The Ten Biggest Holes In The US Car Market

2540 Views 27 Replies 17 Participants Last post by F14CRAZY, Feb 7, 2015

EJD1984

Discussion Starter · Feb 5, 2015

The Ten Biggest Holes In The US Car Market
Jalopnik
Chris Perkins
02/05/2014

Even as automakers try to fill every ridiculous niche they think up (looking at you, luxury crossover "coupe"), there are massive holes in the US market that need filling.

10.) Cheap, Small, Fun Commuter
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8.) Shooting Brake
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6.) Ute
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4.) Wrangler Competitor
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2.) Affordable RWD Sedan
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*Full Article/List at Link

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Butz

· #2 · Feb 5, 2015 (Edited)

11) 660cc kei-cars

Not all kei-cars are fwd econoboxes. Honda Beat was mid engine rwd. Daihatsu Copen is coupe/convertible.

1957wildcat

· #3 · Feb 5, 2015

I read recently that Buick wanted to try to play in the "white space" in the market, where there is little or no competition. But I don't think that Buick would be the right fit for any of these 10 "holes." Thank you for posting it, EJD1984!

StarCruiser

· #4 · Feb 5, 2015

Hmmm...I wonder if Pontiac would have worked for some of these?

SeetheUSA

· #5 · Feb 5, 2015

I don't think the ute would do well, but I do agree that the Colorado should've been smaller (and cheaper). Not everyone wants a big vehicle.

F14CRAZY

· #6 · Feb 6, 2015

Forester/ XV Crosstrek are kind of close to being small, rugged off roaders.

Article cites the BRZ and FR-S twins as being cheap RWD "sports cars" but the Camaro and Mustang have lower MSRP's.

I would like a small truck though a Ute would be just fine too. I'd take the Chevrolet Tornado actually.

An affordable RWD sedan wouldn't be bad. I guess the cheapest route to that is currently the ATS.

ABOVE ALL, however, is the afford gullwing-ed door vehicle

Neanderthal

· #7 · Feb 6, 2015

Little pickup? Like the 1978-ish Ford Courier? THAT is a small pickup. I drove one for a car dealer in a previous life. Incredibly rugged, fun to drive, don't recall how many passengers **** their pants during the "courtesy" ride home, but the car--uhh, truck--was great fun and freakin indestructible.

Ute? See Hyundai. Not Pontiac.

Shooting Brake? Is this for real? That thing looks like an AMC Pacer or whatever that greenhouse car was named. The photo in the article show a combination of ugly and awkward. MAYBE that's why they don't exist? Crimminey.

Affordable RWD sedan? Chevette. BRING IT BACK! As a plus, Chibby won't have to rack their poor brains working out a name for it.

Small rugged 4x4? Go buy a Soobie. And have yourself a nice day, ya' heah?

Wrangler competitor? GM shut down Hummah.

Cheap RWD "sports car." Miata.

Sub-$10,000 car. Look, it's 2015, not 1985. Inflation.

Affordable mid-engine car. What's affordable? And who's going to buy it? People are buying wagons, not sports cars. Get a freakin grip.

Cheap small fun commuter? A dozen, easily. If you drive them hard, they're fun. It's the singer, not the song. Wearing an Elvis outfit will not make you The King.

Next question?

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richmond2000

· #8 · Feb 6, 2015

in Canada Both the Mits colt and Nissan micra are both under 10K
affordable RWD sports car = Miata Mustang Camaro FR-S/BR-Z
a RWD 4 DR sedan would be nice (say code sedan and COUPE)
the UTE + a true MINI pick up both I think are more of a "wanted" item that will not generate sales to make it worth the effort
a cheep 4X4 and a Jeep competitor are IMHO both segments there is demand for but nobody will "get off the pot" and do it

posaune

· #9 · Feb 6, 2015

StarCruiser said:
Hmmm...I wonder if Pontiac would have worked for some of these?

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carbarrister

· #10 · Feb 6, 2015

How about a replacement for the Solstice/Sky? Too bad GM couldn't develop them further and find a place for them in its portfolio. Other than the Miata there is not much.

posaune

· #11 · Feb 6, 2015

10.) Cheap, Small, Fun Commuter

9.) Affordable Mid Engined Car

“Affordable” is relative. $25K? $35K?

8.) Shooting Brake

Should be combined with #6 (Ute), #5 (cheap RWD sports car) and #2 (Affordable RWD Sedan).

7.) Sub-$10k Car

Chevy Spark starts at $12K. Is there a market for something less powerful and less equipped that Americans will actually purchase?

6.) Ute

Could be combined with the Shooting brake program (#8) and

5.) Cheap RWD Sports Car

Funny they mention the FR-S/BRZ but not the less expensive (and more powerful) Camaro.
Combine all of these Cheap/affordable RWD ute, sedan, shooting brake into one vehicle line starting below Camaro. Also, no coupe as it would compete with the entry level Camaro.

4.) Wrangler Competitor

Click to expand...

3.) Small, Rugged 4x4

Click to expand...

Combine these two. No need for two separate models to play in this market space so closely.

2.) Affordable RWD Sedan

As I said earlier, combine this with the Ute and Shooting brake.

1.) Small Truck

Ute can cover this. Have a package that provides a little more ground clearance over the basic, car based Ute.

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Myron 65

· #12 · Feb 6, 2015

Fixed metal roof solid axle 4x4 SUV.

paul8488

· #13 · Feb 6, 2015

Some of these need to be taken with a grain of salt. As several posters have mentioned, what is 'affordable'? How far below Spark can you go and not be selling a Nano? IF there are fewer and fewer coupes these days, I don't see a shooting brake being much of a success (even if I love the bodystyle myself). People need to get used to 50 shades of crossover, because the market has spoken and that's what the buying public wants.

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Neanderthal

· #14 · Feb 6, 2015

posaune said:

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

paul8488 said:
Some of these need to be taken with a grain of salt. As several posters have mentioned, what is 'affordable'? How far below Spark can you go and not be selling a Nano? IF there are fewer and fewer coupes these days, I don't see a shooting brake being much of a success (even if I love the bodystyle myself). People need to get used to 50 shades of crossover, because the market has spoken and that's what the buying public wants.

Lots of salt. But the guy had to have 10 on his list, his editor demanded it, so there ya go!:fall:

Z284ever

· #15 · Feb 6, 2015

Affordable RWD sedan. The mission should be given to GM India and base it off of this mini people mover, the Chevrolet Tavera platform. It's got a live axle with leaf springs. Anyone gotta problem with that? Sell it for $16K with a 2.5L and a 5 speed manual.

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posaune

· #16 · Feb 6, 2015

Z284ever said:
Affordable RWD sedan. The mission should be given to GM India and base it off of this mini people mover, the Chevrolet Tavera platform. It's got a live axle with leaf springs. Anyone gotta problem with that? Sell it for $16K with a 2.5L and a 5 speed manual.

Wouldn't that have been a place to start for a C130R type vehicle? How much reengineering would be required to pass U.S. safety regulations? My guess, a ton.

paul8488

· #17 · Feb 6, 2015

Z284ever said:
Affordable RWD sedan.

I like the idea, but manufacturers aren't interested in selling affordable anythings these days. In the era of 270 hp Camrys and 50 grand Explorers, I fear that the era of 'affordable' stripper-type cars is long gone. Even the Sonic comes with a long list of tech goodies and options that most people can't live without, and the manufacturers want to sell to THOSE guys, not us handful of weirdos that might like a true basic stripper.

Z284ever

· #18 · Feb 6, 2015

posaune said:
Wouldn't that have been a place to start for a C130R type vehicle? How much reengineering would be required to pass U.S. safety regulations? My guess, a ton.

I believe that this is Suzuki based, unlike the Chinese based Enjoy. So maybe not as much re-engineering as the Enjoy. But that's why you have GM India do the engineering, where engineering costs less than 10% of what it does in the US.

Z284ever

· #19 · Feb 6, 2015

paul8488 said:
I like the idea, but manufacturers aren't interested in selling affordable anythings these days. In the era of 270 hp Camrys and 50 grand Explorers, I fear that the era of 'affordable' stripper-type cars is long gone. Even the Sonic comes with a long list of tech goodies and options that most people can't live without, and the manufacturers want to sell to THOSE guys, not us handful of weirdos that might like a true basic stripper.

Very true.

GM, however, will be showing a "concept" stripper, Silverado pickup truck at the Chicago show next week. We'll see what that's all about.

Reactions: 1

Ruperts Trooper

· #20 · Feb 6, 2015

Z284ever said:
Affordable RWD sedan. The mission should be given to GM India and base it off of this mini people mover, the Chevrolet Tavera platform. It's got a live axle with leaf springs. Anyone gotta problem with that? Sell it for $16K with a 2.5L and a 5 speed manual.

Not another Isuzu design rebadged as GM ?

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