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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    Citroen and Peugeot outsell Dodge, and have better margin. If Chrysler stays then they are getting straight badge jobs I image.
  2. smk4565
    Carlos Tavares, the man now in charge of Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler and Fiat. If he keeps Chrysler here they will be 100% badge swapped cars from the European stable and probably same for Dodge in time.
  3. smk4565
    I think he has a better chance with Peugeot than Opel or Citroen, and Chrysler and Fiat are dead weight that are only kept around out of nostalgia of the owners of Fiat-Chrysler, but FCA as a company is gone and Carlos has no nostalgia for them. If you read up on Tavares, he has a no private jets rule, he personally travels economy class on planes and trains, this guy is a cost cutter extraordinaire, and he doesn't care about volume, only cares about profitability and making money. GM could never make money on Opel, he made money on it in 18 months. This guy will be aggressive, slash through the dead weight and push Peugeot and DS where he makes margin.
  4. smk4565
    Dodge, Chrysler and Fiat have negative images. Carlos is going to bring something here, and I am betting that it isn't going to be Opel.
  5. smk4565
    Peugeot is the #1 selling brand worldwide for Stellantis and the guy that runs the company is from the Carlos Ghosn school of cost cutting. He has zero emotional connection to Dodge or Chrysler or Fiat, he is going to push what makes money and my guess is he sees money to be made with Peugeot's crossovers being sort of his GMC/Buick competitor as something a little more stylish and upscale than Chevy/Toyota mainstream offerings.
  6. smk4565
    Fiat will be gone, I think 2021 model year is rumored as the final one for the Chrysler 300. So if Chrysler is only 1 minivan, they can just move that to Dodge and close down Chrysler. That gives Stellantis Dodge-Jeep for American flavor, and they'll bing in Peugeot for European flavor and put that in the same dealerships. And Ram will stay as it is with American sourced pickups and European sourced vans.
  7. smk4565
    All that aside, if they offered the 86/BRZ with the 241 hp turbo from Lexus, they could do that as a stand alone $2k option, and broaden the appeal. Probably they'll do it in the final model year when sales are dropping off just before they kill the car. It isn't so much about what the competition has, but people just walking away from the BRZ/86 due to it being low on power.
  8. smk4565
    I have not driven either, but there aren't many cars in this segment. I have driven the Genesis Coupe with a V6 years ago, that at least had 300 hp for similar money to the BRZ/86. A Nissan 370Z is the same price and has 332 hp and it is is a fairly light weight car, smaller than something like a Camaro or Mustang. And I don't expect the 86 to drop a 300 hp V6 in there, but I don't see why they can't offer the 241 hp turbo 4 in the Lexus IS or the 268 hp Subaru WRX engine. Either would work and make this car worth $34k.
  9. smk4565
    It would be a slow racing series and no one want to watch a one make race. 154 lb-ft just isn’t enough for over $30k of car.
  10. smk4565
    I get that they are small and light, so you don't need a lot of power, but this car is slow for $34k. Golf GTI is a much better buy. I'd imagine too whatever good handling it has, it pays for in ride comfort, being a short wheelbase car with some stiff suspension set for handling.
  11. smk4565
    $34k and it doesn’t have any power and it isn’t very nice inside, so what do you get for all that money? Also there are 6 cylinder cars with 400 hp putting out 21/28 mpg or even beating that number.
  12. smk4565
    There isn’t one as the V60 is the only small luxury wagon in the United States. The Impreza wrx wagon if that is still around is the only other small wagon I think. So credit to Volvo for creating a niche, but I think there is a reason no one else builds a compact performance wagon.
  13. smk4565
    The V90 is their E450 wagon competitor. The V60 Polestar has good performance, but there are better performance/luxury cars for $69k.
  14. smk4565
    First off the E450 is a whole size class bigger than the V60, and the E-class interior blows away an S90, let alone the V60. Secondly, the V60 has a transverse engine and transmission so all that weight sits over top of the front wheels. The last V60 Polestar has a 60/40 weight split which is no bueno. A more fair fight for the Volvo would be a a CLA45 shooting brake if they make another one, or even a GLB45 would be closer in size, price and performance. The plus for Volvo is no direct competitor exists, this is like a luxury trim Subaru STi Wagon. Although a Tesla Model Y Performance with Autopilot is $69k and is very close in size to a V60 Polestar, and the Tesla is more efficient and does 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. As far as top speed, Volvo said a year ago that they would start limiting all their products to 112 mph top speed.
  15. smk4565
    I didn't tear it down, I said it isn't a bad price for the combo of performance and fuel economy. But wagons are non-sellers in general. And this new era of Volvo is much better than it was in the Ford ownership days, but I don't think a single product they make is considered near the top in their segment and a 2 liter 4 cylinder is the biggest engine the brand has. That's a fine engine for small sedans and crossovers but can you imagine Cadillac saying the biggest engine they will offer is a 2 liter 4 cylinder? Or that the CT5-V will have a top speed of 112 mph? And the CLA45 has great performance for front wheel drive, but it is doesn't have the performance of a C63 or GLC63 that send power to the rear wheels. I am not anti front wheel drive, I am anti-front wheel drive for $70,000 when there are significantly better performing rear wheel drive cars at that price.
  16. smk4565
    I’d gladly match up the CLA45’s performance against the V60 Polestar. The CLA45 is 700 lbs lighter, that’s a lot less weight to haul around. Also Volvo S60/V60 are sized and priced more like a C-class. The problem with these Polestar Volvos, or any Volvo, is they don’t have better performance than an AMG or M or Tesla, don’t have a better interior than an Audi or Mercedes, aren’t priced better than a Genesis. So the brand is kind of lost. And does this performance Volvo have a top speed of 112 mph because of safety restrictions?
  17. smk4565
    A wagon is going to be a non-seller. I don't think $69k is a bad price for that level of performance and the fuel economy and electric range. I think if this was a little cheaper it would be more compelling, also if it was rear wheel drive based. On power they top the CT4/CT5-V and Genesis G70 and Acura TLX Type-S which is about $55k. I assume this is available in sedan version or will be, I think the current Volvos look good on the inside and out, but I'd question the performance of the front wheel drive chassis compared to all the rear drive cars in the $60-70k range. At $40k, it doesn't matter, you aren't getting big performance at that price. Question is he is how is handling and performance compared to the cheaper G70, because Volvo is pushing this as a performance car and nearing some AMG and M pricing.
  18. smk4565
    Well if Cybertruck or the Hummer have 1,000, what is Ram’s answer? All they have are dinosaur Hemi V8s that are crazy thirsty. And Ram probably won’t have an EV til 2025 at best. The big issue is money, FCA had none, much like Nissan has none, hopefully PSA had some but we’ll see how the merger goes. Elon has near endless money to build whatever he wants.
  19. smk4565
    The Durango is a unibody CUV. MB already built something better than the TRX.
  20. smk4565
    I would hope that Mercedes doesn't compete with crap that is built on a chassis leftovers from a 2006 Mercedes ML. I'd also say the Explorer, Highlander, Pilot, Palisade, Telluride and CX-9 are all better all around vehicles than the Durango, and I'd probably say, Atlas, Enclave and Traverse which are more the weaker vehicles in the segment and are arguably better than Durango.
  21. smk4565
    True, but the Hellcat Ram generates demand for other Rams, that is where the money is then made. It makes the Ram seem more bad ass or cooler than the Silverado that tops out at 420 hp or whatever and doesn't have a cool name or gimmick. Although the gimmicks eventually wear out, and having good product matters more than something like a Duragno Hellcat, where the Durango is probably among the worst vehicles in the segment. But that is how Dodge has kept a dying brand alive thus far.
  22. smk4565
    They could do a twin turbo V6. Demand almost doesn't even matter. I wonder how many Hellcat Durangos actually sell, because who wants a $80k Dodge Durango, but putting that Hellcat gets the internet talking and creates some free advertising and might steer some dealership traffic, even if those people walk out with a Pentastar V6 Durango instead. The Hellcat Ram will drive some dealer traffic and create some buzz for the Ram. And I bet there is a Ram Demon with 800 hp coming.
  23. smk4565
    Yes, everyone makes cuts. Also keep in mind Mercedes is adding EQS, EQE, EQA and EQB and perhaps more EV's those are just the 4 that have test mules running and are near ready. And they'll put out a some sort of convertible and coupe around $50k, they aren't going to have their cheapest 2-door car start at $100k.
  24. smk4565
    On the Colorado maybe a V8 doesn’t fit and they use turbos, either way horsepower doesn’t cost a lot yet customers pay a premium for it. Ford could “eco boost” the 5.0 Coyote V8, I don’t know why they never did. Really I don’t know why 100% of Ford engines aren’t ecoboost by now. And big horsepower sells when times are good, Toyota revenue was down 50% for the first half of the year. If auto sales tank all these guys will focus on their volume product and trim.
  25. smk4565
    Yes I have said for years they should do that as far as the 750 hp goes. It has very little development cost and they can charge a pretty penny for it.
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