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Nomad Gets Prelim. Green Light
Family of rear-drivers grows as Solstice closes in.
by Paul A. Eisenstein (2004-02-16)
Big things quite literally do come in small packages, as General Motors is intent on proving with a procession of high-profile products that will share the same sporty platform as the upcoming Pontiac Solstice roadster.
The sporty Chevrolet Nomad concept vehicle, first shown at the Detroit auto show last month, is tentatively approved for production by mid 2007, while an assortment of other sporty spin-offs of the new Kappa "architecture" are set to follow, well-placed sources tell TheCarConnection.com. These include a new Chevrolet coupe, a hardtop Buick convertible, and the long-sought "entry" model for Cadillac.
"We look at (Kappa-based vehicles) as a high-volume proposal that could really be sold anywhere in the world," senior GM designer Dave Lyon declared during a recent design forum in Toronto.
Accidental host
Ironically, the promising Kappa platform came about almost by accident. When he joined General Motors in August 2001, "car czar" Bob Lutz told his design team he wanted them to create a small, sporty show car that would debut the following January at Detroit's North American International Auto Show. Despite the speed the top-secret program required, the team assigned to the project produced a striking, back-to-basics running roadster that borrowed heavily from GM's global parts bin.
Strong public acclaim quickly convinced Lutz and other senior managers to put the Solstice into production. There was only one problem: they had nothing to build it on. GM's new Delta architecture, used for the subcompact Chevrolet Cobalt, didn't have the right dimensions and wouldn't have supported the sporty performance Solstice demanded. So it quickly became apparent an all-new platform was needed.
Using state-of-the-art electronic design tools, "We were able to cut 20 months off the development cycle," explained Lyon. Digital design also made it possible to build a great degree of flexibility into the Kappa architecture - GM-speak for a highly adaptable platform. That was critical because the inexpensive - base price under $20,000 - and relatively low-volume Solstice alone couldn't justify Kappa's development costs.
An assortment of possible spinoffs have begun showing up, both publicly and inside GM's well-guarded product development studios. The first, the Vauxhall Lightning, was produced for the automaker's British subsidiary and intended to underscore Kappa's global potential.
Nomadic tribe
Two more potential spinoffs were unveiled in Detroit in January. The Nomad takes its cues from a memorable, if difficult-to-describe, concept vehicle that first appeared 50 years ago at the legendary GM Autorama traveling road show. The newest model shares the basic, wagon-like exterior, integrating elements of both a sports car and an SUV.
There are plenty of what designers like to call "heritage" touches, including the fan-shaped instrument cluster and Chevy bowties etched into the interior aluminum, though the Nomad is not another retro-mobile. The new design features cutting-edge LED headlamps and taillamps, for example. The show car's tailgate folds down to reveal a pullout cargo bed. The rear roof panel can be manually removed, meanwhile, to create a sort of convertible effect. The Nomad is powered by a turbocharged Ecotec 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine turning out 210 horsepower.
The Saturn Curve, meanwhile, "defines a new direction for Saturn," said Lyon, with its goal to "make really good-looking cars for Saturn." The concept vehicle is bold, with a healthy dose of machismo. There are muscular, flaring front fenders wrapped around huge tires. The roof makes extensive use of glass to create an impression of almost floating atop the car's body.
Both vehicles required engineers to stretch the Kappa platform. The Chevrolet Nomad, with its 2+2 configuration, has a 107-inch wheelbase, two inches longer than the Pontiac Solstice. Senior sources revealed they have to work out some issues before these prototypes can be translated into production, such as repositioning the gas tank. But this is not seen as an insurmountable obstacle, as Kappa was conceived to support a variety of different vehicle dimensions.
The Nomad is now undergoing active - and rapid - development, with its roll-out tentatively scheduled for the mid-2007 model-year.
Kappa, Kappa, Kappa
Sources have told TCC the Curve also has been given a go, though the production version of this four-seater would be a good bit different than the low-roof NAIAS show car. But the Curve would provide the foundation for plans to rebuild the Saturn brand. In production, Saturn is expected to get both a coupe and sedan version of Curve, which would be slotted between the current L-Series and the smaller, much-maligned ION.
These three products would only begin to explore the possible applications for the sporty, rear-drive Kappa chassis, with its low center of gravity and short overhangs. Sources suggested a range of other products are under active consideration, including a Buick four-passenger model that could be equipped with a retractable hardtop.
Meanwhile, Kappa has a good shot at providing the foundation for a long-debated "entry" Cadillac model. GM officials have long argued over the need for a Caddy smaller than the current CTS model to compete with the likes of the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. So far, they've said no, fearing such a product would have simply cheapened the brand, according to Cadillac insiders.
Kappa could help shift the equation. Its proportions would create a vehicle that was sporty and crisp, and the sharp-lined Lightning indicates the sort of look that would match-up with Caddy's distinctive "Art & Science" design theme.
The most active project would use the new platform as the base for a sporty coupe along the lines of the Mercedes CLK. Alternatively, it could be adapted into an SLK-style convertible. That would pair nicely with the Caddy XLR, which itself goes up against the high-end Benz SL roadster.
While there'd likely be a premium placed on the proposed Caddy, and the Buick, with a retractable hardtop, other Kappa models would continue to place an emphasis on "affordable." The new Solstice will carry a base price of under $20,000, and the Curve and the Nomad likely wouldn't be much higher than that "benchmark," stressed a GM source involved in the planning and development of the Kappa program.
There's tremendous support within General Motors for the various Kappa projects. With its low center of gravity, short overhangs, big wheels, and generally sporty dimensions, the platform is expected to provide a very visible base for GM's efforts to regain styling leadership in the global auto industry.
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