Future Products—General Motors

[KILLER74Z28]

Future Products—General Motors
A new road into next decade


By JAMIE LAREAU | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

AutoWeek | Published 08/22/06, 8:07 am et
General Motors' vehicle plan this year centers on rebuilding the Saturn line and quickly rolling out its high-profit, re-engineered, full-sized trucks.

While many of those products are being launched, GM is shaking up product plans for this decade and next. The most striking change is the company's likely abandonment of mid-sized SUVs, shifting instead to more fuel-efficient crossovers. Two of these mid-sized crossovers debut this fall.

For fun, the good-looking, much-talked-about Chevrolet Camaro concept will be turned into production reality in 2008. Two other rear-wheel-drive cars are eyed, possibly for Buick and Pontiac.

GM's most important vehicles are the full-sized 2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. Both have been extensively re-engineered for improved safety and fuel economy. For the first time, both brands have distinctive styling on all but the vans, an effort to give GM truck buyers a choice.

Saturn dealers will need a cheat sheet to keep track of the new models bowing this year. The sporty Sky started the product stream this spring. The Opel-inspired, mid-sized Aura sedan is heading to dealers. This fall, the mid-sized Outlook crossover debuts. A rebadged Opel Astra will be imported next year.

Finally, after two decades of misunderstanding the minivan market, GM will introduce a vehicle that is the size of the Dodge Grand Caravan and Honda Odyssey.

Of course, higher gasoline prices, a shortage of oil or a partnership agreement with Nissan-Renault suddenly could alter GM's product plans. But for now, here are highlights of GM's 2007-10 plans.

Rick Kranz contributed to this report

Plans by Model Year:

BUICK

2008 Enclave debuts

2010 LaCrosse redesigned
2010 Lucerne redesigned

CADILLAC

2007 Escalade restyled, re-engineered

2008 CTS restyled, re-engineered
2008 STS reskinned

2009 XLR freshened
2009 (or 2011) BRX debuts

2010 CTS coupe debuts
2010 CTS sedan freshened
2010 STS restyled re-engineered
2010 Escalade freshening possible

CHEVROLET

2007 Equinox freshened
2007 Tahoe restyled, re-engineered (or 2010)
2007 Suburban restyled, re-engineered
2007 Avalanche restyled, re-engineered
2007 Silverado restyled re-engineered

2008 Aveo redesigned
2008 Cobalt freshened
2008 Malibu restyled, re-engineered
2008 “Blue Devil” Corvette debuts
2008 Colorado freshened

2009 Camaro debuts (or 2010)
2009 HHR freshened

2010 Impala re-engineered, restyled or redesigned
2010 Equinox restyled, re-engineered
2010 Silverado freshened
2010 Uplander redesigned

GMC

2007 Acadia debuts
2007 Yukon restyled, re-engineered
2007 Yukon XL restyled, re-engineered
2007 Sierra restyled, re-engineered

2008 Canyon freshened

2009 Sierra freshened
2009 Minivan debuts

HUMMER

2009 H3 crew cab likely
2009 Possible H4 debut

2010 H2 restyled, re-engineered

PONTIAC

2007 G5 debuts

2008 Solstice coupe debuts

2010 G6 restyled, re-engineered
2010 Possible mid-sized rwd sedan

SATURN

2007 Aura debuts
2007 Sky debuts
2007 Outlook debuts

2008 Astra debuts
2008 Vue restyled, re-engineered

2009 Aura wagon debuts (or 2010)

[DaBears]

LOL at this list now.

[Bhobbs]

Didn't see the date and face palmed at "rebuilding the Saturn line" haha.

[DaBears]

LOL

[fielderLS3]

Wow, a whoooooooole lot of that didn't happen, huh? Yet another reason to ignore "rumors" repeated by automotive journalists.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by fielderLS3

Wow, a whoooooooole lot of that didn't happen, huh? Yet another reason to ignore "rumors" repeated by automotive journalists.

In their defence, nobody could have predicted that roughly 3 years later GM would go bankrupt and ditch half their brands and cancel/delay numerous projects for the remainder.