GMC Granite: My top pick from the 2010 Detroit Auto Show

GMC introduced its Granite concept at the North American International Auto Show this week. When I heard about the Granite from fellow bloggers who had attended preview events hosted by General Motors, I cannot say that I was that excited. The vehicle was described at a Scion xB, Kia Soul, Nissan Cube type of vehicle. Been there, done that I thought to myself.  I was wrong, click read more to find out why…

The initial surprise to me was the exterior: It looked more substantial and premium than any of the aforementioned vehicles. However, the real shocker was the Granite’s interior. Every now and then, you find yourself in complete sync with a designer. For me, this is the case with the Granite’s interior designer Gael Buzyn. The way Gael and the team at GM’s North Hollywood, California studio conceived the interior of the Granite, as an upscale urban loft, makes a lot of sense for a vehicle that would support a younger professional’s many requirements: Transportation to/from work, a night out on the town, going for a mountain bike ride, trips to Ikea, etc. without having it ending up with a “hose it out” interior like that of the Honda Element. Instead, what you have is an upscale, yet highly flexible interior that you are proud to show your friends, but not afraid or limited in using for everyday life.

If you think about some of the brands that young professionals might aspire to:  Diesel, G-Star, and Bell & Ross are a few names that come to my mind, the Granite’s interior syncs with that same vision.  The interior sports a suede-like material, but its not “show only” quality, the designers worked with an automotive supplier to create a realistic material that would be resistant to wear and be production feasible.  Although the shifter is “drive by wire” it has a high mechanical interaction with the driver, feels substantive and rugged.  Ambient lighting is recessed into the headliner, contributing to the cabin’s spacious feeling.

What are the production possibilities of a vehicle liken this?  Well, I can tell you that no manufacturer has time to “play around” when it comes to concepts.  GM has shown this GMC concept which is theoretically Delta (Orlando, Cruze) based and privately shown a “baby Enclave” Buick that is Gamma II (next generation Aveo) based.  While those platforms are different at this point, either one of those vehicles could be moved around if needs be and if they stay separate, undoubtedly component sharing would be very strong between the models.

So we have established that GM is serious, how about the features in the GMC?  The French doors (they are not independent, the front door must be opened first) are a key piece of of puzzle, but in speaking with GM design chief Ed Welburn, it is questionable whether or not such a feature could be cost effectively added.  Integrating crash support into the rear door would make the door very heavy, whilst fully independent opening “suicide doors” have an even greater set of engineering issues.  However, it is exactly these doors that set the vehicle apart.  Traditionally front hinged doors would present issues for access into the cabin, making it less flexible.  For example, taking advantage of the folding front and rear seats to slide in a mountain bike or a parent placing a child seat in the back would be much more difficult. 

How about the center tunnel mounted seating?  Again, Welburn said that such a design would add significant cost to the vehicle, but he did leave the door open by saying that if costs were spread out amongst several vehicles, maybe it could be produced at a reasonable cost.  We have already established that the interior materials are capable of real-life demands and General Motors has been leading the industry when it comes to production interiors as of late.
 
My comments to the GMC staff were minimal:  Keep the interior as premium as possible, perhaps incorporating a wood floor (perhaps synthetic teak with rubber runners for traction), and do not lose the functionality of the rear door system.  It is my belief that a Granite, built with a high level of components as shown in Detroit, could easily demand a price of mid to high twenties and potentially more with a premium powertrain option.

Why is the GMC Granite my top pick?  Very simply it is a desirable vehicle without being unobtainable.  For contrast, I love the Cadillac CTS-V or even further the Audi e-tron concept.  Both of those cars are out of my price range and neither have the practicality I require.  Even if I did scrape together the cash to own them, I’d be so freaked out about driving and parking them that much of the fun would be gone.  Instead, the GMC Granite represents an attainable, desirable vehicle that doesn’t offer a lesser experience.  It is a GMC that I could buy, use and enjoy.

General Motors covered my expenses so that I could attend the 2010 North American International Auto Show.

GMC Granite video clip

Here is more info on the GMC Granite, one of the top picks for me from 2010 NAIAS.

GM shows its frilly underthings to select bloggers prior to tomorrow’s press conference

Chevrolet Spark at its 2009 debut in Geneva (GM)

General Motors is offering select bloggers a very broad ranging tease of forthcoming vehicles. The event is tied to the ‘230’ event that GM has scheduled for tomorrow, August 11.

What exactly are people seeing? Well, unfortunately yours truly was not invited to the event, so it’s off to Twitter for the latest and greatest in updates.

View this slideshow for images of GM’s latest and greatest.

2012 Chevrolet Malibu: Folks who have seen it say it looks much better than the current and sports a very nice interior. Given that the current model was a huge leap from its predecessor and how good the Buick LaCrosse looks, one can only imagine how tasty this morsel will be.

2011 Chevrolet Aveo and Chevrolet Spark: The Aveo could use a serious refresh and the Spark will be a new entry for Chevrolet here in the US. We know about the Spark, but the Aveo redesign is newsworthy. Without seeing it, it’s hard to tell how much of the gushing we read on Twitter is the free champagne talking.

Visitors are also being shows a pre-production Chevrolet Volt to help dismiss the moon landing conspiracy theorists who say the car isn’t real.

Cadillac is showing its wares as well. In addition to a mock up of the DTS/CTS replacement tentatively called the XTS, bloggers are being shown a sub-CTS model along the lines of the long discussed Alpha project called ATS. Would this actually be the Alpha project or something lower cost?

Buick is also joining the game. First up was a rebadged, slightly tweaked Saturn Vue. Think mini-Enclave. More than likely, journos were also shown the Opel Insigna rebadge as a Buick Regal that should go on sale next year here in the states. Also on tap was the next generation Saturn Astra which will now be a Buick here in the States.

GMC also had a concept on display that was a “blend of old and new” according to one Twitterer.

A quick chat about the event with GM’s Director of Global Social Media, Christopher Barger, revealed that tomorrow’s “Will offer a sneak peek, but will only feature a few of the vehicles on display today.” From what this author has read elsewhere, the new Buick crossover and the Caddilac XTS will probably be the models shown.

If you read accounts of this event on various automotive blogs, there is a mixture of excitement about new product with a touch jealousy that traditional journalists did not get the scoop first. How did GM come up with the list of invitees? I posed that question to Mr. Barger. According to Christopher, the group of the people invited today were people that GM has “met” on Twitter, a few were consumers who wrote in to “Tell Fritz,” some were moms GM invited off of moms’ message boards. Other invitees were college radio DJs or station managers. The idea was to go as “real people” as GM could. Today the concept was CONSUMER first.

Traditional media will get the same tour tomorrow, but as previously noted the webcast available to the rest of us will not include as much material.

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Do you have $24,995? How about a GMC Terrain

2010 GMC Terrain ponders its options in life

If you have a bumper sticker that says “Boxy does it best!” then this is the crossover for you! General Motors has taken pains to separate the Terrain from its sister vehicle, the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, but as your high school synchronized swimming coach may have told you: different doesn’t mean better.

“The Terrain allows us to build on the evolution we started with the Acadia, applying the distinctive styling and capabilities that have always been a part of the GMC DNA to smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles that customers are seeking in today’s rapidly changing market,” said Susan Docherty, GM North America Vice President, Buick-Pontiac-GMC. “We think Terrain is a bold statement of GMC’s key role within the reinvented General Motors.”

Both the Terrain and Equinox present a lot of value for the money with a nice compliment of standard features. The Terrain comes with a backup camera as standard on all of its models, a commendable decision and one that I wish all manufacturers would follow . Besides the camera, is the Terrain’s unique styling worth a $1,810 premium over the Equinox? That is a question only you can answer.

For more info: Visit gmc.com

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Finally a ray of light: GM recalls 900 workers back due to increased demand

Buick Enclave

General Motors has taken its lumps as of late, but GM told about 900 workers today that they were headed back to work due to rising demand for the Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia crossover vehicles. The large crossovers have proven to be very successful for GM as they arrived into a burgeoning segment. The company correctly sensed that demand was dropping for minivans, a product it never excelled at making, and put its efforts behind the crossovers. In addition to the trio of models made at the Delta Township plant in Lansing, Michigan, GM also manufactures a sister vehicle called the Chevrolet Traverse at its Spring Hill, Tennessee facility (which formerly manufactured Saturns). The company has decided not to shut down the Spring Hill plant the week of August 8 because of an increase in demand for the vehicle. However, GM will be shuttering the Tennessee plant and moving production for the Traverse to Michigan as part of its cost cutting measures.

For more info: Read this Detroit News article.

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Chevy Kodiak and GMC TopKick ride off into the sunset

Chevrolet Kodiak

General Motors announced today that it has decided to wind-down its medium-duty truck operations. In 2007 GM said that its medium-duty truck business, whose products include the Kodiak and TopKick, was being sold to Navistar International. However, the financial crisis took its toll and in August of last year both GM and Navistar announced that their memorandum of understanding for the purchase had expired and was not renewed.

According to Wikipedia, the Kodiak and TopKick were introduced in 1980 as stronger versions of GM’s existing medium-duty C-Series trucks. “Kodiak” followed the pattern of “frontier beast” names given to heavier trucks such as the Chevrolet Bison and Chevrolet Bruin, while “Top Kick” came from military slang and tied in with GMC’s heavy truck names of General and Brigadier.

Through May, Kodiak sales were down 48% at 2,075 while the TopKick were down 69% to 1,806. Production of the Chevy Kodiak and GMC TopKick medium duty trucks will cease by July 31, 2009.