Jalopnik on Best cars nobody is buying in the U.S.

[PepeLePew]

Number one choice popped into my head before I read it, sure you guessed it. But it did come to mind it mirrors many articles in the past where our own blue brand here in Aus had awesome product, and it taught us all something about our culture when they weren't selling

http://jalopnik.com/whats-the-best-c...ing-1681367336

"Number one on that list has to be the Chevy SS. People complained that the Impala was just way too boring and there needed to be a rear-wheel drive one

So, in a rare move, Chevy listened and imported a rear-wheel drive muscle car for your tire smoking pleasure. And then, probably against their better judgement, they gave it more paint options, magnetic ride, and a manual gearbox. It's literally the car gearheads have been begging for

And nobody is buying it. The majority of us have never seen one on the road. And that's a shame, because the SS is quite a good car."

[CQB-241]

Stupid US CAFE regulations is responsible for this and until recently the dollar also. Margins were low and the car relatively thirsty to their other offerings and initial import projections to the USA were 1500 cars per year. Also the classical US disease of "not invented here" with several key players including UAW (who incidentally own a chunk of GM).

[Bushbasher]

maybe because it's australian and not built in the mother country. Or maybe it's percieved as a Pontiac and is too low brow for all those brand snob Chev buyers.

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by CQB-241

Stupid US CAFE regulations is responsible for this and until recently the dollar also. Margins were low and the car relatively thirsty to their other offerings and initial import projections to the USA were 1500 cars per year. Also the classical US disease of "not invented here" with several key players including UAW (who incidentally own a chunk of GM).

How does CAFE affect car sales?
Sure cars for sale but not the actual sales of the car.

JP

[CQB-241]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

How does CAFE affect car sales?
Sure cars for sale but not the actual sales of the car.

JP

Can't buy them if they don't make them available.

Like the FGX XR8 in Oz, supply will limit sales 'though for different reasons.

[PepeLePew]

How does the pricing compare to local product? Don't think I'm knocking it, damn nice package in my eyes.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by PepeLePew

How does the pricing compare to local product? Don't think I'm knocking it, damn nice package in my eyes.

Cheaper and better specc'ed than here.

[Sprint XR8]

Comparison: 2015 Dodge Charger SRT 392 Vs. 2014 Chevrolet SS

While GM nominally describes the SS as a limited production sports sedan, it’s easy to understand why sales of this car are in the toilet, marketing support or no marketing support. The G8 was a brilliant last stand from a dying brand when it was introduced in 2009. Driving the SS today just shows how the competition has moved on.

With the SS getting a 6-speed manual and an updated suspension for 2015, a rematch is only fair. But driving the two cars back to back opened my eyes to the possibility that, aside from CAFE and a shrinking market for full-size cars, there’s a reason we’ve never gotten the Commodore as a mainstream Chevrolet product: it’s just not good enough to compete. Right now, FCA has the full-size rear-drive mainstream sedan segment all to itself, and its sales are still strong, even after all these years. For an Americanized-Commodore to steal sales away from the LX cars – and the Taurus, and Avalon and Azera and the Impala- it would have to be extraordinarily compelling. Right now, I can’t say that about the SS, no matter how much I like the idea of it.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...hevrolet-ss-2/

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by Bushbasher

maybe because it's australian and not built in the mother country. Or maybe it's percieved as a Pontiac and is too low brow for all those brand snob Chev buyers.

Styling is too bland. It looks like a rental car.

The FWD Impala has better styling.

And outside of NASCAR it isn't advertised. And it's a Chevy. I doubt the target buyer has ever even heard of Holden. Pontiac was a notch above Chevrolet in the GM hierarchy. Chevy was the low-price car.

Believe it or not, Americans hold no prejudice against Australia.

[Bushbasher]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

Pontiac was a notch above Chevrolet in the GM hierarchy. Chevy was the low-price car.

Believe it or not, Americans hold no prejudice against Australia.

My mistake. I thought it was the other way around.

[commodorenutt]

That's why I laugh at all the ******* putting Chev badges on commodores - it's a downgrade! Stick some Pontiac badges on! Even Buick badges would be a more prestigious choice....

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by CQB-241

Stupid US CAFE regulations is responsible for this and until recently the dollar also. Margins were low and the car relatively thirsty to their other offerings and initial import projections to the USA were 1500 cars per year. Also the classical US disease of "not invented here" with several key players including UAW (who incidentally own a chunk of GM).

Just look at the price for it and compare what you can get for the same price in the US.

That alone is the thing stopping it from selling.

[XR Martin]

Americans just dont seem all that keen on fast sedans.

Hell they nearly sell more SRT 300s here than over there.

[Nikked]

In america performance 4-doors are vulgar, Ford Australia were laughed at when we released the Falcon GT because to them, only a 2-door could be a GT.

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by Nikked

In america performance 4-doors are vulgar, Ford Australia were laughed at when we released the Falcon GT because to them, only a 2-door could be a GT.

I see plenty of Charger R/Ts and 300Cs on the road here. I also see all the European and Japanese performance sedans. Back in the '90s the Impala SS was popular.

[chevypower]

The SS would probably do better with an LT4 and 8 speed. I don't think it would be a significant increase in sales though. Different culture though, in Australia people talk about those cars all the time. I have heard a few people talking about the Hellcat, but not one person has said anything to me about the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V. Around here it's all about trucks and Jeeps.

[FPV GTHO]

Ive always gotten the impression US buyers are more willing to own several vehicles, and therefore dont need the multi purpose nature of a high performance sedan.

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

Ive always gotten the impression US buyers are more willing to own several vehicles, and therefore dont need the multi purpose nature of a high performance sedan.

I've got three (two drivable) and I'm not what you would call affluent.

[chevypower]

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

Ive always gotten the impression US buyers are more willing to own several vehicles, and therefore dont need the multi purpose nature of a high performance sedan.

Haven't thought about that before, but I think you just nailed it.

[Moby Vic]

Performance sedans sell very well in Florida. But not the Chevy SS.

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Just look at the price for it and compare what you can get for the same price in the US.

That alone is the thing stopping it from selling.

Yeah exactly. But they didn't even have a car for each dealer over there(maybe that's changed, but it doesn't look like it).....so I'm not sure how in hell anyone expected it too sell.
No one knows about....
No one can test one...
And you certainly can't customise one today take home...

[Moby Vic]

So-called enthusiasts are aware of the car. But they don't seem interested enough in it to approach dealers about buying them.

I love how people who are supposedly in the know complain that a lack of advertising somehow prevents them from acquiring products they know are available.

GM's previous experiments with selling Holdens in the US have not gone well. I suspect the biggest problem is the difference in styling preference between American and Australian consumers. Slapping the GTO name on the Monaro made little sense.

[FPV GTHO]

The Monaro was a bad case as the US got it just as we were about to get rid of it, and then the export success made it live on longer. G8 i think went a year or two after launch of VE but was seen as bland, and now the SS went with the launch of VF but the new look makes it look like the Cruze and Malibu with links still there from the VE.

[OzJavelin]

If the VF had a BMW badge on it, it would probably sell well in the USA as it's "blandness" would be reassessed as "sophisticated".

As a Chev/Pontiac it appears to be expected to be more exciting and in-your-face. I suspect that they should be imported HSVs - with all their plastic add on scoops and whatnot in their wildest colours - rather than the cooking model VF SS.

Australians seem to accept the middle ground with our domestic cars as American muscle and Euro design ... no one else seems to get this.