Cadillac News: XTS Hybrid? Don't Count On It

[FAPTurbo]

Why can't GM simply move Opel R&D to the USA, ditch Opel (and Vauxhall) entirely, and abandon the comatose automotive marketplace that is Europe?

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[G. David Felt]

I totally agree, just move the engineering here, shut down the wasted R&D efforts there, shrink all the stupid overhead wasted there to get the sales to be profitable.

Tired of supporting Euro. Tired of our country being the world Police, Tired of giving billions to everyone else and not focusing on rebuilding our great country.

[riviera74]

^QFT. Time to go home and rebuild the USA.

[SAmadei]

The XTS is a Saab 9-5 that GM had an extra 2.5 years to work on the interior with.

Just when I thought the XTS could not sound worse...

[Drew Dowdell]

Why? Of the few journalists who got to drive one, everyone seemed to really like it except for the 4-cylinder models (not a problem here) and some cheap bits on the interior (addressed by a complete redesign by Cadillac)

[FAPTurbo]

I don't see how abandoning one of the wealthiest geo-political/economic entities on Earth is good business strategy. Even if it's undergoing some economic malaise like everyone else on the planet is, anyway. Especially the United States of Hurrdurrica.

[hyperv6]

GM still needs to keep some feet on the ground in Europe. To have people there and use people from there to taylor the products engineered here for their market is the only way you will get the models right.

I saw a 9-5 tonight and though how it was one of the best styled Saabs in history. That is what killed them they made a car that did not look like the hunchback.

[riviera74]

I don't see how abandoning one of the wealthiest geo-political/economic entities on Earth is good business strategy. Even if it's undergoing some economic malaise like everyone else on the planet is, anyway. Especially the United States of Hurrdurrica.

GM needs to dump Europe because Europe has too many car brands and crashing car sales and that market is a massive drag on GM profits. The last thing GM needs now is a major market like the Eurozone to essentially implode and lead back to massive losses for GM. Chances are that the EU will implode because of all the debt crises they are struggling with right now. They may even boot out countries and that might doom the Euro. At best, that will lead to economic depression over there and the USA might be affected. Under normal circumstances, the weakest car brands would simply disappear or go bankrupt. The EU is not really allowing this for various reasons (such as very high unemployment and very strong unions).

As of right now, GM needs profits and cash flow more than ever. BK and government loans will not be an option the next time all economic hell breaks loose. Since GM was able to dump dying brands, it has become much healthier as a going concern. That may not have been popular, but it worked. If you still believe GM needs a European presence, it should be radically scaled back right now. GM Europe is still losing large amounts of money, and that is unsustainable, period. Otherwise, GM will face the fate of Packard/Studebaker in 1963.

[hyperv6]

In this global market you can not walk away from any segment anylonger. To survive in the future you will need to be involved everywhere or be a part of someone that is.

Going to China is a real pain in the A$$ but there are few global players now willing to do what the Chinese goverment requires to sell cars there. As difficult at Europe is GM need to be there in some form and degree. We will see Chevy take the lead there for GM and the rest will have to find their place there.

[Drew Dowdell]

There are a number of other non-GM brands that need to go away before Opel does and at least half of those are owned by VW.

[hyperv6]

Opel and Buick both need to earn their way up as they are still too close to Chevy and Cadillac is holding the lid on them. Once Cadillac moves up more it will give room to Opel and Buick to be more of the kind of car they need to be. But right now it is tough to fit these two division inbetween the tight space between Chevy and Cadillac. It is playing hell on the models they can offer and pricing.

[G. David Felt]

In this global market you can not walk away from any segment anylonger. To survive in the future you will need to be involved everywhere or be a part of someone that is.

Going to China is a real pain in the A$$ but there are few global players now willing to do what the Chinese goverment requires to sell cars there. As difficult at Europe is GM need to be there in some form and degree. We will see Chevy take the lead there for GM and the rest will have to find their place there.

Very True, you will need localization teams around the globe, but you do not need engineering teams all over. GM could do very well with consolidating Opel into other design teams and just keep a localization team that is responsible for keeping the engineering group updated on what is needed to succeed in that country or part of the world. IMHO!

[thedriver]

You have a screenshot or scan of that to share?

nope, XTS4 is on the other side of the trunk. I will get a scan tomorrow.

[Drew Dowdell]

I've hidden some posts in this thread for story reasons and will reactivate them after the story is published.