Talking Cars

This week in Germany, because there's the big car show going on Frankfurt, there's a lot of conversation and chatter going on between car companies, and environmental activists.

So the activists are going full-blast at the companies (like Audi, VW, BMW, and Mercedes) and saying they aren't making any real effort to flip consumers over to small cars, and AWAY from SUVs or big vehicles. 

It's an interesting conversation. 

The activists, I get the impression, never sit down with actual consumers or customers.  If they did, they'd find that no one wants the mini-SUVs because they don't really haul an adequate amount of cargo or kids, or passengers.  At some point in the last year.....I went and sat in the Nissan Rogue (it is what I'd consider a smaller SUV).  I might agree that the two front-seats are adequate for regular people.  The backseat?  It might be OK for two kids (I doubt that you could squeeze three 14-year old kids into it).....just my impression.  As for folding the seat down?  There's NOT that much extra room for hauling stuff.

This also is the problem with the MINI Clubman station wagon. 

The difference between the Audi Q2 and Q5?  I might agree (I sat in both) that the Q2 is a decent two adult/two kid vehicle but it's really not that big on the interior.  The Q5?  Yes, it's got the room for five adults with no argument. 

So I look at this argument by the environmentalists and the desire to PUSH consumers into something where they only have one single choice....the mini-SUV, and the unhappiness with the end-result.  At some point two years ago, in some TV forum....some environmentalist suggested the idea of a added tax on medium or larger SUVs sold in Germany. 

It's like people looking at the square footage in your home and thinking you need to downsize to x-number of square meters....to live a desirable life....and to lessen heat usage. 

The idea of selling the medium or larger SUVs to the same German customers....with a 1.4-liter sized engine and getting 70 mpg?  Why stop there?  Why not downsize it to 1.0-liter and make it a diesel engine.....getting 90 mpg?  Then you bring up the 'pep' or the go-power, with the customer standing there and laughing over what you offer.  No one will buy that type of vehicle.  VW and BMW will tell you that the customer has a list of demands, and they intend to sell them what they want. 

A big opera?  Yes, more or less.