Lutz on Beat: "We Always Thought We'd Do It at Some Point, but Now It Obviously Enjoys a Much Higher Priority"
Give all the hype surrounding Chevrolet's forthcoming plug-in electric – gas Volt, I guess we've got to call the Chevrolet Beat GM's mini-Hail Mary. Or is that MINI Hail Mary? Actually, let's stick with the small "m." Lest we forget, the Beat is/would be no less a Daewoo than the South Korean-built Aveo. Regardless, GM's Car Czar Maximum Bob himself is floating the micro-car-shaped trial balloon to The Wall Street Journal, as above. Freelancing Detroit News scribe Sharon Terlep's lead makes it clear that obfuscation is the order of the day. "General Motors said it is giving a higher priority to deciding whether it will bring the next-generation Chevrolet Beat mini car — a vehicle it sells overseas — to the U.S. market in the 2012 timeframe." [Note: higher. Not highest.] Meanwhile, Ford is making a similar move. I mean, mulling. "Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it has no plans on the table to bring its micro-sized Ka mini car to the U.S., but it is monitoring the success that Smart is having. 'We have small cars on the shelf all around the world,' Ford spokesman Jay Ward said. 'If at some point we decide to bring [the Ka] over here, we would be in a position to do so.'" Sensible caution or institutional paralysis? We report, you deride.
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I had a Chevy dealer right across the street -- I could see the lot from my windows (dealer shut down last year). Aveos and Cobalts were in the back and just weren't moving -- I'd see the same ones every day. Of course, the profit per sale was probably a couple of hundred dollars versus several thousand. So what you're saying is that, up until the last 6 months, Chevy dealers were stocking unpopular SUVs and trucks instead of the "popular" subcompacts. Sadly, everyone other car maker tried to get on the gravy train, and they probably regret it now. Toyota, Honda, Hyundai/Kia, Nissan didn't introduce full-size trucks and SUVs because they were poor sellers.
Chrysler will beat them by at least 2 years with the Dodge Hornet. The Beat "enjoys" a "higher" priority? Gee, take your time fellas!
Regarding the contrasting opinions of Stein X and Autobrás... the Ford Ka. It's a mini car. Not a compact. A compact is Fiesta sized (more like subcompact to Americans) "moves" with a 1.2 L engine, and goes like s... with anything above 1.6L (fast sprints, low final speed of course). A Ka however could make it in the US a fashion icon. Something totally hollywood. Give one to Paris Hilton (trash selling trash, this is just so modern there's no way in hell it wouln't work, LOL), it could make it. So mechanicals, yes, like Europe and Brazil, but interiors, make them gorgeous. Small, space saving, green like anything, premium interior and sound system, but most importantly. Something significant to younger buyers. Just what Ford needs.
Sorry this kind of got hijacked into a Ford Ka thread. All the more proof positive to what I'll say next Mr Farago. The Ford Ka just keeps creeping up on these pages. How about some in-depth analysis by some of your oh-so talented writers? Sounds like a good, controversial editorial to me. And maybe, just maybe, it'll will wake Ford up before Fiat comes in and steals Ford's thunder with its 500