Chevy Inflicting "Global Design Language" on the N.A. Market

Frank Williams
by Frank Williams

Those of us old enough to remember the Kennedy/Nixon debate remember Dinah Shore encouraging us to "See the USA in your Chevrolet." Then Chevy invited us to enjoy "baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet" driving "the Heartbeat of America" as we participated in "an American Revolution." So much for flag-waving. In yesterday's press release, Chevy crows that their new Cruze– the Daewoo Optra they're going to build in Lordstown OH— features a new "global design language" that was "developed by a global design and engineering team." They warn tell us this "new global design language… will continue to be a signature element for future vehicles carrying the gold bowtie." Let's hope they're not talking about the new schnoz they're sticking on the front of the 2009 Aveo5. Where are Bill Mitchell or Harley Earl when you need them? Oh that's right; they're dead. Never mind then.

Frank Williams
Frank Williams

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  • Lichtronamo Lichtronamo on Jul 08, 2008

    I read somewhere once that Chevy is being divided into global and Heritage products. The Corvette, Camaro and HHR fall in the latter category. The Corvette is the one product that tells you someone at GM gets it. The form/name of the product stays the same and is continually improved, generation to generation and in-between. Kind of like a Civic.

  • Geotpf Geotpf on Jul 08, 2008

    Nobody has still answered my main question about this car: Does this replace the Cobalt in the United States, or will both be sold? If the latter, does Chevy really need two completely different compact cars? Talk about internal competition.

  • Lichtronamo Lichtronamo on Jul 08, 2008

    Geotphf: I don't know if anyone knows the answer yet. GM's press release was pretty vague. However, the car is almost the same size as the Cobalt... Then again, this IS GM we're talking about...

  • Sillyp Sillyp on Jul 09, 2008

    Can GM at least try to stick with a naming convention? Cobalt, while a crappy name, at least hasn't been around long enough to become poisonous to the American consumer. After one generation it will be gone? When will the US automakers realize that switching names every product cycle is one reason, a major reason I think, that US car quality perception is so low. When someone mentions their "'83 Civic" still running, and that model name is still available in somewhat the same segment, that implies at least to me some sign of quality and longevity. Now mention a Contour, 500, Lumina, Uplander, Montana, Aerostar, Windstar, L300, etc ad nauseum... you get the feeling that US car makers produce such garbage that they have to rename it. There are bigger issues here (ie, global architecture, movement to global nomenclature), but shouldn't they have thought of that years ago? Who the hell is in charge of these companies. Oh wait...

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