There was an article in the Kansas City Star today about GM investigating adding a third model at Fairfax. As you all probably know, Fairfax currently makes the Malibu and Malibu Maxx and will begin building the Saturn Aura next fall. They say the third vehicle will be Epsilon, but don't say what it is. Does anyone know what the model might be? Could GM close Orion Township and move the G6 to Fairfax so they have all of the Epsilons under one roof (except 9/3)? Or will there be an additional Epsilon for another division?

 

I'm guessing that they are considering Aura the 3rd model... probably counting Malibu and Malibu Maxx as two models.

If not, perhaps you are on the right track with G6 coming to consolodate production, but does the plant have the capacity to handle that much load?

 

The article makes it sound like it would be in addition to the Aura. Here are some excerpts:

If GM chooses Fairfax, it would expand the plant by 50,000 square feet and possibly begin production in the fall of 2007.

The Malibu and Malibu Maxx are built on a shared set of components, known as the Epsilon platform, for GM midsize cars. The Fairfax plant last year succeeded in getting tax abatements for a new Saturn car that will be built on the same Epsilon platform. GM has invested $203 million in the plant to roll out the mid-size Saturn Aura in the fall of 2006.

GM also announced that it would begin building a gas-electric version of the Malibu in 2007.

The proposed new vehicle, which has not yet been identified by GM, also will be a midsize car on the Epsilon platform, Brown said.

Brown said the production of the new vehicle, which would be built on the same assembly line as the Malibu and Aura, could create as many as 100 more jobs. The Fairfax plant currently employs about 3,000 people.

The whole article is here: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/13418638.htm but you may have to sign up to read it.

 

Well, no arguing that the way it reads, that they are talking about some in addition to Aura...

It even sounds like they are talking about an all-new model, which would make me think it is not G6...

I'm trying to think where another Epsilon could fit in... Saab already has one... Hummer, GMC, and Cadillac, it wouldn't apply to....

I guess it COULD be a Buick, but that just doesn't feel right.

Pontiac and Chevy already have them....

Hmmmm.......

 

Buick Velite???? That is rumored to go FWD

The Caddy BLS isn't expected until ~2009 and it will be on EP2

 

Just throwing this out there.......

The old Malibu and new Malibu may actually co-exist for awhile. Wouldn't it be something if the old Malibu and new Malibu shared floor space at the Chevy store.....but the new Malibu was larger and more upscale and called something else....like Bel Air?

Just wildly speculating.......

 

Maybe the old Malibu will be made for fleet sales, like the Classic was for a year?

They really need to keep the current Malibu around for fleet-only sales for at least a couple years, to help the new model take off and not be looked at like a rent-a-sled.

 

Ok, then this raises the question of whats gong on with EP and EPII?
Some have said that EPII is being pushed back to make way for RWD cars?
If this expansion were to happen, would EPII and EPI all be under 1 building? Would it just be a small phase till the rest of the plant can be updated??

I would think that its a little late in the model cycle for another Epsilon car, thats if EPII is still on track. If it was pushed back to 2010, like some have said, that could mean that it could be a Buick as well.

 

Simple answer:
Chevrolet Classic
Aura
GMT386 Malibu

 

Looking at the evidence in the article:
1. GM is deciding between building a new plant or expanding Fairfax.
2. Construction on either plan is slated to start in fall 2007.
3. Saturn Aura is scheduled to be made at the plant starting in fall 2006.
4. The Malibu hybrid (gas-electric) is slated to start in fall 2007.
5. The article states that this new car will be built on the same line as Aura & Malibu.
6. This new car will add 100 jobs to a 3000 person workforce.


What can be deduced from the article:

a) The car is NOT a Aura or Malibu or Malibu hybrid. Malibu is currently in production, and Aura and the Malibu hybrid will be in production a year before the 1st bit of dirt is moved.
b) GM is considering building another plant for this vehicle, indicating it might be very different from the Espilons being built there, or have significant volume.

Other evidence not in the article:

1. GM has been quietly taking advantage of each new model introduction to revamp plants for flexible assembly. GM has a system called "C-flex" that enables a body shop to make different panels without having a multitude of dies and stampings. This also enables one set of robuts to build different bodies on the same assembly line.

This tells us that the car doen't need to be exactly an Espilon, only a similar size (for assembly & painting).

2. The next Espilon scheduled is the restyled Malibu, currently set for 2009, but is being delayed. The only other like sized vehicle scheduled for that time frame (outside of crossovers) is at least 1 Buick model, and maybe 2.

I think we can safely rule out the Aura and any Malibu as the subject here.

Any conclusions?

 

guionM: See above.

 

By Chevy Classic do you mean GMX380? And do you think they'll name it that?

 

yes

 

Well.....there goes that whole Bel Air ramble then.....

 

Remember the talk of an Epsilon based Velite...but that would probaly be better suited for the larger Epsilon II.