GM to pull Chevrolet brand out of Europe
So the rumours were true, General Motors has announced it will pull the Chevrolet brand out from Europe. GM is expected to drop Chevrolet by the end of 2015 and will therefore shift focus to its resources on the Opel and Vauxhall brands. However, interesting to note, these too have showed signs of struggling in the European market.
The absence of the Chevrolet brand in Western Europe (it’s speculated that they’ll remain in Eastern Europe and Russia?) is being blamed on the tough economic climate and the fact that the brand has been in a steady decline over the past couple of years. Thankfully, GM do say that they will continue to provide warranty, parts and services for their Chevrolet vehicles, and for vehicles purchased between now and the end of 2015. And, luckily for those classic American car lovers, the Corvette is still expected to make an appearance in Europe in 2014. The verdict is still out though, as to whether the iconic Camaro will follow.
Stephen Girsky, vice chairman of General Motors, said: ‘We have growing confidence in the Opel and Vauxhall brands in Europe. We are focusing our resources in mainstream Europe.’ That's good news, as that means Vauxhall's van ranges like the Astravan, Movano, Vivaro, Vauxhall Combo van and Corsavans are to stay and may get a bit more attention.
Although a big name in America, Chevrolet was not a name synonymous with great quality and had difficulty finding its identity amongst better known brands in the good-value-for-money vehicle stakes here in Europe. While its competitors in the value brand market (Kia and Hyundai) have had sales growth, Chevrolet’s figures steadily sunk shortly after 2008. Ironically, the most current European Chevrolet vehicles were actually built in South Korea, by Daewoo.
So in Europe we will wave a forthcoming goodbye to the trademark bowtie manufacturer and we will simply say thank you to GM for these current Chevrolet vehicles in the UK:
Knowing that they will no longer have a presence here in the UK, will you still consider buying a Chevrolet vehicle now and up to 2015? Weigh in and leave a comment on the blog or via Twitter.
The absence of the Chevrolet brand in Western Europe (it’s speculated that they’ll remain in Eastern Europe and Russia?) is being blamed on the tough economic climate and the fact that the brand has been in a steady decline over the past couple of years. Thankfully, GM do say that they will continue to provide warranty, parts and services for their Chevrolet vehicles, and for vehicles purchased between now and the end of 2015. And, luckily for those classic American car lovers, the Corvette is still expected to make an appearance in Europe in 2014. The verdict is still out though, as to whether the iconic Camaro will follow.
Stephen Girsky, vice chairman of General Motors, said: ‘We have growing confidence in the Opel and Vauxhall brands in Europe. We are focusing our resources in mainstream Europe.’ That's good news, as that means Vauxhall's van ranges like the Astravan, Movano, Vivaro, Vauxhall Combo van and Corsavans are to stay and may get a bit more attention.
Although a big name in America, Chevrolet was not a name synonymous with great quality and had difficulty finding its identity amongst better known brands in the good-value-for-money vehicle stakes here in Europe. While its competitors in the value brand market (Kia and Hyundai) have had sales growth, Chevrolet’s figures steadily sunk shortly after 2008. Ironically, the most current European Chevrolet vehicles were actually built in South Korea, by Daewoo.
So in Europe we will wave a forthcoming goodbye to the trademark bowtie manufacturer and we will simply say thank you to GM for these current Chevrolet vehicles in the UK:
- Spark
- Aveo
- Cruze Saloon
- Cruze Hatchback
- Cruze Station Wagon
- Trax
- Orlando
- Captiva
- Volt
Knowing that they will no longer have a presence here in the UK, will you still consider buying a Chevrolet vehicle now and up to 2015? Weigh in and leave a comment on the blog or via Twitter.
Comments
Post a Comment