DETROIT – Remember a decade or so ago, when those mastodon-sized SUVs like the Ford Excursion, the Dodge Durango and the GMC Yukon Denali plodded down the highways and drank fuel like a bunch of frat boy partiers? Well, Americans quickly proved they were unable and unwilling to keep feeding the gas-guzzlers things that were eating up their paychecks.
This year, the compact cars are the big stars at the North American International Auto Show. In an era when gas prices creep north of $3 a gallon — again — this time the Big Three automakers are competing in a market they got routed in by their foreign competitors in the late ’90s and early part of the 21st century. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler don’t intend to make that mistake again, which is why they unveiled subcompact sedans and coupes to critical praise at the world’s largest auto exhibition.
GM premiered two all-new small cars on Jan. 10, 2011 — actually three: the compact Buick Verano and the even smaller and sportier Chevrolet Sonic. Their debuts coincide with GM’s announcement in October that its flagship brand, Cadillac, would add a compact model to its lineup, the CTS V-Coupe. Ford Motor Co. will showcase its C-Max, a seven-passenger compact minivan.
Chrysler, through its Italian partner Fiat SpA, put the tiny Fiat 500 on the U.S. market in December. The Chevrolet Spark debuts in 2012.
And when you add GM’s Chevy Volt and the Chevy Cruze, their car sizes are shrinking as fast as the brands they keep within their portfolio (down to four).
Yes, the Big Three are going Very Small. What’s going on?
“The timing might be idealbecause gasoline is north of $3 a gallon,” said Joe Phillippi, of AutoTrends Consulting in Short Hills, N.J, in one of a phalanx of news conferences during the week-long auto show. “People are going to be looking for greater fuel efficiency.”
The Big Three aren’t alone. Among Detroit’s foreign rivals, Honda Motor Co. plans to unveil a concept model of its Civic, the top-selling compact car in the United States. Even automotive royalty like Germany’s BMW and Mercedes-Benz will introduce new small cars.
Today, the subcompact segment has nine contenders, including newcomers Ford Fiesta and Mazda 2, which went on sale last year. Smaller offerings — micro-cars — are also hitting the market. –terry shropshire
