Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Hatchback, Chevrolet, GM, Rumormill
General Motors was happy to show off its revamped Chevrolet Aveo at the Paris Motor Show last week. The car is a fresh change of pace from the last generation Aveo, and a strong step forward for Chevrolet in the subcompact segment. It may be a good car, but word on the street around the company’s Orion Township plant suggests that The General might be ditching the Aveo moniker. Apparently, GM wants to distance itself from the lackluster last generation car. A new name could go a long way in helping the car get off on the right foot, but seeding a new name in this industry among potential consumers costs tens of millions of dollars, so it would likely be a very costly decision.
Speaking of costly, as expected, GM confirmed yesterday that it will spend $145 million on its Orion plant to build both the Aveo (or whatever it ends up being called) and Buick’s first premium small car in over 20 years, the Verano (teaser at right). The investment, GM says, will save 1,500 jobs. The Orion plant, you may recall, was earmarked to produce the U.S. version of the Chevrolet Orlando, a three-row MPV that was subsequently canceled for the States.
You can read about GM’s investment in the company’s official press release after the jump (note that while GM talks of the Buick Verano by name, it only refers to “Chevrolet’s new small car,” adding fuel to the name-change fire).
Gallery: Paris 2010: Chevrolet Aveo
Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL
Sources: Detroit Free Press]
Continue reading GM confirms $145M investment in Orion, ponders new name for Chevy Aveo?
GM confirms $145M investment in Orion, ponders new name for Chevy Aveo? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Continue reading “GM confirms $145M investment in Orion, ponders new name for Chevy Aveo?”