Y’know if they hadn’t killed off all of their fuel efficient sedan models they’d have a fuel efficient small car to offer the people shocked by gas prices…
People really weren’t buying those though. It’s a hot take, but I think they made the right choice on that one. They followed it up with the wrong choice to not develop hybrid wagons/cross overs. I don’t think anyone saw the return of the minivan.
People stopped buying sedans because the car industry made a concerted effort to demarket them. They’ve been pushing SUVs for nearly 30 years, trying really hard to get people to stop buying sedans and were too successful. Now there’s a fuel crisis and no sedans in production (from American brands at least) so the manufacturers are getting caught with their pants down again
I do wonder if the fleet market is sufficient to keep both sedans and vans in production, since each makes a very competent fleet vehicle platform for different usecases, see the venerable Crown Victoria for example
I’m not sure. I think they were reacting to buyers, not the other way around. I remember the late 90s and early 2000s. SUVs and crossovers were relatively new and exploding in popularity. Partly as a back lash against the “soccer mom” minivan stereotype. I never liked them, but I also never liked sedans. I’m definitely a wagon guy. It’s sad that they all became crossovers.
Companies are scrambling to start making more hybrids and EVs now with gas prices so high and EVs in such high demand.
Y’know if they hadn’t killed off all of their fuel efficient sedan models they’d have a fuel efficient small car to offer the people shocked by gas prices…
People really weren’t buying those though. It’s a hot take, but I think they made the right choice on that one. They followed it up with the wrong choice to not develop hybrid wagons/cross overs. I don’t think anyone saw the return of the minivan.
People stopped buying sedans because the car industry made a concerted effort to demarket them. They’ve been pushing SUVs for nearly 30 years, trying really hard to get people to stop buying sedans and were too successful. Now there’s a fuel crisis and no sedans in production (from American brands at least) so the manufacturers are getting caught with their pants down again
I do wonder if the fleet market is sufficient to keep both sedans and vans in production, since each makes a very competent fleet vehicle platform for different usecases, see the venerable Crown Victoria for example
I’m not sure. I think they were reacting to buyers, not the other way around. I remember the late 90s and early 2000s. SUVs and crossovers were relatively new and exploding in popularity. Partly as a back lash against the “soccer mom” minivan stereotype. I never liked them, but I also never liked sedans. I’m definitely a wagon guy. It’s sad that they all became crossovers.