Global group of small crossovers planned

Global group of small crossovers planned


AutoWeek | Updated: 03/12/07, 1:48 pm et
GENEVA - General Motors may produce a family of crossovers based on its global small-car architecture. The five-seat vehicles will be sold in North America as a GMC model but not built there.

The crossovers would be smaller than the Saturn Vue and marketed under different brands in North America, Europe and possibly emerging markets such as Russia, India and China.

"Variants could be configured with different exteriors for Opel, GMC and Chevrolet," GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said at the Geneva auto show.

GM could build the vehicles at low-cost sites in Thailand, India and Mexico, although no factory location has been chosen. The annual global production target is 200,000 units.

The plans require board approval. Executives say the crossovers would not be in production before 2010.

Last spring, at a design event in Germany, Lutz hinted that GM was working on a small crossover. He said production could begin 37 months after an architecture and assembly site were chosen. Lutz said the crossovers cannot be assembled profitably in North America or western Europe.

GM's smallest crossovers now are based on the Theta architecture. They are the Saturn Vue, Pontiac Torrent, Opel Antara and Chevrolet Equinox and Captiva.