Koz

Personally, I couldn't care less about the name. If it's a good car, it'll sell regardless of the name. If it's a bad car, it won't matter what the name is.

We have this discussion every time GM announces a new car. And it seems like everyone blows it out of proportion. Remember all the griping over the name "Cruze"? It's been a very decent seller.

It also doesn't help that with so much complaining, no one can actually suggest a new, original name. All I ever see are the same old names suggested over and over again.

Caps94ZODG

The issue is this..it has no name..SS is not a name. That is fact. It is the Designation that Chevy has given its top of the line cars for the last part of 50 years. SS is not a car. Cruze is a name. Sonic is a name. SS is a cheap way out. And sure we have this every time but THIS IS BIG..Will it sell? Sure I would hope so. But the many names new AND old that are out there why cheapen a great car with just a trim level..

graham

Well I guess if SS is it's name, then SS will be the name.

Call it a Cavalier for all I care. If it's luxury, has the ***** to run with an M5 it won't matter. Lumina... Zumina... Hell, Aztek.

guionM

Supposedly only 1 trim level with a modest option list.

Think of it as Chevrolet's GTO but with 4 doors, and I think you'd pretty much have the marketing angle.

I'm beyond the name too..... just get the damn thing over here!

99SilverSS

Hmmm what was the name of the Chevy variant of the GTO.... It was a good name too..



I would tend to agree but a name is important to a car. It's important not to downplay the marketing power of a automotive nameplate.
I think Chevy can do better than just SS.
I just hope SS is a just a codename for this car and when it gets here and is unveiled it will have a name "_____" then SS

guionM

Yep.... it's intresting how plans from 8 years ago are dusted off and used.

(for the uninitiated: back when GM was remodling Oshawa for a full line Zeta based cars, GM was planning a "halo" coupe for each division in the mold of the then GTO. Chevy's was going to be called "SS", just like the concept sedan back then, and the current name of the upcoming sedan next year... so it's not like this "SS" name for a real car... as opposed to a trim level...is a new idea)


Nameplate is important, but not nearly as much as in the past.

Naming a family car for a rich Los Angeles neighborhood or a sleek speedy galloping deer, or that period where car companies named cars to associate itself with space or the space program, or a European resort town or exotic principality were all done to put an image in people's minds. Perhaps the heyday of automotive naming was in the 50s and 60s. Save the spinnoffs of the Chevrolet name that GM flirted with occasionally. But even then, they had a lot thought behind them. Chevelle was a spinoff of the successful "Impala" name ("Chevy" and "Gazelle"), and the littlest Chevrolet made at the time had the "-ette" name attached to the Chevrolet nickname.

Corvette is the name of a small, fast, nimble type of warship that Britian and France had (making a strong European connection for a car created to compete against European sports cars that were popular here after World War II..... brilliant!)

But today, car names aren't as important to buyers as the cars themselves are. Sure, there's historical names that you have to be careful with because they have extremely high recognition. Thunderbird, Mustang, Camaro, Corvette and names that rank as the top most recognized car names in America. These are names that wound up in Time and Newsweek within the past 21 years (Time wrote a scathing article about GM's plans to kill Corvette 20 years ago. The death of the T-bird made news as well).

The only people who care whether the name SS or Chevelle are used are hard core enthuisasts on websites, just like the ones who screamed bloody murder when the Charger name was going to be put on a Dodge sedan. I pointed out if you were going to use track history then Lumina, Commodore, or even Monte Carlo would be a better choice since all have longer racetrack histories.

Sure, when one hears the word "Chevelle" they think of the '70-'72 SS396 versions. But the other 99% of Chevelles that were actually made and sold over it's life were about as exciting as the rental era Taurus, Impala's, and Sebrings. Ironically, those cars names had thoughts behind them (safe and stable, the galloping deer again, and last but not least, a racetrack of all things..... and their names didn't save them from dull reputations).

Meanwhile, a car with what is arguably the most ridiculous name (Camaro means "[i]Good Buddy"?!... not exactly something you'd put against an aggressive fanged fish and a galloping horse that has a version named after one of the world's most deadly snakes?) currently looks like a car that would eat whatever was parked next to it if no one was looking.

Personally, I think any name would be better than SS. Quite a few people at Holden were under the impression it was going to carry the same name that Holden made Chevys carry globally (Lumina) or their name (Commodore). A key person here in NA brought up the fact that the Zeta based Monte Carlo (like the Grand Prix) would have been a sports sedan and that this was one of the names he's thrown out there. On the internet world, you see Chevelle pop up frequently.

Although I've seen enough Commodores as Luminas that I'm pretty good with either name (and I haven't forgotten Lumina's were the last NASCARS that actually looked like the cars in showrooms and I've seen plenty of fire belching Commodores running in Aussie's Supercar series)

I prefer Monte Carlo myself.

But I'm not going to proclaim the car a dismal failure, have a temper tantrum, or think GM has to listen to me and what I think the car's name should be or they suck. All it is is an opinion with reasons why.

TemplarKnight

HHR SS.

The trim is meaningless now. . .

Caps94ZODG

You have never driven an HHR SS have you? Or seen one in motion. That thing is worthy of the SS name just as much as the Cobalt SS its based off of.

Buttercup

Put a manual in it and I'll buy one.

Not offering a manual transmission in a sport oriented car is asinine. I regret the G8 purchase pretty much every time I drive it. I should've tracked down a GXP but didn't have the time and honestly the GXP was a ripoff (especially considering the gas guzzler tax).

CCoop8830

Sometimes you need a strong name to conjure up good thoughts and memories...I don't think it is as important now. However, you don't want it to be confused with your lineup and offerings. The Ford GT was confusing enough for none enthusiasts as to whether or not someone was talking about a Mustang or high dollar supercar. That is such a small issue compared to SS. I don't mind the name SS at all but I hope they do their marketing research with people that could barely tell the difference between a Mustang and Camaro. That will give you an indication of how you will need to market it to the average joe/jane that knows very little about the history of a car.

Z28x

So if they ever do a V6 version would it be called Chevy RS?

Z28Wilson

Good point. Some would argue that a base V6 "Chevy SS" is watering down the SS nameplate, but that probably happened a long time ago anyway.

The only reason to call this car Lumina is because they got a deal on bulk Lumina nameplates in the Middle East and figured they better ship 'em over here and put 'em to use.

jg95z28

When you consider that once upon a time a similar Chevrolet sedan (Chevelle) was renamed for one of its trim designations (Malibu), then you realize that calling the new Chevrolet sedan "SS" might not be such a bad idea.

In other news, to avoid further confusion with other models, for the 2014 MY Chevrolet is dropping the SS trim designation on all other models. The top sporty model will now be LTZ, with the exception of Camaro, which will be called Camaro GT.

Z28x

Wouldn't the top trim level on a Camaro be ZL1

Z28Wilson

I think it's a bit different scenario here though. 'SS' is still being used as a trim level on Camaro (and possibly other cars in the future). By the time Chevy's midsize car became the Malibu, Chevelle was gone and nothing else had 'Malibu' trim. Besides, at least 'Malibu' is a word (never been a fan of alphabet soup names).