AutoWeek reports GM's downsizing models to meet the new federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regs. Buick is thinking of a Corolla-sized "Buick luxury car" to be based on China's Buick Excelle. The baby Buick would be built somewhere in North America on the rear wheel-drive Alpha platform currently under design in Germany. Given Buick's past history with badgineered small cars (Apollo, Skylark, Skyhawk) and the Beyond Precision people's current three cars per month dealer average, this one is doomed. Doomed I tell you. Doomed. A more interesting prospect: an "economy" Hummer smaller than the H3 called the… wait for it… H4. Since the H3 is already built on the smallest truck GMNA offers (Colorado/Canyon), upon what platform will Hummer (or its designated hitter) build this bad boyette? The HX concept supposedly previewed the H4– but we all know what happens in the Journey from concept to reality. Will the H4 end-up a testosterone-laced Theta (Equinox/Vue)? Or will our 2006 prediction come true: a tricked-out Aveo-based super-economy SUV?
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Why is it when I try to envision a Hummer H4 I keep getting visions of a Jeep Compass in my head?
Would producing a compact Hummer have the same counter effect on the brand that the Compass was said to have on Jeep’s trail rating and reputation?
Buick’s sales per dealer may suck, but if they bring over a Chinese designed car based on a Daewoo, it will destroy any credibility they have gained with the Enclave and Lucerne.
If there are any brain cells left active at GM they should be thinking about how to make the Cadillac of small cars. Not a Cimarron, but the real thing.
Check this out:
http://www2.nysun.com/article/75363
“Get ready for another economic shock of major proportions — a virtual doubling of prices at the gas pump to as much as $10 a gallon.”
They can call the baby Hummer something like either the Patriot or Compass (or were those names already associated with poser off road atrocities?).
In keeping with the HUMMER brand, it should be one tough truck. They’re all very off road capable. However, how tough does it have to be to haul golf clubs or real estate signs?
Gas $10 a gallon!!??#@?
I hope all you people who voted in an OIL man for president take it in the shorts.
@ turbobeetle:
Exactly what I was thinking.
Toyota puts the Scion xD up on very short stilts and calls it the Urban Cruiser, so why not a Hummveo?
And yet, the idea of a beach buggy hummer is appealing, although we all know that it’s unlikely is happen.
Hmmm… a Hummer built on an Aveo platform is not terribly unlike the original Rav4… Underneath the rugged, manly exterior was a Corolla.
small buick luxury car; didn’t they do that already? i think it was called the 1980 Camry.
I just noticed that Hummers naming convention is based on HTML headers, with the sizes corresponding.
An H4 Hummer, if executed right, could be a Wrangler/off road competitor. As far as the baby Buick, why bother?
I’m thinking more like Hummer Tracker.
gawdodirt,
$10/gallon would mean oil would have to well exceed double the price it is now. Speculators don’t have the intestinal fortitude for that risk, and besides, the demand for gas would drop significantly before we would see anything close to $10/gallon at the pump.
Gasoline has become the bubble that housing had been up until 18 months ago, and the dot com companies were in the late ’90’s. Oil is being speculated up artificially, and like other bubbles, it will pop.
A Hummer H4 is not such a terrible idea, so long as it’s a real SUV (positioned against the Jeep Wrangler) and not just a chunky-looking Theta (positioned against the Jeep Compass or one of those other abominations).
A Buick Skyhawk II is just a terrible idea, no matter which way you look at it. Have they talked to any Buick buyers lately? I doubt many of them are in the market for sweet little RWD cars. And those who are interested in such cars probably wouldn’t be caught dead in a Buick.
I wish I could post pics directly in replies. When I was in Frankfurt once, I spotted a VW Golf that was jacked-up, with a bush bar on the front and a step-bumper and spare tire carrier on the back. If new Hummers keep getting smaller, this could be the inspiration for the H6.
Jonathon :
April 29th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
A Hummer H4 is not such a terrible idea, so long as it’s a real SUV (positioned against the Jeep Wrangler) and not just a chunky-looking Theta (positioned against the Jeep Compass or one of those other abominations).
The current weakness of Chrysler and their questionable future would seem to make a direct Wrangler competitor a no-brainer for Hummer. They certainly have the off-road image to support such a product.
They certainly have the off-road image to support such a product
H1 was an offroad vehicle. The only image they can support for the rest of the line is that of a pretentious dork mobile.
The H4 will be anything but economical. It’s a direct answer to the Jeep Wrangler, which itself struggles to average 15mpg. It’s not exactly small or light either. HUMMER isn’t an economy brand anyway, GM should be trimming the truck fat from GMC, Chevrolet and other brands that shouldn’t be selling them in the first place.
Would someone call Toys for us quick, there will be a new H4 coming tot her showroom very soon.
Small Buicks I am sure they will fly off the highway as it does fly off the shelves.
What has the World coming to?
KixStart :
April 29th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Hmmm… a Hummer built on an Aveo platform is not terribly unlike the original Rav4… Underneath the rugged, manly exterior was a Corolla.
I sincerely hope this was meant to be humorous. Original RAV4 and “rugged, manly” anything don’t belong together in the same sentence.
Absolutely it was. A Corolla is actually robust enough to serve as a platform for a “rugged, manly” mini-SUV. An Aveo as a mini-SUV platform is just laughable.
upon what platform will Hummer (or its designated hitter) build this bad boyette?
I know! I know! [waving hand furiously]
The Tonka Platform!