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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    The Pacifica doesn't have rear wheel drive for racing pedigree.
  2. smk4565
    The Metris is pretty sweet. You can get power heated seats, blind spot monitoring, active lane keep assist, radar cruise control, rain sense wipers, Sat-Nav turbo, 7-speed, alloy wheels for like $33k.
  3. smk4565
    The problem with just doing a more powerful version is the price point. A $50,000 or $60,000 Kia isn't going to sell. The K900 proves that, the Cadenza is a sales did also. Their path to success here is Optima level interior with with rear drive and turbo 4 and 6 cylinder engines priced $30-40k.
  4. smk4565
    Agreed with Cubical, the Polo wouldn't sell here. They need a CUV smaller and cheaper than the Tiguan, which I know they have on the way.
  5. smk4565
    There is a Jaguar E-Pace going on sale later in the year too in the small crossover market. And then an I-Pace electric crossover that I think goes on sale next year.
  6. smk4565
    The new X3 is up to 186 inches long, sort of long since a GLC is 183 inches. But they want an X2 and an X1 below it, so they probably figure they can make the X3 grow. The Cherokee is actually only 182 inches long, I thought it was a little bigger. Jeep actually has 3 crossovers smaller than an Equinox, it goes to show how much opportunity there is in that small crossover segment, and how much Jeep needs something bigger than Grand Cherokee, which I know is coming.
  7. smk4565
    The C-class is a very well executed car, but it is also $5-7,000 more than some of its competitors and it outsells them all, since BMW split the 3 and 4 series up. If the CLA was the only way Mercedes got sales then the C-class outsell the CLA 4 to 1 and the GLE wouldn't be the #2 seller at the brand. You can't say the CLA hurts the brand, when the rest of the brand is doing well. The GLE is priced like a CT6. If the CT6 had GLE volume, Mary Barra and Johan DeNysschen would be throwing wheel barrows of cash off the top floor of Renaissance Center and dancing in the streets because they wouldn't know what to do with themselves.
  8. smk4565
    But yet their ATP is higher than Cadillac, GASP! And they sell more $100,000 cars than anyone else in the world, Double GASP!
  9. smk4565
    The Durango is a full size SUV though too, the X3 is the size of a Buick Envision or Jeep Compass.
  10. smk4565
    Won't hurt them one bit. C-class sales have gone up since the CLA launch, E-class sales are up this year, and this is when sedans at most luxury brands are down 25%. S-class is still #1 in its segment by a comfortable margin. 2015 was a record years in sales and net profit for Mercedes, 2016 they broke the 2015 record. So the numbers say the CLA has not hurt. What is important about the AMG GT sedan, and Project One, is that electrification is coming to AMG. And what will spread through out the line, all the way down to the CLA eventually. This will allow for smaller, more fuel efficient engines with more power. So no, the high end hybrids won't sell big numbers, but they pave the way for the technology.
  11. smk4565
    Not like a Lexus RX, Lincoln MKC or Acura RDX can go off road either. This thing can do 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, that is pretty strong for a crossover. And an M version is coming because Mercedes makes a GLC63.
  12. smk4565
    Very impressive off road ability to drive on top of that 3 inch high rock.
  13. smk4565
    I ment Envision before when I said Encore about people thinking an Envision is roomier than a LaCrosse. Buyers see crossovers, even small ones as more room than a full size sedan. Every mid-size sedan is pretty good now, but the Camry hybrid beats the Volt by 10 mpg when the Volt isn't charged ahead of time. That is pretty crazy, and exciting because 50 mpg is the new standard for the mid-size segment, you'll see everyone there within a couple years.
  14. smk4565
    Well a Maybach S-class has 120 cubic feet of interior space, but now a days when people want interior space they buy an SUV. I bet a lot of people that walk into a Buick showroom find the Encore roomier than a LaCrosse just because of the body shape, it plays tricks on people's minds.
  15. smk4565
    I don't know if it is down sizing, but shift in preference. Look a 90s Corolla or Civic compared to a 2005 compared to now. The current Civic looks huge compared to an old one. Look at a Cavalier parked next to a Cruze, huge difference. So some segments they are making cars bigger, but fun size cars are just disappearing.
  16. smk4565
    Correction to my earlier post, I forgot the Fusion sport has the most horsepower in the segment, the Camry's 301 is 2nd I think.
  17. smk4565
    Chevy is getting a version of the Acadia as their middle crossover. Chevy has room for another crossover but really GMC could use an off road or off road looking SUV or crossover. Cadillac needs a minimum 3 crossovers. Whether you are selling t-shirts, French fry orders or crossovers you have to have small, medium and large. The Escalade serves at the XL, but there could be room for an xtra small too. The 2018 Camry blows away the Malibu and everyone else in that segment. And I always thought the Camry was a miserable car, but the new one is best inclass power, best in class fuel economy, it has like 6 trim levels, the interior looks good, and we know it is reliable because it is a Camry. Supposedly it even drives well now.
  18. smk4565
    They should do a 2-door MacGyver edition in slate gray with a winch and Swiss Army knife and medical kit accessories.
  19. smk4565
    Exactly, "cars" that don't sell. Crossovers and trucks make up 67% of the auto industry now. If you have crossovers, you make money, you can pay for R&D and advertising, etc.
  20. smk4565
    To the first question, Mercedes did as the GLK came out in 2008, that was their 4th SUV at the time. They were ready. I actually think Chevy could get 2 more crossovers in their line up, one between Equinox and Traverse we know is coming, and I think they could get a crossover below Traxx or drop Traxx down in price and get one in between that and Equinox. Cadillac has the XT4 already coming, I would also do an Alpha crossover, an Omega crossover and depending on the price point of the Omega, I could see a Cadillac version of the Enclave. Cadillac could put out 5 crossovers, and all 5 would outsell their best selling sedan. It happened at Buick, all those crossovers kill the sedans in sales, it is happening at Jaguar, and even Maserati's #1 seller is a crossover.
  21. smk4565
    The GL/GLS are probably similar to Escalade off road, but the G-wagen in unmatched. A G550 has 30 degree approach and departure angles these go to 51 front and 43 rear on the 4x4 squared model. G550 can wade 23.6 inches of water, 39.4 on the 4x4 squared.
  22. smk4565
    You can get portal axles on the G550 and get 24 inches of ground clearance which I believe doubles what the F150 Raptor has. Think about that, double the ground clearance of a Raptor which is made for off roading. The GLE and GLS share a platform updated in 2012 from a platform shared with the mid 2000s Grand Cherokee and ML. I read GLE and GLS may move to a version of the MRA platform next year, which will cut serious weight.
  23. smk4565
    An Escalade has limited off road ability. It doesn't have great approach or departure angles, it doesn't have locking differentials, and it even has a solid rear axle, doesn't have adjustable height suspension, etc. Escalade would never keep up with a Range Rover or G-class in severe off roading. I think only a Wrangler could match the G-class off road.
  24. smk4565
    That is probably very accurate. Mercedes as brand has a high 50s buyer age and has for the past decade or so. CLA at 46 makes sense, it is going for people that never bought a Mercedes and the younger buyer. And the industry average new car buyer is near 50 as it is. Young people can't afford new car prices.
  25. smk4565
    No, a 4 door coupe is pretty much a sedan. But Cadillac has 1 coupe and 0 convertibles. Mercedes has 4, 2-door coupes and 6 convertibles, which I even think is a bit excessive. Hard to criticize Mercedes as bland though, when they have ten 2-door cars, 20 some AMG products, hard core off roaders, etc.
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