The public's perception of "performance" now includes fuel economy

[MetroMPG]

The public's perception of "performance" now includes fuel economy??

Well, someone said it in the mainstream media, so it must be true!

(globeandmail.com: Driving It Home - A few resolutions for the new year)

Made me smile anyway.

I've been insisting that my Metro is a "performance" car for a long time - great fuel economy performance. No, it doesn't accelerate quickly, hold high-G's around the bends, or have a high top speed. But those are just different types of performance. They are not the definition of performance.

Anyway, the above quote was part of a list of New Year's resolutions that Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper auto critic wrote which auto executives should adopt if they want to survive/succeed. The full context from, which I snatched that quote:

Resolution No. 2: I will always, always push for maximum fuel efficiency.

Case in Point: The only Detroit auto maker with a model in the subcompact category is General Motors and its Chevrolet Aveo/Pontiac Wave is built in South Korea by GM Daewoo.

Yes, yes, Ford is bringing its new Fiesta to North America, but not for another year. Look, if Detroit is to have a future, it will be based on good cars – fuel efficient ones – not trucks.

And this is not just about small cars that sip gas. Today's “halo” car is as likely to be a slick, technology-laden hybrid as a high-horsepower sports car. The public's perception of “performance” now includes fuel economy and more.

[aerohead]

It's a very large small step! Re-programming awareness is a major hurdle to everyone,automakers included.Should this "notion" gain traction in the public mind,it could be a segway into vision more appealing on a planetary level.I like it!

[cfg83]

MetroMPG -

This reminds me of a an "Editor's Column" I read at autospeed.com Around the end of 2006 they stated that they were going to change the emphasis from pure performance to an increased emphasis on fuel economy as well.

CarloSW2