Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, SUV, Plants/Manufacturing, GMC, Design/Style
Yesterday,
Car and Driver called out
GM in a snarky blog post for
repurposing parts from the discontinued Saturn Outlook to refresh the
GMC Acadia. GM didn't confirm
C/D's suspicions at the time, but after we called and asked politely,
GMC PR did answer our request.
According to spokesman Joe LaMuraglia, the
2013 Acadia liftgate glass, spoiler, rear quarter panel and rear side glass are all sourced from the
Outlook. The hatch is also the same as the
Saturn, but that's always been the case, as the old Acadia used the same part.
Now before you rush to judgment here, we suggest you take a good hard look at the new Acadia and tell us you don't think it looks better than the old model. We've always thought the Saturn Outlook was the more attractive of the siblings, so we don't have any issues with GM's parts-sharing tactic, especially considering all these parts are in the rear of the vehicle rather than up front in the all-important "face."
Considering that GM is likely to still be producing service parts for the thousands of Outlooks on the road, this is actually a really good move. Needless spending to refresh the Acadia when this suitable alternative already exists is the kind of smart decision that we hope GM continues to make.
GM confirms discontinued Saturn Outlook parts used in refreshed GMC Acadia originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Etc., Crossover, GM, GMC, Saturn, Design/Style
General Motors unveiled the company's refreshed
GMC Acadia at the
2012 Chicago Auto Show yesterday, and if you were paying attention, you may have noticed something curious about the vehicle. While the new Acadia looks considerably better than its predecessor, a few components of the design looked more than a little familiar. Upon closer observation, it appears that GM has simply repurposed elements of the now defunct
Saturn Outlook crossover on the 2013 Acadia. Both vehicles seem to share the same wrap-around rear glass, back hatch, tail light openings and exaggerated, squared-off fender arches.
While the vehicles are differentiated by badging, tail lamps and a rear valance, there's no denying the similarities toward the vehicle's rear. Up front, both share similar fenders, though adjustments have been made for the varying headlight designs.
That's good news if you just can't imagine life without the Saturn Outlook.
GM isn't the only automaker to pull something similar. Parts sharing is a smart way to keep costs as low as possible, and recouping the design and manufacturing costs the automaker poured into the Outlook is a smart way to keep GM's earnings headed in the right direction. For example,
Chrysler famously reused
Dodge Grand Caravan tail lights in the first-generation
Dodge Durango. We just aren't accustomed to seeing this sort of recycling on such a grand scale or after so much time has elapsed.
GM appears to repurpose Saturn Outlook parts on new Acadia originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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