REPORT: GM to invest C$100M in Ingersoll plant to boost GMC Terrain, Chevy Equinox volume
2010 Chevrolet Equinox – Click above for high-res image gallery
It's early, but so far, General Motors' 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain twins are exceeding sales expectations by enough of a margin that the automaker may have to shell out some serious coin to better-align production with demand. Reuters and the Toronto Star say GM will pay $100 million loonies ($93M USD) to upgrade its CAMI assembly facility in Ingersoll, Ontario to pump out more copies of the well-received crossovers. The move comes after The General added a third shift at the facility on October 19, resulting in 350 new jobs. The plant expansion, which Canadian officials told The Star would occur over the next six months, would result in the call-back of an additional 150 laid off positions.
The Equinox and Terrain were major factors in GM's 4% year-over-year sales increase in October, as the two new crossovers accounted for 7,868 and 2,994 October sales, respectively.
Gallery: Review: 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
Gallery: New York: 2010 GMC Terrain
[Source: Reuters]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Giel 2:05PM (11/09/2009)
Oil for gm troll in: 4.3.2 ......
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HotRodzNKustoms 2:08PM (11/09/2009)
I think he's been banned.
Mike7 2:10PM (11/09/2009)
We would have heard him on the Converj post, however that could be that GM doesn't need more oil that one.
HotRodzNKustoms 2:10PM (11/09/2009)
That's a lot of loonies!
This is good news for GM. These tiny CUVs will be a staple in future sales as the price of oil rises again.
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thipps 2:13PM (11/09/2009)
great news again from GM. No where to go but up
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Tourian 2:15PM (11/09/2009)
Nice try, but no. This is just good news period. There are plenty of ways to screw up and make more bad news, they just haven't done it.
thipps 2:28PM (11/09/2009)
Yes your absolutely right, lets all sit around being pessimistic and wait for something bad to happen so we can say i told you so. life must suck, thinking like that
Tourian 5:02PM (11/09/2009)
No, you misunderstand me. I'm not being pessimistic at all. I think they are doing a great job. I just don't get saying "no where to go but up." When to me, that lessens the accomplishment of selling something well in a downmarket. Perhaps I could have worded that better.
tanooki2003 11:36AM (11/10/2009)
Meh
pgarez 2:14PM (11/09/2009)
Welcome back to the party GM ! Feels good don't it ! I mean, I am even starting to look away from my Audi, at the CTS for my next ride. Who would have thunk it ?
However, I have also been looking at the MazdaSpeed 3 & VW GTI ( for smaller, less pricy options ) and GM still doesn't have anything to compare and contrast with those two choices, which are likely the step many in my slightly chocked economic but still after as much premium, speed and sportyness bang for the buck, position I am in. Did I forget the Genesis Coupe, yeah that too.
It is wonderful news to see GM bouncing back, but there is still a gaping huge hole in their mid section. I am now convinced that the quality in design and materials is up to par, now they must work on the sport in the middle range. I don't want a modern pony car, I want a tight, modern, new hatchback. Where is it GM ?
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Hellas 4:13PM (11/09/2009)
Its the Astra. You know...the one we will not be getting here in NA
pgarez 4:47PM (11/09/2009)
I know and I have seen the Astras in Europe and while they are definitely a step in the right direction, they are still more econo hatch than hot hatch, but as you say....they did come here though in the Saturn iteration. Pity that one is now gone too.
fprucha 10:59PM (11/09/2009)
I don't think you will ever see it at GM. Their mentality has always been if you want to step up from Chevrolet you buy a Cadillac. There marketing people tell them that America is in love with the big dumb truck so now anything outside of that box is niche. All that is left of the coupe is a Camaro and a CTS. No GTI at GM at any price.
pgarez 7:23AM (11/10/2009)
Fprucha...if your right then GM still needs some lessons in what makes a brand a success. One need only look at the success over at Mazda. Even 5 years ago, short of the deserved hype about the Miata, I wasn't sold. Then I chose the CX7 for my wife and bam, sold. Mazda has done it right because if I am decently content in one of their CUV's ( because the driving dynamics are so strong and solid ) AND my wife is content ( because it offers enough comfort and modern design ) then it has managed to tickle a pretty large set of pleasure zones.
They have the 6 range and the 3 range, which includes one of my desires the Speed3.
If GM hadn't kicked Pontiac to the curb then then Chevy could be more Toyota ( good decent transportation with very boring undertones ) than Mazda ( Zoom zoom with advance design undertones ).
The Malibu is a very nice looking car, but it's Camry then 6.
Anyway could go on but, if GM doesn't find a way to really bring affordable sport into really the only common man brand left ( Chevy ) then they will continue to flail about. This CUV success they are enjoying lately could lead them down that same trap they fell into when SUV's became their bread and butter, they forgot about the other markets completely. They could eat up a big chunk of the " imports " market. Fortunately those imports aren't going anywhere, which means that at least I won't be walking into a big 2 showroom anytime soon. Pity !
Sea Urchin 2:13PM (11/09/2009)
Finally, some jobs for Americans. I guess the stimulus is finally working.
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mapoftazifosho 2:16PM (11/09/2009)
No, these vehicles are winners. No stimulus needed here.
ebleyes 2:31PM (11/09/2009)
Sea Urchin please don't inject politics into every post you make, you are starting to be more obnoxious than NMOFGM.
Sea Urchin 2:40PM (11/09/2009)
Lowering my head in shame
Aprime 4:24PM (11/09/2009)
Stimulus?
You do realize that we participated up North, right?
I mean isn't that why we also own a part of GM and why Ontario has contracted a deficit that's about half of what our Federal government has contracted so far?
FORGOT ABOOT CANADA, EH
pgarez 2:18PM (11/09/2009)
PS GM please don't send us away from your showrooms by only offering slush boxes ok ? I was completely sold on the G8 until I read, " no manual tranny to be offered " WHAT ?????? Joking right ? Pity that sweet ride had an early demise but without a manual, I wasn't going to bite anyway.
In addition, please don't try to pull the manual tranny as a premium option, because that will send me packing too.
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