Still, for now, CHEVY VOLT: American-made, American-FUELED – something I’ve waited for more than 20 years in the military fighting in the Oil Lanes of the Middle East to see America put behind us.

You are confusing the issue about past vehicles like the old SRX, or old Equinox. We are talking about the new SRX and new Buick “what-ever-they-call-it.”

Fact: the Equinox and Terrain are being built, or going to be built on a single platform. That platform is NOT Theta Premium.

Fact: The new SRX and new Vue are being built,or are going to be built, on another platform called the Theta Premium. I don’t care how you obfuscate it, there is a difference, even though they are ALL compact, 5-seat, unitized body, CUVs.

So it is more appropriate to say that Chevy and GMC share a platform, the Theta platform. And upscale Buick and Caddy share an upscale platform, called the Theta Premium.

I would certainly hope that they are similar and use many common parts for common sized vehicles. But there is a reason for the two different platform versions, each with only two implementations. One version is simply more sophisticated than the other.

If Buick really wants to justify its upscale image, as something more, it can’t simply be a “rebadged” Chevrolet. But it certainly doesn’t hurt to be a “de-contented”, “entry-Luxury” Cadillac, which is exactly what, it is in fact for this vehicle, Buick intends to be.

Carcus1 Fahrvergnugen, YA! in der YouTuben video of Der F und das electric wagen. I say, hilarious, more funny than Churchill on one of his many drunken naked rants and dubious military building suggestions.

Interesting about the Das Volt and Volkswagen and how elements of the two are converging in some ways. However, current history is curious as the US Government via the slight of hand “bailout” and nebulous CEO’s now pretty much owns GM. At least DER ONE (eine) has not tried to name the Volt, yet.

per Buick and China Dan Petit #94 I am convinced that the so called “global economy” is a scam on a damning global scale that undermines the people of this nation and other advanced nation states. Adam Smith in, The Wealth of Nations, a ponderous book indeed, would find such juggling of manufacture as a clever but devious method for some few to make a great deal of money at the LONG term expense of the People and ultimately the sovereignty of said State. Globalists rub their unctuous hands every day.

Cheers!—–Higgins Go chase some oily Globalist my goode Boys!

For the lower budget buyer, the 2010 Equinox in FWD gets 22/32 city/hwy. This has the 2.4L DI engine.

For another $2 – 4K, add the new BAS+ with Li-Ion battery pack and get an estimated 27/34.

For more money, the proposed 2-mode Buick would come into play. The Saturn Vue 2-mode was designed with a ~255 hp 3.6L V6. It would have been rated 27/30.

http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2009/06/saturn-vue-twomode-hybrid-rated-at-28-mpg.html

I expect the new Buick would upgrade to a Li-Ion battery pack, have improved aero, and use the 2.4L DI engine like the Equinox. Although only about 190 hp, with the 60 kW added from the 2-mode, this equates to 270 hp available. A nominal 5 kWh battery with 3 kWh useable might be used. This would yield an approximate 10 mile electric range (although this would likely be a blended operation, not 10 miles AER).

Without plug-in, this car might be rated something like 36/36. With electricity providing about 3000 of the 15,000 miles per year, the equivalent mileage would be about 45 mpg. This new Buick might sell for ~$40,000.

In the future, this could become an Voltec driven vehicle. It might have a drive at the front and rear wheels, yielding AWD and 225 kW (300 hp). But due to the fact that it requires more power than the Volt, I would expect them to wait until the 2nd generation of batteries are available.

I would expect to see this Voltec Buick get an EPA sticker close to 100 mpg, and cost ~$50k.

If you are comparing the value of cars and look at the Prius and decide it’s a pretty good $22K car with great milege then you could compare it to other great mileage cars or other $22k cars and decide it’s competitive. But if there was a car called a Prius with a more standard drivetrain you might say, hold on a minute, thousands more dollars and the only differance is a few more miles per gallon? Then the value question starts flashing in bright red neon. You might ask, if I was going to pay thousands more for another option, would that option be a few more miles per gallon? Does paying for this drivetrain really seem worth it over a choice of buying a vehicle in a higher class for the same money.

Without having a base model, standard drivetrain car to compare the Prius to, it takes some of that value risk (rip-off remorse potential) away from the car comparisons.

#94 Dan Petit

…Too many unnecessary worries about “over there” seem to be apparent from a talk-radio perspective. In this Global economy, it may work out that lots of sales of Buicks “over there” are actually a benefit to us “over here”.
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It’s always great for your country’s standard of living if you can export management, expertise and stuff and import money!