Prospects of GM's Furture Product Line Looks Bright by Joe Kent

Amid General Motors' continued struggles, they've had to delay plans for several products, while rushing plans for several others. Among the top priorities for GM are the Chevrolet Cruze and the Chevy Volt. Production for the Chevy Cruze isn't due to begin until April 2010, when it will replace the existing Chevy Cobalt. The Volt plug-in electric vehicle won't be available until November of the same year.

For GM's SUV and crossover segment, the Chevy Traverse has just hit dealer showrooms. Additionally, a replacement for the Chevy Equinox is on its way for the 2010 model year and should be available at Los Lunas Chevrolet in April. GMC will also get a version of the new Equinox in August. With heightening interest in smaller crossovers, the new Equinox will certainly be an important vehicle within Chevy's lineup.

Chevrolet won't be the only one getting plenty of attention. Cadillac also has several new models in the works. The first to make it to Durango Chevy showrooms is the SRX crossover. However, the SRX has been set back by a few months, and should be available in July of next year. Sadly, GM's other luxury brand, Saab, has faced a more dramatic set back. Saab's 9-4x crossover is now delayed by a year, with production scheduled for Fall of 2010. Amid GM's struggles, the automaker certainly has put Saab at the bottom of the totem pole, which isn't new since GM's acquisition of the Swedish automaker. As of this week, Saab is also under "strategic review" which basically means the brand is for sale.

Production delays have been placed on Buick vehicles as well. The Buick LaCrosse will be faced with a delay of a couple more months which has disappointed Rochester Buick, with production starting in May of next year.

Although the much anticipated Chevrolet Camaro muscle car hasn't faced delays while it remain eagerly anticipated at dealers such as Detroit Chevrolet, the convertible model has. Rescheduled three times, the convertible is now due in February of 2011, rather than in December of next year.

While GM shuffles its production schedule, they are also hard at work lobbying for additional federal funding to ensure they simply don't run out of cash. With the future uncertain, expect plenty more changes in the production schedule.

About the Author

Joe Kent is a writer for TK Carsites, an automotive website design and marketing firm in Orange, CA, that specializes in working with car dealers nationwide