All around us – the choices.
Markets are flooded with vehicles.
In each segment you can find many models that are corresponding to your specific needs. Combine that with various trim packages and you just multiplied the total number of options by four.
The real headache starts if you’re not sure do you want a light pickup truck or a large car. But, provided that you have enough money on your bank account, you can choose the right moment for your decision. You can do whatever you want.
You can delay your purchase. You can be a nerd and methodically study your options for months. You can wait for a new model and buy the old one for less money. Simply, it’s all up to you and there’s no rush.
If your a buyer, all the choices are yours. Always.
Adapt or Disappear – General Motors
The more easy it gets for customers, the more stress and pain goes to manufacturers.
But competition is one of the pillars of any industry. There’s simply no resting on laurels.
We’re witnessing many changes during the last couple of years that some manufacturers had to shut down their assembly lines. Some others are expanding their business filling the gap that happened.
Add crisis that started in 2008 to all that and you’ll get a small glimpse at the possible chaos.
While chaos represents a danger, it is also an opportunity. It puts in the same plane old players and the new ones, and the clash between experience and bold fresh ideas begins.
General Motors, one of the Big Three, tries to keep the “Old school” in the game for the years to come. From Cruze to Camaro and Silverado/Sierra, their struggle continues…
Chevrolet Cruze Update Postponed for 2015
How Hard Is to Squeeze a Max Bang for the Buck
Since its introduction in 2008, Chevrolet Cruze was a hit.
It’s not a that big surprise if you take into account that it was the most important new vehicle introduced to the public.
The fact that it was cheap (and that it still is), was not intended to be its primary goal. As I said before, with so many options, it would be just another cheap car in its sector, easily overlooked. It was intended that people buy Chevy’s new car that comes in three body styles (sedan, hatchback and station wagon) because they like it.
The X factor or the awesomeness that I constantly emphasize when evaluating a car or a truck became the essential incentive for making a purchase. According to the Cars.com, Chevrolet’s model scores 4.4 stars from the max 5 based on the consumer reviews. That says a lot about it, although I can still find some people making statements about how there’s not one road condition in which this car performs satisfactory, even calling it a “Detroit abortion”. But those are, from my point of view, just rare exceptions.
There’s no perfect vehicle, that’s for sure. Still, the majority is perfectly happy with it. Higher expectations very often result with great disappointments. This is after all not a sports car. For that purpose, you can always buy yourself a Chevrolet Camaro.
Why Has the Chevrolet Cruze 2015MY Launch Been Postponed?
Proof of the job well done came with the news of a yet another Cruze model that was to be available for purchase in 2014.
The Cruze 2015MY (MY stands for model year) was to be launched in the late 2014 according to the official announcement. Few days ago, we have found out that it’s going to take place in 2015 with most likely the 2016MY designation. Speculations on the subject of possible reasons for such a decision were ended when the GM spokeswoman Annalisa Bluhm commented that sales of the current year model are going according to the expectations.
Diesel-powered model recently entered car market too. With sales going to 134,000 in the first half of this year, Cruze was placed behind Toyota Camry on the list of best selling passenger cars. GM estimated that there’s still enough room for them to get some more greens on the sales of the Chevrolet’s car.
Back in the 2009, Cruze was one of the vehicles that emerged when GM was in financial problems. Sales indicators justified government’s involvement to help General Motors stand on their feet. And by the end of this year, with several new vehicles that are entering production, Cruze will represent the oldest available model. It says enough about its success.
However, the delay of the 2016MY comes with a price (and opportunity). Previous goals for the next model became obsolete the moment the decision was made, because appetites are going up too. Considering the 2013 Malibu’s failure to gain traction among customers, situation gets even more interesting.
All points to the situation where next generation of Chevrolet Cruse cars is going to be more or less, a completely new ride, not just an attempt to address the most common problems the drivers are complaining about. Better fuel economy and redesign, both internal and external are just the tip of the iceberg.
If you look at the picture with a possible future look of Cruze, you could feel the aggression (in a positive way) and the will to make a change. But will the final product be a breathtaking experience, it remains yet to be seen in a two years time. A time in which a lot of things will happen.
The Fate of the Twins – GM Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado
Can We Trust Pickup Trucks’ Makers?
Preparing the Writing Fridays among other things means reading a ton of news from the automotive world.
That’s the best way to get the big picture about what’s happening. You begin to see trends, becoming able to make a prognosis. And often you will not be satisfied with what your predictions can point to.
I really don’t remember when was the last time the entire week passed and I didn’t read about some recall. And almost every week, it refers to some of the light pickup trucks that are so popular in the United States.
If you ask me, these are always lowering drivers’ faith in the particular company’s quality of production. No matter how small a reason for issuing a recall is, damage to the brand is bigger. Or at least it used to be.
I could hear some older guys telling me things about better past times, when you were getting what you’ve bought. Nobody really cares about that. What matters is now. And I’ll always fail to accept that it’s natural to hear about some recall every week or two.
And so we come to the this week’s “winners”: GMC Sierra and 2014 Chevrolet Silverado.
Why Are Recalls Such a Big Deal?
Before them, Chrysler has already issued several recalls this year, being on the top of the NHTSA‘s “black list”. Various models were sent to dealers so they can make the necessary changes.
This time however, 843 crew cab pickups were recalled. It may seem like a relatively small number if we know how the other truck builders suffered. But in this particular case, it’s reason that’s more concerning than the total number of vehicles.
Apparently, airbag system is problematic. The airbags with the fault can’t inflate properly upon impact, thus representing danger of getting injured or even killed in case of crash. Right away the good news – nobody suffered because of this issue and I’ll always welcome a timely reaction of the manufacturer. Behaving responsible about these matters also builds up the confidence of their trucks’ owners. And of course, the repairs will be free of charge.
What can be the conclusion? The competition is not going to cry for Chevrolet and GMC. But for the General Motors, whose 60 percent of global market profit comes from the sales of SUVs and pickup trucks, this is not something to be easily forgotten. Especially because 2014 Silverado and Sierra were developed, designed and built to be a shoulder-to-shoulder competition to the latest Dodge Ram and Ford F-150 competition.
Pickups on a Long-term Diet: Can GM achieve 700 pounds?
The latest trend in pickup making is to create a lighter vehicle with purpose of stretching the gallon mileage.
You have probably seen that the new F-150 that is to show up next year is expected to be around 700 pounds lighter. Other companies also have engineering teams put to the same task. Among them General Motors is trying to pick up the pace over the course of next couple of years.
Sierra and 2014 Chevrolet Silverado were redesigned this summer and lost weight in a range from 250 to 400 lbs. Still, their competition seems to be significantly ahead of them in terms of overhauling their vehicles to cut down their weight. Nevertheless, the GM is going to continue fighting. The next full redesign will take place in 2019. It’s a six year long period during which everything is possible.
Fortune had always a strange way of changing sides…