One badge to rule them all: Chevy to unify model names globally

General Motors has proven it should be taken seriously in its efforts to harmonize its many global outposts into a single, coherent unit. The Opel-ifying of Saturn is the most obvious example, but Chevy, which is enjoying increased popularity in Europe, wants in on the globalization action, too. AutoWeek reports that GM's everyman brand wants to commonize its nameplates globally over the next couple of years. Right now the brand sells same models in various regions under different monikers. Our Chevy Aveo, for instance, is called the Kalos in Europe and the Lova in China. When Chevy introduces a brand new small car around the end of the decade, it will be known as the Aveo everywhere it's sold.

GM also plans to unify the marketing strategies and retail systems that sells Chevy brand vehicles worldwide. When the new Aveo was introduced around the world in 2006, for instance, it was accompanied in India by the slogan "An Indian Revolution", an obvious play on Chevy's own tagline here in the States, "An American Revolution". In the future, a global marketing council for Chevy with reps from each of the four biggest regions will decide on a unified brand message.

[Source: Autoweek via Winding Road]