Chevy Crossover Coming, Pickup Dumped

Anthony Fontanelle
May 30, 2007

The General Motors Corp. is expected to build a full-size crossover for Chevy at the Spring Hill, Tennessee, plant, but plans for a pickup from the platform have been abandoned.

GM is winning over customers with its trio crossovers for GMC, Saturn and Buick brands. The GMC Acadia replaces three of the 7/8-passenger vehicles on the Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealership network, the midsize GMC Safari, the long-wheelbase GMC Envoy XL/XUV, and the Pontiac Montana SV6. The Acadia features a spacious interior, seating for eight, and an option of either a front or an all-wheel drive.

The Enclave will replace both of Buick's current SUVs, the minivan-based Rendezvous, the truck-based Rainier, as well as the Terraza minivan. It will feature seating for at least six, and up to eight with a third row with a foot well, a generous interior space, and either a front- or an all-wheel drive.

The Saturn Outlook features the lowest sticker price among GM's Lambda crossover SUVs. The vehicle is powered by the 3.6 L DOHC 24-valve HFV6 engine with Variable Valve Timing that comes available in two versions - the XE and the XR. The crossover features the Saturn windshield wiper motor, two bucket seats, and the second row is available as either a 60/40 split-folding three-passenger bench seat or two individual "captain chairs."

When GM started formulating a crossover strategy, it left out its Chevy brand, which had the famed TrailBlazer SUV. Unfortunately, the market shifted away from SUVs. Still, Chevy was left without a crossover, which has become one of the hot-selling vehicles. To correct the mistake, GM is planning to roll out a new Chevy crossover, which is likely to be named the Traverse. The Chevy crossover, which combines SUV features with a car-like ride and fuel efficiency, is slated for production next year.

"It seems like they're realizing, 'We have a home run here, we'd better get these to our volume dealers,'" said dealer Steve Cook, who sells Chevrolet, Buick and GMC vehicles at his Vassar dealership. "With Chevy being my main line, it would help to have one."

GM's product line correction comes as the company is overhauling its product development system to allow it to react more swiftly to shifting consumer demands and bring vehicles to market as quickly as possible. The idea for a Chevy crossover was considered several years ago but junked because the automaker was amassing huge profits from the TrailBlazer. But volatile gas prices and SUV fatigue sent purchasers away from midsize SUVs in droves. GM plans to stop selling the TrailBlazer by the year 2010.

While acknowledging that Chevrolet would have benefited from having a crossover sooner, especially as fuel prices rattle car buyers, the situation is not that dire, said Troy Clarke, GM's president of North America.

GM spokesman Chris Preuss declined to discuss product plans but said that Chevrolet has a gap in its lineup. "With the decline in the midsize of the utility segment, we haven't had anything to fill the void," Preuss said. "The (crossover) package was so well done, they've appealed to customers."

Source:  Amazines.com