All posts tagged us car market
Alfa Romeo Giulia new renderings
These new Alfa Romeo Giulia renderings from Autoblog.it arrive at a delicate time for the new Alfa sedan. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has ordered what is basically a complete Giulia redesign before this model is ready for the US car market Alfa offering. Overall, these renderings take their inspiration from the Alfa 8C Competizione which is widely known as a very attractive car, and borrows some of the Ferrari FF rear, too.
This particular Giulia rendering is a two-door job, making it more coupé than sedan and the front end could do with a little more work (although re-styling an Alfa nose can’t be an easy job). There have been no progressive details from Alfa as to how the new Giulia design is going and everything is under wraps at this stage so anything could be planned. We doubt Alfa will take a look at this, but if needs some inspiration this is just the latest Alfa Giulia rendering to turn to.
No Lancia Ypsilon for the US
A Chrysler-badged Lancia Ypsilon won’t be making it to the US car market as it would compete too closely with the newly launched Fiat 500. While the Lancia is a different car with more luxury appeal, we think this is probably a very sensible decision. The Fiat 500 was a risky launch as it was on the US market, but with its retro looks it seems to have won over in initial sales. After which, there probably wasn’t a lot of room left for another Fiat group, compact model in a big car market, especially as a Lancia-Chrysler model.
The confirmation of plans for the Ypsilon to the US being cancelled comes from Olivier Francois and Car and Driver, subsequently reported in Leftlane. Car and Driver had originally indicated after the 2011 Geneva Motor Show that the new five-door Ypsilon could be upgraded to a slightly bigger Fiat model for the US, but reports are that a new Chrysler C-segment sedan for the US is under review.
We guess that while Lancia got full benefit from large Chrysler models overnight in Europe, getting a totally new range with none of the investment required to develop these cars individually, Chrysler won’t be needing the opposite; that is, the US knows its Chrysler models and probably has no need for pint-sized Lancias (re-badged with the American brand) on their market.
While Leftlane described the review of the new sedan as “bad news” and Car and Driver says that Chrysler will be “left without a chair”, we think the success of the Fiat-Chrysler deal depends on making savvy product decisions and not being carried away with a flood of products across different brands, just because they can. The Lancia brand might get a boost in Europe thanks to Chrysler, but it probably doesn’t offer anything the American market needs or wants right now - especially if something like the Ypsilon goes to compete with the 500. The Fiat-Chrysler project will likely provide us with more interesting developments in the future and the company will be one to watch as these new products and US market entries unfold.
Lotus Exige and Elise special editions for US
Three special edition Lotus Elise and Exige models will be produced for the North American market come July to see out final production numbers of the 1.8 Toyota 2ZZ-GE engine. There will be a Lotus Elise SC Final Edition available in Ardent Red, Aspen White, Chrome Orange and Carbon Grey. It will be equipped with the 1.8-litre engine with 220 hp. Each model will come with a Touring Pack which includes Alcantara seats, Eibach springs and Bilstein shocks, LSD Torsen differential, rear diffusor and a matte black roof.
It will cost about 57,000 euros and 15 models will be produced. The Lotus Exige 260 will be available in two versions: the Final Edition and the Final Edition Matte Black. Both use a tuned engine with an extra 20 hp up to 260 hp and will have a similar Touring Pack as the Elise. A Track Pack is also available with adjustable Ohlins suspension, Launch Control and five-spoke forged alloy wheels. The Final Edition model has a metallic tint and costs about 67,500 USD (30 units will be made) while the Matte Black is as its name suggests, with a production run of 25 units and costs an extra $2,400.
Source | GGLotus
New Audi A3 drawings: A3 sedan also for Europe?
These Audi A3 drawings show the next-generation A3 hatchback and the new coupé-like design it will develop. The new design is unsurprising given current trends in car design, and while Audi debuted the new A3 sedan concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the hatchback should still be the launch version of the revamped line-up.
The first new Audi A3 to appear will be the three-door model, to be followed by a five-door hatch, the new sedan and a soft top version. While the A3 sedan has mostly been developed for the US and Chinese car markets, we could see it in Europe in the course of 2012. It will be interesting to see if this new version usurps the popularity of the traditional hatchback.
More news includes the updated Audi A3 engine range. Beyond the standard petrol and diesel powertrains, we should also get hybrid, natural gas and electric versions. We expect some added touches to the interior - an increasingly important battle ground for luxury car manufacturers. The new Audi A3 could debut at next year’s Geneva Motor Show in March.
Fiat 500 in the US: positive sales at launch, will it last?
The Italians are celebrating what seem to be positive first sales of the Fiat 500 in the USA. The citycar model in a US big car market has a risky future for the first Fiat model in the US when looked at from a size point of view, but it seems its cool retro design is winning over the style-conscious at the start.
All Fiat US and Canadian dealerships have apparently sold out of their models since it first launched on April 1. Reservations and test drive requests have been registered such that all the 500 units, including the ones in the showrooms, have been sold. According to reports, the Fiat showroom in New York sold all its 30 units in just a few hours. It also collected orders for another 20 models, with delivery times set for April 20.
According to the NY Fiat dealership manager, Alfredo Gulla, the model appeals to Americans and not just Italo-Americans. Having sold Fiat models for the past 60 years, he says: “It’s true that America has changed but the approach from Americans to Italian cars is the same. The first 50 Fiat 500 models we sold were nearly all to Americans, only two customers were Italo-American.” He goes on to laude the Fiat 500, saying that customers who are buying are passionate about attention to detail.
Continue reading: Fiat 500 in the US: positive sales at launch, will it last?
Volkswagen Jetta worst in US compact sedan segment
The new Volkswagen Jetta in the US has received a highly critical review from the US Consumer Reports publication, which placed the model at the bottom of a list of 11 compact sedans reviewed. While the Jetta came back to the US as a smaller and more affordable model, according to the review that has come at too high a cost to the car itself.
The overall verdict of the Volkswagen Jetta is that it is “a shadow of the agile, well-finished car it once was”. That’s a pretty damning statement, but the detail is that more affordable price means the interior and suspension has been sacrificed. Director of the testing centre, David Champion, says: “In an effort to bring the car’s starting price down, VW cheapened the previous Jetta’s interior and suspension, making it less sophisticated and compromising handling.”
Volkswagen Jetta sales in the US don’t seem to reflect the same findings, meaning that the strategy to go less premium and sell more is working. While that will be handy as part of Volkswagen’s ongoing strategy to become the world’s number one car manufacturer, we wonder if a review like this and what it says about VW tactics, won’t come back to bite in the future.
Source | Autoblog.com
New Saab 9-3 hatchback to appear
The arrival of a new Saab 9-3 has been confirmed, and it should prove to be a return to a five-door hatchback model. A three-door hatch is apparently not planned for the moment, and we could get a Saab 9-3 sedan in the future to appeal to the US car market. According to reports the 9-3 will be radically different from the past General Motors-era model with designer Jason Castriota apparently working on a design that would make the new 9-3 more individually Saab.
A debut is planned for the near future (possibly in about a year) and in addition to the hatchback we will see a 9-3 convertible, most likely a SportCombi wagon variant and the sedan model that could appear. The new Saab 9-3 design though, while taking inspiration from the PhoeniX concept, will also provide a streamlined hatchback that should appeal to sedan buyers as well (meaning we won’t be seeing anything boxy).
The news all comes from Autoblog.com and its quizzing of Saab’s Vehicle Validation Engineer, Magnus Hillerborn. The latter leaves a parting barb for GM executives who, he says, will be “very surprised” by the new model. With Saab sales needing a boost, developing a new 9-3 for the company’s new era is not only a good thing, it’s also necessary.
European cars in Super Bowl advertising: Audi, Mercedes and BMW
The 2011 Super Bowl is over, and so is America’s biggest advertising event. But for those European cars putting together a commercial this year, they just experienced the largest television viewing numbers in the US, ever. It is estimated that 111 million viewers tuned in from their homes to watch the American football game, and with possible numbers of people in bars and other locations watching as well, the reach of this event is expected to have been about 162.9 million people.
According to The Guardian that means that more than half the US population may have seen the car commercials produced by Audi, Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen; the latter getting our award for the best ad for its 2012 New Beetle commercial. It’s an expensive exercise for companies wanting their commercial aired. A 30-second Super Bowl spot is about $3million USD. That’s a record for this year, but if you’re battling for supremacy from Europe on the US car market, you might think it’s worth it.
Above is the Super Bowl commercial for Mercedes featuring the SLS AMG roadster and the song “oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz“. Below you can see Audi’s Scared Straight new luxury program and BMW’s diesel message to America. Some of them are ambitious, and some don’t quite hit the mark, but on the whole we’re happy to see some new campaigns and quirky advertising attempts. See the other European car ads at the 2011 Super Bowl after the jump.
Continue reading: European cars in Super Bowl advertising: Audi, Mercedes and BMW
Analysis: Fiat 500 too puny for US?
Is the Fiat 500 too small for the US market? It could turn out to be a million dollar question for the Fiat-Chrysler effort to bring Europe’s current favourite little car to the US. It’s embarking on a big mission as it brings the Fiat brand back to the US car market, and does so off the back of some quirky Italian style. The original 500 was not so famous anywhere outside of Italy, really, but the revival of the 1950’s vehicle has made up for that around the world.
We’ve already seen what the Americans think of the Fiat 500, with the question being whether it’s hot styling will win over in a country where big has always been prized above all else. In pointing out that America has been readied for smaller cars through Smart and Mini (which has also made money), on its first drive of the 500, Autoblog says:
Our first five minutes behind the wheel of the 2012 Fiat 500 shouted that it was solid, substantial and sporty. The rest of the day simply demonstrated the amplitude of these characteristics, and whether the exceptionally-popular-in-Europe 500 might actually catch on with American drivers.
We think it will.
2012 Volkswagen Beetle star of Super Bowl: Europe in America
The new Volkswagen Beetle will be the star of the European advertising effort at the US Super Bowl event. We were hoping for an early release for the 2012 Beetle either over the weekend or at least some time in March, but it looks like Volkswagen will drag this one out to maximise interest (autumn is promised as the arrival date of the new Beetle). We got another teaser video instead, but we still like it.
We’ve previously spoken of the advertising phenomenon that is the Super Bowl, and for Europeans it’s a curious thing to look on at the new ads produced every year in this particular battle ground. We’ve nominated the 2012 Beetle advertising as the star because they’ve managed to produce a cute but cool car commercial that is likely to give the new Beetle that extra sports flavour it needs.
After the jump, you can also see the Super Bowl ad for the Volkswagen Passat. It takes on a cultural icon like Star Wars and makes what isn’t a bad video. We like it just for the father’s expression at the end. It’s clearly not in the same league as the Beetle commercial, but we can see that Volkswagen could be gaining ground on the US car market, and a Super Bowl advertising presence is more than essential.
Continue reading: 2012 Volkswagen Beetle star of Super Bowl: Europe in America
What are the Americans saying about the Fiat 500?
Fiat back in the US
With the Fiat 500 in the US, big hopes are pinned to a small car as Fiat tries to re-launch its brand on the US car market off the back of the Fiat-Chrysler deal. The plan is that the cute, retro appeal of the Fiat 500 will win hearts and minds, and will beat main rival Mini at the pricing game. As the model slowly appears in showrooms, what is the initial American reaction to this Dolce Vita icon?
Fiat 500: the technical stuff
The Fiat 500 has been described as adorable, feel-good and even plucky, and it’s no surprise that it’s style is what will make it a winner. But for the more discerning consumer, the cinquecento might just fall short on a couple of fronts. For starts, Autoblog is stating its fuel consumption figures as disappointing, with the 30-38 mpg achieved dropping to just 27-34 if you pick the six-speed self shifter option (these figures refer to the 1.4 Multiair engine).
That’s fine if all you’re interested in is looking good, but let’s say you wanted a slightly bigger car as well. The guys at Autoblog claim that on the American market you can get a Hyandai Elantra, Ford Focus or Chevrolet Cruze with better fuel efficiency. In addition, if some comments comparing the Fiat 500’s potential fate to that of the Smart ForTwo, there’s not much room for positive thinking. Perhaps the small car is still just a bit too small for the US…? I’ve sat in the back of one and let us say it’s sufficient, but not exactly comfortable. And that’s said through European eyes. More after the jump.
Continue reading: What are the Americans saying about the Fiat 500?
Volkswagen Scirocco to the US?
More than one American will be waiting with bated breath over the news that the absence of the Volkswagen Scirocco from the US car market could be rectified in years to come. Apparently Volkswagen America head Jonathan Browning has said he’d like to see the seriously sexy three-door coupé-hatch model make it to the US, despite difficulty in the past in making a business case for its export.
It seems that the Volkswagen US focus lies in other models at the moment, including bringing the Volkswagen Golf R to market, in addition to the recent Passat unveiled in Detroit and the 2012 New Beetle. But even the presence of the Golf GTI doesn’t quite quench the thirst a serious VW enthusiast and car lover would have for the Scirocco.
Browning has said that Volkswagen needs to improve its quality and customer experience at the dealer before it plunges into bringing a model like the Scirocco to market, but as the guys at Autoblog.com say, “we’re waiting VW”.
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