Minicar Wet Blanket: Lutz says U.S. unlikely, the public’s whims will be “considered”

[Ming]

This conflicts with a source I have that says that there will be a minicar coming to the U.S. in 2010. And "consider"? Why offer Americans the chance to vote on a minicar that is not coming to the market? Why hype it in New York and set up a website for the voting? Either its all clever marketing spin ("Look, we do minicars, too! Really!") or something is not right. Then again this is Bob Lutz, the guy who told us just a while back that Americans still basically want big pickup trucks and SUVs, regardless of gas prices. Wonder if he missed the sales results last month that had the Aveo up 50%. - Ming

Lutz: U.S. not a frontrunner to get a new Chevy minicar
The Daily Auto Insider - Car and Driver
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
BY ALISA PRIDDLE
www.caranddriver.com

Unless something drastic changes, like gas prices going through the roof for more than a month, or a sudden fashion shift to tiny cars, General Motors likely won’t sell its newest Chevy minicar in the U.S.

GM used the New York auto show to unveil the triplets: the Chevrolet Trax, Beat, and Groove concepts.

Using a North American show for the unwrap shows Chevy’s global breadth and scope, said Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman-product development, but the U.S. is not likely to get one, based on current conditions.

The public is being asked to vote on which of the three hatches they prefer: the Trax is a five-door urban SUV; the Groove is a boxy five-door with a West Coast hot-rod attitude and boxy Scion xB shape, and the Beat is a three-door with micro-tuner design language.

The engines are 1.2 liters or less, with three or four cylinders, and the possibility of a small diesel, Lutz said.

The public’s whims will be “considered” as part of GM’s decision as to which one goes into production, something Lutz said will happen in the “relatively near future,” which he defines as within normal development time.

Judging by needs and the capital budget, probably only one will get the green light, but styling cues from the also-rans may make it into future small cars, Lutz said.

The triplets were designed and engineered in the South Korea global design studio. They are not engineered to meet U.S. safety requirements, but Lutz said if GM does think North American needs a Chevy minicar, the chosen one can be homologated relatively quickly.

Source: http://www.caranddriver.com/autoshow...y-minicar.html

[steverino]

That's right keep making the same mistakes over & over. Don't build products that people want.

[69Firebird400]

Definitely a wet blanket. I doubt that GM would want to move forward onto something far from their [North American] comfort zone without at least first seeing how the Smart does in its first year.

If they're not going to sell any of these in the US, at least use attractive, aggressive, original styling from them (original except for the Groove, that is...) as inspiration for future compacts or subcompacts sold in the US. The Cobalt's design is clearly uninspired - maybe they'll do something that looks as interesting as these next time around, even if they're 2-liter sized instead of 1-liter sized.

[t-rex]

Translation: Our stockholders and beancounters (the only people we answer to) don't see a business case for them, so tough noogies.

[genjy]

Considering those three cars as of now look to be 3D computer models with hypothetical specs, Lutz probably doesn't want to promise anything unless he is sure that they can be built.

When you show a concept that people like but can't actually build it, then it's a Jaguar F-Type.

[throwback]

The triplets were designed and engineered in the South Korea global design studio. They are not engineered to meet U.S. safety requirements, but Lutz said if GM does think North American needs a Chevy minicar, the chosen one can be homologated relatively quickly.

Source: http://www.caranddriver.com/autoshow...y-minicar.html[/quote]

This also contradicts what was quoted on the car connection from a GM marketing guy, Lyons? He specifically said they can meet US and worldwide safety requirements. They were designed that way from the outset. I think Bob Lutz believes he and "only" he knows what Americans want. Talk about reading your press clippings!

[383_torque]

Just like your jerk boss at work. Ask for your opinion and not use it! Sometimes I tell them EXACTLY what I need at work and they go and get something else. Sound familiar? Any wonder people stop giving their opinion.

[Shoot]

So, the Beat is most likely to be the direction they go in. We'll see how sentiments go this summer as gas goes over $3 and maybe approaches $4 a gallon. Truth is, many in the US will still resist a minicar.

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

Well do the people want it? Is it profitable for GM to import them? IMO, yes.

If people go gaa-gaa on them, GM isn't going to ignore them. But GM doesn't want another Geo Metro, even though the Metro was a great seller, profit margins were slim.

[jbernie]

Not a big drama, yet, so long as they can Federalize the vehicle(s) and get them into the US market then all is not lost. Though I'm sure many people will question the desire for a sub 1.5L micro car.

I like that they are going to show 3 designs and not 1, also letting people vote on their preferred designs might get some additional interest in them too.

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by t-rex

Translation: Our stockholders and beancounters (the only people we answer to) don't see a business case for them, so tough noogies.

Apparently so.
So, I guess the 200,000 Scions and 200,000 Minis are what....
"Irrelevant???"

[throwback]

Thinking like this is what got GM behind the 8 ball in the first place. How about taking the lead on something? Anything! Why let Honda or Toyota beat you to the punch. These are the types of cars younger buyers are gravitating to. Look at Scion from nothing to over 150K units in 3 years. What does GM have as a counterpoint, the Aveo.

[paul38469]

I know that he has contributed a lot to GM's turn around, but sometimes I really think Rick needs to muzzle that guy.

[Ming]

Originally Posted by Smaart Aas Saabr

If people go gaa-gaa on them, GM isn't going to ignore them. But GM doesn't want another Geo Metro, even though the Metro was a great seller, profit margins were slim.

One of my conspiracy theories is that GM and Ford in particular would prefer that people not come to them and buy inexpensive fuel efficient wagons and minicars. If you want a hatch, get a crossover or an SUV. The Maxx is going away, the HHR looks like a retro Suburban, the Aveo still has no updated 5-door model, and from all signs they would rather sell us heavier, profit-laden crossovers, pickups and large SUVs.

Toyohondassan of course want the same, but their home country values small vehicles and minicars. So the mindset is different.

They (Ford/GM) also think that if a loyal GM/Ford customer comes in and buys an HHR then they have just lost the potential to sell them an Equinox, or Uplander, or Trailblazer even. Not people who would never consider anything larger than an HHR. People that got into a Trailblazer because they thought mid-size truck-based SUVs were trendy. And now realize they really only "need" an HHR.

But the car business is not about selling people what they need. Its about creating a want for something they don't need, and making them pay more for that emotion-based buying decision.

And that's why I think we don't have much of a wagon market here in the U.S. Advertising works. Its a proven fact. But when was the last time you saw an ad for the Malibu Maxx, if ever? Can't count the number of times I saw one for a GM truck.

So when I hear people in business say that the public wants big trucks, then turn around and incentivize and advertise the heck out of large pickups and SUVs? Truck ads on TV day and night and not a single small car ad? I call BS. Fighting the competition (Tundra, etc.) is only half of the story.

Its my possibly misguided opinion that GM is intentionally pushing people towards expensive vehicle options (and not offering truly economical ones) - pushing to feed and grow the demand they claim already exists - while small, less profitable vehicles are considered a necessary evil, not something to intentionally try to excel in or sell in large quantities. "Only if gas prices skyrocket".

Bigger and improved Aveo sales don't register with them. All they care about is a drop in Silverado or Tahoe sales. Its still a drop in the bucket of their overall sales picture. And trucks are king in that picture still, despite the Volt and minicar concepts that are on again off again.

But some of us GM fans would like a fuel efficient smaller car just because we want to save money on our commutes and our monthly payments. And we'd rather not buy a Toyota or Honda. And we're tired of the way Detroit deals with the Aveo as something it has to sell, as opposed to something it wants to sell.

We don't feel the urge to go out every 2 years and buy a new Silveradoburbanhoe to prop up GM's bottom line. At least I don't. Maybe I'm not the ideal GM fan.

Maybe Detroit doesn't want to sell me a value packed inexpensive vehicle like the Forenza wagon. Or one of these minicars. Maybe I'll just get one at a Suzuki dealer instead. Come back and ask me in June...

[yoblues]

GM has not fully flushed out the system yet. They still have too many suits who pine for the days when SUV's and Trucks carried the load and made all the money and they didn't have to tax their little heads about selling products like cars.