Your argument fails right there. The small car segment of the market has grown steadily over the last 25 years or so. Most recently it has been only slightly ahead of the entire market growth. The segment of the market that has outstripped everything is the SUV/BOF Ute segments which have grown by huge amounts. Heck - the Hilux even pops up as most sales per month on occasion. If the criteria above were so important these days why is this segment growing so fast?
If you are making burgers when everyone wants salads, you won't be selling a lot of salads. Given that people probably also tow less these days RWD is losing its appeal (people usually tow with larger SUVs and 4x4 utes). You can now get a Fiat 500 for $15k driveaway, and an entry level alfa romeo for $25k. How can holden commodore compete with that? If a company is losing money due to unpopular products, and it is getting continuously getting bailed out by government, the we the taxpayers should then have a say in what products they should sell even if its just to break even.....
You are closer to the mark here. It's actually about fashion. Cute small/large SUV's are in fashion, traditional sedans are out.
I would be happy with govco bailing out GMH if GMH said 'ok after the VF no more large rear wheel drive cars - they are just not selling'. Opel-based cars seem to go well here both sales and critics wise.
Really??? Before the latest GM DAT based cars we had the Opel import Barina, Astra and Vectra. All were excellent competitors in their segment but in each case volumes were very low due to price. Unfortunately in the micro - medium segments $$$ is king. Those wanting to spend the money wanted a Mercedes, Audi or BMW badge. It'll be interesting to see how Opel goes now they are selling the essentially same cars under their own marque.
Why not tool up so that we build the astra/barina/insignia or combinations thereof after 2016? Being a Korean/Asian design Cruze is a bit ordinary, which is why it isn't selling as well as it could....
Cruze has struggled largely because of it's lacklustre motor. The latest MY14 by all reports seems to have improved markedly with the latest generation infotainment system should pick up in volume. It's only been on sale since late May so the June/July figures will be interesting to read.
Commodores appeal to different buyers to fiats and alphas. If Holden produced a small car like that in Australia people would still buy the fiat if they could because its European and city-flash. The small Holden would compete with Kia and so forth.
Small cars are of no use to me due to the number of kids. I'd never buy a small Holden, but would have to go for a bigger and less economical SUV, like thousands of my neighbours. And interstate trips will always be by car because air
Lines are not cheap for families the way they are for singles/couples.
Despite what people like to believe the days of the big vehicles are not over yet, and the competition is large uneconomic SUVs, not with tiny models.
The one thing I will add to that is everybody seems to love the gucci euro style but as shown by the recent VW debarcle - they do have their own fair share of problems and some of them are quite catastrophic.