February 20, 2004
GM goes even more retro...
The Nomad, which I've rather infamously mentioned before here, is going to market. According to this article by USA Today, "Chevy Nomad, which is close to getting the OK for either the 2006 or 2007 model year, according to GM executives. It's a small wagon with retro-styling cues and a name from the 1950s in a package that GM thinks could draw more buyers than the Mini Cooper does.".
Of course, there's a chance that the Nomad could draw more buyers that the MINI. Production of MINIs is still rather small, considering the number of countries that it's sold in, and the number of models of MINIs that there are. But no matter how hard they may try, it's not a MINI. A MINI is not "designed to use lower-cost tooling and simpler manufacturing processes suitable for low-volume production", nor does it "allows very different bodies and interiors to fit onto similar floor pans while using similar engines, transmissions and suspensions ".
I also like this quote " "The quality gap (among brands) has narrowed to the point of being almost immaterial, so the place to stand out with customers is in emotion-driven design and value," (GM product boss Robert)Lutz says."
Ummm.. what? True, when you have the samehandfull of car companies owning many more different brands, which is what we have now, I guess that's true. But it seems that the change in quality is sometimes not always for the better.
(No, I don't have anything against Mercedes-Benz, it's just sad what's happened to it.)
Erik...
Of course, there's a chance that the Nomad could draw more buyers that the MINI. Production of MINIs is still rather small, considering the number of countries that it's sold in, and the number of models of MINIs that there are. But no matter how hard they may try, it's not a MINI. A MINI is not "designed to use lower-cost tooling and simpler manufacturing processes suitable for low-volume production", nor does it "allows very different bodies and interiors to fit onto similar floor pans while using similar engines, transmissions and suspensions ".
I also like this quote " "The quality gap (among brands) has narrowed to the point of being almost immaterial, so the place to stand out with customers is in emotion-driven design and value," (GM product boss Robert)Lutz says."
Ummm.. what? True, when you have the samehandfull of car companies owning many more different brands, which is what we have now, I guess that's true. But it seems that the change in quality is sometimes not always for the better.
(No, I don't have anything against Mercedes-Benz, it's just sad what's happened to it.)
Erik...
