GM kills small Buick crossover plans due to Consumer/Media input
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From: Sterling Heights, MI
GM kills small Buick crossover plans due to Consumer/Media input
Is the "New" GM listening or is it just fluff?
http://www.freep.com/article/2009081...sumer-feedback
http://www.freep.com/article/2009081...sumer-feedback
In a striking and atypical move, General Motors Co. today announced that it had killed plans for a compact Buick crossover — plans that were announced less than two weeks ago.
Since that time, GM
brought about 100 consumers, as well as industry analysts and automotive journalists, to its Warren Technical Center to get a sneak peak at its future product pipeline.
That unnamed Buick vehicle, which was slated to hit the market late next year, got poor reviews, however.
“We were all struck by the consistency of the criticism of the compact crossover,” Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman for product development, wrote on a GM blog today. “And what we decided to do in response is a good example of the essence of the new General Motors… acting quickly, and boldly, and listening to feedback from customers, employees, dealers, media and just about anyone else with an opinion.”
Stephens said GM decided to cancel the project after GM’s executive committee met last Friday and discussed reaction to the vehicle. “It was decided that if it didn’t belong, it didn’t belong,” Stephens wrote.
In 2011, GM had planned to offer the Buick crossover with hybrid plug-in technology in what it had been touting as the first SUV crossover to offer such technology.
Instead, GM will apply the technology to another vehicle, according to Stephens. “At no delay,” he noted. Further details would be released later.
As the Free Press had reported, some of the consumers specially invited into GM’s secret design studio were less than impressed with the Buick crossover.
Consumer Joel Feder of the Minneapolis-area wrote on his Twitter page about the vehicle during the tour, calling it “hideous.”
After emerging from bankruptcy July 10, GM CEO Fritz Henderson has promised the new company would do a better job listening and reacting to customers.
Since that time, GM
brought about 100 consumers, as well as industry analysts and automotive journalists, to its Warren Technical Center to get a sneak peak at its future product pipeline.That unnamed Buick vehicle, which was slated to hit the market late next year, got poor reviews, however.
“We were all struck by the consistency of the criticism of the compact crossover,” Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman for product development, wrote on a GM blog today. “And what we decided to do in response is a good example of the essence of the new General Motors… acting quickly, and boldly, and listening to feedback from customers, employees, dealers, media and just about anyone else with an opinion.”
Stephens said GM decided to cancel the project after GM’s executive committee met last Friday and discussed reaction to the vehicle. “It was decided that if it didn’t belong, it didn’t belong,” Stephens wrote.
In 2011, GM had planned to offer the Buick crossover with hybrid plug-in technology in what it had been touting as the first SUV crossover to offer such technology.
Instead, GM will apply the technology to another vehicle, according to Stephens. “At no delay,” he noted. Further details would be released later.
As the Free Press had reported, some of the consumers specially invited into GM’s secret design studio were less than impressed with the Buick crossover.
Consumer Joel Feder of the Minneapolis-area wrote on his Twitter page about the vehicle during the tour, calling it “hideous.”
After emerging from bankruptcy July 10, GM CEO Fritz Henderson has promised the new company would do a better job listening and reacting to customers.
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From: oshawa,ontario,canada
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From: Roseville, MI, USA
It's gonna be the GMC Terrain - and oh yes they are listening and in a BIG way.
Wow....getting this done within a day? As Stephens said in his post on FastLane...this would have taken MONTHS to get done.
Holy cape crusaders, Batman!
Wow....getting this done within a day? As Stephens said in his post on FastLane...this would have taken MONTHS to get done.
Holy cape crusaders, Batman!
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From: Melbourne, Australia
I can't say yeh or nay... but what would astonish me is that all the people surveyed were underwhelmed with the design.
I thought GM were supposed to use attractive designs to gauge public reactions?
I thought GM were supposed to use attractive designs to gauge public reactions?
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this is the way to do it. spoken on the moment, reacted to within a moment. conflicting stories had this as a Vue rebadge or a Vue with interior "mods" and an exterior "refined" to look like a Buick. the latter was just idealized sucking up. the photos GM showed when the story first circulated were not for nothing. and the vue always has a place, within a general mainstream brand. Buick with a premium image need not aspire to where Chevrolet already is. the Equinox is already plenty casual upscale medium/compact crossover. Chevy could stand to go smaller, but Buick needs to be all tech, all expressive design, all high quality high end interior and exterior refinement. selling the vue under buick would have been selling a plan for consistency and transformation short.
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From: Charleston, WV
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buick being an aspirational brand, needs the youth compact SUV based off gamma to be cool. it needs to be trendy and have high tech value, turbo engines with great mileage and good power. but they all still need a proper trailblazer replacement that is properly designed for the next generation.
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From: Kansas City, MO
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Posts: 1,958
From: Kansas City, MO
The Gamma II Buick is still on. This was the ex-Vue
http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/archives...the_front.html
You may recall that this was the Buick compact crossover I announced in Traverse City a few weeks ago, with a plug-in hybrid version to accompany it — this is not the smaller Buick crossover we showed that was playfully referred to as “the baby Enclave.” That vehicle did very well and remains in the lineup.
http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/archives...the_front.html
You may recall that this was the Buick compact crossover I announced in Traverse City a few weeks ago, with a plug-in hybrid version to accompany it — this is not the smaller Buick crossover we showed that was playfully referred to as “the baby Enclave.” That vehicle did very well and remains in the lineup.