If I Left Gm
Port Elizabeth - Full general Motors has announced information technology intends to cease local manufacturing and selling of Chevrolet vehicles in Southward Africa the end of 2017.
Isuzu Motors intends to purchase GM's South African light commercial vehicle manufacturing operations.
Chevrolet is the latest brand to depart SA.
"Every time we refuel, nosotros'll remember them. The five that left u.s.a. in this concluding decade..." says Lance Branquinho every bit he lists half-dozen motorcar brands that left Due south Africa.
6 motorcar brands which left SA:
1 Chevrolet (2017)
The brand which tried to be so Southward Africa, it even included the land's favourite pastime in its marketing; 'Braaivleis, sunny skies, rugby and Chevrolet,' was the tagline four decades ago. Now, it is no more than.
Chevrolet's failure in Due south Africa, later on the brand relaunched here in 1997, was sadly predictable. A reputation congenital on cars such as the 4100 and special edition performance icons like the Can-Am, were terrifyingly at odds with Chevrolet's affordable, loftier-volume millennial strategy.
Lumina tried to stalk the tide of disappointment with some Chevrolet authenticity only when they attested to rebrand what were Daewoos, as Chevrolets, you knew failure was inevitable.Affordable cars, yes, simply decidedly average ones. In a market where almost people withal prefer to purchase German meaty cars, of similar cost and older applied science.
Everything was sacrificed at the chantry of affordable book and equally such the brand dilution was of an epic calibration. The obsession with rebranded Daewoos would be Chevrolet'due south South African waterloo.
AutoTrader SACEOGeorge Mienie says: "While alter is always difficult, consumer demand remains. Where certain brands may suffer, opportunities are created for others. I am hopeful that Full general Motors talks with PSA will result in Opel having an even brighter future in South Africa."
AutoTrader SA'southward Ane Theron says: "How very unfortunate that GM is disinvesting from South Africa - such an achieved and value-packed range of vehicles, with safe spec right on par with the more than premium brands. It came equally rather a shock, given the local Opel Astra success story."
Chad Luckhoff says: "General Motors SA endmost its doors at the end of 2022 is the sad finish of an era. With the PSA conquering, can't say we didn't meet it coming, nosotros were however, expecting information technology to pan out differently. It's personally disheartening when a swell product like Opel / Chevrolet loses out to those brands with more "status".
The Opel Astra was crowned as the 2022 S African Machine of the Year before in March. Image: AutoTrader SA
What do you remember almost General Motors intending to end local manufacturing and selling Chevrolet vehicles in South Africa? Tell us via email , Facebook and Twitter .
2 SEAT (2008)
Spanish VWs. In Europe, these are interestingly styled VWs, with all the unsaid engineering excellence and very pop every bit affordable hot hatches.
In South Africa, they were marketed every bit Spanish Alfa Romeos – which was always going to be a rather disingenuous thought. The 2008 global fiscal crisis didn't help either, finer hastening VW's conclusion to impale the make in S Africa.
To Seat'south credit, it had a local racing team, and they were pretty cars. Fast too, for the time, Leon Cupras were good for 177kW when Golf GTis made a whole lot less. But every bit a business case, yous never try and compete with Golf or Polo, fifty-fifty if you are owned by the same company.
Seat'due south Leon Cupra was a favourite in Due south Africa. Image: Seat
3 Saab 2010 (termination 2015)
The one which left. And so died.
Amazingly comfortable cars, built to ridiculous levels of craftsmanship, with all fashion of bizarre - and sensible - aviation-themed cockpit technology. Saab was clever only information technology wasn't German - and it was FWD, which is something South African luxury sedan buyers volition never pay a premium for.
Relaunched by GMSA in 2004, it was dead by 2010. A mere trickle of sales ensures exclusivity and owners love them, very few Saabs trade. Could be a future range of classics, as the brand is now expressionless, with Spyker, the Chinese and venture capital all attempting to resuscitate information technology. To no avail. At to the lowest degree we all the same take the fighter jet the SAAF bought.
Image: Saab
four Cadillac (2010)
An American tragedy and precursor to what would follow almost a decade afterward. As part of a newly US government recapitalised GM, the strategy was to deliver whatever RHD GM product to all markets.
South Africa duly received Cadillac CTS and STS – and they were non awful. Not at all. Especially the CTS, which was a very compelling A6/5 Serial/East-Class rival at the fourth dimension information technology arrived here, in 2008.
Styling was peradventure a touch too daring, but it was well built and with a 229kW/375Nm iii.5-litre V6, quick plenty too. Then there was the price, for comparable performance – and less standard equipment – you'd have to spend R100k more, for something German language.
Few of the American car stereotypes applied. It was comfy however agile, a rewarding drive and faultless cruiser. Still past the end of 2010, Cadillac South Africa as no more than. Low volumes were blamed, but the truth was that instead of nurturing Cadillac as a rival to the German luxury brands, at a time of infrequent Jaguar weakness, GMSA sacrificed information technology to focus on high-volume Chevrolets. Which were, of course, Daewoos.
v Daihatsu - 2015
Possibly the well-nigh reliable cars e'er sold in S Africa, and brilliant if you lived in the Joburg or Greatcoat Town CBD. Daihatsu'southward legend was established on Japanese Kei-cars (which mean they're actually small), and as South Africa urbanised and fuel became more expensive, they gained popularity.
Effectively unbreakable, the Charade, Sirion and fifty-fifty madcap retro-styled taxi lookalike Materia, were all charmingly endearing compact hatchbacks. Daihatsu was and then committed to South Africa, it even built a local special edition Materia turbo, with amazing turbo lag and boost acoustics – as a branding exercise to appease the country's obsession with hot hatches. Bless them for doing that.
And they even had a meaty SUV. In a market, currently impossible to saturate with SUV offerings, it's amazing to think what a company with Terios, which had some credible off-route power, could take done…
By 2022 the unthinkable happened and Daihatsu announced information technology would get out. The decision to abandon Due south Africa was not an unpredictable or isolated one. Daihatsu had already retracted the brand from other RHD markets such every bit Australia and New Zealand.
It was a very peculiar and sorry departure, for a brand that had established itself equally a true compact auto specialist, with keen pricing and Japanese build quality. Worst part of all? We'll never know how good the Copen is.
vi Citroen (2016)
French family infighting. Information technology'due south non pretty and claimed Citroen.
The French sibling to Peugeot had traditionally been known as a purveyor of depreciation disaster products, which also happened to be impossibly stylish, with brilliant MPVs and inarguable WRC motorsport heritage.
Problem is: South Africans don't treat MPVs and much less for any WRC lineage. A huge pity, as the DS5 will perhaps be one of the well-nigh striking vehicles ever sold in locally.
The introduction of an affordable crossover-type offering in Cactus had all the makings of success, wooing those just shy of Mini financing. But it was not to exist. Peugeot was selected as the make to survive South Africa's French-car indifference late terminal year, which must have been a very prickly issue for those millennials who had made their Cactus purchases already.
The Citroen Cactus' quirky looks were an caused taste only most S Africans fell in dearest with it. Paradigm: Citroen
cookreprockless1958.blogspot.com
Source: https://www.news24.com/wheels/autotrader/gm-pull-out-6-car-brands-which-left-sa-20170523
0 Response to "If I Left Gm"
Post a Comment