Despite recent rumors of a smaller performance car from Chevy, there are no plans for one in the near future.
This report comes following an interview with General Motors product chief, Mark Reuss. In the interview, it is clear that Reuss wants to build a rival to the Focus RS and ST, the Golf R and GTI, and the upcoming Civic Type R, but he is also being cautious with funds. He noted that while these cars sell well when they first roll out, sales tend to taper off pretty quickly after the initial rollout.
One recent example is the freefall that the Scion FR-S has been on since its initial launch, but I feel there is much more behind the FR-S? issues than just lack of interest. The FR-S has build-quality issues, an underwhelming engine, and questionable value.
This leads Reuss to the conclusion that there isn’t a business case for a go-fast small car, despite saying "I love those things. We know how to do them really well," when queried about a small performance car for Chevy in April 2015.
Ruess also points toward the fact that these go-fast small cars approach the next level of car in the segment as the reason there is no business case for them. For example, the 2015 Focus ST is actually more expensive than the base 2015 Mustang and the base Fusion. While I see his point, I still disagree with it, as they are completely different cars marketed to completely different buyers.
For now, I guess the Code 130R Concept will remain just that: a concept. However, Automotive News does note that Reuss stated that this is not a closed case, and Chevy may revisit a small performance car in the future.
Continue reading to learn more on this topic.
Chevrolet Has No Plans For A Small Performance Car originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 23 May 2015 06:00 EST.
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