Image key if Detroit hopes to reclaim lost market share
12-30-2003, 12:18 AM
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Image key if Detroit hopes to reclaim lost market share
Monday, December 29, 2003
Image key if Detroit hopes to reclaim lost market share
By John McCormick / Autos Insider
A recent conversation among knowledgeable auto enthusiasts turned to a subject that surely ranks high among the concerns of Detroit automakers -- image.
How, my colleagues pondered, are General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group going to close the perception gap that still separates Detroit-made vehicles from foreign rivals in the minds of so many consumers?
To varying degrees, Detroit's Big Three have worked wonders on the quality front. These days, certain GM brands are outperforming the once-vaunted Toyota in various quality assessments. Chrysler has excellent ratings on individual models. And Ford has made strides, for example, on the previously troubled Focus.
Though perceptions may lag, the fact is that the quality gap between Detroit and imported brands has narrowed dramatically or closed.
In terms of design, Detroit also has moved mountains. Cadillac's edgy new design language clearly has been a hit with buyers, as the brand's sales rebound this past year demonstrates. Similarly, Ford showed with the latest F-150 pickup that its design sensibilities are well tuned to the truck market, not just for exterior styling but also in terms of dramatically improved interiors.
When it comes to powertrains and product features, Motown's offerings are much more competitive and a better value than ever before. For proof, just compare Chevrolet's new Malibu with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
Most significantly, the yawning gulf in competitive products between Detroit and the Japanese brands is about to be closed with an onslaught of new models from GM, Ford and Chrysler.
So what's to stop Detroit from reclaiming scads of market share from the Japanese if so many pieces of the puzzle, from quality to design, are in place?
According to my friends, the missing ingredient is image.
Drive around any upscale neighborhood and notice how few vehicles carry Ford, Pontiac, Dodge, Chevrolet, Buick, Chrysler or Lincoln badges.
Ask the successful thirty-
something couple in one of those big homes whether they'd prefer to have a Detroit-branded car or a Japanese or German nameplate in their driveway. The answer will probably reveal a preference for imports.
Driving a GM, Ford or Chrysler product apparently says something less than flattering about your social status, financial condition and general savoir faire.
If that's indeed true, then it's a damn shame and more than a little frustrating. I have seen and driven a fair number of the new cars and trucks debuting over the next year or so from Detroit automakers. They are, in the main, excellent.
Save for that last ounce of refinement, many of Motown's newcomers compete very well with Japanese and German contenders. And were there no badges or other identification evident, it would be difficult to determine the origins of some of the new generation of vehicles.
Of course, image is a critical part of the purchase process. When I go to buy home audio equipment -- about which I know little -- I usually gravitate toward a trusted and familiar brand name like Sony, even though there may be other makes that are just as good and offer more features.
It's clear that Detroit automakers have done much of the heavy lifting to become more competitive -- raising quality levels, improving product design and engineering. Now comes the even harder part -- registering that achievement in the minds of the buying public.
Image key if Detroit hopes to reclaim lost market share
By John McCormick / Autos Insider
A recent conversation among knowledgeable auto enthusiasts turned to a subject that surely ranks high among the concerns of Detroit automakers -- image.
How, my colleagues pondered, are General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group going to close the perception gap that still separates Detroit-made vehicles from foreign rivals in the minds of so many consumers?
To varying degrees, Detroit's Big Three have worked wonders on the quality front. These days, certain GM brands are outperforming the once-vaunted Toyota in various quality assessments. Chrysler has excellent ratings on individual models. And Ford has made strides, for example, on the previously troubled Focus.
Though perceptions may lag, the fact is that the quality gap between Detroit and imported brands has narrowed dramatically or closed.
In terms of design, Detroit also has moved mountains. Cadillac's edgy new design language clearly has been a hit with buyers, as the brand's sales rebound this past year demonstrates. Similarly, Ford showed with the latest F-150 pickup that its design sensibilities are well tuned to the truck market, not just for exterior styling but also in terms of dramatically improved interiors.
When it comes to powertrains and product features, Motown's offerings are much more competitive and a better value than ever before. For proof, just compare Chevrolet's new Malibu with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
Most significantly, the yawning gulf in competitive products between Detroit and the Japanese brands is about to be closed with an onslaught of new models from GM, Ford and Chrysler.
So what's to stop Detroit from reclaiming scads of market share from the Japanese if so many pieces of the puzzle, from quality to design, are in place?
According to my friends, the missing ingredient is image.
Drive around any upscale neighborhood and notice how few vehicles carry Ford, Pontiac, Dodge, Chevrolet, Buick, Chrysler or Lincoln badges.
Ask the successful thirty-
something couple in one of those big homes whether they'd prefer to have a Detroit-branded car or a Japanese or German nameplate in their driveway. The answer will probably reveal a preference for imports.
Driving a GM, Ford or Chrysler product apparently says something less than flattering about your social status, financial condition and general savoir faire.
If that's indeed true, then it's a damn shame and more than a little frustrating. I have seen and driven a fair number of the new cars and trucks debuting over the next year or so from Detroit automakers. They are, in the main, excellent.
Save for that last ounce of refinement, many of Motown's newcomers compete very well with Japanese and German contenders. And were there no badges or other identification evident, it would be difficult to determine the origins of some of the new generation of vehicles.
Of course, image is a critical part of the purchase process. When I go to buy home audio equipment -- about which I know little -- I usually gravitate toward a trusted and familiar brand name like Sony, even though there may be other makes that are just as good and offer more features.
It's clear that Detroit automakers have done much of the heavy lifting to become more competitive -- raising quality levels, improving product design and engineering. Now comes the even harder part -- registering that achievement in the minds of the buying public.
12-30-2003, 07:27 PM
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Originally posted by 1SICKLEX
GM=rebates and trucks.
GM=rebates and trucks.
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