The majority of the components are already there if you have ABS and traction control. Sure you can wait for 5 years or more like they did on the Vue. Or you can take the philosophy that Toyota did for its SUVs, even if you charge extra for an option at first to cover the costs. GM doesn't really have all that many more passenger vehicles than Toyota. When you consider all the nearly identical models under different badges that share the same platform and vary only by a few small aesthetic changes, the main difference is that GM has many more badges than Toyota/Lexus. If you change the plant for one model, you are doing it for all the others on the same line, too.
The hybrid thing is another good one for philosophy. Toyota has been churning out full hybrids for years and Honda almost as long. What do the "Big 3" have? The Escape/Mariner is the only one. GM does have some psuedo hybrids in the Vue Greenline and Silverado/Sierra. A step forward but still late to the party IMO.
It's not hard to see why GM is losing money with junk credit ratings. They simply aren't producing what many people want. They don't have the corporate philosophy that has promoted safety and fuel economy like Honda and Toyota, plus they are just now catching up on quality. They have a labor force that is extremely expensive and has enough power to slow any change. I mean, they've had what, over 30 years since the last gas crisis that let the Japanese auto makers get a foothold? When the latest oil crisis came around, the Japanese had great, profitable hybrids and high economy gas powered compacts while the Big 3 continued to rely on SUVs and trucks for profits.
I'll pay more to buy American if the product is at least the same as something made elsewhere in terms of features, quality, safety, etc. I think it's important to support the domestic economy if I can be sure the product has significantly more domestic content. On the other hand, I wouldn't even pay less for an American product if I feel the quality or features don't measure up to the competition, just to support bungling management and an inefficient labor union. Then there's always the problem of what to do when you are choosing between something like a Ford made in Mexico vs. a Nissan made in Tennessee...
Just peer over the top models on these lists for a comparison-
http://www.informedforlife.org/demos/FCKeditor/UserFiles/File/2007SCORE.pdf
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bestworst.shtml
http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/overall-high.htm
Yeah, the Big 3 have some top models, but the majority are Japanese. This is why the US automakers are in trouble. Yes, consumers have perceptions of quality, safety, fuel economy and other features, but in many cases they are for a good reason.