Detroit cutting back on light trucks
General Motors and Ford have announced plans to cut some of their light truck models to focus on new crossovers. Automotive News reported that GM's TrailBlazer (right) and Envoy SUVs are on the way out, with a scheduled 2009 restyling cancelled. The Blue Oval boys are cutting the Monterey minivan in the very near future, with the Ford Freestar retiring soon. GM plans to concentrate on its new-generation crossovers - the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave, while Ford plans to develop a production version of the Ford Fairlane concept for both the Ford and Lincoln brands.
[Source: Autoweek]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
iQuack 6:52PM (7/06/2006)
The market is working. And this is why CAFE is a distraction and a waste.
Gasoline prices are up and heavy guzzlers are languishing in dealer lots while more economical vehicles are in strong demand.
Gee, all this without Congress screwing around with it. How nice!
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Gardiner Westbound 6:59PM (7/06/2006)
Ford should rename the Freestar the Vampire, it's been killed so many times. They'll have to drive a wooden stake through the dash to make sure it's really dead.
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naggs 7:32PM (7/06/2006)
how is it that ford and gm got blindsided by rising gas prices? it just boggels my mind that they are now adjusting to the market. how is it that they didnt see this and have a wave of new small cars ready to go?
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Steve B 9:16PM (7/06/2006)
"The market is working. And this is why CAFE is a distraction and a waste."
Um... did I miss the part wehere crossovers are comp;iant with CAFE car rules? They are considered to be light trucks, are they not? Crossovers are just another way for manufacturers to build passenger vehicles that slip through the work-truck loophole.
If CAFE applied to all vehicles sold and registered for private use, it would be extremely effective.
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Chuck Russell 11:19PM (7/06/2006)
This is the first I have heard about the Envoy and Trailblazer being canceled! I sell the GMC line and Envoy is still a strong seller for us, both are strong on the used side. It will be a sad day when they go away.
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Mike 1:55AM (7/07/2006)
CAFE is not working and neither is the market. Oil is so expensive that all sorts have political crazies have crawled out of their caves and begun causing problems. Also, oil rich Russia has decided to be "nice" to the world so it can sell its goods. As a result, we can't come up with a way to punish Iran and N Korea short of all out war. And we wouldn't know what to do with those places if we won (see Iraq), so that war won't be happening.
Americans have shown that they are willing to pay any price neccessary for gas, and world companies are thrilled to sell cars to the Chinese and Indians, who will eventually use far more fuel than we do now.
The problem is that CAFE tries to sidestep the market, which is clearly impossible. Opponents of CAFE want to rely solely on the market, which is too slow and requires disasters and supply shocks to do its work.
The only real solution is a tax on gasoline. It has cut consumption in Europe and it would do so here also. People would have to buy smaller vehicles because of the added expense, and car manufacturers would follow the market, just like they do now. It would be just like a free market, except faster, more efficient, and easier to control.
And please don't respond to this comment with some europhobic disses. You wouldn't feel silly driving a small car if everyone else had one too.
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iQuack 2:45AM (7/07/2006)
Yes, higher taxes on gasoline would increase its price and hasten the switch to more economical vehicles while concurrently reducing unnecessary driving. Maybe fat slobs would lose a few pounds walking instead of driving short distances.
The problem with raising gasoline taxes is that it gives politicians more of our money to piss away on dumb, government programs that do little more than buy votes from special interests.
Best to starve government rather than feed its insatiable maw.
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hans 5:19AM (7/07/2006)
the problem is that the US economy is already used to the current gas tax model.
our whole economy is dependant on just what gas prices are now.
if we raised gas prices, everything would cost more and generally the working poor would be most affected especially since our public transportation is not sufficient in many cities.
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JarryHames 8:39AM (7/07/2006)
Ford should have cut back on producing SUVs a long time ago. How many can they introduce to market? They also have a cross-over version of their Fusion coming to market. The Freestyle was a waste of money, time, and everthing else. I'm sure that GM will probably change their minds on the Envoy and TrailBlazer.
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RaslDasl 9:59AM (7/07/2006)
So Chevy gets left without a mid-size SUV and the GMC/Pontiac/Buick dealers get two? I don't get this. Chevy should take the Acadia from GMC if they are losing the TrailBlazer.
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shiznannigan 2:15AM (7/08/2006)
Meanwhile at Toyota, the Tahoe-mileaged FJ Cruiser slips into showrooms under the radar...
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Sunnyside 9:08PM (1/22/2007)
Get the wool from over your eyes. The Worlds Greatest Work Truck has been around for over 10 years, yet we have to call it the Work Truck of the Future.
Learn about it at MyStupidRules.com
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Sunnyside 9:12PM (1/22/2007)
So you want people to be stupid with wool over their eyes. Well, the people that Check out MyStupidRules.com know what the work truck of the future looks like. and more importantly, why you can't have one.
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