Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman and head of product development, said that "it would have been very difficult in today's environment to spend a couple of billion dollars to do a replacement" to GM's full-size SUV lineup in the current automotive market, reports The New York Times.
The next-generation of SUVs hadn't been expected to get the axe so soon. However, plans to move the Tahoe, Yukon, Escalade and others over to the smaller and more car-like Lambda platform have been brewing for some time now, and this may merely be another interpretation of that plan: the Tahoe and Suburban may well live on, but as more moderate versions of their formerly excessive selves.
What will happen to the current-generation large SUVs is likewise unknown. They could live out their tenure in decreasing production until the 2012 model-year replacements arrive, or they could begin a slow phase-out as their market relevance wanes. Already GM is beginning to idle or close the plants that build the trucks, meaning the existing stock is at levels GM doesn't want to exceed.
Reader Comments
Mon Oct 27 2008 4:37 PM
HECTOR says
I cannot wait for the day it's officially confirmed that they're not building more of these monstrosities on wheels.
On the other hand I think I hear Puff Daddy and J.Lo. screaming NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mon Oct 27 2008 5:23 PM
NoNameDenton says
Diesels could have been used instead of gas to save them, but guess not
Mon Oct 27 2008 9:53 PM
ECOTEC3578 says
GM should develop much more powerful diesel engine.
Say, a 4.6L V8 with 360bhp output and over 720Nm of torque.
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