Lutz sees challenges and opportunities. by Paul A. Eisenstein (2007-11-05)
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What may matter most, though, is that GM is rolling out an array of new products that are winning raves - and new buyers. The Chevrolet Malibu, in particular, is being hailed by critics as the first GM mid-size sedan in decades to pose a credible threat in a segment long dominated by the Asians.

"The role of that car (the Malibu) is to gain credibility and stabilize GM's presence in this very large segment," says the U.S. automaker's vice chairman and "car czar," Bob Lutz.

But the man behind GM's ongoing product assault admits that the Malibu alone won't turn things around after years of steady decline.

"We were off our game for 20 years, losing our momentum," Lutz acknowledges, after a day of driving the Malibu with journalists. "So, it's going to take time. It took 20 to 30 years to get, reputationally, where we are today, and it's going to take another two to three years to get a new generation of buyers into GM."
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Congress has been studying several proposals which could push the current Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards well into the 30-mile-per-gallon range. It's a figure Lutz absolutely insists is un-doable - at least not with the current sort of products American motorists prefer. It would force the industry to sell the sort of downsized cars and crossovers now seen in Europe and Japan, he contends, and virtually eliminate the pickups, SUVs, and other light trucks that account for about half of today's U.S. market.

Meeting the challenge would require expensive technology, Lutz contends, so a car like the Malibu , which will average about $24,000, would jump to $34,000.
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