Report: General Motors Won't Accelerate Release of Next-Gen Full-Size Trucks
Rendering by Mark Stehrenberger for PickupTrucks.com
With higher prices at the pump, General Motors CEO Dan Akerson said the automaker has no plans to speed up the debut of its next-generation full-size pickup trucks, according to a report in Automotive News.
"Trucks would not be a program that we’d move up in a mileage-sensitive market," Akerson said.
In the meantime, GM is moving up the release of more fuel-efficient cars, like the all-new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, which is expected to launch four months earlier than planned.
Our take: We're scratching our heads a bit.
If GM is sticking to its revised launch schedule for the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra replacements — changed after the company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2009 — this isn't big news. GM has a finite amount of engineering talent it can use to speed up the release of its new cars or trucks.
However, we're wondering if the resources are available, why wouldn't GM also want to move up the launch of its next-gen big pickups? Ford's all-new buzz-worthy powertrain lineup for the 2011 F-150 is powerful and fuel efficient. GM's next-gen pickups are expected to also receive new six-cylinder and eight-cylinder conventional and hybrid engines that are more powerful and efficent than the current engine lineup. GM's full-size twins are also expected to be lighter than the trucks they replace, which is expected to help improve EPA gas mileage ratings over today's. So why not move up the release in a "mileage-senstitive market?"
[Source: Automotive News]
Post a Comment
Please remember a few rules before posting comments:
If you have a TypeKey or TypePad account, please Sign In