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New GM subcompact SUV spied, could be a Chevy or GMC

GM's pair of subcompact crossovers have been trundling along for a while now. The Buick Encore was the first for Americans in the 2013 model year, and the Chevy Trax that was based on the Encore (an encore of the Encore, if you will) arrived for the 2015 model year. Each has undergone a mild update, but these spy photos could indicate their replacements are in the works. Or not. For starters, we can't be sure which GM brand this new SUV is destined for. Though the timing and its flowing lines could indicate Buick, the thick horizontal bars visible in the grille would indicate otherwise. The next Encore being at least related to this is at least a possibility. Making the case for GMC are those thick grille bars, the fact that it extends far below the lights, and may even rise above them, similar to the Acadia. And that rising beltline isn't that different from that of the Acadia. Arguing against the GMC idea is the Encore, which is almost always sold in GMC-Buick combo dealers. Much as the Acadia was made smaller to eliminate confusion and in-house competition with the Enclave, it's hard to see GM opting to resurrect such an issue at the bottom end of the SUV market. That means we're leaning toward this little SUV wearing a Chevy bowtie. The split grille with a large lower section and small upper section is the brand's current design language, as seen on the new Malibus and Cruzes. The shape is vaguely Equinox-like. And like Buick, Chevy also has a subcompact crossover ready for replacement: the Trax. Now, our photographer reports he's seen another subcompact testing that has Blazer design cues, but in this crossover-hungry market, we wouldn't be surprised if two similarly sized but differently styled Chevy crossovers make the grade. It's a strategy that's working pretty well for Jeep. We'll no doubt be seeing more of these disguised test vehicles milling about the country in the coming months, so perhaps we'll eventually get a better idea of what this is before more official information starts trickling out within one or two years. Related Video: Featured Gallery GM Subcompact Crossover spy shots View 10 Photos Image Credit: SpiedBilde Spy Photos Buick Chevrolet GM GMC Crossover SUV buick encore chevy trax

GM will stop reporting monthly U.S. vehicle sales

DETROIT — General Motors said on Tuesday it will stop reporting monthly U.S. vehicle sales, saying the 30-day snapshot does not accurately reflect the market, and will instead issue quarterly sales. GM will also no longer report monthly sales in China, its largest market, and Brazil. GM will provide monthly data to the U.S. Federal Reserve, industry associations and government agencies across the globe, but that data is not made public. Analysts and investors rely on monthly U.S. vehicle sales not just to track the performance of individual automakers, but as a barometer of the health of the world's second-largest auto market and as an indicator of consumer confidence in the U.S. economy overall. GM and its Detroit rivals Ford and Fiat Chrysler have relied heavily on sales of high-margin pickup truck and SUV sales to boost profits. GM's total U.S. sales, its second-largest market, are down 3.2 percent for the first two months of 2018, reflecting a 6.8 percent drop in retail sales to individual customers, the company reported last month. GM executives have expressed frustration that comparisons of monthly U.S. sales results among rival automakers are distorted by short-term discount programs, and by differences in strategy for selling vehicles in bulk to rental car fleets. "Thirty days is not enough time to separate real sales trends from short-term fluctuations in a very dynamic, highly competitive market," Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president for sales operations said in a statement. GM's actions could prompt other automakers to also switch to quarterly U.S. sales reports. Major automakers will report March U.S. new vehicle sales on Tuesday. Until the early 1990s, most U.S. automakers released sales results every 10 days. The former Chrysler Corp. stopped reporting sales on a 10-day basis in 1990, and rivals followed suit over the next three years. GM executives are betting that investors will quickly adapt to receiving U.S. sales data every three months, as investors in other retail sectors already have. Retailers such as Walmart report sales on a quarterly basis. Reporting by Joe WhiteRelated Video: Image Credit: Reuters Earnings/Financials Green Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC US

General Motors shaking up its marketing... again

One of the things that dogs the full comeback of General Motors is the instability of its marketing. That part of the automaker got yet another big shakeup today when GM confirmed what I have been tweeting for a few days - strong rumors that the Chevrolet and Cadillac ad accounts are walking to new ad agencies.
Cadillac, GM's luxury brand, is going into review from Fallon Worldwide, Minneapolis and the indications are that Campbell-Ewald, Chevy's old ad shop, will end up with most or all of it. C-E just announced that it was moving from its long-time home in Warren, MI to a new downtown Detroit office next to Ford Field, just blocks from GM.
The other shoe to drop shortly will be the shift of GM's most important brand, Chevy, from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners of San Francisco to McCann-Erickson of Troy, MI. McCann used to be the agency for Buick and GMC, as well as GM's corporate advertising, and has retained some pieces of business over the last few years. Sources have even told us that it was McCann that did a lot of the creative work on Chevy's new ad platform, Find New Roads. (Not to be confused with a former McCann tagline for Saab, "Find Your Own Road.")