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Pontiac, Saturn Gone, But So Are Owners -- From GM, That Is

General Motors got rid of Pontiac, Saturn and Hummer in 2009 to slim down to four brands. But the company has also lost nearly two-thirds of Pontiac owners and almost three-fourths of Saturn drivers since then, former loyalists who have gone to the enemy when they bought new vehicles last year.

Said Jesse Toprak of TrueCar.com, the General "knew by cutting these brands they were going to lose market share and they have." But he adds that "higher sales numbers don't always equal profits," and that GM will be better off in the long run by making its four surviving brands more profitable.

There are about 3 million Pontiacs, Saturns and Hummers on U.S. roads. But it will be an uphill climb to get owners of terminated brands back, once they have left. The company says although Chevrolet is a top choice for many Pontiac and Saturn owners, the majority are still getting conquested by the big three Japanese brands. In 2010, GM kept 36% of Pontiac, 26% of Saturn, and 39 % Hummer owners who bought new vehicles, per J.D. Power & Associates.

GM has worked to get them into alternate GM dealers for their service needs and regularly keeps in touch with special promotions, said Julie Heisel, GM's director of customer lifecycle management.

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