GM product shuffle continues, U.S. to miss out on Orlando, might get Beat
The game of musical chairs in the GM product lineup seems to be continuing unabated with the latest casualty being the Chevrolet Orlando. The Orlando won't even be introduced until next month's Paris Motor Show and is still scheduled to go on sale in Europe and elsewhere in 2009. The Orlando was originally scheduled to be built in the Detroit/Hamtramck assembly plant along with the Chevrolet Volt. Those plans have apparently been canceled and it's not clear where the Orlando will be built or why it won't be offered in the U.S. Chevrolet spokesman Terry Rhadigan would only say that neither sales nor production plans for the Orlando had ever been announced for the U.S. In fact, the Orlando to be shown at Paris is technically only a concept for now. Anything beyond that is just speculation anyway. GM is continuing to check out its worldwide product portfolio for cars to add to the U.S. lineup and the Pontiac G3 has already been confirmed. The G3 is simply a re-badged and re-grilled Chevy Aveo and GM needs something much more than that to compete with current and future small cars like the upcoming Ford Fiesta. Perhaps GM will finally bite the bullet and bring the Chevy Beat that proved so popular among auto show attendees in 2007.
Gallery: Paris 2008: Chevy Orlando
[Source: Wall Street Journal]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ronzo 4:29PM (9/19/2008)
GM, you're making a big mistake.
- signed a current HHR owner who would love to move up to the Orlando as my next vehicle.
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Brent 6:23PM (9/19/2008)
Why would you buy an HHR?
ronzo 9:04AM (9/20/2008)
Uh... because I LIKED IT?!
ziv 8:40PM (9/19/2008)
If they aren't going to be building the Orlando there, is this because they will be stepping up production of the Volt sooner than expected? Orlando vs. Volt... Hmmm... I have a pretty good idea which one will be in higher demand in 2010. And the more Volts they build the more the economies of scale will reduce its MSRP and more importantly, reduce the ability of the dealers to gouge due to high demand.
40 miles all electric, I will be buying 4 or 5 gallons of gas a month, maybe. My gasoline bill will go from $1900 this year to whatever 50 gallons of gasoline costs, say $250, plus $240 worth of domestically produced electricity.
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z-man 8:07PM (10/01/2008)
I actually like HHR, and would buy one if it delivered a little bit better MPG. I find it to be comfy and versatile for my needs.
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diffrunt 10:26AM (9/20/2008)
What we really need is a Malibu wagon to compete w/the Jetta
SportWagen, which has stolen me away from 50 yrs of GM
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Lou Grinzo 11:56AM (9/20/2008)
GM is already selling the G3 as the "G3 Wave" in Canada. I saw one in a hotel parking lot on a recent trip to Toronto.
I agree that it's not nearly enough to help them in the US market, though. They need something very efficient that people will want to buy for something besides the MPG number on the window sticker.
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Adelaide John 3:17AM (9/23/2008)
"GM needs something much more than that to compete with current and future small cars like the upcoming Ford Fiesta… " If the Beat doesn’t make it to the USA, then the answer is the Opel Corsa
Diffrunt– does the Holden (Commodore) Sportswagon do it for you ? Unfortunately there are no reports of this coming to USA as the Pontiac G8 Sportswagon
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