Number 3
Member
- First Name
- Jim
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2026
- Threads
- 2
- Messages
- 10
- Reaction score
- 8
- Location
- Florida
- Vehicles
- VW JETTA AND CADILLAC XT4
- Thread starter
- #1
I always use the LWB Epsilon for this example. For those that don’t know there was a Chevy, a Buick and a Cadillac. impala, LaCrosse (I had one) and the XTS.
The architecture was the same with 3 very uniquely styled cars. But the chassis and powertrain is where it got silly.
For the suspension, GM had a wonderful linked H arm rear and a hyper-strut front suspension. Not Audi level stuff but verrrrry good. It was the BASE SUSPENSION on the Cadillac, but optional on the highest trim for the Buick and not available at all in the Impala.
AWD. Available on the Cadillac and Buick but not available in the Chevy.
Engine. In the Cadillac you could get a 400 HP TT V6. Not available at all on the Chevy or Buick.
Now mind you all the parts easily fit in the architecture so GM could have made a 400 HP AWD impala but didn’t.
This goes back to the old GM and where Buick can still hurt these triplets. GM needs to have a reason for you to move “upmarket”. And if they do the same thing they did with LWB Epsilon it will be a problem.
And this will be compounded even more if the Chevy and Cadillac are both similar body styles e.g, sedans. GM will NOT want you to get the same performance as a $100,000 V Blackwing in a Chevy Camaro for $25,000 less. With a low slung coupe the Alpha Camaro was never a direct competitor. It’s sounding like this may not be the case.
And the Buick in all this? As usual it can’t be too luxurious to keep you from buying a Cadillac but it has to be nicer than the Chevy. My fear is the differentiation will just be like a Chevy Traxx and Buick Invista. Styling only.
By the way, the SWB Epsilons were the Chevy Malibu and the Buick Regal. I can absolutely assure you if GM made a simple content decision and put the AWD and 400 HP V6 in the Regal I would have bought that car.
Here is hoping GM has learned from its past. My fear is they will use it as the playbook.
The architecture was the same with 3 very uniquely styled cars. But the chassis and powertrain is where it got silly.
For the suspension, GM had a wonderful linked H arm rear and a hyper-strut front suspension. Not Audi level stuff but verrrrry good. It was the BASE SUSPENSION on the Cadillac, but optional on the highest trim for the Buick and not available at all in the Impala.
AWD. Available on the Cadillac and Buick but not available in the Chevy.
Engine. In the Cadillac you could get a 400 HP TT V6. Not available at all on the Chevy or Buick.
Now mind you all the parts easily fit in the architecture so GM could have made a 400 HP AWD impala but didn’t.
This goes back to the old GM and where Buick can still hurt these triplets. GM needs to have a reason for you to move “upmarket”. And if they do the same thing they did with LWB Epsilon it will be a problem.
And this will be compounded even more if the Chevy and Cadillac are both similar body styles e.g, sedans. GM will NOT want you to get the same performance as a $100,000 V Blackwing in a Chevy Camaro for $25,000 less. With a low slung coupe the Alpha Camaro was never a direct competitor. It’s sounding like this may not be the case.
And the Buick in all this? As usual it can’t be too luxurious to keep you from buying a Cadillac but it has to be nicer than the Chevy. My fear is the differentiation will just be like a Chevy Traxx and Buick Invista. Styling only.
By the way, the SWB Epsilons were the Chevy Malibu and the Buick Regal. I can absolutely assure you if GM made a simple content decision and put the AWD and 400 HP V6 in the Regal I would have bought that car.
Here is hoping GM has learned from its past. My fear is they will use it as the playbook.
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