GM Ponders Dropping Several Models, Including Impala

"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
07/26/2017 at 13:14 • Filed to: None

Are some of these cars the same platform?

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DISCUSSION (31)

Ash78, voting early and often > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 13:18

“I wish we were a little bit bigger, I wish we’d pulled the trigger, I wish we had some rear-wheel drives that were sicker, I wish we hadn’t axed the Pontiacs, looking back, now goodbye to Impala.”

Mary “Skee-Lo” Barra

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 13:20

Impala and XTS are iirc

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 13:22

Impala, XTS, Lacrosse, and I think the CT6 are on the same platform.

Sonic is on a global small car platform so it sells well in brazil/korea/europe? but the cost of domesticating and assembling locally is too much for the margins? Volt is just old at this point. It did its job but the cruze platform is another small car, small profits product so the cost of making a half-assed electric car is too much too now, I guess.

My bird IS the word > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 13:23

Page two says something about them cancelling the viper(which is behind a paywall,btw) like that has anything to do with either the sales slump of cars or the market in general.

Also, didn’t realize there was both a chevy bolt and a volt. Proving that GM corporate knows nothing.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Ash78, voting early and often
07/26/2017 at 13:30

Same, I think.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 13:30

they still produce the Impala?

mazda616 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 13:32

I love the Volt. Kinda wish I’d have bought one. With my short commute, I could go ages without using any gasoline. I think in this day and age it would be dumb of them to cancel the Volt.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > My bird IS the word
07/26/2017 at 13:33

I didn’t know that either. I used to think that hybrids were dumb until I drove a Ford Fusion Hybrid a couple of years ago and I considered reconsidering, but I’m only considering...

Urambo Tauro > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 13:35

Well, the Impala’s been dead since 1996, so...

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/26/2017 at 13:36

CT6 is an entirely different, not even remotely similar platform. While it isn’t being dropped, production in the US might be dropped, as soke models are already produced in China.

bwp240 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 13:36

What GM needs to do is drop there Marketing Department. The new Volt is a fantastic car and sales of used Volts are very good, if GM could run their marketing of the Volt head on with the Prius, they could probably sell more.

The Impala and similar platformed cohorts need better mechanicals. If GM could get the Impala 4 cylinder up to 25/35 MPG without making it woefully slow, they would have a huge winner. It would rival the Passat in mileage, but is substantially larger.

I think the Sonic has run its course. The Cruze does everything the Sonic does but better.

As far as the sedans vs crossover, GM is kinda hosed on that front. That is where the market is going, and as the article cites, a major economic shift will have to occur before the market changes.

The core of this problem is that GM has way too much supply versus demand. Whatever the pretenses of making that supply were (anticipated sales, union demands, etc.), there is no easy way to dwindle it without making one of the parties angry.

bwp240 > mazda616
07/26/2017 at 13:38

I would seriously consider a Volt if the charging network were decent where I lived. I would also look at a Fusion Energi as well. But I cannot spend 8 hours at Wal Mart charging my car.

Shift24 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 13:39

Really doubt the Impala, even with GM trying to get out of Fleet Sales they are a main stay in rental fleets and a sale is a sale. The Sonic was more useless than the Fiesta, which only had the ST to save it. The Sonic’s RS had the ST potential but no power increase killed it. The XTS is no longer needed with the CT6 as the Flagship now. The Volt is an interesting one but I dont think it will get dropped as people learn more about electric cars and how the Volt is mainly batteries but has a generator to extend its range. Plus they put sooo much money into the volt, killing it now wouldnt make sense but hey its GM.

Side note they have the potential to make a hot hatch with the Cruze so why not make an SS?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > mazda616
07/26/2017 at 13:40

I hate the Prius. Off topic, but true.

I drove a Fusion Hybrid 1,000 miles a couple of years ago and I sat in a parking lot in Virginia in August talking on the phone with the A/C running and the engine only ran about 25% of the time and the battery did the job the rest of the time and I thought that was really neat.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Urambo Tauro
07/26/2017 at 13:40

I like how you think.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > bwp240
07/26/2017 at 13:44

I’m not familiar with Volt at all, but I strongly dislike the Prius. Ugly and funky and a poster car for smug Liberals.

I think Impala is too much car for a four-banger, though Ford did a great job on their hybrid Fusion. The eco-four-banger in the Malibu rounds out a very good car, though Malibu is not on topic here.

Personally, I don’t like crossovers because they would fill too many roles and none of them well. And there’s no trunk in which to lock your camera bag.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
07/26/2017 at 13:54

RIght, I forgot the CT6 was the first on the new RWD platform. But looking into it it looks like it’s flying solo right now. No other platform-mates yet. I can bet quite safely on a buick model for CHina but who knows....I think we could see the CT6 axed but come back as an SUV?

bwp240 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 13:58

I have driven a Volt and it was very nice (2015+). The car is traditional enough to be familiar, but is had lots of secret new things working all about. I found the Prius to be too sci-fy hokie. The Volt size wise is like the Cruze. I had friends looking at used ones, but dealers around here couldn’t keep them on the lots, and that is for the previous gen which I don’t like.

I poked around at Impalas while I was recently looking for a car because I found several in the $15k-$20k range. The back seat room and trunk space rivals any crossover on the market. However, for my needs in that size bracket (large sedan), the Passat would have done just as well and it gets near 40 MPG with the 1.8T. If Chevy could come close to that, they could win people over with SUV like storage but car MPG. However, I never got the chance to drive the Impala so I am not sure how the 4 banger performs in it.

Sweet Trav > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 14:01

No,

Lacrosse is E2LB (part of epsilon 2)

Impala is E1XX (part of epsilon 1)

Volt is D2XX (Part of Delta 2, same as Cruze)

CT6 is the sole car on the Omega Platform

and Sonic rides on the Gamma Platform.

Lacrosse, Impala, Volt and CT6 are all built in Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly. The Sonic is made in Lake Orion Assembly along side the Bolt.

I think that most of this is posturing for the Union contract negotiations in 2019.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > bwp240
07/26/2017 at 14:09

The current ilk of Impalas have a 300 hp V6 that’s really strong. I think of the Impala as having some balls, generally.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Sweet Trav
07/26/2017 at 14:10

I will store your remark about posturing for union negotiations away and attempt to remember from which Oppo I heard it. Thank you for that.

bwp240 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 14:14

Yes they do. Although the power curves of that motor are hilarious (peak hp at 7500 rpm).

But for John Q Public 18/24 MPG is crossover mileage territory and they would choose that over the sedan. I don’t think Chevy should ditch it for those that want power. If Chevy wants to win them over to sedans, they will need to do it in the MPG department.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 14:21

My dad cross shopped off lease impalas and Taurus and came away pretty unimpressed with the impala. I seem to recall though at similar prices he was looking at the 260 hp Taurus and 196hp Impala. Just doesn’t seem like enough engine.

Dave the car guy , still here > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 14:50

In my 30+ years in GM parts I’ve seen too many changes. I’m just hoping for things to sail smooth enough over the next 4 years that I can retire and get away from this craziness. They can kill all those models mentioned and it won’t bother me. GM has always had too many models and brands. I agree with most of what you’ve all said about poor marketing and overlaps in models. I thought things might majorly improve after bankruptcy but a lot of things looked like GM business as usual.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Dave the car guy , still here
07/26/2017 at 16:54

I wish they’d make an Impala based upon the 9C1 Caprice.

Dave the car guy , still here > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 20:12

GM needs a new police cruiser package on a reliable, easy to maintain platform. City garages have bitched and complained about various domestic platforms for years. Some have engine failures, many others eat brakes, carbon monoxide leaks, alternator failure, motor mounts, etc. If one brand would bring out a tough as nails decent police car like they all did in the 70-80's they could dominate the segment. I think the last car that most departments liked was the Ford Crown Vic and even then it wasn’t perfect. The new Mopars got blessing at first but now I’ve heard two local garages complaining about those. Not sure if GM is working on anything or is just giving up on that niche.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Dave the car guy , still here
07/26/2017 at 20:29

I heard somewhere that there’s no money in that niche because they’re all fleet sales.

Cops are using V6 SUV s now, Ecoboost and what not. I can’t imagine those holding up well.

Dave the car guy , still here > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 21:28

Its not about the money. Its a PR and image type of thing.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Dave the car guy , still here
07/26/2017 at 21:35

Really? As in, GM looks bad if GM cars are pulling over people on the Freeway? Or parked en masse in the Hood with lights flashing?

Dave the car guy , still here > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/26/2017 at 21:54

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-cop-cars-20150314-story.html

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Dave the car guy , still here
07/26/2017 at 23:37

I got your previous comment backward.

The article was interesting, but barely mentioned the GM offerings. I wonder why.