Ever wonder how product planning really works? It turns out that product planners aren’t just hired to sit around and tell car companies what to build. Apparently you have to do things like work with data and make Excel pivot tables. Which is why I’m still working here. But the 2015 Hyundai Genesis gives us an interesting example of what drives product planning decisions.
For the American market, Hyundai will offer all-wheel as an option on the Genesis V6. As for the V8, Hyundai is “studying” it as an option at a future date. On the other hand, Canadian market cars will not be offered with rear-wheel drive at all. Even for such a small market, the fact is that a rear-drive sedan would sit collecting dust on dealer lots, and Hyundai Canada’s planners made the choice to forgo RWD. Even BMWs are almost exclusvely xDrive in the Great White North. Canadians will get to enjoy a rare exclusive product – for now at least.
If memory serves, the US Mercedes GLK has standard RWD and an AWD option, while Canadians get only the AWD version.
I’m sure that there are other examples of this. The overall volumes are low; it’s more cost effective to offer one package than two, even if it ends up losing them a few customers who didn’t want the AWD.
Yeah, it was interesting to see how BMW, Mercedes, and Cadillac initially made AWD standard (on the X5, M-class, and Escalade) and now offer 2WD versions of those vehicles. Talk about decontenting!
Most of us south of the Mason Dixon line really don’t need AWD. No point in paying extra for the system and the fuel economy penalty for AWD if you don’t use it.
+1! Makes no sense to build a fun to drive RWD car and then add weight, expense, and extra fuel consumption if customers don’t use the AWD. For utilitarian FWD sedans, not offering AWD allows the Camry to have an almost flat floor.
As the others have said, it’s for the south. I have seen one RWD GLK, and on RWD ML in the whole time I have worked for Mercedes, but I’m in Michigan. The guys down south probably have experienced the opposite.
Did I read this right? Canada will get the V8 AWD or only the V6 AWD?
V8 and V6 with AWD only on both
Makes sense. One would think AWD is a must in a country with no paved roads.
Paved roads are just an example of wasteful government expense, eh?
Ha!
Pavement hurts the sled dogs’ paws and is hard on the toboggans.
No, the worst about pavement is crossing the street in snowshoes.
Not that there’s much usable pavement – it was all sacrificed by the administration on the altar of the Canadian Human Rights Museum.
Wears off the tape on the bottom of yer hockey stick for road-hockey too.
In the US unpaved, err pothole ridden, roads are an example of wasteful government expense. Money meant for roads is diverted into non-road uses.
Yeah don’t they drive on ice up there (asks the FL native). I heard they fish on ice too.
They do all that on ice, but they drink their whiskey straight up, odd lot they are
Even without AWD, the outgoing Genesis sedan outsells the Lexus GS (nevermind the Infiniti M) in Canada.
Nonetheless, the addition of AWD should increase Genesis sedan sales in both Canada and the US by a good margin.
I was quite surprised when a friend recently bought an Infiniti G37 without AWD, especially since his wife hates RWD in winter……….waaaait a minute!
I live in Seattle and specifically looked for a non-AWD G37. It only snows a week a year here at most. Since everyone up here is a snow-wuss, it was the only non-AWD on the lot and I was rewarded with a nice discount for it. I don’t care about the 1MPG AWD penalty, but the handling does feel different enough.