Chevy to get a Camry to sell new Malibu (Now Saturn is doing it!! pg. 3)
05-16-07, 11:28 PM
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Chevy to get a Camry to sell new Malibu (Now Saturn is doing it!! pg. 3)
Chasing Camry
Chevy asks dealers to put a Camry in the showroom to sell Malibus
By RICK KRANZ | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
AutoWeek | Updated: 05/14/07, 12:59 pm et
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...4011/1530/FREE
Chevy asks dealers to put a Camry in the showroom to sell Malibus
By RICK KRANZ | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
AutoWeek | Updated: 05/14/07, 12:59 pm et
Chevrolet plans to seek conquest buyers for the 2008 Malibu by asking dealers to do the unthinkable: Put a Toyota Camry in the showroom for comparison.
Cheryl Catton, Chevrolet's director of car marketing, "encouraged us to get a Camry and put it in the showroom so people can see the difference in styling, the interior, pricing and features," said one dealer. Catton suggested dealers rent a car.
Production of the restyled, re-engineered Malibu starts in October, and advertising begins in January, according to the dealers. A Chevrolet spokesman declined to comment on plans to promote the Malibu.
With 448,445 sales last year, the Camry was the best-selling car in the United States. The Malibu, with 163,853 units sold, ranked 11th.
Chevrolet needs conquest buyers for the Malibu to avoid cannibalizing sales of the popular Impala. Although slightly bigger, the Impala is also a front-wheel-drive, mid-sized car. Until General Motors launches a rear-drive Impala in late 2009, the cars could appeal to the same shoppers.
"There is potentially going to be basically the same buyer for both vehicles," said another dealer. "It is going to be a very delicate marketing challenge to keep the volume up on the Impala and build Malibu volume."
Cheryl Catton, Chevrolet's director of car marketing, "encouraged us to get a Camry and put it in the showroom so people can see the difference in styling, the interior, pricing and features," said one dealer. Catton suggested dealers rent a car.
Production of the restyled, re-engineered Malibu starts in October, and advertising begins in January, according to the dealers. A Chevrolet spokesman declined to comment on plans to promote the Malibu.
With 448,445 sales last year, the Camry was the best-selling car in the United States. The Malibu, with 163,853 units sold, ranked 11th.
Chevrolet needs conquest buyers for the Malibu to avoid cannibalizing sales of the popular Impala. Although slightly bigger, the Impala is also a front-wheel-drive, mid-sized car. Until General Motors launches a rear-drive Impala in late 2009, the cars could appeal to the same shoppers.
"There is potentially going to be basically the same buyer for both vehicles," said another dealer. "It is going to be a very delicate marketing challenge to keep the volume up on the Impala and build Malibu volume."
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...4011/1530/FREE
05-17-07, 03:24 AM
#7
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That's sure news to me.
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05-17-07, 06:03 AM
#8
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For those of you saying the Malibu doesn't compare well to the Camry - you haven't seen the new Malibu. I'd swear it didn't even come from GM - it's leagues above and beyond any redesign GM has put out. Looks REALLY nice - at least in pictures and on paper.
05-17-07, 07:18 AM
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They wouldn't be suggesting that dealers put the Camry in the showrooms with the >> new << Malibu, if they didn't feel that it surpasses the Camry in styling, quality, and features. I've seen the new Camry, and I've seen the new GMs. I'd put a Camry in the showroom too.
You should reserve your judgement for when you actually look at the car you're dismissing as junk. The new GMs coming out are much better than the rental fleets you're used to seeing.
You should reserve your judgement for when you actually look at the car you're dismissing as junk. The new GMs coming out are much better than the rental fleets you're used to seeing.
05-17-07, 10:25 AM
#11
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One of our local BMW dealers have done the same with the Lexus RX, they actually bought one for their potential customer to test drive along with the X5 . . .
I've heard that in Chevy's case here, someone actually suggest not to buy the Camry's for each of the chevy dealerships with the unintentional effect of increasing Camry's sales
, but to rent instead.
I've heard that in Chevy's case here, someone actually suggest not to buy the Camry's for each of the chevy dealerships with the unintentional effect of increasing Camry's sales
, but to rent instead.
Last edited by Gojirra99; 05-17-07 at 10:28 AM.
05-17-07, 12:37 PM
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One of our local BMW dealers have done the same with the Lexus RX, they actually bought one for their potential customer to test drive along with the X5 . . .
I've heard that in Chevy's case here, someone actually suggest not to buy the Camry's for each of the chevy dealerships with the unintentional effect of increasing Camry's sales , but to rent instead.
I've heard that in Chevy's case here, someone actually suggest not to buy the Camry's for each of the chevy dealerships with the unintentional effect of increasing Camry's sales
, but to rent instead.Will BMW dealers continue that practice when the new RX comes out? Interesting nonetheless.
05-17-07, 12:48 PM
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I work at Hertz, we have both the camry and malibu.
1) No one ever comes to the counter and asks for a malibu
2) Malibu interior is outdated by at least 8 years
3) Most of the time when a customer asks what we have left and we tell them malibu they say "oh, you don't have anything else", then they walk off unless they are totally desperate.
...i could go on forever with examples, but I will stop here.
Also, I'm sure chevy will buy the cheapest camry available and compare it with the "top of the line" malibu
1) No one ever comes to the counter and asks for a malibu
2) Malibu interior is outdated by at least 8 years
3) Most of the time when a customer asks what we have left and we tell them malibu they say "oh, you don't have anything else", then they walk off unless they are totally desperate.
...i could go on forever with examples, but I will stop here.
Also, I'm sure chevy will buy the cheapest camry available and compare it with the "top of the line" malibu
05-17-07, 01:00 PM
#14
Interesting move.
Truth be told, I think that the playing field is more level than it has ever been between imports and domestics. I love Toyota and own only Toyotas, but I will say that I do not think the interior quality in some of their recent products, and even a few Lexus models, is where it should be. The new Camry has a few brittle, shiny plastics that many would think are uncharacteristic of a Toyota product, and I also think that the areas where dash molds and pieces line up could have been better planned.
That said, I've sat in the new Saturn Aura and also seen the new Malibu in person. The Toyota still has a hand up on both with interior quality, but GM is sure coming quickly. Their interior design is getting better, materials are higher quality, and their color range is more interesting and more appealing than Toyota's typical grey or tan with baby-poop colored wood grain. There are still a few chintzy feeling pieces in the Aura but the quality gap is no longer a mile wide.
Toyota's disadvantage comes from the fact that it's essentially fighting so many versions of the same car- the Chevy Malibu, Saturn Aura, and Pontiac G6- and while I don't think even a combination of the three is going to outsell the Camry, Toyota really does have to watch their packs because GM is no longer snoozing. Historically, Toyota and Honda didn't have to try very hard to build better sedans than the domestics, but now they are going to have to. Truthfully, the new Camry has had it's share of quality blemishes.
I do not think it will be hard for the new Accord to have a nicer interior than the Camry, because quite frankly, pieces in the current Accord feel higher quality than the new Camry.
Toyota needs to be more careful now than they ever have, and indeed they have acknowledged that. Let's just see if they keep their promise.
Truth be told, I think that the playing field is more level than it has ever been between imports and domestics. I love Toyota and own only Toyotas, but I will say that I do not think the interior quality in some of their recent products, and even a few Lexus models, is where it should be. The new Camry has a few brittle, shiny plastics that many would think are uncharacteristic of a Toyota product, and I also think that the areas where dash molds and pieces line up could have been better planned.
That said, I've sat in the new Saturn Aura and also seen the new Malibu in person. The Toyota still has a hand up on both with interior quality, but GM is sure coming quickly. Their interior design is getting better, materials are higher quality, and their color range is more interesting and more appealing than Toyota's typical grey or tan with baby-poop colored wood grain. There are still a few chintzy feeling pieces in the Aura but the quality gap is no longer a mile wide.
Toyota's disadvantage comes from the fact that it's essentially fighting so many versions of the same car- the Chevy Malibu, Saturn Aura, and Pontiac G6- and while I don't think even a combination of the three is going to outsell the Camry, Toyota really does have to watch their packs because GM is no longer snoozing. Historically, Toyota and Honda didn't have to try very hard to build better sedans than the domestics, but now they are going to have to. Truthfully, the new Camry has had it's share of quality blemishes.
I do not think it will be hard for the new Accord to have a nicer interior than the Camry, because quite frankly, pieces in the current Accord feel higher quality than the new Camry.
Toyota needs to be more careful now than they ever have, and indeed they have acknowledged that. Let's just see if they keep their promise.
05-17-07, 02:01 PM
#15
I did have a G6 as a rental once. It wasn't loaded up (most rentals are bare-bones fleet cars), but it had the V6, thank god. Actually, it was mildly entertaining to drive over the weekend and I thought the fit and finish was acceptable. I just hated the electric power steering and 4-speed auto with Grand Canyon gear ratios. However, styling was nice, stereo was good, and seats were supportive and firm. At least it seemed to have some character.