Carmakers focus on utility of trunk space

[Ming]

Carmakers focus on utility of trunk space
Rick Popely
Chicago Tribune

Driving through the parking lot of an electronics store such as Best Buy often requires dodging empty cardboard boxes left by frustrated consumers. The cause of the frustration? Most likely that the computer monitor, microwave oven or stereo component just bought wouldn't fit in the purchaser's passenger car unless it was removed from the shipping box.

Automakers are trying to rev up sales of passenger cars but face an uphill climb with consumers who are used to carrying items such as lumber, kitchen sinks and big-screen televisions in their sport utility vehicles, pickups and vans.

"We know that people value storage space, and they're looking for flexibility," acknowledged Greg Bellopatrick, General Motors' chief engineer for midsize cars. "With a midsize sedan, they're thinking that when they go to the airport, they should be able to get a couple of big suitcases into their car at the very least."

But Bellopatrick says GM also saw an opportunity because "people were looking for the functionality of an SUV but not the trucklike characteristics." For some, even car-based "crossover" SUVs such as the Chevrolet Equinox or Ford Escape are too trucklike. "They truly want a car, but one that has more functionality," Bellopatrick said.

That led to the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, a hatchback based on the Malibu sedan that has 22.8 cubic feet of cargo room compared with the sedan's 15.4. The rear- and front-passenger seats fold, giving the Maxx room to carry a kayak or a 9-foot ladder.

Ford will use cargo capacity as a selling point for its Five Hundred sedan, which has a regular trunk with 21.2 cubic feet. Ford claims the trunk is the roomiest of any sedan's, able to hold eight golf bags. As on the Malibu Maxx, the seat backs for the rear- and front-passenger seats fold flat, creating a cargo area nearly 10 feet long, which Ford says will hold a grandfather clock or kayak.

"When people are coming out of a minivan or SUV, they ask if you can fit a double-seat baby stroller in the trunk," Ford spokesman Dave Reuter said. "It becomes a hard sell if you ask them to compromise any of the flexibility they had with their SUV or minivan." Critics complain that SUVs take up too much room, use too much gas and are a safety hazard, and they insist that most Americans could manage with a passenger car. But Americans are do-it-yourselfers and such voracious consumers that shopping may be the national pastime. They're also impatient, so they don't want to wait - or pay - for delivery. As a result, Americans buy more SUVs, pickups and vans than cars, letting them schlep home remodeling materials, televisions, computers and snow blowers, among other stuff.

Despite higher gas prices, car sales are down nearly 3 percent this year and light trucks are up nearly 5 percent, accounting for 55 percent of new-vehicle sales through September.

Full Article Here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld...ss/9994782.htm

[dindak]

Maxx is a cool vehicle. My buddy has one and loves it (and he usually hates American cars).

I think sales could be better if they spruced up the dash colors a bit but over all it's a solid effort.

[jro4566]

The Five-Hundred almost has as much cargo room as the Maxx!?! It sure doesn't look like it, but I'm not denying it either.

I like the Maxx's abundance of versatility and the only other midsize coming close is the Prius (don't get me started) and the MAZDA6. Plus, the sliding rear seats are pretty neat. I like to think of it as a compact SUV than a midsize hatchback. :p I've seen a couple Maxx's lately and they're not as bad as in the pictures.

[russtrapp]

trunk space, you mean, like there is on the GTO?

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

1973 - 1974:

AMC introduces Hornet Hatchback
Saab introduces 99 Combi Coupé and Combi Sedan
Chevrolet introduces Nova Hatchback
etc. etc.

All of them had very capacious rear trunk areas and still kept good looks at the same time. But somehow North America forgot the idea for 30 years?

[FoMoCo Fan]

Originally Posted by Buick61

That's probably the worst part of the 300--the trunk is small. It's deep, but narrow and there isn't much spaced between the load floar and the roof. Luckily I don't really need a trunk for anything, but it's always good to have a sizeable trunk should the need arise.

Yeah, people aren't buying the 300 for utility - it's a style machine.

[vdoh182]

The Malibu line needs to be a little more stylish, it looks way to plain now and the headlights look downright goofy. It doesnt need anything major, but there was a rpob with the bumper anyways so they should have fixed it, given it a nicer look.

[HOJIMAN2K3]

Station wagons will make a comeback, nobody wants to drive a minivan. The estates as they call them in Europe are huge over there every European car maker offers one. Here in the US when minivans came around, you can notice that the carmakers stopped making wagons.

If GM is listening- lose the crappy new van and start making some station wagons; the minivan is as dead as Elvis and as lame as a Vanilla Ice CD

This will be the first time I will probably agree with a Ford guy but FoMoCo has a valid point the 300 is about Bling Bling if you want versatility you should have bought a Magnum yum

[jro4566]

Buick61, I agree with you - the trunk is pretty small for the size of the car. But that's what you pay for: a cab REARward design which looks great. Anyways, I don't usually travel by car but if I do, I'll take my XL7.

[goblue]

Originally Posted by RCtennis3811

The Five-Hundred almost has as much cargo room as the Maxx!?! It sure doesn't look like it, but I'm not denying it either.

Cargo numbers can be deceiving as well. Measured with sandbags, or some other deformable object you may get equal numbers, but I guarantee you the grandfather clock they talk about, or a 35" TV would be much easier to put in the Maxx due to its hatchback design. The opening and pass through dimensions are key. Trying to load building materials into a sedan with folding seats is much harder. I've done it many times. Being able to get the rear glass up and out of the way makes loading things so much easier. Not to say the 500s trunk isn't huge, just saying a hatchback design will always be much more useful. On the con side though, you definitely hear more road noise with a hatch. I just can't see the 500 as a replacement for an SUV or minivan for the occasional do it yourselfer, but the Maxx and other hatchback / stationwagons could.

[Swahili]

I agree goblue. I've seen a lot of people lately when I'm at home and doing some shopping trying to fit large TV's into the trunk of their car, or the back seat. It's not just TV's but you know the idea. Sometimes it's great having a massive trunk but it's not good if you can't get your cargo through the opening. The Maxx in the picture up top looks like you can fit a lot of cargo in the back. Great vehicle.

[AMcA]

Originally Posted by Smaart Aas Saabr

1973 - 1974:

AMC introduces Hornet Hatchback
Saab introduces 99 Combi Coupé and Combi Sedan
Chevrolet introduces Nova Hatchback
etc. etc.

All of them had very capacious rear trunk areas and still kept good looks at the same time. But somehow North America forgot the idea for 30 years?

You want to talk carrying capacity? My sister once had a Saab 900 that we threw my mother's sofa into the back of (Mom had just dumped my Dad, moved to the mountains, and had zero furniture) . This was a genuine sofa, not some cheap undersized thing. And it fit. We drove it three hours, including going over a snowy moutain pass in the Cascades. Real mountains.

That was a tremendously practical car. Nothing today could do that.

[ByTheLake]

Originally Posted by Ming

Carmakers focus on utility of trunk space
The rear- and front-passenger seats fold, giving the Maxx room to carry a kayak or a 9-foot ladder.

This always kills me.

Car makers (and auto writers) frequently write about being able to put a kayak inside a car. I have two kayaks ... use them frequently. I have many friends that also use kayaks.

NONE of us would be caught dead putting a kayak inside the car. Kayaks belong on the roof. Just like I wouldn't be caught dead playing my electric guitar with the amp plugged into a Pontiac Vibe's dash outlet, as in the commercial.

I'm all for more utility out of the trunk space ... hard to argue about that. It just seems that auto makers have no friggin' clue what the customers are really thinking, especially the young customers.

[AMcA]

Does anyone have a read on how the Maxx is selling? Last I read, Chevy was stuck with a 205 day supply.

[HEMI300C]

Originally Posted by RCtennis3811

Buick61, I agree with you - the trunk is pretty small for the size of the car. But that's what you pay for: a cab REARward design which looks great. Anyways, I don't usually travel by car but if I do, I'll take my XL7.

It does look good. If I needed more trunk space, I would have gotten the Magnum. But I've got the 'Slade, so the 300C was the clear choice.