Adventra was a failure? So why was the Volvo XC90 a "success"?

[NU13]

For me when i think of Holden's i think performance cars that don't cost the earth. Going off road in a road going performance vehicle isn't the first thing that springs to mind.

 

[Grennan]

A piss weak government allowing Aust to compete with third world wages.

Come on now. Keep this for the jokes section. Piss weak Govt would continue subsidizing a failing industry indefinitely.

It was simply not marketed. There was very little advertising for it. They were seen as a Commodore extension and should have been sold and marketed differently, much like the Territory which is a large Falcon is marketed differently and is quite successful as a family tank.

The Coupe4 is an amazing machine. I dont think the Holden AWD system in them is particularly fantastic but still was very surprised these weren't the ducks nuts.

Volvo has brand recognition as an extremely safe vehicle. Put the euro bashing aside and open both your eyes. Youre a 35 year old mother who has to make a decision in what to drive their kids to school in everyday. Volvo, reknown around the world as being ultra safe. Holden Adventra, not marketed very well, confused as to if its a SUV or a high wagon. Essentially a commodore.

I dont agree with the Volvo being the better car or the Adventra being the worse one, a brand and reputation goes a long way. Holdens AWD range simply was not marketed well and was often forgotten about.

 

[mpower]

Come on now. Keep this for the jokes section. Piss weak Govt would continue subsidizing a failing industry indefinitely.

oh you're one of those people.

all govts in all countries provide incentives to automakers.

GMH were not failing, but they were a bit lazy.

 

[commodore665]

oh you're one of those people.

all govts in all countries provide incentives to automakers.

GMH were not failing, but they were a bit lazy.

No more so than in the marketing department

 

[Grennan]

oh you're one of those people.

all govts in all countries provide incentives to automakers.

GMH were not failing, but they were a bit lazy.

Not to get to off topic here, but GMH wasnt the only party at play. GMH was seen as one of GM's strongest brands. However, their marketing department had eyes only for the Commodore, which the market was shying away from. Which trying to remain somewhat relevant was the issue with the Adventra. Look at brands such as the Cruze, Epica, Trax. Have you heard of the Malibu or know what it is? I would call not advertising your small to medium car and SUV range as an inept failure on behalf of GMH.

Failure to adapt to a changing market goes through GMH and into Detroit and they demanded more and more subsidies to account for the rising cost in our manufacturing. If someone keeps demanding money yet shows no interest in changing a business model, the responsible thing is to not keep giving them cash hand over fist, I mean thats business investment 101. Similar to how they were bailed out during the GFC, their Govt told them to make changes otherwise they would get no more money, so the Pontiac, Saab brands were sold.

Smart thing to do would have been to focus a lot more on their medium sized cars like Ford are now doing with their global branded Mondeo. However the Epica here was the epitome of failure. The Cruze is seen as junk and I thought the Malibu was a 4WD.

"One of those people". Yes, I am one of those people who sees the writing on the wall. You can continue to support them through hand outs and yes that is what almost every country does, however next year theyre going to ask for more money and the year after and the year after. The head offices in the US (Ford and GM) were looking for any chance to pull out here and have been for years. At what point do you say enough is enough, either you change something or were not tolerating being held for ransom?

Blaming the current Govt here is not the correct call. There are so many entities that have had their hand in the collective downfall of manufacturing over the course of many years that blaming a Govt of the past even say 5-10 years would be incredibly short sighted.

 

[Pete_perth]

I feel the same about my Adventra. If you read the very early reviews when it first came out, they were quite positive, although some mentioned the high fuel consumption, not sure what people were expecting from a two ton V8 though. Then for some reason, there was a shift in the thinking, I am not sure what happened, but the Adventra was being criticised left, right and centre. Territory was all the rage and Kluger had the Toyota fans by the truckload, even though in some comparisons the Adventra won out. I think what probably doomed the Adventra was not its competence but the fact that most people saw it as a Commodore wagon on stilts and it was easy to pick on from that point on by lazy motoring journo's. Whereas Territory was a whole new body shape which matched the perception of SUV and Kluger was all new. By the time the V6 Adventra came out, it was all a catch up game.

 

[XUV]

I seriously love my Adventra. It drives like you own the road, and feels like it can go anywhere (even though that's not quite true).
It's amazingly rock solid on gravel, dirt & wet roads, and it's so roomy that sleeping in it is like being in a big capsule hotel.

Still, it was a failure in the Australian market, and in light of this, I regard my Addy like you would a big, strong, comfortable, loveable, loyal & dependable but stupid dog that drinks too much.

So the Volvo XC90 is a puzzle.
I saw one the other day, and that got me doing some research.

It's like a European Adventra. Looks very similar, weighs about the same, has about the same capacity & general capabilities.
In fact, it's not quite as good as the Adventra.
Most models are underpowered, from all accounts, it doesn't drive as well, isn't as good on dirt roads or mud, and drinks even more.

Yet it's been regarded as a success for a decade, and is still being made to this day!
But the Adventra, which arguably is the same if not better, isn't.

So WHY??

Why? because it's ergonomically perfect family vehicle, with the right sized tyres and engine choices.

My cousin had one.

The Adventra came close but tyre sizer and lack of a diesel, plus being caned by the media, that kept comparing it to a Patrol or Land Cruiser .

Had it had 29-30 inch tyres and a diesel it would have sold more.

 

[commodore665]

Cars like the XC90, Porsche Cayenne , and BMW's X5 , and their ilk , appeal to a certain type , think angry blonde anorexic soccer mum , the Adventurer, now Captiva , Territory , Kluger , and the Mazda CX5 , have there own customer base , the bloke who tows his boat to the crib for the weekend and takes three mates along , they're not bad cars in their own right , but none of them have the quality of the Euro models , which sadly tend to be driven by knob ends , and as mentioned angry blonde anorexic soccer mums . Reminds me of the old line , "Whats the difference between a Porsche and hedge hog ?, the Porsche has the prick on the inside " .

 

[commodore665]

double post sorry

 

[Grennan]

Cars like the XC90, Porsche Cayenne , and BMW's X5 , and their ilk , appeal to a certain type , think angry blonde anorexic soccer mum , the Adventurer, now Captiva , Territory , Kluger , and the Mazda CX5 , have there own customer base , the bloke who tows his boat to the crib for the weekend and takes three mates along , they're not bad cars in their own right , but none of them have the quality of the Euro models , which sadly tend to be driven by knob ends , and as mentioned angry blonde anorexic soccer mums . Reminds me of the old line , "Whats the difference between a Porsche and hedge hog ?, the Porsche has the prick on the inside " .

...youve nailed the Cayenne on the head.

But they are also legit pieces of ****.