10 Reasons Why the Freep– and Detroit– Don't Get It
Ever since TTAC began, we’ve been arguing that carmakers (including everybody) are making too many models for too many brands, denying themselves the benefits of customer loyalty and ever-improving design, mechanical and service-related excellence. Perhaps the recent “downturn” would convince these manufacturers to throttle back on the whole BUT WAIT! THERE’S THIS! thing. Nope. The automotive Powers that Be (and the pistonhead chattering classes) continue to adhere to The Magic Feather School of Flying Elephants New Product Development. In fact, now that Detroit’s lack of foresight has put The Big 2.8 in a paddle-less predicament at the top of excrement creek, they’re even more desperate to throw a four-wheeled Hail Mary. In this The Detroit Free Press is a more-than-willing accomplice. “10 vehicles that will redefine the auto industry in the next year” perpetuates the myth that a turnaround is only a vehicle– or ten– away. And the “winners” are… 2009 Audi A4, 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, 2024 Chevrolet Camaro (I kid), 2009 Dodge Ram, 2009 Ford F-150, 2010 Honda Insight, 2010 Lincoln MKT, 2009 Toyota Venza, 2010 Toyota Prius, 2009 Mazda6. Redfinition? You’re kidding, right? No Volt action? Damn! Meanwhile… Camry, Corolla, Accord, etc.
More by Robert Farago
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I see no problem with introducing new models, as long as it is not done at the expense of updating and improving existing ones. Ford is definately on the right track here, as long as it can keep up with the timetables set for refreshes. GM is doing better than it has in the past, Chrysler, well, who knows what the hell is going on at Chrysler anymore. New vehicles are good to tap new markets, and to bring in conquest buyers from other brands, but as mentioned above, they have to be developed and supported if they are to survive. While Toyota and Honda have done a great job continually evolving the Civic/Corolla/Camry/Accord, I would never buy any of them simply because they have had all of the fun and quirkiness engineered out of them by now. The 2009 Ram seems to be coming to market at the wrong time. The coil springs may help with making the ride better, but time will tell how they hold up for actual truck work. Dodge has come up with a great feature for a lux-truck just as the market for lux-trucks is dying. The MKT could be big, depending on how it looks when it finally hits the market. The only real complaint anyone has about the Flex is the styling, so if the MKT looks great, sales will come.
2010 Rams and F150s with $6/gal fuel in Florida? Plug in Prius and Insight have potential. What will it take to pump their mpg up even higher? What if they get greater then 40 mile all battery range before the Volt is ever released and sell for half the Volts price? The Volt might be like the Ford Edge. Sure, it might be a nice vehicle. But the price prevents a lot of people from picking one up. The only thing that could save trucks is if they become cheap again. And people can afford to use them as work trucks. I remember a 1977 Chevy truck. It didn't have a headliner in it. It was the smooth painted metal underside of the roof. No sagging headliner in that vehicle. That was a good truck too.
A good definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. they are apparantly still crazy after all these years.
Is the Mazda considered a Detroit vehicle? If not, then the domestic vehicles in the list are all light trucks and the foreign vehicles are all cars. Seems like the 1990's all over again.