GM TO ANNOUNCE NEW PRICING STRATEGY AT DETROIT AUTO SHOW!

Brett Clanton and Bryce Hoffman / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. will use the Detroit auto show to launch a sweeping vehicle pricing strategy that will be its broadest effort yet to lower sticker prices on cars and trucks and wean customers off huge rebates.
The plan, which will be outlined Tuesday at the North American International Auto Show, is aimed at jump-starting GM's faltering U.S. sales at the beginning of a critical year.
While GM is closely guarding specifics, the automaker will launch new vehicles this year with comparatively low sticker prices and plans to reduce prices on some of its best-selling cars and trucks now on the market.
"We're going to be much more direct this year," Mark LaNeve, GM vice president of North American vehicle sales, service and marketing, told reporters Thursday at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show.
"We'll say, 'Best product, here's why. Best price on an MSRP basis.' We think our product story has gotten lost in all the reporting of our financial results."

The new initiative signals the automaker is making a more serious push to implement a long-promised competitive pricing strategy -- known as Total Value Promise.
The first big test will be the upcoming launch of GM's redesigned Chevy Tahoe, which reaches showrooms Thursday, and other full-size SUVs, which are expected to carry lower price tags and lower incentives.
"With every new product we bring to market, we'd like to price it very aggressively," LaNeve said. "If we need to make some changes to the pricing levels on some of our existing models, we'll do that. Because we think that ultimately, customers want to see more compelling MSRP and a more simple proposition in the marketplace."
At the same time, LaNeve promised to "fight like hell" to protect GM's current share of the U.S. auto market.
GM spokesman Jeff Kuhlman confirmed that LaNeve will make a "significant" announcement Tuesday at the auto show and that dealers will be informed in a separate satellite broadcast.