Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen Alltrack seen at the New York International Auto Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. (Photo by Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)Michael Brochstein | LightRocket | Getty ImagesAs it gets ready to wrap up the 2019 model year, Volkswagen says it will drop both the Golf SportWagen and Golf Alltrack models from its lineup.
The move announced Wednesday comes as a major blow to station wagons, a body style that was ubiquitous in the years when baby boomers were still in knee pants, but which has all but vanished in today's SUV-crazed market.
“SUVs have definitely assumed the mantle of family haulers from the station wagons and minivans we remember from our childhoods,” said Scott Keogh, president and CEO of Volkswagen of America.
2018 Buick Regal Tour XSource: General MotorsNot a wagonThe list of wagons has grown steadily thinner over the last several decades, with only one now offered by the Detroit-based manufacturers that produced them by the millions in the 1950s, 1960s and into the 1970s. Buick has a station wagon it doesn't even call a wagon, hoping it can generate more enthusiasm by dubbing it the Regal TourX.
Volvo, a brand long associated with wagons, has taken the same approach with some of its models. If you want the V60 it announced last year, you will have to special order the compact wagon. It has had more success by taking some models, boosting their height, adding SUV-style cladding and dubbing them with names like the V90 Cross Country.
The luxury market was one of the last bastions for wagon fans. But even there, the market is fading out. BMW decided not to bring the new wagon version of its updated 3 Series to the U.S. this year, and Jaguar is widely expected to phase out its XF Sportbrake which got little momentum out of using the British term for wagon.
Demand tumblesVolkswagen had been intent on remaining in the segment but the sales numbers just couldn't support a sound business case.
For all of 2018, the German automaker sold a grand total of just 14,123 Golf SportWagens, a 47% decline. Demand tumbled another 36% for the first seven months of this year, averaging out to barely 750 of the wagons a month. The Alltrack faced a similar decline.
By comparison, U.S. sales of Volkswagen's various SUVs rose 12% through the end of July, despite the phaseout of the original Touareg model. And it is planning to add three more SUVs by 2021, including the five-seat Atlas Cross Sport, the all-electric ID. Crozz and a subcompact that has not yet been named.
“Consumers want utility vehicle and so, for the U.S. market, automakers are adding more of them while taking wagons away,” said Stephanie Brinley, principle auto analyst with IHS Markit.
The 2020 Subaru Outback is revealed at the 2019 New York International Auto Show in New York City, April 17, 2019.Shannon Stapleton | ReutersSubaru's committedThere still are some options for wagon fans, including the Buick Regal TourX, Volvo V90 and, for the moment, the Jaguar XF Sportbrake. Mercedes-Benz offers several versions of the E-Class, including the high-performance AMG E63 S Wagon. Porsche has a wagon version of the four-door Panamera, the Sport Turismo, and Mini offers the Cooper Clubman /S.
But no manufacturer remains more committed to the body style than Subaru, with three different models: the Outback, Crosstrek and Impreza.
With the vultures circling around the Jaguar, observers are wondering which of these current offerings might be the next to fall by the side of the road. Brinley doesn't see much life left in the segment, but she doesn't think automakers are ready to give up entirely.
They've tried coming up with more appealing names, like TourX and Sportbrake. But they've also been tinkering with hybrid designs that are meant to blend the best of wagon and utility vehicle. So far, that hasn't worked very well, with models like the Accord CrossTour, Acura ZDX, BMW 5-Series GT and Toyota Venza failing to click with consumers.
“They haven't found the right answer to that fill-in-the-gap question,” she said, “but they're likely to keep trying.”
Tag: Honda
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Toyota To Build New Crossover At Alabama Plant, It’s Probably the FT-4X
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Toyota To Build New Crossover At Alabama Plant, It's Probably the FT-4X
12 Jul 2019, 10:38 UTC ·
by Mircea Panait
Home > News > Car Profile
Not that long ago, Toyota and Mazda were looking for a place in the United States where they could build a factory. The two parties settled for Huntsville, Alabama and $1.6 billion in investments. Come 2021, the assembly plant will be up and running with a yearly capacity of 300,000 vehicles.
51 photos
MTMUS is where Mazda plans to produce a new crossover while Toyota would make the Corolla. But the bigger of the two companies decided to backtrack on that, shifting production to “a new, yet-to-be announced SUV.” The best-selling RAV4 and growing demand for crossover utility vehicles lead us to believe that the FT-4X from the 2017 New York Auto Show is the culprit.
Toyota will release more details in regard to the mystery model at a later date, and the Corolla will continue production in Blue Springs, Mississippi for the foreseeable future. At MTMUS, up to 4,000 jobs will be created to support crossover production for both Mazda and Toyota.
Aimed at “millennial-aged professional confined to city limits,” the FT-4X has been designed in Newport Beach, California as a “four-wheel-drive toolbox” with “Rugged Charm compact design” and “a long list of unique functionalities.” If you’re fed up with this marketing mumbo-jumbo, so are we. In all likelihood, the concept will morph into a sub-RAV4 model with limited capabilities off the beaten track and a hybrid option to appease the EPA.
Equipped with 18-inch Goodyear all-season tires and standing 167.3 inches long, the FT-4X comes with a four-cylinder engine, selectable low-range, MacPherson strut suspension up front, and a double-wishbone arrangement for the rear axle. It’s a promising crossover so far, but no an heir-apparent to the FJ Cruiser or a mini-me version of the Land Cruiser with the big ol’ V8.
Speaking of which, word has it the Land Cruiser will switch to a force-fed V6 for the next generation of the full-size SUV. That wouldn’t come as a surprise if you take a look at how Lexus dropped the V8 from the engine range of the LS, but on the other hand, don’t forget that Lexus also prepares to welcome a twin-turbo V8 in the LC F.
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Auto assemblers have decided to slow down their production in the current month amid backlog of unsold stocks, slowdown in new booking and on spot sales, substantial hike in vehicle prices and new budgetary measures.Honda Atlas Cars Ltd (HACL) has decided to cease production of vehicles from July 12-21.The government has further dented the auto industry with additional taxes and duties in Budget 2019-20 such as five per cent additional customs duty on imported parts coupled with new rates of FED.
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Honda to recall 1.6M vehicles, finish Takata recalls early
Original Article
Honda Global | Investor Relations | IR Library | FORM 20-F
On June 19, 2019, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE: HMC) has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. In case you require a hard copy of Form 20-F,please call Honda North America, Inc., New York IR office.TEL:1-212-707-9920 Go to Source