Here we go again, as General Motors Corp. once again unveils a host of coming models to reassure a jittery Wall Street, a speculating media and fleeing investor base that the company not only is on solid financial footing but that it has some decent stuff in the product pipeline.
Chevy Cruze.JPGDetailed images of pending new product were shown in this week's presentation to media, analysts and the financial community to accompany GM's announcement that it is trimming its white-collar ranks, cutting more pickup production, scaling back investment in next-generation fullsize pickups and SUVs - and will seek capital infusion if reasonable credit terms present themselves.
Many of the vehicles, such as the Cadillac CTS coupe and Saab 9-4X, for example, already have been seen in near-production form.
Caddy CTS wagon.JPGThis appears to be the first time decent images of the replacement for Cadillac's current SRX crossover have broken cover, however, and there is a fair look at a coming midsize sedan for Buick, as well as the next-generation Chevrolet Equinox compact crossover, a vital piece in Chevy's new-model puzzle.
GM also showed images of the Chevrolet Cruze, a global model that is earmarked to launch first in Europe and eventually replace the Chevy Cobalt in the U.S. as GM's mainstream import-fighter in the compact-car segment.
We'll leave the judgement to you, but just to get on the record: We'll take the CTS wagon. The SRX and Saab 9-4X are okay, but hardly original thinking. The Buick sedan looks useless and we're still having trouble getting excited about the chubby-ish CTS coupe, much less its volume potential.
Saab 9-4x.JPG new-age Buick.JPGThe Cruze and the Equinox will work for Chevy, although designers might do well to consider not relying too much solely on the family grille styling that works so well for the Malibu - on these vehicles, it's already beginning to look over-used and derivative. The Cruze reputedly flaunts the all-new global front-wheel-drive underpinnings, but GM seems elusive, at present, about just when the architecture will be deployed for the U.S.
PHOTOS:
Chevrolet Cruze will be global model.
Cadillac CTS wagon seems a well-timed addition to the model range
Saab 9-4X: still too big?
Cadillac SRX an advance over the current slow-selling design. View the attachments for this post at: