Ford Performance Vehicle Sales Reach Record Number, Is Chevrolet Missing Out?
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When it comes to performance credentials, Chevrolet banks on two vehicles to spur thoughts of go-fast machinery: Corvette and Camaro.
But, those are the only two nameplates that have broad appeal for buyers looking for something more than a point A to point B vehicle. Sure, there’s the Chevrolet SS, but let’s not get started on how the sedan has been an utter disappointment in branding.
Meanwhile, according to our sister publication Ford Authority, the blue oval has toppled previous records for its performance vehicles. Those include the Fiesta ST, Focus ST, Focus RS, Ford Mustang and each of its performance variants. Is Chevrolet missing out?
Over 200,000 sales of Ford performance vehicles are projected globally for 2016, and the 2017 Shelby GT350 and GT350R are sold out well into the 2017 model year. Meanwhile, sixth-generation Camaro sales, bluntly, continue to tank despite rising profit margins.
The question here is whether Chevrolet has its performance credentials lined up accordingly. Most of those 200,000 sales by Ford are to younger, more affluent buyers stepping into hot hatches like the Focus and Fiesta ST. Chevrolet does not offer anything of the like.
Is it possible Chevrolet put too many performance-oriented eggs in one basket? After all, the brand banked on a turbocharged four-cylinder Camaro to court the “fast and furious crowd.” So far, that hasn’t exactly been the case.
Chevrolet has solutions available, though. Across the pond, Opel is responsible for more than a few hopped up performance vehicles like the Astra OPC. The bowtie brand could dig into its European cousin’s pockets to spur performance buyers.
After all, it boils down to who’s buying these performance vehicles. And it’s younger, more affluent consumers any brand certainly wants to court.
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I think they definitely should have performance version of the Cruze and Sonic but also from the looks of it there’s definitely not a lot of people bought the ST versions of the Focus and Fiesta.
Ford also offers the 2.7L twin turbo V6 in the Fusion Sport and Edge Sport for those who want a bit more power in a mainstream everyday vehicle. Sure they may be flawed, but both are affordable and increase the “fun to drive” factor.
GM has zero comparable offerings.
Ford spent the money to develop the 5.2L “Voodoo” engine for the GT350, a low volume car. GM circa 2016 would never do something like that. It’s all about max profit.
Performance versions of Cruze and Sonic would/should have been Pontiacs. Even though the division did not make any money they have not replaced it yet. We own a ’15 Sonic Turbo Hatch. Its fun to drive but it would be really exciting if it had 50 more hp.
There was nothing to replace. Pontiac really had become a performance division with no performance. The G8 and Solstice were all they had thanks to Lutz.
The G6 never got the Turbo 2.0 that is should have had. Only one G5 Turbo was build by the Lordstown plant and it was rejected and made a parts runner at the plant.
The last GP was at the limit as the transmission could not take anymore power and the larger tranny did not fit unless the modified more things.
The truth is performance is cool and I make my living with it but in todays market there is not a lot of profits in it anymore. Toyota and Honda offers little but make a ton of money. Same at Hyundai and Kia.
Ford is selling a lot of cars in this category but even with global sales just how much money are they making?
I am not anti performance as I do work in the performance aftermarket. But I also know you have to look at what companies look at will they make back their investment and is if they do just how much profit vs. doing some other model.
These are cold business decisions and sometimes cool cars just are not always the most profitable choice.
I agree with Scott3 but at least Pontiac had something. G8 and Solstice. The G6 GXP with the 3.6 was no slouch. Pontiac had completely lost its way and Lutz was trying to bring it back.
I have always felt that a few cool cars will sell more of the basic versions. Look at the Mustang, especially back in the day, people buy the V6 but the GT350s bring the performance credibility and the looks. Instead of dropping 60k someone can get in a very similar looking car for $25-27k.
How much would it really cost to put the 1.5 turbo with an intake and exhaust and pull 180hp in a Sonic? Put a set of bigger rotors on the front and presto. Let the aftermarket fill the need for the enthusiasts.
They don’t have to spend millions and run 1000 laps at the ‘Ring tuning the suspension.
Ford is selling a lot of cars in this category but even with global sales just how much money are they making?
Answer: A sh*t load. The GT350 is the most profitable vehicle sold by Ford. All 2017 Raptors, Focus RS and GT350 are all sold at list and above obviously without incentives. All these vehicles are nearly sold out for 2017.
I also own a ’15 Sonic Hatch (RS) and completely agree on it needing the extra 50HP. Also FYI, I just had my turbo replaced under warrantee @ 48,000 miles. It runs better than new now. If that happens to you as well, don’t let the dealer jerk you around about it. My dealer did great! I brought it in with the CEL code at 7am and had it back with the new turbo by 3:30pm that same day. No fuss.
Once the powertrain warrantee runs out, I may consider the DDM Trifecta tune, if I don’t buy something else instead.
I have the GM upgrade and a dealer that did a good job on the install with a top notch Turbo tech.
Right now I am at 23 PSI of boost and have more power than the front wheels like to put down. I can be rolling at a good speed and spin the tires and it can be a little frustrating.
I have some stickier tires than the trash pilots that came with it now and it has helped.
FYI my upgrade came with the full GM warranty and did not need to wait for the warranty to be out.
Upgrading a turbo is easy the only key is to know the limits of the stock components. In my case the engine will go to 400 HP on stock rods and pistons but the tranny is the weak spot.
Here is the problem and the author states it but misses the point,.
Ford sells the Fiesta ST, Focus ST, Focus RS GLOBALLY. This makes a big difference as in each market they sell a modest amount of these cars that add up to a profitable total.
At this point Chevy is not selling the same Cruze globally and only in selected markets.
Second just how much is someone willing to spend on a Cruze? If they go all out with a Turbo AWD it could be like the Ford and see $40K plus. If they do a ST like car it would be cheaper bit how much could anyone pay for a Cruze or even Sonic?
Now I think if they did take the Opel and sell the OPC versions as Buick in America and China. Also offer it as an Opel in Europe and a RHD version at Vauxhall and Holden they would see high enough production numbers to make it profitable.
Also I think the higher grade models would better support the higher price. Also the fact that OPC is already working with these cars would do well.
Don’t get me wrong as I am a proud owner of an HHR SS but I paid as much as I would pay for one back in 08 and that was $21K loaded. I did get a good deal as the sticker was almost $28K and there was no way I would have paid that much.
Buick now has a world class AWD Turbo sedan in the show room now and few people will pay the price for it now. It stickers at $40K and is a much nicer car than the RS. Yet even discounted to the low 30’s it still sits on show room floors waiting for someone to pay the price.
The ST models at Ford are more badge than hardware. Chevy can do this too as they have in the past when they handed out SS badged for some trim and larger tires. But is this the right way to make performance?
I am not against doing a performance version but there is much to consider.
When the redline Chevy models were shown at SEMA I had hopes for these as they were very good looking cars. Performance was a little better but trim was worth the price and the lack of SS badges was appropriate. That program could be very profitable.
This all comes down to being done if they are or can find a way to make money on this. They need to find a way to leverage their performance models in the numbers like Ford does globally to make money as just North American sales are not enough. My HHR SS is one of just over 5K that year. The SS Cobalt did a little better but not the kind of numbers where they saw a lot of profit. This is why a Holden, Buick Opel like model would hold an advantage as they would be sold everywhere.
scott3,
As always, I think you make some valid points here, but I have to disagree on consumers being willing to spend money on a Cruze. The argument you lay out doubles back and runs parallel for the Ford Focus ST and Fiesta ST. Clearly, an audience is willing to spend $40,000+ on a Focus and pay a premium on a Fiesta. But, Ford is able to do this because they’ve built cache around the RS and ST names. If performance is the name of the game, why wouldn’t consumers pony up for a hopped up Cruze like they do countlessly for Ford’s offerings?
If there were a Cruze hatchback with similar performance credentials merely topping the ST but not the RS, you bet younger buyers looking for functional, yet performance oriented, vehicles would take a look. Subaru has had the market to itself for a long time, with come-and-go players from Honda, Mazda etc. It’s also difficult to compare a Regal GS to a hot hatchback; the two cars are in entirely different leagues and accomplish different things. That’s also not a compliment to the Regal GS, which is ho-hum at best at being a performance vehicle.
The ST and RS are nothing to mess around with, they’re tried-and-true performance machines, and they’re the kinds of performance vehicles younger buyers want. A turbo-four Camaro just isn’t cutting it.
Just my two cents. Thanks for engaging as always.
Cheers,
-Sean
Keep in mind that the more players in the game (to the same number of people shelling out THAT much $$ for a small car) means less sales per brand. The question becomes can a split between a seemingly fixed number of customer willing to pay that much $$ for a small car be profitable enough for more than one domestic manufacturer to play with?
Here in Canada, a Focus 2.0L turbo ST starts at $30K and runs up to over $33K which is right where a 2.0L Turbo Camaro runs. A Focus RS starts at $50K, at which I can buy a Camaro SS with the 6.2L and have a true muscle car, not a tuner car.
The ST is where they sell volume but the RS less so and it has to rely on global sales to make up the investment. It sells better overseas as they are more in tune with this kind of car vs Americans for less money will buy the Mustang V8.
The bottom line is how much does it take to develop a model like the RS and how many cars do you have to sell to make it back. Global sales as permitted this as they sell is modest numbers in all markets to the point they make money.
The Cruze as we know it sells here and Korea. The one in China is a little different as is the other markets. Even the Holden and RHD would need changes that the one here does not have.
Just go back to the Cobal SS sales numbers and you will see. The coupe had modest sales and the Sedan is down right rare to non existant. It was a decent car and still olds a sold niche in the used market if not trashed.
A hatch is not going to save the GS at least in this country. The truth is poor marketing and the fact the Regal name holds little performance value. Yes the GN was based on one but few people today connect the name. Nor are either cars targeted at the same buyer.
As for the ST. Well my 08 Chevy LNF will drive circles around its numbers. I hold about one less second to 60 and 15 MPH more top end if one is stupid enough to do that in a little tin can. My quarter mile is about 1-2 tenths faster depending if I can get it to hook up and I am hauling 3300 pound in a 5 door wagon.
I loved the night the guy in the hopped up Vtech tried to out run me and I waved as I drove past him with the 200 pounds plus of cargo in the back.
I see this as far from stellar times from the ST.
The RS now is very impressive and the AWD is the big key. But just how many are they really going to sell in America at 40-42K? If it were not for sales in Europe it would not be here. And that is my point Chevy has no Euro sales to support this. That is why I think the Opel may have a better shot at making a business case.
Just selling 5K units here is not enough. 12K is still not great as they would rather sell 20-30K units and that is tough in only one or two markets.
Ford Europe is the key to what makes these cars work profit wise. No Europe no cars here Be it a hatch or what ever the name.
The WRX became a cult car and that is why it worked. Also tell me how many countries they sell it in. Mazda again how many markets is their car sold in? Honda again how many global market can you find their models.
Now show me just how many markets sell a Cruze like ours anymore. Far fewer at this point than the others. Now it is growing slowly and if they can place it back in Europe at some point they would hold the volume to do the same as the others.
This is not a just lets build it and they will come deal. This is where if Chevy wants to do this they have to present a buisness case and show how much it will cost and how many they will sell and how much will it make. Yes it will sell and yes it will cost more but in the end how much volume will it take to make it right and will the North American market buy enough of them to make a profit.
Companies may appear to do things because it is cool but the cold hard fact is they do these things in expectations to make the most profit possible.
The product planners would love to do all sorts of cars as I have sat with a couple I know and they have shown me their dreams. But in the end they have to go with things like a boring CUV like a Equinox because it will sell 300K units and make a but load of money.
I expect once GM gets their house in order they will attack more niche areas later on. Right now Mary Barra is focused on making GM as profitable per unit sold as possible. The market is predicted to slow down and when it does the companies that control cost and increase profits per unit will be the strong and the others will struggle to survive. One economic turn down can collapse the car market and the last one nearly finished GM. The next one they plan to be prepared for and that is the main focus.
Performance cars sales are no where as strong as they used to be. Higher cost to buy, insure and maintain have killed the market for many younger buyers. Many today want faster phones than cars. I see it in my line of work everyday. Then government regulation is working hard to make it so you you can not even race one off road now if you take off any emission controls on full fledged race cars. Street cars are even tighter controlled in many areas.
The Camaro turbo is yet to be discovered. I know first hand what this engine can do and it is amazing. The 1LE V6 is a killer car and 10K cheaper than the RS and about the same lap times.
Would I like to see a Cruze Hatch Turbo RS or Redline. Hell yes. But what cautions me is the fact I also know the business side of this that GM has to face and the cards they hold are much different than Ford because of the lack of Chevy in Europe and the struggle to sell what they do have there.
Chevy is seen as an American car in Europe. Ford has been there for nearly 100 years and is seen as a German and English company because the people grew up with them. They are not seen as American as Bob Lutz once explained.
GM really needs to get Chevy global and we are not there yet. The time will come but Europe is a tough market right now.
Make it an Opel Buick, Vauxhall, Holden and you would have a much better shot. The volume is there globally and the fact they already have OPC would make this a much easier case to approve.
Marketing cars is like betting on football. Think with your heart but bet with your mind.
HHRs are cool…said no one.
Well they sold in six figures for most of Their production. Show another wagon that did that well.
The only reason I bought one was because at the time it was the only way you could get 4 doors and cargo room with a LNF.
The performance division tuning also makes for fun driving.
PT Cruiser
Chevrolet could be “globalized” through linkage with Opel and Vauxhall. GM designing, even on shared platforms, both Cruze and Astra is an insane waste of money.
In turn, Buick could move upmarket and better fill it’s soft, middle luxury niche both in China and North America.
GM will never be truely healthy until this happens. Too much scale and capital is wasted on multiple design. One Ford should equal one GM value line up.
Or you can use the Buick with only small changes like a grill and badges. Then use the more upscale price of the Buick to better justify the higher price of the car. This way there would be little to no additional investment.
Then you bring in the Opel Speedster as a Buick to draw people to the line. You also go SCCA racing with the Speedster as a roadster and market the racing program against the Miata.
Finally you share the Speedster platform with Cadillac to make a larger more expensive Z4 competitor model for Cadillac that is still reasonably priced with a V6 to slot in below the Vette and above The Buick.
Making a Opel a Chevy is counter to what they are doing now.
Vehicles like Corsa and even Astra, amongst others, will never fit well into a approachable luxury brand such as Buick.
Chevrolet, Opel, Vauxhall and Holden deserve ONE line up tuned to satisfy regional tastes.
Most Chevy cars are based on either German or Korean underpinnings anyway.
Scott3,
You need to educate yourself on Ford. You spend too much time on GM sites.
Alan Mulally is the one who implemented the one Ford Strategy which makes Ford vehicles models the same all over the world. Not Henry Ford.
STs are not sticker packages, they are completely engineered vehicles with their own engines, suspensions… Ford has had to increase production twice already on the RS and they sell every one allocated. Try to find one. RS and ST are European cars which have been brought to North America with great success.
Agree fully with you Bob White!
It’s only a problem is you’re GM and don’t have a global view. Ford Performance Group is highly profitable.
Don’t we have some hot hatch’s with Holden and Vauxhall names on them that we could Americanize?
need a smaller entrée level vehicle for the younger crowd. WRX comes to mind. Nothing “sporty” to attract young people into show room.
The fiesta and focus sport modles are jokes in the performance cattagory. people buy them because of their name and looks. You cant really call them “performance.” heck, I drove a suburban that could outrun those tin cans. Its all about the style. Number fixing is what you call that. and cause I know that there are lots of ford trolls that whatch this blog (and some people who will defend a cut liitle car no matter how underpowered it is) what about scion or the Toyota frs? all it is, is a car that can handle corners well, and that you can drop into low gear to get some roar. My Pontiac sunfire can do that, and feels well with 150hp. but its 0-60 is stll 7+
Opel Astra OPC should be sold stateside as a Chevrolet, not a Buick because it lacks any luxury credentials. Furthermore, one must admit that Astra and Bolt look a lot alike.
Chevrolet it’s missing out on a rather small niche market that Ford has approached in a very global (forget T-bird & Probe) & very European manner which is much to the liking of millenials.
Mustang looks like a world car while Camaro screams American muscle. We’ve got face the fact that muscle just isn’t in style. Chevrolet will have a real crisis come next generation unless it come to terms with the changing tastes of consumers.
I have firmly believed that Chevrolet should step into that market. Chevrolet has 2 platforms for sure they could use to take on Ford in that market. I myself am one of those buyers. I am loyal to GM and in an attempt to challenge the Fiesta ST and Focus ST I purchased the Sonic RS. I seriously hope GM steps it up.
Ford has a better more strategic global perspective. A company the size of GM and only Corvette and Camaro as performance vehicles is just …well…not strategic! Certainly not to attract younger customers…and thus grow it’s customer base.
Ed Ford did not just create their Strategic global perspective in the last 50 years, It was something done when old Henry was still above ground. Their move to Europe was done nearly 100 years ago under much different economic conditions,
Sure GM has Opel there but Chevy never really was a presents there and it is difficult for the companies there now let alone one to move in.
The truth is Honda and Toyota have had little in the way of true performance. Sure they have had a couple short lived models but that has been about it. Yet young people still buy their cars in droves and most are just the basic cars.
Performance is not for the young much anymore with new cars. Most can not afford them and if they can they can not afford the insurance anyways. That is why they buy used Civics and gut the interiors out,
Buick/Opel is about the only real path here for a car that would be worth the price and have the global support to cover the needed yearly volume. Besides Buick could use the youth movement much more than Chevy.
Chevy is doing the ZR2 and why? because they can move the volume needed for the development.
To do a Cruze or Sonic right would take money and investment. Not some ST challenger that is mostly a sticker and emblem package but to a real RS like car. To pay for it you need to move numbers as there are only so many people willing to pay $40K for a Cruze.
Also when the market slows the added profits they are getting from the choices they make now will keep them alive not the high cost low profit models that are cool but can’t pay their own way.
I want to see these models too but if you want one you need to make a business case and right now no one here can do that. Saying they should do it and just build it is not how profits are made.
Let make it clear. If it were not for Opel and other overseas models using the Diesel we would not have it either.
It is a global world now and that is how it is played. Often these smaller companies can get away with these models as while they are small they have been global for decades.
As long as Chevy is not in Europe they are hamstrung making limited expensive models.
To fix this let OPC handle this for Opel and Buick and everyone will get what they need.
Agreed. Ford has for many years a better global strategy.
I’m not here to defend either company. My vehicle purchases are based on what I like and which company (globally) meets my needs with a reasonable price and with quality build.
I made this comment months ago. GM should listen to its loyal customers once in a while.