Originally Posted by Vman455
While this may have been true formerly, GM (and other manufacturers) don't really work this way anymore. Sure, you have cars like the first-generation Volt and Opel Ampera that are exactly the same aside from different fascia (but only because one was sold in America and the other in Europe), but that Volt is also the "same car" as the Cadillac ELR, which differs significantly in dimensions and design. The 2016 Camaro, CTS, and ATS all share components and are built on the same Alpha platform, but also differ significantly in design and dimensions, interior volume, track and wheelbase, price, and don't share any body panels or glass. The 2016 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick Verano share a platform (D2XX) and compete at either end of the compact segment, but are very different cars in design. The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu and Buick LaCrosse are the "same car," yet the LaCrosse has a wheelbase 3" longer, sits .2" lower and wider, and offers one engine to the Malibu's 3. Oh, and both these cars share a significant number of components with the Impala and Cadillac XTS, which are again different in every way despite the crossover. In fact, I can't think of any current cars from GM that are simply rebadged products from other divisions with different exterior and interior trim, where I can think of plenty from the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. All the current shared models have different bodies, different interiors, and in many cases different engine choices.
If anything, I would argue that automakers in the 2010s have succeeded in diversifying the products of sister divisions while cutting costs by sharing components without that affecting the uniqueness of each model, certainly much more so than in the past.
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