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News: Cobalt XFE sales 2x more popular than estimated, more XFE models coming
From ABG:
Not surprisingly, buyers are loving the new Cobalt XFE, tweaked to get 36 mpg highway. Sales make up 8% of all Cobalts (they were expecting 2-3%). Quote:
From: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/07...-than-planned/ More XFE info at EM: News: Chevy Cobalt XFE (new model with top of class highway MPG) |
Awesome! Hope to see even higher numbers in the future (and hope the Cobalt holds up after a few years).
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18 months to regear, recam and tweak the computer.. Thats ubsurd!!!!!! What the hell are they doing over there.. with todays prototyping technology and computer controlled fuel/ignition this is totally unreal to me.
GM Have a great, slow, painfull death. See ya |
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Think back also, 18 months ago and no one was really prescient about today's market conditions... except someone at GM. Looked at in this light, GM doesn't seem quite the dimwit the tone of the article somewhat conveys. |
ebacherville posted:
“18 months to regear, recam and tweak the computer.. Thats ubsurd!!!!!! What the hell are they doing over there.. with todays prototyping technology and computer controlled fuel/ignition this is totally unreal to me.” Dave says: Remember that manufacturers have to get EPA approval for these changes. The EPA is never is a hurry to approve anything. Yes, small engineering outfits can do this in a matter of days, but the application will sit in the EPA for a month before they even begin doing anything. All that said. GM needs to make a XFE version of the Malibu and Pontiac G8. If nothing else a stick shift needs to be available. I’m sure GM Powertrain has a dual-clutch transmission in their design department somewhere. |
In Canada, Honda tweaked both the Fit and Civic to marginally improve fuel economy and qualify for the fed's EcoAuto program (significant rebate for cars with fuel consumption below a certain limit). If I'm not mistaken, they did this in well under a year - but they also likely made it a top level priority.
And GM improved the Cobalt to a much greater degree than Honda did their cars. |
This is great news. I hope Ford implements something similar to this on their Fiesta next year.
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Focus (MT)= 35 mpg hwy Civic (MT)= 34 mpg hwy Cobalt XFE (MT)= 36 mpg hwy Corolla (MT)= 35 mpg hwy I just spent the last hour writing to Ford concerning mistakes on their website. They consistently give their competition better stats than their competition gives themselves. :eek: |
Arminius, when you say the Focus has been tweaked, do you mean it's a change/addition to the current model run, like the Cobalt?
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Ok, I'm not big on conspiracy theories but has anybody else noticed with the new EPA it seems like the Big 3 got more MPG's but the foreign companies either lost some or stayed even?
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One more thing I found out. The 2008 Corolla MT got 37 (EPA) mpg on the highway. With the more powerful engine and increased weight, the top mileage 2009 Corolla will get 35 (EPA) mpg on the highway. The teacher has become the student, Grasshopper.
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The mods GM made to the Cobalt XFE are easy to do, and cost next to nothing other than the up front engineering. We'll see more automakers respond to GM's move.
The return of competition for sales based primarily on efficiency has already started in the marketing arena - useless changes in messaging from an efficiency perspective. The "useful" engineering/product development from multiple manufacturers (Honda & Toyota won't stand for GM beating them) will increasingly find its way into showrooms. |
The Cobalt has the biggest engine (and horsepower) of all the cars mentioned above, except the Focus (which is also a 2.0L). I wish they'd downsize and get even better mileage.
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The substantive mods are the easy part. Its the regulatory compliance that takes so long. Why do you think models stick around so long without more than cosmetic changes.
By time the manufacturers get a high-MPG model through all the approvals, the market can change drastically. If the oil thing really is a bubble (as some people think) and it pops with gas prices going back to 2006 levels, and you haven't got you high-MPG car through the approval process, you are screwed. I've seen oil price drop off three times since 1974. Oil is a notoriously boo-or-bust business. |
Arminius -
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All the marketeers had to do was campaign for an "XFE" package 10 years ago when gas was cheap. Even if the sales would have been small, there will always be people that pick cars based on MPG. Back then the importance of MPG was much less, but it is also a "bragging rights" issue when it comes to advertising. If you can claim equal or better MPG than ToyoNissaHonda, then you can pry a few customers away. I wonder if the 1.8 liter Asta will come with an XFE option? There's a wimpy little 90HP/1.4 liter/gasoline engine Astra in Europe right now. CarloSW2 |
Well my old '94 LHS is on it's death bed so I picked up an '08 XFE.
Had been looking around at different cars for quite a while and I have to say for the money the XFE is great. Granted there are cars with far better quality interior and a better history of reliability then Chevrolet (only time will tell with the Cobalt XFE) but on the road for $14,170, getting 40+ mpg, knowing I am helping keep Americans employed, and enough room to actualy have adults in the back seat, hell....I'm not complaining. |
Fr3AkAzOiD -
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CarloSW2 |
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Cars in the US are like the food at a US chain restaurant: it has nothing to do with what's good for you, rather it's all about what will guarentee the transaction. Hence the preponderance of salty/fatty or sweet food -- it appeals to our inner child... the child that wants more... and we buy it.
It's all about the deal. No one wants to be "the police" who say NO to the inner child. Listen to the Food Network, and you'll hear the same phrase: "we're not the food police." |
I'm amazed at the growth rate of the Corolla. It used to be a compact car, now it's a midsize sedan and on its way to a full size. If you want a car with more power/room/whathaveyou then buy the next size vehicle up and stop telling the manufacturer you want a Camry sized Corolla! < /rant >
Good new of XFE! Now if only it was a model option across all manufacturers... |
I hope the American automakers will change their marketing strategies. Before, they only focus how much customers can pay their products, but not what they want from the products. For example, their trim lines differentiate by the option, higher trim lines has more options and cost more. Now, their trim lines should focus on the customers' need. Like, RL for more racing style, XL for more luxury options, FL for more FE oriented. I believe one of the reason why Civic becomes so popular is this. VX/HX for FE oriented, DX for regular, CX for cost oriented, LX/EX for luxury oriented, and Si for racing. So, civic has image of racing, gas saving and not too expensive. I don't see that on Focus or Cobalt.
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The next few years will be pretty exciting for those of us who want to see change in the US auto industry. The cars being proposed and those already in pre-production look great to me. Not enough in the EV department, however,
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i_am_socket -
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1990-1993 Honda Accord Full Review - Consumer Guide Automotive Code:
Specification 2-door coupe 4-door sedan Code:
Length (in): 176.7CarloSW2 |
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