the sales go?

Simply put GM has too many brands, too many over lapping models, too many models period.  No wonder Lutz is confused because buyers certainly are. 

BTW, from my observations GM is the leader in offering bright shiny chrome wheels.  I rented a Malibu in the US and the wheels were a dazzling chrome.  OK if they never see road salt which they shouldn't if ppl use winters like they should.  I thought it suited the car, but those and the chrome window surround was enough in the bling department.

 

[Roddy]

I think it's going to take more than Chrome to enhance GM's shattered quality reputation.

[natski]

when we were looking at different vehicles on city buick cadillac in toronto , we happened upon 6 or 8 canyon pick up trucks sitting off to one side . all had the delivery crayon markings and various stickers saying to me that they had just been delivered to the dealership.
every single one of them had chrome front bumpers and every single one of them had the chrome peeling off in great globs off those bumpers, was not pretty  and not a great marketing tool having them sit out front of the dealership instead of in the locked fenced compound in the rear of the dealership.

[TopGun]

Maybe someone actually needs to read the article...

Why?  It's an article on GM, and it was posted by AS...you know either the article craps on GM or his interpretation will.

[Greg B.]

Maybe someone actually needs to read the article...

Why?  It's an article on GM, and it was posted by AS...you know either the article craps on GM or his interpretation will.

Precisely. Then he uses it as a platform for one of his typical anti-GM rants.

I'm glad GM has remembered that brightwork = greater perceived value. Consumers have been duped by the Japanese makes into thinking that black painted trim, gray plastic and mouse fur interiors, and unfinished roof seams are an acceptable practice. Hopefully this will lead to a return to the use of color coordination in interiors too.

[safristi]

..sucking chrome...............

[Turbo Bob]

Note To Bob:    Current Malibu already has the chrome surround.   

I never said it didn't? 

My 330 had chrome around the windows whereas lesser 3 series were black. I disliked it and considered getting a black trim kit to replace.

I hate the black trim around the lower-spec 3-Serieses' windows.  IMO it makes the car look cheap. 

I don't like everything chrome--I hate chrome wheels--but I actually really agree that just about every sedan looks better with a chrome window surround.

I can't agree more, an E39 M5 looks much better de-chromed but I wouldn't do it on everything.

The next generation Malibu will share a front-drive vehicle platform with the 2010 Buick LaCrosse and 2011 Regal. It will be as wide as the LaCrosse, Lutz said, but the overall length will be slightly shorter than the current Malibu. He said interior space will be larger that today's Malibu; the wheelbase will be slightly shorter than the LaCrosse.

Is that the most interesting thing he can say about these cars?  How terribly terribly boring....  What GM needs is some "cars guys" to run the show.