Word: minicars
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...emitting engines in Europe," says a Chrysler official privy to the product discussions, who asked not to be identified. "Their strength is our opportunity," he gushes. Chrysler is eager to get new vehicles on the road adapting subcompact and compact car architecture, he adds. "We might not sell a minicar in the U.S., but we could sell it somewhere else." But there's a big potential U.S. play too: "We also have to worry about the new [fuel-economy] standards," he says...
...Japanese minis were once dowdy, spartan econoboxes purchased mainly by consumers who couldn't afford anything better. Japanese called them "perseverance cars" because drivers had to put up with cramped passenger compartments and anemic 50-h.p. engines. That began to change in 1998, when government restrictions on maximum minicar size (owners are eligible for discounts in annual car taxes worth at least $200) increased to 3.3 m long and 1.5 m wide. The bump in dimensions gave manufacturers creative space to build better, roomier models-most now have four doors-and alleviated consumer concerns about safety and comfort. "I feel...
...because profit margins are too low to justify international sales. Daihatsu sells some of its minis in Southeast Asia and is working on a deal in China. But Suzuki-Japan's top minimaker until Daihatsu passed it last year-is reducing mini production in favor of subcompacts and compacts. "Minicar engines made for the Japanese market are too small," says Yoichi Kojima, a spokesperson for Suzuki. "Here you have only four passengers, but in India, for example, you need space to pack in as many people as possible...
...Even in Japan, the market appears to have limits. Kei sales in April fell 6.4% from a year earlier, the first drop in 16 months. The slump is unlikely to last, however. "Over the long term the minicar market is expected to grow continuously," says Tsuyoshi Mochimaru, an auto analyst for Deutsche Securities in Tokyo. When a country's population shrinks, apparently so do its cars...