Saturn Vue Green Line added to GM's 0% February incentives
If it's simple to add the Saturn Vue Green Line to GM's yearly President's Day sale (now extended through Feb. 28), why wasn't it simple to include the hybrid in the first place? Who knows. All GM spokesman John McDonald told the Detroit News in an interview about the extension of GM's 0% financing deal is that the Green Line version in now included for "simplicity's sake." In some cases, dealers didn't have any non-hybrid Vues on the lot, and now they can offer incentives for these, too.
By adding the Vue Green Line to the deal, GM is hoping to boost sales across the board. January sales were down eight percent from 2006 and this month numbers are flat vs. last year.
Related:
- Chicago Auto Show: 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid unveiled
- In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line
[Source: Detroit News via Autoblog]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
a54 11:28AM (2/23/2007)
I think it's very clear why GM simplified the discounts. People were there, they wanted to buy a Vue, and they thought the discount applied. So GM management listened to customers and extended the terms to cover the Hybrid.
"He said some dealers had only hybrid versions of the Saturn Vue in stock, but were unable to give discounts on that vehicle."
No comment on Toyota Highlander financing? There are different terms (I would say much less attractive) for the hybrid compared to its gas-powered sibling. Perhaps, Toyota should follow suit: for the customer's benefit.
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Howard Lee Harkness 3:20PM (2/23/2007)
I doubt that GM is going to be much of a player in the auto market as a whole after about 2-3 more years, much less the 'green' auto market. The company is not currently making enough profit to service its debt, and its debt has grown past the point of no return. If the economy worsens, or interest rates rise a little, that will accelerate the downward spiral.
No doubt they are working hard on their government-bailout contingency plan. They probably don't even have a Plan B, at least not after their next round of restructuring and layoffs fails to stem the tide of red ink.
It's kinda too bad. I drove GM autos for nearly 25 years, including my 1988 Bonneville, which I drove 175,000 miles over an 11-year period. I even worked for GM Delco for a while as a software contractor, where I wrote some of the software in the 1988 Bonneville.
Ford appears to be having similar problems. Like many prior Ford and GM owners, I now drive a Toyota -- which gets better gas mileage and more horsepower out of a smaller engine than either Ford or GM can.
If Tesla Motors does as well as they project, that could be the final nail in both the GM and Ford coffins. Even if they don't get around to building a more affordable car, their roadster is gonna put a hurt to Chevy's Corvette, which is one of the few cars GM seems to be able to sell for a profit.
Haven't heard much about the Aptera since they made the cover of PM magazine, so I'm wondering if the $20K, 300 mpg diesel-electric sedan was just vaporware.
Now, if I could buy a Tango for less than about $25K, I would do so in a heartbeat, and use that as my main commuting car.
But meanwhile, goodbye GM & Ford. 5 years from now, there will not be an American auto manufacturer in the top 5.
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