Why is Japan not making saloons?
Discussion
https://www.nissan.co.uk/vehicles/new-vehicles.htm...
Literally, no saloon at all. Nothing. It's all these f
king pathetic half 4x4 things like the porn-trail or the couscous.
Even toyota now only make the Avensis as an estate model. (I know they've got Lexus, but meh).
Honda seem to have given up too;
http://www.honda.co.uk/cars/get-a-brochure/choose-...
Why is japan so reluctant to get into the saloon/family hacth market?
Literally, no saloon at all. Nothing. It's all these f
king pathetic half 4x4 things like the porn-trail or the couscous.Even toyota now only make the Avensis as an estate model. (I know they've got Lexus, but meh).
Honda seem to have given up too;
http://www.honda.co.uk/cars/get-a-brochure/choose-...
Why is japan so reluctant to get into the saloon/family hacth market?
Ilovejapcrap said:
I've always felt a saloon is a waste of space may as well have an estate maybe most people are starting to feel that way so no demand ?
Exactly - the surprising thing for me is that they made/sold so many in the past. I'm not the biggest fan of the hatchbacks-on-stilts that are en vogue, but I'd have one of them over a saloon any day, and I'd have an estate over both.The SUV fad won't go away. People prefer them to estates (in the UK) as they are 'easier' to park in crowded cities.
Five years ago the motoring pundits including Top Gear were forecasting 50% market penetration for the SUV class, and it looks like they were right.
While many on here wouldn't want a QashQow the roads are flooded with lookalikes, mostly owned by people who aren't 'car fans' and just want a box to get from A - B with the minimum amount of thought and the maximum of kids/shopping.
There's nothing wrong with that of course, SUV's are practical, and occasionally, fun. It's the ubiquity of them which is bothersome. (To some.)
Estates are better in so many ways, but as a city hack or farm-track car, SUVs can be useful. So, the Jap. manufacturers churn them out.
There's always the Avensis, for the un-inspirational.
Five years ago the motoring pundits including Top Gear were forecasting 50% market penetration for the SUV class, and it looks like they were right.
While many on here wouldn't want a QashQow the roads are flooded with lookalikes, mostly owned by people who aren't 'car fans' and just want a box to get from A - B with the minimum amount of thought and the maximum of kids/shopping.
There's nothing wrong with that of course, SUV's are practical, and occasionally, fun. It's the ubiquity of them which is bothersome. (To some.)
Estates are better in so many ways, but as a city hack or farm-track car, SUVs can be useful. So, the Jap. manufacturers churn them out.
There's always the Avensis, for the un-inspirational.
skyrover said:
The UK has a weird fetish with hatchbacks that the rest of the world seems to lack.
Why is it a weird fetish; hatchbacks are far more practical than saloons and look better too, particularly at the cheaper end of the market; ever seen a Polo or Fiesta saloo or an Astra or Focus saloon; hideous looking cars. HTP99 said:
skyrover said:
The UK has a weird fetish with hatchbacks that the rest of the world seems to lack.
Why is it a weird fetish; hatchbacks are far more practical than saloons and look better too, particularly at the cheaper end of the market; ever seen a Polo or Fiesta saloo or an Astra or Focus saloon; hideous looking cars. 
HTP99 said:
skyrover said:
The UK has a weird fetish with hatchbacks that the rest of the world seems to lack.
Why is it a weird fetish; hatchbacks are far more practical than saloons and look better too, particularly at the cheaper end of the market; ever seen a Polo or Fiesta saloo or an Astra or Focus saloon; hideous looking cars. also UK angle do you really want to be seen as Richard Bucket ( pronounced bouquet)
Pints said:
And the 3 Fastback. Basically the only real alternative to the Jetta in that segment in the UK.
i was completely unaware of the 3 fastbacks existance - its quite a nice looking car.
i was completely unaware of the 3 fastbacks existance - its quite a nice looking car.
HTP99 said:
Why is it a weird fetish; hatchbacks are far more practical than saloons and look better too, particularly at the cheaper end of the market; ever seen a Polo or Fiesta saloo or an Astra or Focus saloon; hideous looking cars.
the polo/ fiesta / astra / focus mk2 saloon look hideous because they were designed after the hatch as an afterthought. if you look at the yank mk2 focus ( they had a completely different mk2) it looks less odd as a saloon because it was designed as one. the original polo was the same, looked fine ( and like a mini passat) because it was designed as a saloon from the outset. the a3 is a good modern example of it too - the saloon version looks fine because it was designed as one to begin with, along side the hatch. I prefer saloons - I always have done. Hatchbacks have never appealed, and estates just scream "dog owner" to me (the domestic pet than could make a public toilet seem to have a pleasant aroma). That said, looks will not come in to it for the extreme majority of Japanese cars in the UK market. That isn't why they're buying a car.
Japanese brands have, with a few notable exceptions to prove the rule, appealed predominantly to functional car buyers rather than emotional ones. Saloons are still common in premium-pitched cars in our market. Those buying to get from A to B and looking for low hassle will usually just want the maximum space for the footprint and the biggest holes in the body shell through which to pass objects they buy and take to the skip,
Japanese brands have, with a few notable exceptions to prove the rule, appealed predominantly to functional car buyers rather than emotional ones. Saloons are still common in premium-pitched cars in our market. Those buying to get from A to B and looking for low hassle will usually just want the maximum space for the footprint and the biggest holes in the body shell through which to pass objects they buy and take to the skip,
HTP99 said:
skyrover said:
The UK has a weird fetish with hatchbacks that the rest of the world seems to lack.
Why is it a weird fetish; hatchbacks are far more practical than saloons and look better too, particularly at the cheaper end of the market; ever seen a Polo or Fiesta saloo or an Astra or Focus saloon; hideous looking cars. 
I asked one of my American colleagues why the Yanks don't buy hatchbacks and his response was...
1. They are ugly
2. They look Cheap.
4. They are noiser due to boot being part of cabin space
3. Thieves can access your boot easier
So I guess it's part image, part refinement and part security.
Than again the yanks buy more SUV's than anyone else, so he could be talking b
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