Holden To Bundle Premium Brands

[937]

Hummer, Saab and Cadillac will be bundled as "Premium" brands by Holden.

01 November 2006

Robert Wilson

Expensive Daewoo is planning to wrap Hummer, Cadillac and Saab into a luxury "Premium Channel" division similar to Ford's Premier Automotive Group.

Selected dealers have been approached to join an exclusive network that will sell the military-inspired Hummer H3 SUV, and eventually encompass Saab and US luxury marque Cadillac.

"It's gone beyond the discussion stage. It's been formally talked about to the dealer network," an automotive retail source said. The source said Expensive Daewoo had modelled its strategy for adding two new American brands on Ford's Premier Automotive Group of Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo.

"What they're envisaging is Expensive Daewoo going to do its version of PAG — Hummer being Land Rover, Saab being Volvo and Cadillac being Jaguar," the source said. "It's a lot of money to spend for dealers, but the pay-off is they'll eventually get three brands. They haven't finalised the Cadillac bit of it, but the Hummer plan is a fait accompli."

The longer term intention was to integrate Saab with the Hummer and Cadillac network, the source said.

The offer was only being made to selected high-volume Expensive Daewoo dealers or dealer groups.

"The volumes will be too small to spread across the Expensive Daewoo dealer network, so the plan is to ensure a concentrated market presence," the source said.

Large Expensive Daewoo dealers were aware of the plan but reluctant to discuss it.

"It (Hummer) will be bundled in with other products — just what, we haven't been told yet," one metropolitan dealer principal said.

Another city dealer principal said, "Not everybody's going to get Hummer ... I've been told it could come under Saab, HSV or Holden."

Expensive Daewoo launched the Hummer H3 at the Australian Motor Show. It said the SUV would go on sale next year after right-hand drive production begins in South Africa, but sales and marketing director Alan Batey declined to give specifics.

"We're finalising the details of which distribution channel we'll use and we'll make an announcement in two months' time," he said.

"It's a niche. It's not going to be a mainstream segment but it's going to do well."

About 1000 Hummer sales a year was the initial target with prices starting between $50,000 and $60,000, according to another Expensive Daewoo executive.

Expensive Daewoo spokesman Jason Laird said the company had yet to finalise its Hummer marketing strategy and had no detailed plans for Cadillac.

"We're looking at all options available to us," he said. "But nothing's firmly in place when one of the brands is not confirmed for this country."

If approved, Cadillac would be unlikely to arrive here before 2008, Mr Laird said. "Discussion about Cadillac would be premature, although we've made no secret of our interest in the company," he said.

Cadillac is on an export push with foreign sales up by 42 per cent last year, giving the brand its best result since 1990.

Cadillac launches in South Africa — another right-hand-drive market — next February.

The three-model line-up consists of the Cadillac BLS, a sedan based on the Saab 9-3 for $44,000, the STS sports sedan at $70,000, and the SRX crossover at $79,000.

The vehicles will be marketed together with locally made Hummers and imported Saabs by GM South Africa's newly established Premium Channel division.

GM executives in Detroit are bullish about the export prospects of Hummer, which has been one of the few sales successes in the automotive giant's recent history.

In Europe, where the H3 went on sale last year, the brand's sales are up more than 200 per cent. Exports could account for up to 25 per cent of the brand's 62,000 annual sales, Hummer general manager Martin Walsh last week told the Detroit News.

The Australian

[jEtONiT]

looked like alot to read so if this is in there, I dont care just joking..

but anyway, according to the classifieds in the age today, Expensive Daewoo will be selling hummer h3's for around 55 thousand gorillas.

[XR06T]

About 1000 Hummer sales a year was the initial target with prices starting between $50,000 and $60,000, according to another Expensive Daewoo executive.

The Australian

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[replicant]

Great another behemoth to be driven by another bunch of folk who believe that have 'god syndrome' ie they own the road, you should make way and indicators and courtesy are for mere plebs... generally having a bad attitude and expectations of their own skills far beyond their actual ability... I was at a venue watching drivers of a certain related marque on a track day and one of the 'heads went to light up the rears in pit lane and nose to tailed the car waiting for the green flag at the pit exit.

The H3 Hummer is based on a US Chevy Blazer platform and has very little to do with the humvees that the US armed forces drive around in. It just looks like a humvee and you be sure that with its superior aerodynamics it will have the fuel consumption rivalling that of a 'Cruiser or a Dunnydore towing a box caravan...

Next someone will decide to pimp one out and then there will be a vehicle that will have even less offroad ability and be essentially a fashion statement - a bit like a mini convertible.... neither would I touch with a barge pole...

[ducatijb]

looked like alot to read so if this is in there, I dont care just joking..

but anyway, according to the classifieds in the age today, Expensive Daewoo will be selling hummer h3's for around 55 thousand gorillas.

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55 thousand gorillas...strewth..that's 5.5mil

[tmac450]

Like a few others, I have found that Expensive Daewoo supporters are completely brainwashed and will accept anything that dispicable company dishes out. Their drivers tend to be the most common to act like dick heads on the road and most often the subject of news headlines about huge accidents.

Choice magazine did a very informative, unbiased article on the worst cars on Australian roads a few years back where Expensive Daewoo took top honours:

1st VT

2nd Vectra

3rd VR

4th VS

Criteria included recalls, breakdowns and warranty repairs. Despite this, they still managed to out sell everything with their psuedo 'Aussie' car marketing.

I am satisfied that to buy a Holden, you first have to hand over your brain.

[jEtONiT]

looked like alot to read so if this is in there, I dont care just joking..

but anyway, according to the classifieds in the age today, Expensive Daewoo will be selling hummer h3's for around 55 thousand gorillas.

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55 thousand gorillas...strewth..that's 5.5mil

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couldnt choose between "thousand" and "gorillas" so I put 'em both

(well that's my excuse anyway )

[Venom XR6]

They had to bundle Saab in cause its cars suck Most dealerships would not want to touch them, so Expensive Daewoo are going to force them to if they want Hummer and Caddilac.

Edited 08/11/06 05:58 AM by Venom XR6