A report today by Bloomberg News says that as part of GM’s current cost-cutting measures, the Pontiac and GMC brands may get the axe entirely, instead of simply being refocused as niche brands as had been previously suggested. The article goes on to note the potential problems it would cause with Pontiac and GMC dealers and subsequently add more short-term expense to GM’s books. However, it would benefit the company in the long run by making its three remaining brands — Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac — more focused.

Update: Automotive News is now reporting that GM is denying the reports, and that according to vice president of vehicle sales Mark LaNeve, the reports that “GMC is going away are just unfounded, unsubstantiated and untrue.”

It forces into the light a question I’ve always had. Take a good look at these two trucks:

Is there really a significant difference between them? OK, the badges are different, and the GMC and Chevy models use chrome in slightly different ways. But mechanically they’re identical, the interiors are virtually indistinguishable, and the prices between them are, again, close enough to not be worth calculating.

GMC was born to give Buick and other non-truck GM brands some trucks to sell at their dealerships. But these days, that point is moot. There are plenty of car manufacturers that don’t sell trucks and make a tidy business doing so. There is not one product in GMC’s current lineup that isn’t or won’t soon be duplicated by another GM brand. Are GMC buyers so loyal that they won’t go across the street to a Chevy dealership and get a Silverado or Tahoe if the Sierra and Yukon are killed off? I have a hard time believing that, and say kill it, the sooner the better.

Agree? Disagree? Sound off in this poll, and feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below!

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