Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroMPG
Sales of the 6th gen Mirage in the U.S. have increased every year since it debuted:
- 2935 ... 2013 (partial year)
- 16,708 ... 2014
- 21,515 ... 2015
- 22,226 ... 2016
- 22,386 ... 2017
Total U.S.: 85,770
What are the critics missing in this picture?
That's highly unusual for an aging model. (Though 2017 was undoubtedly helped by the addition of the sedan, otherwise the total probably would have dropped.)
The Canadian picture on the other hand has followed the expected pattern - the first full year was its peak. |
My best educated guess as to why sales are up in the US and flat to falling in Canada is purely because the efficiency market is starved for selection. Unless you are particularly looking for an expensive hybrid drivetrain, we have so little efficiency cars in the US and Canadian markets. In Canada there's slightly more competition with the Micra, which isn't available state side, I think that is what has hurt Mirage sales.
What I mean by starved for selection is this: the North American market is so oriented toward huge, gas guzzling vehicles that we don't have a real selection of efficiency cars like you find in Europe. In Europe, there are diesel and gas engines that only generate 60-80 hp all over the place. There are plenty cars that are efficient (in a true sense) without a hybrid drivetrain. People in the US particularly don't like vehicles that can't get to 60mph in under 10 seconds. Personally, I don't understand why it matters if it takes 15 seconds to get to 120km or 20 to get it to 140. I'm not looking to race, so I'd like to see the diesel efficiency engines you see in Europe here in the NA market.
Anyway, that's why the Mirage has done well relatively. There's no competition. Hybrids are a different market, they are for people who feel like spending $30k on a basic car (and yes, that's what a Prius is, there's few frills in them beyond an electronic screen with some gadgety software fuel and trip meters).
Yes, you can say the Micra is competition, but really it isn't, because its not that super efficient. The engine is stronger and simply sucks more fuel.
I purchased a Chevrolet Spark, I like the car, but I'm not getting the fuel economy of a Mirage. I can barely get 5l/100km when conservatively driving on the highway, I often get 7l/100km in the terrible stop and go Toronto traffic. And the back seat in the Spark is not comfortable for more than a few minutes at a time.
Here's what I'd like to see, a car with the handling and quality of a Spark in the form of a Mirage G4. The G4 has tons of back seat space, better fuel economy, but the squishy Mirage handling.