General Motor's "commercial grade" truck unit may be losing two of its planned products, leaving some to contemplate the future of the nameplate in general. It's too early to consider GMC dead, but with the apparent cancellation of the next-generation Acadia CUV as well as the planned unibody truck inspired by the Denali XT Concept, GMC dealers are likely left wondering what, beyond the new GMC Terrain, they are supposed to be selling in the next few years. We're not all that sad to see the Acadia go as the Chevy Traverse is a better looking overall package and it makes more sense to offer the CUV as a Chevrolet anyway. What's more, with most GMC dealers also offering Buick vehicles, they'll still have the Enclave to offer potential customers.
Current rumors also predict an end to the Saturn Outlook, the slowest seller of the original Lambda-based trio, which would leave the Enclave and the Traverse as the two remaining GM crossovers. There still seems to be a good chance that Chevrolet will get an SUT based off the platform as well, so nothing too important seems to have been lost with this decision.
The Chicago Auto Show wasn't that eventful, but that's what we lead off Autoblog Podcast episode #87 with. The Challenger was the biggest deal, followed by the Denali XT, and then a bunch of inconsequential things. We did find ourselves talking about the Suzuki Equator and the Ford Transit Connect, too. We give you our first up close and personal impressions of the Challenger SRT-8 in this podcast. We also saw the VW Routan, which certainly doesn't conjure warm, fuzzy memories of Type IIs gone by. Chevy's Traverse calls into question the usefulness of Saturn's Outlook in the product lineup. Speaking of GM badge-engineering, we got word this week that Pontiac will not be getting a Trans Am companion to the Camaro, dang. Another disappointment is the rumor that Cerberus is going to let the Viper run down without rewinding the clock for a third generation. We wrap up by touching on the possibility that an Indian pickup could be the first diesel hybrid in the US, even though it's not even being imported yet, and we're sure that when it gets here, it'll generate even more hate than the new Acura RL. 42 minutes, that's it. Sorry it's a little late this week, it's all Alex's fault, I swear.
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Ford sent but a single model into the roiling crossover market battle with GM's Lambda trioquartet. How did the Edge move 130,000 units alone while GM needed the aggregated sales of the GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Saturn Outlook to close 137,000 deals? Money. It's a simple case of throwing lots of bucks behind a product and making it hot. Ford backed the Edge with about $179 million in media buys, while GM spent less in total for all three Lambdas. Having three branches on the same tree doesn't give quite the same bang for the buck as you can get throwing it all behind a single product, too.
The advertising campaign for the Edge saw Ford hitting the web with a vengance, in addition to being placed well with several programming tie-ins. Viewers of American Idol and Extreme Makeover were treated to the Edge blitz, with snappy spots from David Mamet highlighting the Edge's speed and serenity. Overall, the crossover segment has been good for Detroit, with the Buick Enclave in particular zipping right off dealer lots, and the buying public embracing car-based, truckish-looking big wagons.
click above image to see more of the increasingly exclusive Buick Enclave
General Motors has a hit on its hands with the big, beautiful Enclave CUV. People all over the country are trying to get their hands on Buick's luxurious iteration of the Lambda Ute. Rather than follow the time-dishonored practice of running as many copies of a hot model out the door as possible, GM's keeping production on the Enclave under strict control. In fact, even though some dealers have sold out of their Enclave inventory, GM will be reducing shifts at the Lansing plant that builds the Enclave. Bob Lutz explained the restrictions thusly: "We want to keep [the Enclave] hot... Nothing destroys the value of a new product faster than over producing." That's it in a nutshell, right there. The practice of tying production to demand is what Toyota and Honda tend to do. Take the Fit, for example. Part of the allure of that vehicle is that buyers often have to wait to get one. The same kind of "best kept secret" mystique surrounds the Enclave - you don't see them everywhere, and they're rather opulent once you finally get a chance to check one out. Exclusivity can also spur customers into paying full price, where before a glut of product would mean heavy discounts. Of course, GM can't afford moves such as restricted production and labor layoffs at every plant and on every model, but we hope this new tack pays off in boosting the General's image as well as its bottom line.
The enhanced version of Autoblog Podcast #67 is now ready for download or streaming on YouTube. In part one, we talk about the Autoblog redesign and the Dodge Nitro Giveaway. In part two we hit the ground running, with information on Jaguar's funky-cool new shifter and an update on the 2009 CTS-V. Next on the docket is talk of a Lambda-based Chevy crossover and news on what may be the Acura NSX testing on the 'Ring. We finished up with the VW Worthersee event that included the crazy-mad 650 HP GTI. We crammed a whole lot into 32 minutes, and it's definately worth viewing. Remember, parts one, three, and four of the podcast are available after the jump.
Check it out. Per your suggestions, we cut the podcast into four sections for smaller downloads. If you have any more suggestions on how to improve the enhanced version of the Podcast, let us know in the comments. We're working on a better distribution system than shoving all three in our current RSS feed of the audio-only version, so soon you'll be able to subscribe just to the enhanced version's RSS feed.
DOWNLOADPart One to your desktop (Autoblog Redesign, Dodge Nitro) DOWNLOADPart Two to your desktop (Jaguar Shifter, CTS-V) DOWNLOADPart Three to your desktop (Lambda-based Chevy crossover, Acura NSX) DOWNLOADPart Four to your desktop (VW Worthersee event)
We've finally poked our respective heads out of our interweb caves and unleashed episode 67 of the Autoblog podcast upon the world. We've been pretty nutty lately with our new, improved site design and our groundbreaking car giveaway, so please forgive our delay at getting back to this. Our first delightful round of witty repartee centers around the excellent spy shots from the last couple weeks, and more specifically Jaguar's new Starship Enterprise looking shift selector. Expanding on the abundance of uberteched European cars, we carp for a while on the proliferation of new and ill-conceived user interface paradigms. Coming back to native shores, we touch on the new CTS-V, which will eschew the need for bumper nuts by a conspicuously bulged hood hiding a supercharged V8 capable of roasting the competition. Speaking of big power, we touch on the rumored NSX mule running around the Nurburgring in S2000 drag, and then concede that we really have no idea. Again, we come back to the US after a quick jaunt to the Continent, and discuss the upcoming Chevy version of GM's Lambda CUV. We're split on whether that's a good idea or not, but we all agree that the Utes themselves are a great product from the General. What the heck, let's go back across the Atlantic to close it out with insane VAG concepts at the Worthersee gathering in Austria, which saw the unveiling of a mid engine twin turbo GTI, the Audi TT Clubsport design study, and the Pirelli Edition GTI that is a real production car. We decided to only consume about 37 minutes of your time, as we'll be back soon. Enjoy the show!
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Like the Ford Explorer, Chevy Trailblazer sales have been in a tailspin lately, dropping 33 percent in the first four months of 2007. Unfortunately for Chevrolet dealers, there's not a full lineup of crossovers to take up the slack. When General Motors was developing its "Lambda" crossovers that include the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave, it didn't foresee the Trailblazer dropping off so quickly and left Chevy completely out of the plan.
GM is now scrambling to create Chevrolet a variant of the Lambda platform that underpins the Outlook, Acadia and Enclave. The Spring Hill, Tennessee plant that until recently was the home of Saturn will now be the production site for the Chevrolet crossover that the Detroit News is reporting will be called the Traverse. The new model will probably debut next January at the Detroit Auto Show and the Trailblazer will like roll off into the sunset by 2010.
click above image for more high-res pics of the 2008 Buick Enclave
Thinking outside the box a bit, AutoWeek figured that if a customer can drive down to his or her local Buick dealer and purchase a new 2008 Buick Enclave, there's no good reason to wait until GM's embargo on ride evaluations lifts at the end of May before having a go at one themselves. So they visited a local dealer, test drove one and reported the findings for those of us interested in learning about this highly anticipated new Buick ASAP. There was a bit of backlash the last time AutoWeek did this when they reviewed the 2007 Chevy Silverado well ahead of its embargo lifting, but we'll have to wait and see if anyone, including GM, cares much this time. Embargo breaking seems to be the norm these days and the rules are ever-changing. So what did they think of the Enclave?
Follow the jump for the rest of the summary, and make sure you click through the read link for the full write-up.
Yesterday the website Inside Line reported that sources deep within General Motors revealed that the storied "Nomad" name would be revived for the upcoming Chevy version of the automaker's full-size Lambda-based CUV. According to their sources, the new ute will debut as a 2009 model to replace the abhorrent Chevy Uplander.
Not so, says Josh Oliver from The GM Source. His sources, also deep within General Motors, claim that reviving the "Nomad" name, which most recently was used on a Kappa-based concept in 2004 (shown above), has never even "appeared on the radar screen" during discussions of how to christen the new crossover. Oliver's sources also claim the CUV will appear in 2009 as a 2010 model.
Who to believe? We don't really care, because it's just a name. We're more concerned that GM's spreading the Lamda platform too thin across four brands. While the Buick Enclave manages to differentiate itself well from therest of the pack, the Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia already appear too close for our comfort. Hopefully the Chevy version doesn't come off as an Acadia with a Malibu grille.
Alright, so it's just a bit of camouflage... but we're reasonably sure you can fit a five-necked guitar in GMC's upcoming Lambda-platform'd Acadia.
The photogs at KGP recently stumbled upon this tester, which reveals that the Acadia will look decidedly similar to the Saturn Outlook that debuted earlier this year at the Chicago Auto Show. That said, it looks as if the GMC will receive a more restrained front end treatment, and as The Car Connection points out, the side looks remarkably similar, save a more traditional d-pillar (the Saturn's is glassed-over). The rear appears to incorporate slightly more complex taillamps and a different bumper cap and exhaust, but from the spy shots, at least, critics are likely to suggest that it's hard to shake the notion that you're looking at a different vehicle. Ain't That a Shame. Regardless, those keeping The Flame alight among brand loyalists are unlikely to Walk Away, and should be rewarded with capable crossover with gobs of space and the promise of a smooth six-speed Hydra-Matic transmission.
(And yes... we're sorry about the whole Cheap Trick thing-- apparently we Can't Stop This Game)
[Sources: The Car Connection; All Music Guide; CheapTrick.com]
The 
We've finally poked our respective heads out of our interweb caves and unleashed episode 67 of the Autoblog podcast upon the world. We've been pretty nutty lately with our new, improved site design and our 
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