Saturn cars to die

[LuS1fer]

Bob Lutz has announced that while saturn makes good cars, the brand will probably be killed off, bringing to an end GM's stab at an economy brand which has tended to adopt Vauxhalls under it's banner. No doubt the more successful models will make the jump to Pontiac badging at some point. I wonder - did they plan-et? geddit? Eh? Eh?

http://jalopnik.com/5154198/lutz-saturn-has-good-c...

[HD Adam]

Good pun.

GM has too many brands and diversification in the local market. They should put Chevrolet badges on everything and have Caddy as their luxury brand.
Pontiac, Saturn, Buick should all die. It's just badge engineering.

[balls-out]

I've never understood GM's badge marketing.
In the old days we had Vauxhall and Opel. Despite Opel having a slightly germanic and sporting image, they killed it.
For years they solider on with Vauxhall, even though the market is looking to move to more 'prestige badges'.
Chrevrolet in this country is associated with a corvette and could therefore have had a strong image with Monaro, VX220. Instead has been used to to sell budget cars made by Diawoo (I don't care how if should be spelt!).
Holden might be too obscure in the UK, but could have been built into a sporting image based on heritage
It makes no sense to me..

Badge engineer has been around for years and is here to stay. Many Jaguars aren't far off re-badged fords and none the worse for it except the front wheel drive X type

Alfas are based around Fiat floorpan and lightly modded engines, but stil retain their distinct character to a great extent. Modern manufactures need to spread the development costs across both value volume model and higher margin prestige brands based on a simlar chasis and development but with high quality components bolted on.

In year past I would have said VW showed the way with a models from:
Audi - prestige
VW - quality
Seat - bit sporty
Skoda - value for money.
I think the golf/a3/??/?? was a very similar car aimed at 4 markets.

They seem to be started to overlap now...

Edited by balls-out on Tuesday 17th February 13:15

[F93]

Well in the 1930s, GM had it all organized, with the brands having a hierarchy, but then WW2 killed it all off, and since then, its been a malaise of brand engineering, with Cadillac occasionally making something distinctive.
It used to be:
Cadillac
LaSalle
Buick
Marquette
Viking
Oldsmobile
Oakland
Pontiac
Chevrolet
LaSalle, Marquette, Viking and Pontiac were all created to create a price, power and parts ladder, which one could move up in if they wanted to... but then it all got messed up into what it is today.
But using the same platforms is a good way to cut costs and useful for spare parts.... apart from the Caddy BLS is essentially a Saab 9-3, and the BLS Wagon is the 9-3 Wagon with a different nose.
I have to agree that Chevrolet could have had such a better image in the UK and Europe, rather than making awful Kei cars and cheap bullcrap, they could have had a really hard sporty image. Instead, GM spins off Corvette as a seperate brand for the sports cars and turns Chevrolet into an 'international budget brand'.
But over here, Saturn won't be missed, it's only 22 years old in the US anyway.