Its Offical: Saturn=Opel in US, Suzuki on the way out at GM

[JohnBM01]

Simple: take that GSX-R/4 Concept Car, come up with a 21st Century Cappuccino, sell it in America, Europe, and Japan (of course), Suzuki can stay.

Otherwise, we'll just keep taking the concept in GT4 and beating JGTC and DTM cars with it.

 

[Poverty]

If I was GM boss Id get rid of the cheesy car names aswell. I really dislike the way your cars are named. Each one of them somehow is anmed after something which makes you think of extreme performance when thats not always the case.

Names such as yukon and escalade are fine but redline, monte carlo etc I dont like.

They should follow the germans and japanese ways of naming their cars. Make it a more classy affair.

 

[Sniffs]

first off, those of us who are Suze-heads would just as well go ask the mother company in Japan for a goodie. I'd rather have the Suzuki Sport Alto, or even a Kei.

i believe, tho, that we might just HAVE had the Cappuchino...as the Geo Metro Convertible xp.

everyone I know over there says opel, and especially it's rebadged british clone, Vauxhall, is as lemony as GM products are over here. besides, they dropped one on us as a caddy, remember? the Catera was a rebadged Opel. everybody thought it sucked.

 

[Danny]

They should follow the germans and japanese ways of naming their cars. Make it a more classy affair.

Where's the emotion in numbers?

Plus, bragging sucks with numbers.

"I drive a 530"

"Oh yeah? I just bought a M523343221 Schport from a friend"

 

[YSSMAN]

If I was GM boss Id get rid of the cheesy car names aswell. I really dislike the way your cars are named. Each one of them somehow is anmed after something which makes you think of extreme performance when thats not always the case.

Names such as yukon and escalade are fine but redline, monte carlo etc I dont like.

They should follow the germans and japanese ways of naming their cars. Make it a more classy affair.

In America, we often name our cars after cities or landmarks, hence Monte Carlo and the Yukon. The Redline nameplate is the equal to BMW's M or Mercedes' AMG on the American Saturn... Now that Saturn has merged with Opel, I'd like to see them called VXR's, but that wont happen...

I dunno, I kinda like having actual names or words placed on our cars and trucks. Calling somethng by a letter and then a few numbers gets confusing for some people, and that is why when you talk about a Monte Carlo, people know what you are talking about.

If you want a list of American model names, I'll do an abridged version:
-Chevrolet: LS, LT, LTZ, and SS trim levels
Aveo, Cobalt, HHR, Malibu, Malibu Maxx, Impala, SSR, Corvette, Colorado, Trailblazer, Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban
-Dodge: SE, SXT, R/T, and SRT trim levels
Caliber, Stratus, Charger, Magnum, Dakota, Ram, Durango
-Ford: S, SE, SEL, etc...
Focus, Fusion, Mustang, Fivehundred, Escape, Edge, Explorer, Expedition, F150

...Its about name recognition here in the US, and some of the names have been around since the begining.

 

[Danny]

In America, we often name our cars after cities or landmarks, hence Monte Carlo and the Yukon. The Redline nameplate is the equal to BMW's M or Mercedes' AMG on the American Saturn... Now that Saturn has merged with Opel, I'd like to see them called VXR's, but that wont happen...

Opel= OPC
Vauxhall= VXR

If you want a list of American model names, I'll do an abridged version:
-Chevrolet: LS, LT, LTZ, and SS trim levels
Aveo, Cobalt, HHR, Malibu, Malibu Maxx, Impala, SSR, Corvette, Colorado, Trailblazer, Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban
-Dodge: SE, SXT, R/T, and SRT trim levels
Caliber, Stratus, Charger, Magnum, Dakota, Ram, Durango
-Ford: S, SE, SEL, etc...
Focus, Fusion, Mustang, Fivehundred, Escape, Edge, Explorer, Expedition, F150

...Its about name recognition here in the US, and some of the names have been around since the begining.

Call that an (abridged) range?
1.8i VVT(140ps)Life Saloon 4d 1796cc
1.8i VVT(140ps)Life Hatchback 5d 1796cc
1.8i VVT(140ps)Club Saloon 4d 1796cc
1.8i VVT(140ps) Life Estate 5d 1796cc
1.8i VVT(140ps) Club Estate 5d 1796cc
1.8i VVT(140ps) Design Saloon 4d 1796cc
1.8i VVT(140ps)SRi Hatchback 5d 1796cc
1.8i VVT(140ps)SRi Estate 5d 1796cc
1.8i VVT(140ps)Design Estate 5d 1796cc
1.8i VVT(140ps)Design Hatchback 5d 1796cc
1.8i VVT(140ps)Club Hatchback 5d 1796cc
2.8i V6 24v (255ps) VXR Estate 5d 2792cc
2.8i V6 24v (255ps) VXR Hatchback 5d 2792cc
1.8i 16v Design LPG Saloon 4d 1796cc
1.9CDTi (120ps) Life Saloon 4d 1910cc
1.9CDTi (120ps) Design Saloon 4d 1910cc
1.9CDTi (120ps) Club Saloon 4d 1910cc
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1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Life Saloon 4d 1910cc auto
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1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Elite Hatchback 5d 1910cc
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1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Design Hatchback 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Club Hatchback 5d 1910cc auto
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Club Hatchback 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Life Hatchback 5d 1910cc auto
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1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Design Saloon 4d 1910cc auto
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1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Exclusiv Hatchback 5d 1910cc auto
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1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) SRi (Nav) Hatchback 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) SRi Hatchback 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Elite Hatchback 5d 1910cc auto
1.8i 16v SRi Hatchback 5d 1796cc
1.8i 16v Exclusiv Hatchback 5d 1796cc
1.8i 16v Design Hatchback 5d 1796cc
1.8i 16v Club Hatchback 5d 1796cc
1.8i 16v Life Hatchback 5d 1796cc
1.8i 16v Design Saloon 4d 1796cc
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3.0CDTi V6 24v SRi (Nav) Hatchback 5d 2958cc auto
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3.0CDTi V6 24v SRi (Nav) Hatchback 5d 2958cc
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3.0CDTi V6 24v Elite Hatchback 5d 2958cc auto
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2.0i 16v Turbo SRi (Nav) Hatchback 5d 1998cc
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2.2i 16v Direct SRi (Nav) Hatchback 5d 2198cc auto
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2.0i 16v Turbo SRi (Nav) Estate 5d 1998cc
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1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Exclusiv Estate 5d 1910cc auto
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Exclusiv Estate 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) SRi (Nav) Estate 5d 1910cc auto
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) SRi Estate 5d 1910cc auto
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) SRi (Nav) Estate 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) SRi Estate 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Elite Estate 5d 1910cc auto
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Elite Estate 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Design Estate 5d 1910cc auto
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Design Estate 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Club Estate 5d 1910cc auto
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Club Estate 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Life Estate 5d 1910cc auto
1.9CDTi 16v (150ps) Life Estate 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi (120ps) Exclusiv Estate 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi (120ps) SRi (Nav) Estate 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi (120ps) SRi Estate 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi (120ps) Design Estate 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi (120ps) Club Estate 5d 1910cc
1.9CDTi (120ps) Life Estate 5d 1910cc
1.8i 16v Exclusiv Estate 5d 1796cc
1.8i 16v SRi (Nav) Estate 5d 1796cc
1.8i 16v SRi Estate 5d 1796cc
1.8i 16v Design Estate 5d 1796cc
1.8i 16v Club Estate 5d 1796cc
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1.8i 16v Club LPG Saloon 4d 1796cc

Some of the current Vectra range.

 

[YSSMAN]

In America on most models, we dont get as many engine options like you guys in Europe. Our Chevy Impala for instance has three engine options, the base 3.5L V6 (211HP), 3.9L V6 (242HP), and 5.3L V8 (303HP)... All are seperated by trim options; The base, LS, and 1LT get the 3.5, 2LT and LTZ get the 3.9L, and the SS recieves the 5.3L...

Its all about keeping things simple in the US, and many of our cars dont recieve engine options at all.

 

[Danny]

I wish it was simpler here. No-ones really going to stay awake at night with buyers remorse, fretting over whether the Dynamique spec Megane really was the way to go.

And the Impala's the FF one that people moan about, isn't it?

 

[YSSMAN]

Yeah, the current Impala is FWD. The last time we had a RWD Impala was 1996, so the new one will be a step back in the right direction.

 

[1X83Z]

First of all, I didn't know that Suzuki is part of GM. I usually hear about all the companies Ford owns (I'm sorry to mention Ford in a GM thread), but didn't know that.

well just consider suzuki's prodcuts. the suzuki sidekick was a twin of the geo tracker, and later the suzuki vitara and grand vitara were twins of the chevrolet tracker. meanwhile, the suzuki swift was always a twin of the geo metro. that wasn't coincidence. suzuki's current us models are continuations of daewoos that were cancelled when general motors bought daewoo in 2002: the suzuki verona would've been the next daewoo leganza, and the forenza and reno would've been the redesigned daewoo nubira. (the next daewoo lanos would've been the chevrolet aveo, sold as the suzuki swift+ in canada). rather than market the vehicles under the un-sellable daewoo name, they sold them as suzukis.

so yes essentially general motors did own suzuki; to my knowledge the only product suzuki ever made that wasn't much involved with general motors was the esteem, or baleno overseas, which was sold from 1995 to 2002 or 2003.

 

[1X83Z]

First of all, I didn't know that Suzuki is part of GM. I usually hear about all the companies Ford owns (I'm sorry to mention Ford in a GM thread), but didn't know that.

well just consider suzuki's prodcuts. the suzuki sidekick was a twin of the geo tracker, and later the suzuki vitara and grand vitara were twins of the chevrolet tracker. meanwhile, the suzuki swift was always a twin of the geo metro. that wasn't coincidence. suzuki's current us models are continuations of daewoos that were cancelled when general motors bought daewoo in 2002: the suzuki verona would've been the next daewoo leganza, and the forenza and reno would've been the redesigned daewoo nubira. (the next daewoo lanos would've been the chevrolet aveo, sold as the suzuki swift+ in canada). rather than market the vehicles under the un-sellable daewoo name, they sold them as suzukis.

so yes essentially general motors did own suzuki; to my knowledge the only product suzuki ever made that wasn't much involved with general motors was the esteem, or baleno overseas, which was sold from 1995 to 2002 or 2003.

In America, we often name our cars after cities or landmarks, hence Monte Carlo and the Yukon.

current domestic cars named after a specific place:

buick park avenue
buick rainier
chevrolet colorado
chevrolet malibu
chevrolet monte carlo
chevrolet tahoe
chrysler pacifica
chrysler sebring
dodge dakota
dodge durango
gmc sierra
gmc yukon
gmc denali (envoy, yukon, sierra)
mercury montego
mercury monterey
pontiac bonneville
pontiac montana

we aren't the only ones though:

hyundai santa fe
hyundai tiburon
hyundai tucson
kia sedona
porsche cayman
subaru b9 tribeca
subaru outback
suzuki reno
suzuki verona
toyota avalon

and in the uk?

bristol blenheim
hyundai tucson
hyundai santa fe
kia sedona
seat ibiza
seat altea
seat leon
seat toledo
seat alhambra
subaru outback
toyota land cruiser amazon

i guess britain is not as unbelievably awesome as americans. as long as you consider it logical that "unbelievably awesome" equates with naming cars after places.

 

[JohnBM01]

Thanks for getting me straight (as usual), M5Power.

 

[Carl.]

we aren't the only ones though:

hyundai santa fe
hyundai tiburon
hyundai tucson
[...]

tis a place?

(I know, there's Tiburon in CA, still...)

 

[Danny]

and in the uk?

London Cab?

 

[YSSMAN]

With Saturn going Opel, has their been any word in Europe about you guys getting a new crossover SUV? Or is the new Saturn going to stay in the States?

 

[Wolfe]

tis a place?

(I know, there's Tiburon in CA, still...)

Also, I believe the Cayman was named after the crocodile thing.

 

[Danny]

With Saturn going Opel, has their been any word in Europe about you guys getting a new crossover SUV? Or is the new Saturn going to stay in the States?

Just rumours of a Vauxhall Antara

 

[1X83Z]

tis a place?

(I know, there's Tiburon in CA, still...)

since hyundai and kia have a thing for naming cars after western u.s. cities (sedona, arizona; santa fe, new mexico; tucson, arizona) - and since north america is the only place where it's called tiburon - i'm pretty sure they found that on a map and named the car after it. it fits right in with their trend.

 

[Danny]

Isn't there an Isuzu called the Denver Max?