In order to increase the spotlight on its entire vehicle lineup and give useful information to dealers, General Motors of Canada invited over 100 guests, including a few journalists, to take part in the "GM Commercial Fleets" test-drive event at the Montreal Hippodrome.
For manufacturers, commercial vehicles and fleets certainly represent a lucrative market. It's a great way to sell high volumes of cars and trucks across the country; oftentimes, they're vehicles that regular customers find slightly less attractive. Montreal was the last stop in a nationwide tour that started in Vancouver and stopped by most major cities in Canada. "For us, it's an excellent opportunity to show our dealers some of the new models and offer them a training on certain specific aspects. This year, we focused a lot on hybrids and their variants," explained Robert Pagé, GM's Public Relations Representative in charge of Product Communications.Once the presentation and training were over, it was time for the test-drives. More than 40 cars, trucks and pickups were at the disposal of fleet managers and dealers for a quick spin. There were no significant new products to report about even though most of the vehicles on hand were brand-new 2009 models. The big newcomers, like the
Pontiac G8 , are still awaiting their official media launch.We spotted many familiar models like the Pontiac G5 and Chevrolet Equinox, but also more exclusive ones like the Hummer H3. To top it all off, GM's light- and medium-duty trucks were available for test-drives. The company also invited partners who purchase GM vehicles and reconfigure them to suit their own unique needs. The well-known Safari Condo and the Van pro interior designs were particularly interesting. "People love this annual event, and it allows us to improve our position on the market. It's also the best way to make our customers rediscover less familiar products," said Mr. Pagé.
photo: Matthieu Lambert