Quote:
Originally Posted by Number 3
I take that train of thought to exactly where it went. You are taking it wayyyy past my point.
A freshening of the front end and interior, rear LED taillamps and cleaning up a few things using off the shelf parts. Sorry, but anyone making a big deal of this is digging for trash. It makes perfect business sense.
Also, you are jumping on the "badge engineering" garbage truck. Using an off the shelf exterior fascia is not badge engineering just like using a corporate steering wheel or corporate radio isn't badge engineering.
So do you honestly believe that there is some type of accountability to shareholders over a great business decision? And really it is a great business decision. You (not you Hilton, the figurative you) really have to admit it is quite clever. What is the impact of this "decision" to reuse a high quality currently tooled part that requires some accountablility?
And you would probably be surprised at how much this really happens. It happens with parts you can't see allllll the time. So is that wrong too?
|
You are looking at this from an engineering POV and I am looking at this from a design POV.
I am not against the use of common parts but I do believe that using a 7 year old exterior design from a "discount" brand as something that is marketed as all new for a "premium" brand is a poor business decision.
You don't have to look far to understand what I am saying - the Terrain and Equinox share a boat load of common parts but exterior wise, look entirely different from one another. I think both products look like GMC and Chevrolet respectively.
With respect to the 2013 Acadia, go ahead and share the platform, electrical, drivetrain and suspension components but design the door skins and quarter skins to look different than the Saturn. At the minimum, give the quarter and fender flares the GMC squared highbrow design a la Terrain, Envoy and Sierra.
It all boils down to brand identity. If you feel you can take the "look" of one dated product and spin it as an all new "look" for another product of another brand, more power to you but updating the tail lights and throwing a new fascia and hood on it is not enough IMO.