I thought we defined badge engineering as just swapping grilles, a la the old tauruses and sables?

That’s how I’d define badge engineering too, despite what I said in my earlier post. Someone mentioned the old GM A-bodies, and those were a prime example, too. The Lambdas are more an example of platform sharing, though I agree that more could be done to differentiate them.

That would be right after the Hummer and the Daewoo version. GM’s Badgineering department is a bit overworked right now.

I still miss Olsmobile. Even if they were tarted up Chevy’s or diluted Buick’s, they were special. Saturn is no substitute for Olsmobile.

I say GM could do us all a favor and go back to 1 car per division. Chevy could be special and have 1 car, 1 truck, AND 1 SUV.

fastest way to weed down the bloated dealer network at low cost

Chevy Impala
Chevy Colorado
Chevy Tahoe

Pontiac Solstice

Saturn Aura

Buick Enclave

Cadillac Sedan Deville (or whatever alphanumeric nonsense they use now)
Cadillac Coupe Deville (ditto)

GMC Sierra
GMC Suburban

Saab Whatever they sell now

Hummer H2/H3

And their you have a lean, organized GM.

Which will never happen.

If not literal badge-engineering, then at least overlap for sure. Four seven-or-eight seater large crossovers with the same platform, the same wheelbase (thought the Buick’s an inch longer), the same engines, the exterior of the Saturn and GMC look very similar and now the exterior of the Buick and Chevy look similar. I’ve said this before, but GM doesn’t fully utilize their platforms.

sure the drivetrain is the same but the look of the vehicles are adequately different. Do you think that the average consumer is gonna realise that these are the same cars? you’d be surprised.

Advantage: Traverse.

Nuh-uh. The Enclave has port holes, while the Traverse clearly does not.

The distinguishing factors? The badges.

As far as GMs dealers themselves are concerned a Chevy, Buick, Pontiac, Saturn, and to a large degree Cadillac are all the same shit and they all deserve to have a version of each and any product GM can produce.

So when does Pontiac get its Lamdba CUV so it can successfully compete with the Chevy and Buick dealers on the same strip?

I am sure that GM and Ford combined have a larger dealer network than all other automakers in the USA combined. If I were to go CUV shopping today with a budget of $35 grand I can check out the LARGE CUVS from the follwing dealerships
Chevy
Buick
GMC
Saturn
Ford
Merucry
Lincoln
HOnda
Toyota
Nissan
Mazda
Hyundai
Mitsubishi

Here the problem while I have named 13 brands (Dealers) I can only count 8 unique products. The domestic brands only have 2 products for 7 brands. On the other hand each of the 6 different Asian brands have a totally different vehicle for you to look at.

7 brands 2 products
6 brands (companies) 6 products

Now if I test a Edge and Outlook I have zero reason to check out any of the other domestic brands. But a Highlander, Pilot, Morano, CX9, and Veracruz are all completely different from each other so I will be forced to spend the time in those dealers. If the Mazda dealer sucks it has no bearing on how I will feel about the Nissan PRODUCT, but if the Ford dealer pissed me off I am less inclined to spend any money for anything Ford so the Lincoln/ Merucry dealer might feel the pain inflicted by the Ford dealer down the block from them or even in the next county!

No thanks..

Now is it good for the company? I dunno, I don’t need to care. Although being an auto lover, I care in my own way, just I have no problem with it. Its not my company. Yea, I’m happy with the new CUV, hope they changed the interior. I wonder if I can change the interior from the buick to the traverse to the Saturn etc etc…sounds cool.

When GM can stop endlessly rebadging all its vehicles, I’ll know that they’re finally turning things around.

didn’t GM promise to stop with the senseless rebadges?

I don’t recall ever hearing anyone at GM admit that the company’s mindless compulsion to badge-engineer was part of its problem.