No RWD pause, says GM

GENERAL Motors had not paused its program to get a Pontiac G8 version of the Commodore SSV into the US for the 2008 model year.

The vice-president of communications for GM, Steve Harris, told a briefing of business writers in Melbourne this week that there was "no threat at all to the rear-wheel drive program" in the wake of new potentially onerous US fuel economy standards, and that GM had high hopes for the car that is projected to sell between 30,000 and 40,000 units a year.

"There is a lot of anticipation around that vehicle (within GM)," Mr Harris said. "I think people feel there is a segment for that and that it will do well."Mr Harris said the global RWD program was not affected in the wake of US regulators flagging much more stringent fuel economy and CO2 standards. GM had reason to "reflect in our minds on what was happening from a fuel economy standpoint as it affected our total portfolio – not only rear-wheel drive".

"We have not stopped and never did stop any work on any rear-wheel drive activity," he said. "But it is a concern to us what is going on from a CAFE and CO2 discussion in the United States and some of the proposals look unbelievably difficult to achieve."Mr Harris said the proposals were a concern of all car-makers, not just GM, but at this stage GM had not altered its investment strategy.

"There is no slow-down and no putting any investment on hold."

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