Lutzy Reviews Will Delay New GM Products

ED GARSTEN of the AP reported that up to 75 percent of new vehicle programs already in development will be reviewed and reconsidered by new product design teams, the chairman of General Motors Corp.'s North American operations said Tuesday night.

About a quarter of GM vehicles already in the pipeline will be allowed to go forward, but the rest will be re-evaluated and possibly sent back for retooling or redesign, Robert Lutz said during the media preview of the Chicago Auto Show.

Lutz and GM North America president Gary Cowger delayed the launch of ``a couple'' of vehicles because they required changes and will be given a second look by the new product development structure, Lutz said. Other launches could be similarly slowed, he said.

``You're talking six, $700 million for a car, it's not going to be done without senior management looking at it,'' Lutz said.

He would not identify specific product programs that are being delayed.

Last week GM announced a major overhaul of its product development system creating competition between design teams to come up with the best ideas.

Under the new system, the advanced vehicle development team must come up with design goals for a product. Design teams then must produce nine proposals of which the best three will be chosen by the product leadership, headed by Lutz.

Models of the proposed vehicles will be built for use in consumer clinics.

After a product program is given the green light, the advanced vehicle team will remain involved throughout the process.

``By the time you've got it down to one winning design you already know exactly how much it's going to cost, which supplier you're going to source the parts to, which assembly plant it's going to, which engine is going to be used, so you've got a very precise handle on the car way upstream,'' Lutz said.

The first results of the new process will be seen in 2003 concept vehicles and in about 27 months for production vehicles, he said.

Lutz also said GM is confident about the future of its Saturn division which, until recently, had a fairly fallow period in terms of new products.

``Saturn has a brilliant future,'' Lutz said. ``Saturn is a great brand for GM.''

He made his remarks after the introduction of the Saturn Sky concept car in the unique setting of a Chicago furniture store.

Lutz said over the next 15 to 18 months Saturn will have introduced three new vehicles, including the sport utility vehicle, the VUE, which went on sale late last year, and the redesigned L-Series mid-size car.

He said Saturn also will be introducing a vehicle in the future in a segment it has not been involved in. Lutz would not be more specific.