by "Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin)
Published 06/03/2017 at 22:59
by "Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin)
Published 06/03/2017 at 22:59
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STARS: 1
GM has done better at differentiating their brands but I think Chevy is still a little unfocused in its branding. For a company with a lot of brands to work with, GM puts a lot of different philosophies under Chevrolet.
Saturn should come back as the marque that holds the more pedestrian and eco-friendly vehicles.
Saturn 2018 lineup:
Spark, Sonic, Cruze, Trax, Volt and Bolt
Chevrolet would be reserved for the larger cars, trucks and performance cars, hopefully making it a more cohesive brand.
What do you think?
"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo)
06/03/2017 at 23:09, STARS: 1
It’s not Saturn without plastic body panels
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
06/03/2017 at 23:27, STARS: 0
How about Geo?
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
06/03/2017 at 23:35, STARS: 2
I was surprised that they folded Saturn, but now that it’s gone I say let it be gone.
"Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin)
06/03/2017 at 23:46, STARS: 1
A more logical name for sure but Geo has far more negative connotations and perceptions than Saturn.
"Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin)
06/03/2017 at 23:51, STARS: 0
I felt similarly but everyone I’ve ever talked to that’s owned a Saturn said they’d buy another one if they still sold them. They all liked the Toyota-ness for lack of a better term. Simple, reliable transportation.
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
06/03/2017 at 23:57, STARS: 0
Do you think so? I honestly don’t think much of either. Geos weren’t terrible, they were just mostly boring.
For the latter part of their existence, Saturn made some very forgettable cars, after a good start - and those plastic panels were rattle factories.
I had a 95 SC2, and it was fun to drive but tinny as hell-
"Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin)
06/04/2017 at 00:33, STARS: 1
Saturn is the fresher of the two marquees but also Saturn was about simple no nonsense cars which is what GM seems to be doing with the Chevy cars, Malibu on down, especially in the lower trim levels. The Volt and the Bolt help differentiate Saturn.
It just doesn’t seem like the same badge on a Spark or Volt should be the same badge on Corvette Z06 or Silverado High Country lol
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
06/04/2017 at 00:35, STARS: 1
Yeah- I agree that Chevy has too much going on.
Weird that not long ago, GM had way too many brands, but they may be 1 brand short now.
"facw" (facw)
06/04/2017 at 02:10, STARS: 0
I don’t think it really needs it. If you split it that way, Chevy just shifts to be even more like GMC. Plus an economy/eco focused brand is not going to sell in the current market, which creates problems for doing it.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
06/04/2017 at 04:28, STARS: 0
Yeah, they had a great reputation. I know a couple people who decided to buy another one when Saturn was closing, just so they could have a Saturn as long as possible.
Before the bankruptcy, when it became clear GM was going to have to shutter some brands, I went on record saying GM should close them all except for Saturn, Chevy, and Cadillac. I said that as someone who at the time owned a GMC and a Buick, and who traded a Pontiac in for the GMC.
Now, I’m glad Buick and GMC survived, but I do think they should’ve kept Saturn around. I don’t think it would make sense to spend billions bringing it back, now that it’s gone. I just don’t think there are enough people who would buy a new Saturn, but wouldn’t buy the same car as a Chevy, to be worth spending that kind of money.
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
06/04/2017 at 05:38, STARS: 0
no, it’s gone. let it go.
"Nobi" (nobi)
06/04/2017 at 07:35, STARS: 0
Not a bad idea. I used to work at a Saturn dealer from 2004 until the end. While realistically they were kind of crap (and by that, I mean the real Saturns before GM fully took over), they were also stupid easy to wrench on, and their owners loved them. It wasn’t uncommon to see a beat, ready for the scrapyard mid-90's SC2 owner come in and drop $3000 on his car so he could keep it going. As long as the Chevys you mention can keep that spirit, I say it’s a good plan.
"Jason Spears" (shadestalker)
06/04/2017 at 08:40, STARS: 0
A reopened Saturn would still just be a GM, just like it was when they closed it. You’re asking for the dead to come back to life, but be careful what you wish for. This was a brand that couldn’t sell the Astra during a time of record high gas prices, in spite of some pretty good reviews.
"Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer" (smallbear94)
06/04/2017 at 09:15, STARS: 0
The way I see it, Chevy is the core, do-everything brand. the other brands all build off it. Buick takes the cars and makes them nicer, GMC does the same with the trucks etc. Exception being Cadillac, it more or less does it’s own thing... which is all as it should be.
The only way Saturn slots into that is by taking the cars and making them cheaper, and most likely worse.
"Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin)
06/04/2017 at 13:34, STARS: 1
The small Chevys seem to share that philosophy. My wife’s Spark was beautiful in its simplicity and the Sonic and Cruze seem similar.
"Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin)
06/04/2017 at 13:42, STARS: 0
I was thinking even more simple, the small Chevys just stop being Chevys and become Saturns.
"Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer" (smallbear94)
06/04/2017 at 13:49, STARS: 1
The problem is Chevy as a brand. They’ve always been the all-round brand.
Removing part of their lineup both messes with the system GM has going, and tosses a lot of brand equity out the window in favour of a brand that few people associate positive things with.
Maybe Chevy’s smaller cars could be dropped down the road, but they’d pretty much HAVE to run them in parallel for a while.