| <No.738> |
| Sedans Take Back Seat to SUVs, Trucks at 2019 Chicago Auto Show
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A special preview
for members of the media
at the annual Chicago Auto Show
is a chance
for manufacturers to show off their latest and greatest products
about to enter the market.
But what is notable about this year's show
is what some manufacturers aren't showing off -
new sedans.
"So, over 10 years now,
there has been a consistent movement of customers
in the United States and around the world,
but even more so in the United States,
moving away from sedans,
more traditional passenger sedans
into more utility vehicles."
Joe Hinrichs is president
of Ford Motor Company's Global Operations.
"They like the ride high,
seating height,
the utility of the vehicle.
And now, we can give them
the fuel efficiency
that they used to get
in sedans.
So, that's where customers are going.
Nearly 7 out of 10 vehicles
sold today
are trucks or SUVs
in the U.S. market,
and we continue to go where the market's going,
where the customers are."
But while Ford is giving new options for consumers,
it is also taking away models
of the Focus, Fiesta and Fusion cars,
ending production later this year.
"Well, we've been planning our business
to incorporate the expectation
that some of those cars will go away,
and then bring in new products
to the market."
The prominence, and choices, of SUVs,
crossovers and trucks
in General Motor's current lineup
stands in contrast
to its perennial auto show attraction
in recent years,
the Chevrolet Volt.
The Volt was the top-selling electric plug-in vehicle
of all time,
but the recent sagging sales have led GM
to cease production of the Volt
in March.
"Volt was a great product for us,
had a great run -
two generations.
But what has happened is
as the ability to produce pure electric
and the kind of cost configuration
and range of what people are looking for,
Volt had its time,
but was a great stepping stone
for us to lead to the future,
which was pure electrification."
Chevrolet does plan
to keep making a similar sounding car,
the Bolt, all-electric vehicle,
and the midsize-sedan Malibu,
among a few other options.
"So, we're not abandoning the car market completely.
We're right-sizing our portfolio.
We're reacting
to what the consumers are looking for."
What they are looking for
are trucks and SUVs,
which made up about 70 percent of the 17 million vehicles
sold in the U.S. in 2018,
a trend
expected to continue this year.
Kane Farabaugh, VOA News, Chicago, Illinois
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