Because.......

[jmirawm]

We all need an "easier to operate rear liftgate" <p> During the development of General Motors' new GMT900 SUVs, the team in charge of design was taken out to the company's Milford Proving Grounds and made to dress in drag as an exercise. They wore high-heels, fake press-on nails and garbage bag skirts to simulate what The Car Connection refers to as "female handicaps" (are we really calling them that?) while operating various features of their new 'utes. The result was at least three features on GM's new SUVs that wouldn't have been there otherwise: retractable running boards for easier entry/exit in a skirt, a larger center console that can hold a purse and an easier to operate rear lift gate.

The idea for this excursion into androgyny came from Mary Sipes, a vehicle line director at GM and a woman with a mission to make her company's vehicles more user friendly for females. Since women comprise more than 50-percent of the buying public, she realized it would only help the company's bottom line to consider them more when designing new vehicles. Since the design teams are still very male dominated, Sipes decided to dress her teams in drag to force them to consider their vehicles from a female perspective. Hmmm... perhaps a better solution than playing dress up would be to just hire more women. Regardless, the intent was commendable, but we're wondering if our female readers can think of any other missing features that might make their lives a little easier.

[Source: The Car Connection]

 

[cadman]

Buick Rendezvous

Sad state of affairs, but finding women engineers is tougher than you may think. At the company I work for (with international design centers, no less) if you're female and hold an engineering degree but are less qualified than other (male) applicants, you stand a better chance of getting hired than anyone else. There are metrics stating x-many will be hired annually. In my major, there were ZERO women. My friend, the M.E., had 1, possibly 2 IIRC co-eds in his major just a couple years ago.

The Buick Rendezvous was supposedly designed by/with help of women. I thought I recalled a place for umbrella, purse, ergonomic pedal mounts for shorter stature, etc.

 

[petek]

IIRC Ford played the same tune with their Windstar mini van a few years ago. Not to mention those 50's cars in pink with handbag holders, makeup kits etc. What's old is new again?

 

[jonv112]

Our SV6 has a HORRIBLE liftgate. It takes way too much effort to close with one hand. Even the power sliding doors are bad sometimes. They don't open when you pull the handle the first time, and they don't know when to cut off the motor when the door closes.

On the other hand, GM really hit it off with the Lambda platform. The GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave are all I want in my next car. They look great, and they're functional as well.

 

[goprog]

Okay - I give. I've been reading these posts for months and
thinking I'm going to figure it out and it hasn't come to me
and it's starting to tick me off.

WTF does IIRC mean!!!!!?!?!?!?

 

[alr2903]

Goprog, If- I- remember/recall- correctly=IIRC

 

[andrewinorlando]

IIRC = If I Recall Correctly

 

[selectomatic]

OMG! WTF! IMHO!

If I Recall Correctly.

-kevin

 

[goprog]

THANK you. The code has been revealed.

 

[bigbubbacain]

GM has always been at the top of my list of automotive innov

Randy and I bought a GMC Envoy XUV back in '04. We bought it for the extended wheel base, but we really begin to appreciate the power retractable roof in the rear when we bought a house, began "nesting" and started buying things like Giant Bamboo and Queen Palms to plant in the yard. When it was time last month for a new SUV, we were saddened to see that GMC did away with this model. (sigh) We'll make do with the new Yukon (it's sooo big), but this Envoy XUV is something that a collector should snap up and hang on to. The power roof was so cool, but now it's gone. (Thanks to those fickle 'Big 3' queens in Detroit.)