The Hybrid will be the Regal since it was mentionned that it would be a mid-sized car. The XTS would be classified as a large car.

I have this feeling that Oshawa's current consolidated line AKA plant #2 will be retooled to handle production of the Impala exclusively since there's no way the flex plant could produce such a high volume car on top of a Camaro/Regal/Cadillac.

 

They should never update the Impala. Just keep it the same and see how absurdly outdated the car can get. 20 years from now we can just talk about how at one time the Impala was a good car. But it will be the same car and won't sell at all.

 

The W chassis is, what, 23 years old now? And one could argue it's really never been at the top of the heap for mainstream family cars.

 

Yes, but is the supplier base for those cars able to handle the extra volume? Is it even feasible to use those suppliers if they are over seas? The cars are mostly done from an engineering standpoint, but there's still much to be done to allow production over here.

 

Hmmm, Ford Crown Victoria, very profitable model for Ford.

But the Panther cars at least have a unique market position as the last traditional BOF models. Not sure what is so great about the Impala that keeps it selling.

 

The Vic is going away and the only reason it's still around is for Government purposes. The Impala is so out dated it's rediculous. I say let see how rediculous we can get it.

 

I'm on board.

 

I haven't heard anything about the Regal, but I've heard that the Caddy is being developed to be a hybrid.

 

The only GOOD news about a FWD Cadillac is that it apparently won't be called the stupid alphanumeric name. (DT7 --- LAME)

Re: Impala...

Why not rebadge the G8? Seriously.... Call the epsilon car something different and build the G8 replacement Impala off of Alpha.

I'm just really nervous about the Eps Impala, once again after 7 years of absence, encroaching on Malibu territory.

If GM wants one volume car in that segment, it needs to be Malibu (which has done well at re-establishing itself) Hopefully, Impala will be big enough NOT to battle Malibu in the showroom. But I doubt it.

 

Whats most sad..is it shuts the door really one much beyond the Camaro being built at Oshawa unless they rush a rebadged Buick Camaro out. Though I knew it was a long shot, I had hope we would see a RWD sedan produced there.

 

If the new Impala is the size of the new LaCrosse, it will be positioned appropriately. I was shocked at how big the new LaCrosse seems in person.

 

The CTS is turning into Cadillac's "Flagship" line.

V-series (The only ones left are the CTS sedan and upcoming coupe) is going nowhere for some time.

Cadillac needs a high volume, high margin car. The FWD XTS (though not our cup of tea) takes a relatively inexpensive architecture, and will sell at a high profit margin.

This is exactly what the bankrupt GM (it's odd that we need to remind ourselves of this fact) needs right now far more than "chasing" some established European brand.

If you want GM to pay back your taxpayer financed loans and stand on it's feet sooner rather than later, then GM's only concern is to make money and improving the quality of the cars they build... even if those cars aren't what we'd like, but hits home runs with targeted buyers.

Plan is to seriously undercut the Taurus in price.

The Impala is dirt cheap to make. It's chassis engineering was paid for back when most people here were still watching "Sesame Street".

The Vic has been available only to fleet and law enforcement for a year or two. The Grand Marquis is mostly retail (nothing else like it on the road anymore). Town Car is primarily for Liveries and Limosine companies. They don't even advertize the Town Car any more, or include it in Lincoln brochures.

 

1. Impala named cars can only be made at Oshawa. That's why the G8 wasn't called Grand Prix, as it would had been if it was made at Oshawa as planned.

2. Oshawa still needs a high volume car to pay the bills. Impala is the only game at the plant doing this.

3. It's still way too early to wonder why GM will or won't do anything with Alpha. GM could make Impala after next off the Alpha, or GM could make it an exclusively Cadillac chassis. There is some word already spilling out that Alpha is too expensive for lower priced cars like Impala and Camaro, but the program is still young and it's going to be awhile before anything final comes out.

The Impala replacement is going to relate to the Malibu the way the new Taurus relates to the Fusion.

 

Not to be an *** and I don't disagree with you, but that puts us right back on the path we started down that led us to bankruptcy. If EVER there was a time that GM needed to define and start building it's divisions (yes, BUILDING, like the asians have done -- which takes time) now is it.

So the timeframe for Alpha that was being kicked around (12-13) is far too optimistic?

Re: Alpha. I kind of like the idea of Alpha splitting into 2 platforms (which is rumored now) One for Cadillac (a la Sigma) and one for everyone else (which would be the engineering work done by Holden)

Good to know.

 

Alpha splitting into two platforms is most likely what will happen...it happened before with Sigma and Zeta.