Word: subcompacts
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...Flyer was designed by Chinese engineers, but at least two other companies are suspected of trying to cut costs through a time-tested Asian shortcut: copying Western designs. Analysts once considered cars too sophisticated to knock off. They were underestimating Chinese ingenuity. In 2002 a Volkswagen-like subcompact made by a small company in Anhui province now called SAIC-Chery Automobile began appearing: it was made with components provided by suppliers that were believed to have signed exclusive deals with Volkswagen's joint venture. More recently, Chery has run afoul of GM by releasing a car, called the QQ, that...
...sales to other VW brethren, such as the Audi A3 and models from Skoda and Seat. Japanese and Korean automakers are cutting into VW's core segment: compacts. In a European market down 1.5% this year, Honda's sales are up 7.4%, almost entirely thanks to its new Jazz subcompact. Hyundai, with sales up 10.8%, boasts a European market share of 1.7%, now on par with VW's Skoda brand. And Toyota's Yaris, packed with features and options for under $17,000 in most markets, is a bargain compared to VW's $18,000 Golf. The euro's strength...
...Mini 39 Subcompact 41 Compact 60 Midsize 85 Large...
...around the clock inside a secret garage in the Jura Mountain town of Biel. If the team realizes its vision, the Swatchmobile will combine the crash resistance of a Mercedes with the spunkiness of the famous wristwatch. Plans call for the Swatchmobile to be 20% smaller than a typical subcompact, able to wheel into a parking space sideways, cost about $10,000 and reach 90 miles an hour. The car's designers hope it will travel at least 80 miles on a gallon of fuel, thanks to an engine one-tenth the weight of any existing engine with equal power...
...Later he helped defuse a bitter environmental fight at a major new plant site. Associates say he has a photographic memory for both faces and statistics. While Stempel was general manager of Chevrolet in the early 1980s, he gave a detailed presentation of 17 different vehicles, ranging from the subcompact Chevette to medium-duty trucks -- all without referring to notes. "It was an amazing performance," recalls a senior engineer...