GMC News: An Entry Level Crossover Is "A Logical Place" For GMC To Expand

[William Maley]

It seems somewhat odd that GMC doesn't have a subcompact/entry-level crossover like its sister brands Buick and Chevrolet. Speaking with Automotive News at the media launch of the GMC Terrain, the head of Buick and GMC Duncan Aldred said a model that is smaller and less-expensive than the Terrain is "a logical place" for the brand to expand.

"To me, there is more room for SUVs in the GMC stable. An obvious place for GMC to be if it expands is that small SUV segment," said Aldred.

Small crossovers have become one of the hottest segments in the past few years with various automakers throwing their hat into the ring. Aldred admitted that GMC "should have been first in the segment."

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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[Robert Hall]

Inevitable that they would get a Trax variation.....would think a full size CUV would be also coming for GMC, since the Acadia moved down to midsize. 

[smk4565]

They need something smaller than Terrain for sure.

[Frisky Dingo]

How about a REAL SUV??!!??

[smk4565]

A smaller than Terrain crossover should have been here already.  I do think GMC has huge missed opportunity on an off roader type SUV to compete wth Wrangler or to fill the void left by the FJ Cruiser.  The FJ Cruiser holds like 90% of its value when 3 years old, those are still in high demand, because no one builds off roaders.

[FAPTurbo]

so a butched up trax....

 

[ocnblu]

I would drive one.  I liked the Granite CUV and pickup.

[riviera74]

9 hours ago, Frisky Dingo said:

How about a REAL SUV??!!??

GMC is doing fine with the crossovers out now.  A subcompact crossover is a good idea as long as it does not take away from Buick Encore sales.

As for a real BOF SUV, do you really want GMC to become Jeep?

[daves87rs]

How about making a cheaper version of the Terrian? The days of just dumping the same car with a different badge in every nameplate needs to stop.

If Chevy an have a "value " Tahoe, then a "value" Terrian would make sense for GMC.

If they need another model-maybe do something Jeepish or truckish and different....

Edited August 29, 2017 by daves87rs

[Robert Hall]

7 hours ago, daves87rs said:

How about making a cheaper version of the Terrian? The days of just dumping the same car with a different badge in every nameplate needs to stop.

If Chevy an have a "value " Tahoe, then a "value" Terrian would make sense for GMC.

If they need another model-maybe do something Jeepish or truckish and different....

That's been the GM model forever, though...GMC has to have models to compete w/ the Chevy dealer across the street....at least GMC gets distinctive styling for some of their models unlike the old days where the only difference was the grille and badging.

[ccap41]

I feel like if they do this they're slowly falling into pre-bankruptcy GM where they had the same vehicle w/ 3 different labels on the front of it. Let the Trax and Encore do the sub-compact lifting. 

[Robert Hall]

2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I feel like if they do this they're slowly falling into pre-bankruptcy GM where they had the same vehicle w/ 3 different labels on the front of it. Let the Trax and Encore do the sub-compact lifting. 

Considering Buick and GMC are usually sold through the same dealer location, it doesn't make a lot of sense unless the GMC version is sufficiently differentiated. 

[balthazar]

15 hours ago, smk4565 said:

The FJ Cruiser holds like 90% of its value when 3 years old, those are still in high demand, because no one builds off roaders.

Last FJ was 2013- so the newest one is now 5 years old (2018s are out already).
Hard to believe is has high resale (I didn't check)- when it came out in '06-07. it sold 55K units but in the last 5 years, sales were like 85% OFF those numbers. It struggled heavily after the 'I gotta have its' got theirs, but this was in the height of truly lousy toyota quality, too, when they were recalling almost weekly and FJs had issues with cracking/tearing sheetmetal.

[ccap41]

6 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Considering Buick and GMC are usually sold through the same dealer location, it doesn't make a lot of sense unless the GMC version is sufficiently differentiated. 

Yep, I just don't feel like this is needed as Buick is premium and they have a sub-compact CUV and GMC is supposed to also be premium. If GMC wants to add another CUV/SUV they should find a hole in Buick's lineup and fill that so the whole 'premium' GM brands are filled rather than just tacking on another badge job. 

[Cmicasa the Great]

12 hours ago, riviera74 said:

GMC is doing fine with the crossovers out now.  A subcompact crossover is a good idea as long as it does not take away from Buick Encore sales.

As for a real BOF SUV, do you really want GMC to become Jeep?

What's not to get??? BUICK.. IS NOT A TRUCK COMPANY. Even with a crossover and a another one on the way.. it is not. Cadillac is not a TRUCK company... despite an SUV and it's variations and a Crossover. 

GMC is a TRUCK COMPANY.. and GM taking it TRULY PROFESSIONAL GRADE is the most intelligent thing I've heard of in years for the brand. The Hummer Brand was essentially what GMC should have been in a way to even more differentiate it from Chevy. Denali being the upper-level near lux version of GMC and the Hummer line being the off-road part of the Division. OR take the opportunity for GMC to actually differentiate itself even further from Chevy. Certainly U would keep the more moderate vehicles as they appeal to the mainstream buyers.. but why not merge the H2, H3, H3T, and that gorgeous Hx (H4) into the line-up of GMC calling them all the Denali trim level. Just replace the HUMMER insignia with GMC. They could still sell those vehicles looking exactly like they did when Hummer was closed.. meaning.. the Wrangler, a vehicle that has looked the same since 1941, is cool, and the H3T in new clothes would easily triumph it. Hell.. it did in it's old clothes.

[Stew]

Kind of sad that all the GM makes are again becoming reshelled versions of each other.  if they want to get serious with GMC then they need serious vehicles.  Ford is going all in with Raptor versions of not only the F-150 , but the new Ranger as well and the Bronco.  Jeep is sticking with a real Wrangler with live axles and even giving us a truck.  Even their Unibody SUVs are available with impressive off-road cred.  Ram has the Rebel, Power Wagon, and even the new off-road packages for their HD trucks, with a good chance of a version of the supercharged TRX with the next gen Ram.  It is sad that GMC doesn't even et a version of the ZR2 for the Canyon line. 

[Cmicasa the Great]

26 minutes ago, Stew said:

It is sad that GMC doesn't even et a version of the ZR2 for the Canyon line. 

I agree. .and it was my point. GM has the capability to put all of 'em on the "truck.." and very often holds back when it comes to it. 

[Robert Hall]

1 hour ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

GMC is a TRUCK COMPANY.. and GM taking it TRULY PROFESSIONAL GRADE is the most intelligent thing I've heard of in years for the brand. 

Don't believe the marketing hype, GMC is a GM brand...not a 'truck company'..that's just marketing BS...we all know that GMC products are by and large Chevy products with fancier toppings over the same mechanicals...'professional grade' is just a marketing tagline to justify higher prices over the Chevy trucks and SUVs at the Chevy dealer across the street.  

As far as Hummer vehicles as GMC vehicles, Hummer is history now, that ship has sunk.  GMC's 'fancy Chevy' approach works...

Edited August 29, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[daves87rs]

4 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

That's been the GM model forever, though...GMC has to have models to compete w/ the Chevy dealer across the street....at least GMC gets distinctive styling for some of their models unlike the old days where the only difference was the grille and badging.

True, but I think a GMC Trax would be a waste....no matter how different they made it. At that point they could just use cars.... I looked on GMC's website for the new Terrian last night-and was shocked how much it cost! Heck, the only color they did not charge for was white! This is where GN could follow Jeep-They offer a package to go with their "sport" model Cherokee, with like roof racks and a nice set of wheels. For those who don't need the toys.... I was considering a Terrian...as I figure for a few bucks more, even the base model would offer more standard. I was wrong....

And I still like the idea of something maybe "lifestyle" model, maybe pick a model out of their models worldwide and try that.....

[surreal1272]

22 hours ago, smk4565 said:

A smaller than Terrain crossover should have been here already.  I do think GMC has huge missed opportunity on an off roader type SUV to compete wth Wrangler or to fill the void left by the FJ Cruiser.  The FJ Cruiser holds like 90% of its value when 3 years old, those are still in high demand, because no one builds off roaders.

They are only in demand now (which is questionable btw) because they stopped making them four years ago. Why? Because they weren't selling.

[Robert Hall]

The FJ definitely seems to have a following...have several friends/colleagues in AZ and CO with them...my coworker in AZ with the two older LCs (FJ40 and FJ60) bought a clean '12 FJ for a daily driver a while back.  They are a distinctive vehicle.

[balthazar]

I only know one person with an FJ, a friend of a friend. It's pretty cheesy up close.
Don't see that many on the road anymore...

[G. David Felt]

On 8/28/2017 at 2:29 PM, smk4565 said:

  The FJ Cruiser holds like 90% of its value when 3 years old, those are still in high demand, because no one builds off roaders.

Totally doubt that as FJ's have been cut in half and steel pins stuck in the Unibody to fix their piss poor crumbling design. I find them all over Seattle on the used car lot cheap! FJ with 30K for low to mid 20K that are 3 years old, does not hold up to that 90% value. Getting close to 100K and your around 10K for the rigs.

[smk4565]

26 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Totally doubt that as FJ's have been cut in half and steel pins stuck in the Unibody to fix their piss poor crumbling design. I find them all over Seattle on the used car lot cheap! FJ with 30K for low to mid 20K that are 3 years old, does not hold up to that 90% value. Getting close to 100K and your around 10K for the rigs.

From November 2015 Autoblog story

"According to NADA data cited by AN, trade-in prices for a 2012 FJ Cruiser are holding at over $25,000, compared to their $27,840 sticker price when new. That amounts to a rather incredible 90.8 percent resale value. Some low-mileage examples are even listing for upwards of $50,000; compare that to a Wrangler from the same year that holds a trade-in value of 68.1 percent of its original list price."

 

And Forbes Magazine rated the FJ cruiser as the #1 resale value car in 2015 also.

[balthazar]

Trucar does show 2014's as being in the mid 20K's up into the low 40K's.

Toyota must be kicking itself this sort of demand wasn't around during the last 5 years it was on sale new.

Just for kicks- looked up the Buick Grand National- Trucar listings (21 cars) from $15K to $99K, on an original MSRP of $15,136.

[Cmicasa the Great]

9 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Don't believe the marketing hype, GMC is a GM brand...not a 'truck company'..that's just marketing BS...we all know that GMC products are by and large Chevy products with fancier toppings over the same mechanicals...'professional grade' is just a marketing tagline to justify higher prices over the Chevy trucks and SUVs at the Chevy dealer across the street.  

As far as Hummer vehicles as GMC vehicles, Hummer is history now, that ship has sunk.  GMC's 'fancy Chevy' approach works...

U Don't believe the marketing hype.. of any brand. I kno what GMC is believe me..and its hype works. Hummer vehicles as GMCs would be solid GOLD as long as they employed diesel or EV/Hybrid drive trains to kill the tree-huggers idiotic and biased bullshit.. as the same POS "green bitches" that dogged out GM for the Hummer brand under the guise of fuel economy had no problem supporting that fuck of an appliance maker known as Toyota when they were making the FJ Cruiser which had shitty fuel economy

[Drew Dowdell]

They need one, but it can't be a rebadge of a Trax. They need to head the Renegade route and put a completely different body on the thing, probably raise the ride height a bit and give a little more driver control over the AWD system. The Trax AWD is already excellent for a softroader, but putting the ability to lock it into 4x4 mode and having some hill descent control would be good additions.  Oh, and put a professional grade engine in there.  The 1.6T gasser and the 1.6T Whisper diesel would do just fine. 

[surreal1272]

On 8/29/2017 at 6:34 AM, Stew said:

Kind of sad that all the GM makes are again becoming reshelled versions of each other.  if they want to get serious with GMC then they need serious vehicles.  Ford is going all in with Raptor versions of not only the F-150 , but the new Ranger as well and the Bronco.  Jeep is sticking with a real Wrangler with live axles and even giving us a truck.  Even their Unibody SUVs are available with impressive off-road cred.  Ram has the Rebel, Power Wagon, and even the new off-road packages for their HD trucks, with a good chance of a version of the supercharged TRX with the next gen Ram.  It is sad that GMC doesn't even et a version of the ZR2 for the Canyon line. 

GM already has the Colorado ZR2 (which is being used alongside the Raptor and Rebel in the latest MT test) and sorry to break it to you, but the Bronco (by the look of early spy shots) isn't going to be anything special, which is a shame because I always liked the Bronco. GMC could use a true off road model but seeing as how that is such a niche market, are they really losing out in this CUV crazy market? Most likely not. Hell I can't blame them. Why invest for the twelve people who actually take their Wranglers off road? There are tons of them here in Arizona yet most are as squeaky clean as an S Class because they have never seen anything close to off road duty.