ARTICLE: Hummer looking at options for new entries to lineup

[TigerH3]

Here is an article from today on AutoWeek.com

Room to Grow -- Hummer looking at options for new entries to lineup

By RALPH KISIEL | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

AutoWeek | Published 02/20/06, 1:08 am et

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hummer is considering at least two new models.

Today's models are the H1, the H2 and the smallest Hummer, the H3, launched last year.

"My team is working on a couple of new entries for the Hummer portfolio," said Susan Docherty, Hummer marketing general manager. "We think that Hummer can definitely grow."

Hummer is never going to have a minivan, Docherty said after talking to dealers at the make meeting. "But we have other places we can go," she said. "We could go smaller. We could go to other segments. We're looking at all of that."

Dealers attending the meeting said they would like more Hummer models. Any new models must have the Hummer iconic design and unparalleled off-road capabilities, Docherty said.

"We will never be a mainstream brand where we have nine or 10 entries," she said. "But there's room to go beyond the three that we have."

Docherty told dealers that the brand is expecting about 154 dealers out of the total of 171 Hummer dealers to have completed new stores by year end. Today there are 130 Hummer dealers with new stores finished or under construction.

"In some cases, they are sharing a fixed operation like Cadillac or another GM brand, but these are dedicated Hummer facilities," Docherty said.

Dealers said the stores' distinctive Quonset-hut styling and off-road test tracks enhance the Hummer image.

"That is very important to grow the brand, and many of them have outdoor test tracks," said Dave Johnson, president of Sutliff Hummer in Harrisburg, Pa.

Docherty told the dealers that 40 percent of H3 buyers are women, compared with 20 percent for the H2.

"So we've got a lot more women coming into the franchise," she said. Docherty attributed that to pricing under $30,000, 20-mpg fuel economy and ease of parking.

"So everything that was our Achilles' heel on Hummer we've addressed," Docherty said.

"We had a lot of women who aspired to an H2, but that was either too big for them, or too expensive, or maybe a little bit too difficult to park."

Link

[TigerH3]

Here is an article from today on AutoWeek.com

Room to Grow -- Hummer looking at options for new entries to lineup

By RALPH KISIEL | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

AutoWeek | Published 02/20/06, 1:08 am et

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hummer is considering at least two new models.

Today's models are the H1, the H2 and the smallest Hummer, the H3, launched last year.

"My team is working on a couple of new entries for the Hummer portfolio," said Susan Docherty, Hummer marketing general manager. "We think that Hummer can definitely grow."

Hummer is never going to have a minivan, Docherty said after talking to dealers at the make meeting. "But we have other places we can go," she said. "We could go smaller. We could go to other segments. We're looking at all of that."

Dealers attending the meeting said they would like more Hummer models. Any new models must have the Hummer iconic design and unparalleled off-road capabilities, Docherty said.

"We will never be a mainstream brand where we have nine or 10 entries," she said. "But there's room to go beyond the three that we have."

Docherty told dealers that the brand is expecting about 154 dealers out of the total of 171 Hummer dealers to have completed new stores by year end. Today there are 130 Hummer dealers with new stores finished or under construction.

"In some cases, they are sharing a fixed operation like Cadillac or another GM brand, but these are dedicated Hummer facilities," Docherty said.

Dealers said the stores' distinctive Quonset-hut styling and off-road test tracks enhance the Hummer image.

"That is very important to grow the brand, and many of them have outdoor test tracks," said Dave Johnson, president of Sutliff Hummer in Harrisburg, Pa.

Docherty told the dealers that 40 percent of H3 buyers are women, compared with 20 percent for the H2.

"So we've got a lot more women coming into the franchise," she said. Docherty attributed that to pricing under $30,000, 20-mpg fuel economy and ease of parking.

"So everything that was our Achilles' heel on Hummer we've addressed," Docherty said.

"We had a lot of women who aspired to an H2, but that was either too big for them, or too expensive, or maybe a little bit too difficult to park."

Link

[f5fstop]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Docherty </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Docherty just got a promotion, someone else will be taking her place in a month.

Short stint for Docherty. Too bad I was waiting to see 22" DUBS as a factory option on the H3 (ala Escalade).



S.

[PARAGON]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by f5fstop:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Docherty </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Docherty just got a promotion, someone else will be taking her place in a month. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Yeah, apparently Docherty will replace Jackson as GMs Western regional general manager. Martin Walsh will replace Docherty.

[DarthKarl]

Here's a posted article on the musical chairs

http://elcova.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/6916043161/m/6...301085061#9301085061

[gc2488]

Do you guys think Martin Walsh will
"get it" as well as Susan Docherty,
with respect to preserving off-road capability
requirements?

[CampMaster]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by gc2488:
...preserving off-road capability
requirements? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't think so... I fear that one statement is very telling...

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
Docherty told the dealers that 40 percent of H3 buyers are women, compared with 20 percent for the H2. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[NEOCON1]

that maybe correct for buyers but 90 percent of h2's drivin in socal are drivin by women .

[gc2488]

OK, that's fine that women are buyers and drivers,
but in this interview, Susan Docherty did discuss
the importance of off-road capability even when it
is not used often:
http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/autoli...hp?stream=1001

Anyone know of online interviews with Martin Walsh?
We'll have to watch for them.

Certainly with the H3 Hummer seems to have maintained the good
off-road capability of the H2 at least. Small size helps
on small trails so maybe the H4 will be the size of the Jeep Wrangler
and do well on tight trails.


By the way, a guy at the Shreveport H3 manufacturing
facility tried to call me today -- I heard this indirectly
and hope that he calls again to my cell phone. He helped build
my H3, apparently. Very cool. I want to tell him
so far so good/great, and current plan is to budget for an H4
to either replace the H3 or to supplement it.

My big wish (perhaps unlikely) would be for an H4 with plug-in
hybrid engine. Nice to see mention of battery developments and
plug-in hybrid potential in news about enery plans
of President Bush...
--- from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060221/...wh/bush_energy
...
One of Bush's proposals would expand research into smaller, longer-lasting batteries for electric-gas hybrid cars, including plug-ins. He highlighted that initiative with a visit Monday to the battery center at Milwaukee-based auto-parts supplier Johnson Controls Inc.
...