Chevrolet has big plans for Germany. “Mid-term” one percent market share will be in Chevy’s crosshairs, says Automobilwoche [sub]. “We have a realistic chance to reach that level, which is very important for a German importer,“ Chevy’s Germany-chief Steffen Raschig told Automobilwoche. “This is my main target.“
He is aiming low.
According to recent statistics of the German Kraftfahrtbundesamt, Chevrolet already has a market share of 0.9 percent in Germany. They got there with 17,360 carts sold in the first seven months of 2011, up 46.3 percent compared to the same period in the prior year. With that under the belt, Raschig wants a meek one percent of share, “mid-term?”
As a good German manager, he only sets targets of which he knows that they are already as good as reached.
Long-term, Raschig has a more aspirational target of 60,000 cars. “We could reach that in 2016 already.” Germany usually is a 3 million unit market, so that would be a two percent share – in the neighborhood, but below Toyota and Hyundai, two brands that not necessarily break sales records in Deutschland.
Now don’t think Big Bad Bowtie when you think Chevrolet Deutschland. In the contrary, think small.
Chevy’s current offerings are depicted above: Spark, Aveo, Cruze, Orlando, Captiva. What we have is an importer of diminutive Daewoos in Chevy-clothing. But this is also supposed to change. Chevrolet wants to cover 75 percent of all segments in Germany. And then there is that talk of moving Chevy production to Germany. Something Raschig did not want to comment.
One aspect becomes clear: GM starts to marginalize Opel and Vauxhall. Moving Opel up-market had been the declared strategy since 2009: “The new strategy is designed to move Opel away from its image as “the European Chevrolet”– so that Chevrolet can become the European Chevrolet,” Ed Niedermeyer declared three years ago. If Opel can’t hack it up-market – tough, once Chevrolet has occupied the volume segments.
Soooooo… How much extra leg room in the Cruze “limousine”? That choice on the screen shot really jumped out at me.
Moreso than Aveo Limousine…?! :P
I believe this is just terminology meaning a proper 4-door sedan vs a 5-door lift/hatchback. Looking at the site itself seems to confirm that.
There’s only maybe two real “US” designs Chevy can offer, Corvette (a volume seller?) and the Silverado/Suburban (another volume seller in Germany?). Perhaps the Traverse but it strikes me as much too big and wouldn’t sell in volume. The Malibu is already available as an Opel.
Why would anyone in Germany want to buy an American and/or Korean car? If it weren’t for purchase price and maintenence costs, everyone in America would be driving German cars.
If it weren’t for purchase price, maintenance costs, not being able to drive them due to one of the worst reliability ratings in the United States, geez I just can’t figure out why Americans just don’t drive VW’s.
The Malibu is not already an Opel. The Opel is the Insignia which is the Buick Regal. Moving Opel upmarket makes sense, especially with the Buick linkup. It is possible to do – think Skoda and VW. In that case VW is “constrained” by having Audi above it – so having a three level hierarchy works for VW surely a two level hierarchy could work for GM (I know Cadillac is due to come to Europe but will never be a big seller, ask Lexus).
Ok. But the upcoming shortly Malibu is based on the Insignia – any near future plans with the Malibu would be with the future model. But the major point is that Chevy has no other models for Germany that would actually sell in profitable numbers. I’ve said before – I don’t think GM does very much domestic engineering of platforms because all I hear is….this is based on a Korean platform…or an Opel platform. Pickups and the Corvette are the only examples of domestic platforms. What other real (US) Chevrolets are there?
Bertel mentions that Chevy is aiming at 2% and that is less than Toyota. I am not surprised, Toyota has been around much longer in Europe, has european factories and has around 4% market share (in EU-27). Chevy has no factories, has been around for a decade and doesn`t have a full range (partially rectified when Malibu comes over next year).
Toyota has no brand cachet in Europe, at least not the same way it used to in the United States. I’ve observed it firsthand; Germans simply don’t care about the Japanese or Korean makes. They might buy the cars if they feel like they’re a good value, but they don’t have any of the same reverence for them that American consumers do. If GM plays their cards right, then they could probably usurp Toyota’s market share pretty easily. But I think that will inevitably come at the expense of Opel’s market share.
One percent? Who knows? What I do know is that in 1933 U.S. ambassador to Germany, William E. Dodd, brought his Chevy to Berlin from Chicago. That’s a start.
Honestly, I don’t think Chevy will sell good in germany but since I’m a chevy owner, I guess I’ll just support them :D
GM should send some V8 V6 rwd 4 door Chevys over, no they arent merican either but they are in England with Vauxhall badging already. That way they can play in the whole market not just the bottom end.
Having spent the past 2.5 weeks in Germany, Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands, I have seen a few of the Sparks around. Can’t miss the ugly little things. Also a few Cruze. In a sea of proper European cars, those big gold bowties really stand out to American eyes.
I see one HUGE issue with the lineup shown – no wagons. HUGE numbers of wagons in Germany, in all sizes from tiny to 5-series/E-class size. “Limousines”, not so much, other than the BIG Germans.
Most people buy wagons not stupid SUVs those are purely a US POS
Drive Japanese and German cars side by side to understand why Germans consider Japanese cars as throwaways. Take Infinity vs BMW or Camry vs Passat – it is not even funny. German cars are not reliable but had reputation of lasting with some repairs longer than Japanese or Korean cars. It believed that with Asian cars everything breaks down at at some moment and it is cheaper throw it away and buy new one. German cars can be maintained and kept for decades. BTW I remember according to German polls Kia was rated to have highest customer satisfaction level, probably because of value. Toyotas were rated as most reliable cars year after year.
At least with regards to the Camry versus the Passat it is the other way around on these shores. The old Camry with a 2.4 four and four speed automatic would easily surpass 200K miles before becoming disposable.
In Europe, they drive fewer miles/kilometers per year than the average American. So, a ten year old Passat should have fewer kilometers on the odometer than its US counter part.
Hopefully, the average VW mechanic in Deutschland is better trained in his kraft than the typical dealership mechanic here in the US. The dealership experience in the US is very much hit or miss. There are some excellent independents, but the really good ones charge Mercedes labor rates.
Last but not least, when it comes to driving dynamics and interior ergonomics, the Camry comes off what an Amercan designed mid-sized car should be. That fact just isn’t going impress a German who has driven an Audi or BMW.
A Camry isn’t going to impress a German who has ever driven a VW Polo, never mind a BMW. Camrys are designed from the ground up for America. Nice straight, wide, but kind of bumpy interstate highways where 80mph is considered going REALLY FAST. And they are pretty OK in that environment.
Having driven 1200 miles or so across Germany in my 328iT in the last couple weeks, I can only think that a Camry would be terrifying on the Autobahn, and the sales stats show that Germans agree with me. No amount of percieved reliability is going to make up for wooly steering when you are going through a German construction zone with <2M wide lanes and a 40T truck 4" from your right mirror. Or a floaty suspension at 125mph. Or the typically lousy spongy brakes that Camrys have.
At least in Northern New England, the only way you would see 200K on an older Camry would be if you never shut it off – they would rust out from under you, just like most Japanese cars. None of them EVER got the reputation for mythical reliability in Maine, as they did not last long enough. Our safety inspection is quite efficient at removing older Japanese cars from the roads here.
As I have mentioned before, as a native New Englander I never got why American cars are typically floaty barges until I went to the Mid West for the first time, and to truly appreciate a German car you need to experience it in the environment for which it was designed. Toyota makes the very best Buicks ever made.
How about Acura TSX a.k.a Euro Honda Accord. It is not much different from Camry. Only decent Japanese cars are made by Nissan and Mazda (which may be gone soon though).For US German cars are over-engineered and do not make much sense.