GM cuts dampen LA show spirits

The Los Angeles motor show is an early Christmas for most of the manufacturers on display with new vehicles ready to go to market, and new concepts to reveal.

The Mazda3 hatchback and sedan have been standouts when it comes to design while Jeep was loud and proud with its ute, the Wrangler-looking Gladiator.

There were plenty of electric vehicles; both ready for the road and to come in the future, to appease fans of these products. And brands such as Mercedes used the LA motor show to promote its AMG sports cars, including the stunning GTR Pro.

But most interesting has been the absence of presentations by some of the home sides at the show, with GMC the most notable.

Early this week, Grinch-like GM announced just weeks before Christmas the closure of five plants and the loss of 14,000 jobs.

In addition, it said, it would be “optimising” its product portfolio by favouring “newer, highly efficient vehicle architectures, especially in utes, crossovers and SUVs”.

The automaker said it will continue to hire people for jobs related to the development of EVs and autonomous vehicle technology.

Gone will be the Volt semielectric, the Cruze sedan plus the company will end US sales of the Cadillac XTS and Buick LaCrosse luxury.

The Cadillac CT6 will be stopped in the US from mid-2019, but still sold in China.

So with such news, it now makes sense why GMC honchos were a “no show” at LA this week with the focus on the event on bah humbug rather than season’s greetings.