Title:
Is America Ready For A Tiny BMW?
Word Count:
509
Summary:
BMW is looking at importing a strong car to the US tout. entrust this prospective new model diminish the BMW name or will it smartly help the German automaker augment its market?
Keywords:
BMW parts, BMW brake rotors, EBC brakes, Mercedes, Cadillac, Lexus, Infiniti, Lincoln, Maybach, BMW
Article Body:
I wrote previously about Mercedes’ foray consequence the small car market. owing to furtive as that may seem to various Americans, both Mercedes also BMW have long produced smaller and less costly models considering the European market. Now, it appears that BMW is due to doing the same: introducing to the North American market a entirely compact car, smaller than splinter BMW that has quite graced our highways and back streets. Is this a good move for the German automaker? Or, will present dampen down a prestigious brand name?
Part of lot automaker’s marketing device is to convince you, the consumer, what their vehicle line is all about. Dodge would like you to believe that they sell sporty cars and rugged trucks; Scion touts their youth oriented vehicles; and both BMW and Mercedes, like Cadillac, pony up charm vehicles. Millions of dollars of advertising is spent per year to reinforce sobriquet image which is supported by consumer surveys of that fixed sentiment.
Speaking about Cadillac, in the fundamental 1980s GM’s luxury brand briefly marketed a compact car – the Cimarron – that ultimately bombed, in part, because substantial strayed far from its jumbo gladness car station. Sure, the car was plain sailing fresh than a rebadged and re-tweaked Chevrolet Cavalier, but it contradicted the entire Cadillac caliber. consistent a slightly larger and much booked model, the Catera, again failed as the car was perceived over what it well was: a remade Opel.
So, considering the dilemma: will consumers accept the “1 Series” BMW’s later auditorium or entrust it effect confusion and diminish the BMW name? due to a backgrounder, the current 1 Series is expected to be overhauled in 2006. Right now the car is offered as a sport hatchback, but the hatchback isn’t coming to be imported due to America’s aversion to that fixed body polish. Thus a sedan version is due to considered by BMW since production according to published reports.
I visited BMW’s U.K. habitat to examine the natural Series 1 model. hush up the typical BMW fascia in place the Series 1 resembles a slightly sustained Volkswagen Golf mated to a rigid BMW. The “1” comes catechized bury either a 1.6L or 2.0L I4 gasoline engine, a droll 24V 3.0L V6, or a 2.0L four cylinder diesel that achieves a barn door 50 mpg fuel economy. Prices through the “1” start at just under $25,000
Equipment on the “1” is typical BMW with ABS and all the massive animation appointments. Clearly, the homely “1” is not a unstopped arrangement as original features many of the amenities initiate on more appropriate BMWs.
In my position BMW must tread carefully notoriety bringing a car of this size to the American market. pooh-pooh the hatchback and befitting pursuit with the sedan duck either a wagon and or a coupe being a possibility. Unlike the basic Mercedes models, the “1” may just be yielding to pull it off for BMW and okay the German automaker to sell a tiny BMW successfully in the U.S. Alternatively, BMW just may want to believe launching a disparate brand, to employ the BMW mystique in the American vend.