Buyers shying away from large cars

[SlickHolden]

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/Ar...rticleID=12318

By Tim Dornin, AAP, 05/06/06

Large cars are on the nose in Australia, the latest sales figures confirming that buyers are turning their backs on the big Aussie six.


Large cars are on the nose in Australia, the latest sales figures confirming that buyers are turning their backs on the big Aussie six.

Demand for large cars slumped 27 per cent in May and was down 21 per cent in the first five months of 2006 as continued high petrol prices pushed consumers towards more fuel-efficient models.

Most large car brands suffered from the buyer backlash, with sales of even Australia's top-selling vehicle, the Holden Commodore, falling by 26 per cent.

Its traditional rival in the market, the Ford Falcon, also suffered a near 20 per cent slide in demand while the recently released Mitsubishi 380 continued to fall well short of its original sales forecast.

It meant six of Australia's top 10 selling models were now light or small cars, the best being the Toyota Corolla in second place with sales reaching 16,935 so far this year, an increase of seven per cent.

Other models to benefit from the sales shift included the Ford Focus with sales up a whopping 74 per cent, the Hyundai Getz up 23 per cent and the new Toyota Yaris which has attracted more than 10,000 buyers so far this year.

But it also meant a slump in demand for locally produced models with Australian-made vehicles dominating sales in the large car segment.

Over the first five months of 2006, sales of locally made cars fell by 20 per cent with imports now accounting for almost 80 per cent of all sales.

With petrol prices expected to remain high it seemed the only hope for the large car segment appeared the upcoming launch of new models, including the new VE Commodore and the Toyota Aurion in the third and fourth quarters this year.

Car companies and industry analysts said they expected the two new models to stimulate interest in the large car segment towards the end of 2006 and into 2007.

Holden spokesman Jason Laird said the company was working closely with its dealers to manage the inventory of its locally-made cars in the lead-up to the VE release.

"We are better off restricting supplies than making too many cars and leaving them in dealers' hands after we launch the new car," he said.

But he said the company was confident of lifting demand for the Commodore and its derivatives over the longer term.

"The best way to rebuild the large car market is with an all-new car and we're confident about what the future holds," he said

[NSXType-R]

This move is predictable around the world, not only Australia. What would you expect, move to bigger cars? Downsized cars will be the next craze whether you like it or not. I just hope American companies like GM and Ford get their act together and move with the market without stubbornly staying with the large car segment.

[The_Canuck]

The bad large car segment at that...

[SlickHolden]

What buyers need to understand is that petrol economy is so much better then it has ever been.
Take my Car:
1992 VP Commodore 4 door sedan 1330kg. 3.8lt V6 4 speed Auto. 127kw 293Nm ULP. Highway 8L/100. Local 14-16L/100. On Average going on my Friends Trip computer petrol average is 16.6L/100

2006 VZ Commodore 4 door sedan 1570kg. 3.6lt V6 4 speed Auto. 172kw 320Nm ULP. Highway 7.7L/100. Local 10-11L/100. On average it's about 11L/100.

So what you got there is 2 cars one is lighter with no safety at all less power etc. compared to the newer more heavier car more safer larger car.
I'm eating petrol now local of about 19-20L/100.
Both Holden and Ford Offer LPG on there cars, Both will probably use Diesel at some stage.
But go back in the 90's when petrol was cheap no-one cared about economy when it was pretty poor. Economy now a days is better by a mile, I'm not sure why people are Turing away from large cars just because they are large thats stupid. My Brothers BA Fairmont is a big car very heavy the other day when i was driving it i was checking out the trip computer and it was running @ 11.9L/100. A Little Proton Gen-2 5 speed manual runs @ 8.8L/100 Half the power and size half the safety half the reliability.

My brother drove to Queensland last year and got a best tank of 770km how good is that. I have herd of V6 VY's getting over 800km on going away on the highways.

In the end it's the drivers own driving ability that will give the car the best economy is he or she a led foot
In summer the little cars will eat petrol like a jumbo.
That little Proton Gen-2 that does 8.8L/100 does 10.9L/100 in summer with A/C. My brothers BA did 770km on 1 tank with A/C on.

And people haven't stopped buying V8's work that out? I don't think it's all Fuel i stick 68litres in my car today cost $89. I will get about 260km from that and you don't see me trading in my large car for a little wheat eater

[fpv_gtho]

If Ford and Holden embraced LPG completely they'd be sitting on a goldmine. Ford dont offer their engines with the same level of tech as in the petrol engines, and are only starting to spread the engine through the range. Holden seems more focused on cashing in on the diesel craze however

[SlickHolden]

We can slap them both around,
I must admit I'm maybe one of the biggest haters of LPG for years i have feared it safety not liked it's performance it's smell refuelling them anything to be honest, But say tomorrow both bring one out same spec as the petrol V6 about the same price i might consider it now?
Then again I'm not a diesel lover either

[Falcon500]

Originally Posted by fpv_gtho

Holden seems more focused on cashing in on the diesel craze however

too bad compared to the european and japense diesels they are crude and just posativly crap.

[fpv_gtho]

Well thats why theyre hoping to pick up some European diesels. The one they want to put in the Commodore is made in Italy i think

[Falcon500]

Originally Posted by fpv_gtho

Well thats why theyre hoping to pick up some European diesels. The one they want to put in the Commodore is made in Italy i think

Dear god no if its like most other things that the itallians build their be bits flying off it driving along and theirll be a sump and james bond oil spray comming yourway

But I hope the one their looking at is a winner because a good diesel in a 4x4 can be pretty effiecent (parents prado for example on the highway its gets 7l/100km! or something silly for a 2tons of toyota) so think of what it could be like in a good sized family sedan

[2ndclasscitizen]

IIRC Holden was going to use an Isuzu diesel

[Falcon500]

Originally Posted by 2ndclasscitizen

IIRC Holden was going to use an Isuzu diesel

Yeah but usually their rubbish. Even if they are jap their passenger vehical diesels are crude.

I was a tad unfair they are robust but still they are crude and inefficant comapred to other diesels.

[SlickHolden]

What happen to the 6.2LT V8 diesel holden had talked about when the hambergler was in charge?.

[2ndclasscitizen]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say they were lying.

Plus, it'd cost owners to much in tyres.

[fpv_gtho]

perhaps they stopped making it, or they realised they'd be shooting themselves in the foot having such a large engine, trying to be sold to people trying to save money.

then again, its also bigger then the LS2 and L76, so that wouldve killed the idea as well

[Falcon500]

Well the powerstroke 7l turbo diesel in the f-250 returns 25mpg (decent in general) from a near 3 ton vehical....