Granite dead

[Robert Hall]

The article cited concern over having it in the same dealership as the Buick Encore. Chevy is probably a better place for an xB competitor anyway..

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/11/gmc-granite-is-dead/

[balthazar]

I don't automatically buy the assumptive 'same size/type vehicle in same showroom means instant cannibalization'- if it was a straight rebadge; perhaps, but differentiated in marketing, features & intent enough and both can stand on their own (esp in a still-growing segment).

[ocnblu]

Jeez, GM is carrying this "no overlap" thing a bit too far. Borders on paranoia. The Granite concept would sell to a totally different customer... no cross shopping involved, imo. Shame. And I was hoping for the li'l pick 'em up, too.

[Robert Hall]

Jeez, GM is carrying this "no overlap" thing a bit too far. Borders on paranoia. The Granite concept would sell to a totally different customer... no cross shopping involved, imo. Shame. And I was hoping for the li'l pick 'em up, too.

Yeah, it's not like the design had anything in common either..completely different looking.

[smk4565]

Was it ever alive to begin with?

[balthazar]

All concepts are 'dead' until they aren't.

[hyperv6]

With hearing more and more about a small Chevy I worried it might effect this one. It got quiet for a long time on this one and I had hoped we had heard more about it by now.

But with GM often if one thing get canceled often something else may take its place. The ATS convertible is off but now there is talk of a small roadster. It might just pay to wait and see how this pans out vs doing the piss and moan dance.

[daves87rs]

Bummer...

[hyperv6]

I really think this would have been easier to make this a Chevy but I liked the thought of GMC having a new wider range of products to set them appart.

[ZL-1]

Wonder if the styling would translate well into Lambda proportions...

[Intrepidation]

No Professional Grade Mazda5 competitor.

[Justin Bimmer]

I don't get it. It becomes holy hell around here when GM does a badge job. Now when they are trying to avoid it because the vehicle will be at the same dealership... holy hell!?

[G. David Felt]

SAD Day Indeed if this is true. My wife who I thought would love the Buick Encore but found it too jelly bean loves the Granite and would take it immediatly in an AWD version with a turbo 4 or the DI V6. Sad now I have no Idea what to buy her for her college auto.

Wife wants a bit of a butch AWD small size CUV with decent gas milage.

Has to be American, GM, FORD or she will consider Dodge/Jeep, but right now nothing seems to fit. She does not like the small dodge versions or what she considers to be the ugly patriot from Jeep. She liked the inside room of an AWD Ford Flex we drove on vacation, but does not like the outside look as it reminds her of station wagons shrunk down.

GM had the best new stuff coming and now nothing.

[SAmadei]

I don't advocate a GM with 8 divisions and 90 nameplates, but there has to be some overlap. The Granite wasn't for me, but I thought it had good GMC potential.

Sometimes you need to make a few versions of a car and see which one hits the mark. I think GM has pissed away markets with its current paranoia.

[Intrepidation]

I don't advocate a GM with 8 divisions and 90 nameplates, but there has to be some overlap. The Granite wasn't for me, but I thought it had good GMC potential.

Sometimes you need to make a few versions of a car and see which one hits the mark. I think GM has pissed away markets with its current paranoia.

Funny, it didn't take 4 versions of the Camry to make it best seller. Just sayin'

[SAmadei]

Funny, it didn't take 4 versions of the Camry to make it best seller. Just sayin'

Really? I guess it took 5.

Lexus ES... Toyota Camry... Toyota Highlander... Toyota Solara...Toyota Venza.

If you argue about the past Camry's, I'll bring up it's inbred family tree or that most of the Toyota nameplates mean 'Crown', anyway. Toyota uses it own flavor of obfustication.

[Robert Hall]

Funny, it didn't take 4 versions of the Camry to make it best seller. Just sayin'

Really? I guess it took 5.

Lexus ES... Toyota Camry... Toyota Highlander... Toyota Solara...Toyota Venza.

If you argue about the past Camry's, I'll bring up it's inbred family tree or that most of the Toyota nameplates mean 'Crown', anyway. Toyota uses it own flavor of obfustication.

Non-sequitor.

The sales of those additional models have no impact on the sales #s of the Camry by itself.. the Camry by itself is a bestseller...and the Lexus and Highlander aren't branded as Camrys.

[hyperv6]

SAD Day Indeed if this is true. My wife who I thought would love the Buick Encore but found it too jelly bean loves the Granite and would take it immediatly in an AWD version with a turbo 4 or the DI V6. Sad now I have no Idea what to buy her for her college auto.

Wife wants a bit of a butch AWD small size CUV with decent gas milage.

Has to be American, GM, FORD or she will consider Dodge/Jeep, but right now nothing seems to fit. She does not like the small dodge versions or what she considers to be the ugly patriot from Jeep. She liked the inside room of an AWD Ford Flex we drove on vacation, but does not like the outside look as it reminds her of station wagons shrunk down.

GM had the best new stuff coming and now nothing.

I would not get too worked up yet. I get the feeling this will be here but as a Chevy. They said that it was not right for GMC not GM.

Just as the 2 new coupes at Detroit popped up out of no where we have yet to see all they are working on yet.

Just as some pissed and moaned on the ATC convertible now world is they are looking to do a small roadster on the Alpha to replace it. I am sure there is more to this than just GMC losing this vehicle. It would be easy to add this to Chevy as they need something this side of the Nox. Chevy never replaced the HHR. The HHR sold well at Chevy and I don't think it would have sold half as many at GMC.

It also fits Chevy image a little better. I love GMC and buy GMC but they are not of the trendy image. Also there are many more Chevy stores to make it easier to sell.

[Robert Hall]

Chevy is the right brand for an xB competitor like this.

[SAmadei]

Non-sequitor.

The sales of those additional models have no impact on the sales #s of the Camry by itself.. the Camry by itself is a bestseller...and the Lexus and Highlander aren't branded as Camrys.

I think you are missing part of the conversation here... The Grand Prix, Regal/Century, Intrigue aren't branded as Impalas and have no effect on Impala sales numbers... but some would argue that all W-bodies are the pretty much the same car.

[regfootball]

i liked the Granite, but i am seeing signs that mfr's seem to be backing away from putting too many more of these box type vehicles out.

More than likely having the Encore in the Buick side sealed its fate. "People will pay more for a Buick box than a GMC", and probably because the Encore would resonate a lot more with women. It also helped that the design was already in place as an Opel.

[Robert Hall]

Non-sequitor.

The sales of those additional models have no impact on the sales #s of the Camry by itself.. the Camry by itself is a bestseller...and the Lexus and Highlander aren't branded as Camrys.

I think you are missing part of the conversation here... The Grand Prix, Regal/Century, Intrigue aren't branded as Impalas and have no effect on Impala sales numbers... but some would argue that all W-bodies are the pretty much the same car.

weren't...they are no more. They were all similar cars on the same platform, but agreed, not the same--had cosmetic and mechanical differences. Likewise w/ the ES, Avalon, etc that share a platform w/ the Camry. The Solara was a 2dr Camry (badged as Camry Solara IIRC).

Having the Granite and Encore in the same dealership would be no different than the Arcadia and Enclave...

Edited January 13, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[SAmadei]

weren't...they are no more. They were all similar cars on the same platform, but agreed, not the same--had cosmetic and mechanical differences. Likewise w/ the ES, Avalon, etc that share a platform w/ the Camry. The Solara was a 2dr Camry (badged as Camry Solara IIRC).

OK... want nearly present-day? Chevy Captiva, Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain, Cadillac SRX, SAAB 9-4X... but why are you taking this out of context and arguing with someone who agrees with you?

Having the Granite and Encore in the same dealership would be no different than the Arcadia and Enclave...

Couldn't agree more.

You're arguing with someone who was making a different point... I feel GM is blowing opportunity by limiting platform engineering and what segments its different nameplates compete in. I feel having a few flavors allowed GM the ability to reach different tastes... if there wasn't 4 versions of the '84 Monte Carlo, GM would have never had the #1 selling car in American for a time... the Cutlass Supreme... and the Regal and Grand Prix which also were sales successes to lesser degrees.

But DF said... the Camry didn't need 4 versions to become a sales leader... at which point, there have been 5 flavors of Camry lately... (and others in the past sold as Holdens, Diahatsus and lesser Toyotas.)

Now you are arguing with my illustration to DF, not my opinion on the subject at hand.

So, again. We agree.

[riviera74]

Since GM already has the GMC Terrain, what purpose would a Granite concept serve if released into the marketplace?

The Encore should probably be Equinox/Terrain sized anyway since the Encore looks (is?) smaller than both of them.

[hyperv6]

I have hear people state the Nox and Terrain are too large. Yes they are out there.

I think the Granite was going to be the more usable GM Soul. I still think some version of it will show up at Chevy as they are better suited for a model like this and they have yet to replace the HHR.

I expect Buick will get a SUV/CUV version of the Nox when they redo it. It will slot in between the Encore and Enclave. GM is far from done and some of the changes they are making may lead to better vehicles and sold in a division they may fit better in.