HHR: Fit To Be Tailored
11-25-2005 | 01:20 PM
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HHR: Fit To Be Tailored
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
Back in August I challenged you to test-drive some of our newest products and see for yourselves if they deserve the lavish praise I’ve been giving them. I spoke specifically of the Chevy HHR and Impala, Pontiac Torrent, Hummer H3, Pontiac G6 Coupe and the Solstice.
It appears that at least some of you have taken me up on that, because those vehicles are getting attention in dealerships. The HHR in particular has been making a lot of headway in the marketplace.
Chevy dealers are telling us they can’t get enough of them; they are selling them at about three times the rate they’d ordered them. About half of those sales have been conquest sales – from customers who previously owned a non-GM product. All signs tell us the HHR is just getting started, so we are preparing for higher production than we set earlier in the year.
What I really like about HHR’s performance so far is that sales are hottest where GM has traditionally not done so well: on the west coast, for instance, and in warm-weather cities like Dallas and Houston.
Why has it gotten so popular? Let’s start with the fact that it looks pretty darn good. The HHR has character. People are drawn to its unique exterior, which is the result of crossing a 1949 Chevy Suburban – the original utility vehicle – with the much newer Chevy SSR. Yet, the HHR doesn’t take up much space; it’s only 176.2 inches long, so it’s easy to maneuver. It’s also very versatile. With the front passenger seat folded down, the HHR can carry an 8-foot ladder with the liftgate closed. Younger customers and those who like the latest gadgets appreciate the auxiliary input jack that allows an iPod to be played through the audio system. Our 1LT version of the HHR comes with a standard MP3 player.
People appreciate the HHR’s vehicle dynamics, thanks to the same compact-car architecture that has made Cobalt a hit. The price, starting at $15,990, seals the deal, reminding the customer that this car is nothing if not a great value.
And what’s more, it’s a lot of fun. I was unable to attend the recent SEMA show in Las Vegas, but from all accounts, HHR was a smash hit there. It had a huge presence, and was named the most accessory-friendly vehicle at the show.
Some HHRs were on display by GM, including four that made their customized debut on the Rides TV build-off, others were exhibited by aftermarket outfits as partner vehicles, and many others were purchased and tricked out simply because HHR lends itself so readily to such treatment.
There’s almost nothing you can’t do with it, and our people at the show returned with tales of nearly every variant imaginable. Surf mobiles, pro-street, urban, canyon runners, you name it. Whatever the taste, there was a flavor of HHR
for it. Color pallets ranged from the huge OE pallet to flat tones, two tones and every color the painters can mix. Some displayed new wheels and lowering kits, some were converted to panel rigs, and some were stuffed with audio equipment. It was all music to my ears.
Posted by Lutz at November 16, 2005 03:13 PM
GM Vice Chairman
Back in August I challenged you to test-drive some of our newest products and see for yourselves if they deserve the lavish praise I’ve been giving them. I spoke specifically of the Chevy HHR and Impala, Pontiac Torrent, Hummer H3, Pontiac G6 Coupe and the Solstice.
It appears that at least some of you have taken me up on that, because those vehicles are getting attention in dealerships. The HHR in particular has been making a lot of headway in the marketplace.
Chevy dealers are telling us they can’t get enough of them; they are selling them at about three times the rate they’d ordered them. About half of those sales have been conquest sales – from customers who previously owned a non-GM product. All signs tell us the HHR is just getting started, so we are preparing for higher production than we set earlier in the year.
What I really like about HHR’s performance so far is that sales are hottest where GM has traditionally not done so well: on the west coast, for instance, and in warm-weather cities like Dallas and Houston.
Why has it gotten so popular? Let’s start with the fact that it looks pretty darn good. The HHR has character. People are drawn to its unique exterior, which is the result of crossing a 1949 Chevy Suburban – the original utility vehicle – with the much newer Chevy SSR. Yet, the HHR doesn’t take up much space; it’s only 176.2 inches long, so it’s easy to maneuver. It’s also very versatile. With the front passenger seat folded down, the HHR can carry an 8-foot ladder with the liftgate closed. Younger customers and those who like the latest gadgets appreciate the auxiliary input jack that allows an iPod to be played through the audio system. Our 1LT version of the HHR comes with a standard MP3 player.
People appreciate the HHR’s vehicle dynamics, thanks to the same compact-car architecture that has made Cobalt a hit. The price, starting at $15,990, seals the deal, reminding the customer that this car is nothing if not a great value.
And what’s more, it’s a lot of fun. I was unable to attend the recent SEMA show in Las Vegas, but from all accounts, HHR was a smash hit there. It had a huge presence, and was named the most accessory-friendly vehicle at the show.
Some HHRs were on display by GM, including four that made their customized debut on the Rides TV build-off, others were exhibited by aftermarket outfits as partner vehicles, and many others were purchased and tricked out simply because HHR lends itself so readily to such treatment.
There’s almost nothing you can’t do with it, and our people at the show returned with tales of nearly every variant imaginable. Surf mobiles, pro-street, urban, canyon runners, you name it. Whatever the taste, there was a flavor of HHR
for it. Color pallets ranged from the huge OE pallet to flat tones, two tones and every color the painters can mix. Some displayed new wheels and lowering kits, some were converted to panel rigs, and some were stuffed with audio equipment. It was all music to my ears.
Posted by Lutz at November 16, 2005 03:13 PM
I want my HHR a flat paint tone, flat black! 
The HHR converted me back to GM. 