Marcus From Mexico, joined Apr 2001, 1726 posts, RR: 2 Posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 9272 times:
For those of us who are involved in the automotive industry we know that in the past few years the US car market for large cars and SUV's has shrunk, while the one for small, hybrid, crossover and more fuel efficient vehicles has increased at the expense of the first.
The Detroit based automakers are the ones that have been hit the most by this change, while the Asian manufacturers have benefited the most......the irony in this is that US automakers have very good small vehicles that are NOT sold in the US but are sold in "overseas" markets.
Enclosed please find a list of vehicles from Ford and GM that in my opinion might work in the US with current shift in consumer behaviour........
Ford EcoSport.............cute ute that starts at $16,000
Ford Fiesta sedan..........one market segment below the Focus
Ford Mondeo............could have been a good replacement about 5 years ago to the Taurus while the Fusion was being developed.
Opel Astra....Opel in Europe, Holden in Australia, Chevy in Latin America.....this is rumored to be the replacement of the Saturn Ion in the US
Opel Zafira..............an MPV (minivan) smaller than the current ones sold in the US, think of the Mazda MPV in terms of size
Opel Corsa.........compact vehicle, in size like the MINI.
Opel Antara...............crossover
[Edited 2006-08-14 20:51:16]
Kids!....we are going to the happiest place on earth...TIJUANA! signed: Krusty the Clown
Falstaff From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 5705 posts, RR: 29 Reply 2, posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 9243 times:
I drove a ford something or another that was a sedan/minivan thing that was for the European market a few years ago. It had no badges on it so and we were not told what it was. It had a small diesel engine and a manual shift. I thought it was cool. I would consider buying one if I could. That Modeo looks a lot like a Mercury Milan.
A332 From Canada, joined Feb 2005, 1644 posts, RR: 2 Reply 3, posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 9243 times:
One of the big automakers needs to make a vehicle that is super fuel efficient whilst giving off a loud V8 gas-guzzling rumble... so that people who need to buy their penis can still feel adequate.
Something that gives the illusion it is large and powerful... looks like a poser-mobile... and is economical!
Srbmod From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 16896 posts, RR: 51 Reply 5, posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 9232 times:
Falstaff From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 5705 posts, RR: 29 Reply 6, posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 9221 times:
Quoting Jayce (Reply 4): How about a fully electric car?
GM tried it, it was called and EV1. It was a dud. It was only leased in Southern California and Arizona. The climate conditions there were good for it. When the leases were up GM took all the cars back. Some customers tried to sue GM for the right to buy the cars after the lease ended(which you can due in a regular lease). They lost. GM got the cars back. They claimed that if people still had them they would have to support them with parts, technicians, etc.
DesertJets From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 7677 posts, RR: 18 Reply 7, posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 9210 times:
I am not really convinced that there is enough demand in the sub-compact is big enough to warrant every major automaker having a product available in North America. With as inexpensive as a Focus gets these days, there wouldn't be enough of a price advantage to get people into a Fiesta... and the margins on them would likely be tight. If Ford couldn't sell enough of them, the costs of federalizing them would be prohibitive.
The 1st generation Mondeo was too small for the US market, and sales of the Contour/Mystique suffered as such. Also I think the final execution of the product left a bit to be desired... with the exception of the SVT version. I don't know how big the 2nd gen Mondeo is, especially in comparison the newer Mazda6 based vehicles (Fusion/Milan). But most folks at Ford now agree that they neglected the passenger car market pretty badly.... IMHO Ford should have been able to develop a suitable midsized car for the North American market on the Mondeo MkII platform.
As for the Astra, it will be replacing the Ion in 2008, IIRC. But the current Astra/Cobalt/Ion/Pursuit all share the same platform. Its just some of them are executed better than others.
And the Zafria. I think as long as minivans carry the stigma that they do, a smaller MPV will not sell well. Mazda took a risk and brought the Mazda5 to the US. Obviously it won't sell in huge numbers, but I am not certain if it is even meeting its sales projections.
In the end as nice as some of that product might seem, there are considerable costs involved in federalizing/certifying cars for sale in the US. And when it comes to low volume/low margin cars (like many compact and subcompacts) the business case for them is pretty poor.
Stop drop and roll will not save you in hell. --- seen on a church marque in rural Virginia
DeltaGator From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 6341 posts, RR: 16 Reply 10, posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 9193 times:
Quoting Srbmod (Reply 5): Holden Ute. Rebadge it as a Chevy El Camino.
You beat me to it. I'm going down there in a couple of weeks and I would love to bring one back home...alas, I don't have the cash sitting around to buy one though.
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
Buck3y3nut From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 864 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 9161 times:
I like the Opel Astra. Used to drive the sedan in India when I was 14 yrs old. and I definately did not have a lisence.
Ltbewr From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 12365 posts, RR: 12 Reply 14, posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 9159 times:
The Honda Fit (Jazz elsewhere), the Toyota Yaris and a Nissan model of the same size class and all made in or for the EC markets are now available in the USA. They are selling quite well (my brother just got a Fit) probably due the $3.00+ gasoline prices, long commutes to jobs encouraging better MPG and relatively cheap prices, in the $12,000-16,000 range. The Civic, Corolla and Stanza all moved up in size over the years and price ranges ($17-20,000), leaving a gap at the smallest USA market classes.
GM markets the Chevy Avro, a S. Korean made ex-Daewoo based model for their low end car, selling for $11,000 - 14,000 range. Ford gave up the small class in the USA, with the Focus their smallest model. One can get one for $14-18,000 after rebates.
Cars for the USA market tend to be wider, longer, 95% with auto transmissions and with larger engines than EC/Japanese cars. Toyota, Honda and Nissan make models in North America that are quite different than those of the same model name elsewhere. Our pollution and safety standards are generally stricter than the EC and Japan, limiting some models that would be considered.
I am quite sure the new high tech diesel engines in EC cars including BMW, M-B, Audi, etc would be highly welcomed here, but our increasing diesel pollution standards for cars will keep them out.
Now if Nissan could make the Skyline model for the USA market....
LooneyToon From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 444 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 9094 times:
Quoting Marcus (Thread starter): Ford EcoSport.............cute ute that starts at $16,000
Are you kidding? Who would buy an SUV based on the Ford Fiesta that has a maximun power option of 1.8 liter 4 cylinder? Or you can go for the 1.0 liter version.
Quoting Srbmod (Reply 5): Holden Ute. Rebadge it as a Chevy El Camino.
DeltaGator From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 6341 posts, RR: 16 Reply 16, posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 9067 times:
That Holden Ute comes with a 6.0L V8 engine. Most definitely not a gas sipper but it sounds great rumbling down the street. I'm going to check out a Holden dealer when I'm in Sydney in a couple of weeks just to enquire about what it would take to get one back to the States. I'm either getting it or an old 1973 El Camino SS.
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
Photopilot From Cuba, joined Jul 2002, 2441 posts, RR: 20 Reply 17, posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 9055 times:
Quoting Marcus (Thread starter): we know that in the past few years the US car market for large cars and SUV's has shrunk, while the one for small, hybrid, crossover and more fuel efficient vehicles has increased at the expense of the first.
The Detroit based automakers are the ones that have been hit the most by this change, while the Asian manufacturers have benefited the most......
Isn't this EXACTLY what happened in the 70's during the first oil shock with prices. Only then it was big American V8 muscle cars and full sized sedans. So now it's SUV's. The 70's gave the foreign car manufacturers a chance to showcase what their technology and cars could do and the North American buying public bought foreign cars in droves. And the Honda's, Toyota's, Nissan's, VW's have never stopped since.
You want me to feel sorry for the American auto manufacturers or consumers. Not a chance. They brought it on themselves by shortsighted profit plans that didn't look to the future.
BTW, I drive a Toyota.... built right here in Canada. Great car, great gas mileage, and its my 4th import in a row. I'll NEVER go back to GM, FORD, or Chrysler.
No no no!!
The smart cars are little horrors
clogging up the road with their stupid looks and slowness.
May they all be crushed!! Or burnt to the ground or whatever.....
Thanks
PR
Coal From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 1628 posts, RR: 6 Reply 19, posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 9030 times:
Quoting Photopilot (Reply 17): Oh, and as to cars that are not sold in the USA that would give the planet a chance, how about the Mercedes Smart Car.
AFAIK The decision was already taken to bring them in next year.
As far as the original post goes, all those cars, especially the Mondeo and the Astra, would be too costly to produce at their quality level for them to be sold here in the US.
Why do you think Ford, GM, etc have such nice cars (esp. the interiors) in Europe and have such crap here in the US?
Coal
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Falstaff From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 5705 posts, RR: 29 Reply 20, posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 9008 times:
Quoting Photopilot (Reply 17): Oh, and as to cars that are not sold in the USA that would give the planet a chance, how about the Mercedes Smart Car.
I drove a couple of Smarts in 2004 at the Mercedes-Benz Club of America's national convention (StarFest). I liked both of them. I drove the regular model that you show and a low to the ground sporty model that reminded me of a Porsche 914. It was not all that fast, but it wasn't slow compared to some of the lumbering sedans I have owned. I have seen the a Smart or two around Windsor, Ontario. I think it would be a great little car to take back and forth to work.
Columba From Germany, joined Dec 2004, 6838 posts, RR: 5 Reply 24, posted (6 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 8963 times:
Quoting Coal (Reply 19): AFAIK The decision was already taken to bring them in next year.
It will be the next generation of the Smart Car that will come to the States.
I have also read that Alfa Romeo and Peugeot will try a comeback on the American market.
Peugeot is the world´s greatest manufacturer of Diesel powered cars.
It will forever be a McDonnell Douglas MD 80 , Boeing MD 80 sounds so wrong
25 Pulkovokiwi: Australian Ford Territory Fiat Punto & Panda Renault Peugeot
26 LOT767-300ER: Alfa is coming back in 2007, Not Peugeot. Look on their website for United States and it says "Peugeot has no plans of coming back to the USA"
27 MAH4546: The Mazda5 far exceeded what anybody at Mazda thought. They are on track to sell 30% more than they were planning to. Kia paid attention, they are br
28 Melpax: The new Holden Commodore would do well Also the Ford Territoty - they've just released a turbo version (4 litre 6cyl 245kw)
29 Alessandro: Well Nissan is owned by Renault, so I think Renault could sell in Nissan dealerships already established in the US. As for PSA Peugeot and Citroen, no
30 Marcus: The first generation Mondeo shared the same platform, underpinings and most of the sheetmetal with the Contour/Mystique cars sold in the US, the curre
31 MAH4546: They already are starting. The Renault Clio sedan will be sold at Nissan dealers as the Nissan Versa sedan starting in the fall. It is just odd that
32 AirPacific747: Lucky you! I wish they had plans to stop selling cars here
33 AsstChiefMark: I wonder why Ford and GM haven't marketed their UTE's here in the USA. Holden and Ford both make beautiful UTE's, especially the high-performance vers
34 Vivek0072: The Merc A class , Ford Mondeo. NIssan Skyline GTR. Audi A3 , BMW 1 series.
35 AsstChiefMark: Would be nice. Was sold in the USA as the Ford Contour. Discontinued in 2000. Sold in the USA as the Infinity G35 Sales to start in the USA this year
36 MAH4546: Nissan Skyline is sold in the US as the Infinti G35; Audi A3 is sold in the USA (but 5-door only, no 3-door); BMW 1-Series coming in 2008. No A-Class
37 N1120A: A lower quality version of the Mk.1 Mondeo was sold as the Contour/Mystique in the US. It suffered from detuning (except the SVT version) and the fac
38 IL76: Good idea... It's all about bling anyway, that's probably why sensible cars don't work in the USA. And the cars mentioned above are probably too smal
39 JJJ: Just two models will be sold in the first wave, 159 and Brera, but probably will just keep the 3.2 V6 (partly GM-sourced) and add another engine choi
40 MAH4546: They will sell four models - 159, Brera, Spider, and Coupe GT. The 8C Competizione will be sold first. US sales start in 2008. The rest of the models
41 Marcus: "new" Saturn Aura Opel Vectra But it does happen the other way arround Saturn Sky http://www.weblogsinc.com/common/ima...374415216828.JPG?0.7056245961
42 JJJ: Well, the Brera and Spider are the same model, didn't know about the GT.
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