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GM is set to debut a new small-to-medium-size vehicle platform, called Alpha, according to WINDING ROAD’s sources. The new vehicle platform will incorporate pieces of Kappa (Pontiac Solstice) and Zeta (Pontiac G8), creating a rear-wheel drive architecture that will play a large part in the future of Pontiac and Cadillac.
Sources say that Pontiac’s next G6 is set to go rear-wheel drive and will be the first to use the platform. GM’s Resident Car Czar, Bob Lutz, has said in public and private that he’d like to position the Pontiac brand as the company’s American answer to BMW, but with a more expressive and sexy design language. Along with this goal would be to migrate the entire platform to rear-wheel drive. This translates into less trucks and SUVs and more sport sedans, coupes, and sporty crossovers. We’ll have more news about which products are “shifting” away from Pontiac in the coming weeks.
Cadillac, which established itself as a born-again brand with the introduction of the CTS (Sigma platform, also RWD), will use Alpha as well. However, this won’t change the company’s plans for its CTS — the new car rides on an improved but similar version of the Sigma platform. Rather, Cadillac will create a new, smaller car on the Alpha platform. In Europe, this car will be the replacement for the BLS (currently built on the same FWD Epsilon platform as the Saab 9-3). But will it come to America?
At this stage, signs point to no (thankfully, in our opinion). Lutz does not appear to be eager to create smaller Cadillacs. There are some within the company who consider not bringing the Alpha Cadillac to the U.S. to be a mistake. These are unlikely to be the kind of people who have a grasp on creating the right vehicles for the right brands, in our opinion. The CTS should be the entry point, even if it starts in the low 30s.
A small/medium RWD Pontiac sounds about right. A small/medium Cadillac, positioned below the CTS? Not so much.
_________________ Marty Howard 2011 NASA SE Factory Five Challenge Champion Track Events Logistics Coordinator - TZC/THSCC 2007 Factory Five Challenge Car. http://www.mh-motorsports.com
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