Autos: the death of the sedan has been greatly exaggerated

Automakers don’t have to copy Ford to jump on the surging-trend of SUVs. Rather, they just need to make compelling products. Ford allowed their sedans like the Focus and Fusion to carry on for over six years of life without replacement, and with sales continually declining, they announced they’d be annexing their entire U.S. sedan lineup, apart from the Mustang. Curiously, General Motors soon stated after Ford’s announcement that it would continue Ford’s noble quest of churning out mediocre-at-best sedans at prices above their competition. This bullet-proof strategy lasted for a whopping four months before GM followed in its own sweeping cuts to both its lineup and US-based workforce, particularly in the factories that build the majority of its sedan lineup. Among the vehicles cut from its lineup include stalwart names like the Chevrolet Impala and Buick Lacrosse, as well as the short-lived Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Volt. Many of these vehicles saw low sales which is seemingly indicative of general trend towards SUVs. However, looking at pricing for many of these vehicles, it’s easier to find a problem in their pricing. For example, the Cadillac CT6, when fully priced out in its configurator, can top close to ninety thousand dollars. This dips a toe into German luxo-barge territory, like the critics’ favorite Mercedes S-class and BMW 7-series. And even with all the marketing GM may show me, I’d still choose the three-pointed star over Cadillac any day. Further down the list, the Buick Lacrosse, an undoubtedly ritzy and smooth-riding sedan, eclipses the pricing of even its foreign competition, like the Lexus ES and Genesis G80 – and both brands rank higher in terms of overall levels of luxury and reliability. The takeaway? American sedans need to get back to being better sedans, at competitive prices, without the use of occasionally steep dealer discounts and leasing rates. Not only do these cut into the bottom line for manufacturers, but buyers have chosen with their wallets the better more reliable sedans, i.e. the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, whose sales have remained strong in 2018 despite the decries of the end of the sedan. To summarize, the death of the sedan has been greatly exaggerated – and American automakers are paying the price for this.