Compact executive car
A compact executive car is a premium car smaller than an executive car. In European classification, compact executive cars are part of the D-segment. In North American terms, close equivalents are "compact premium car", "compact luxury car", [1] "entry-level luxury car" and "near-luxury car". [Two] Compact executive cars are usually available in saloon, estate, coupé, and cabriolet bod styles.
Contents
The modern version of this market segment was successfully established in one thousand nine hundred fifty when "the Nash Rambler was deliberately conceived as a luxury compact rather than an austerity model" and available only as a convertible, with hardtop (no "B-pillar") and station wagon and models added in 1951. [Three] By 1959, sales of European puny cars and American Motors’ Rambler "exploded" with many their buyers having above-average incomes leading commentators to describe "cultural motives behind their preferences" including the owners’ "unconcern for symbols of success and importance that testified to the possession of the real thing." [Four] Long-time president, chairman, and CEO of General Motors, Alfred P. Sloan, described the rising request for compact cars was not motivated by economy, but "was essentially a further expression of the customer’s desire for multiplicity." [Four]
By the early-1960s, the market for smaller, more economical cars, "but with more convenience, looks, and luxury" than ordinary compact cars included, among others, the Mercury Comet featuring style and interiors that "sparkle with most of the glamour Americans are familiar to in their thicker cars." [Five] During the late-1960s, buyer preferences fragmented the market, moving to intermediates, private/specialty, and all-out luxury cars, while the request slowed for traditional large cars. [6] Enlargening fuel prices and competition shoved AMC to "exploit special market segments left untended by the giants. [7] In 1978, "AMC introduced its fresh Concord luxury compact" [8] "represent[ing] an upgraded, more luxurious, more convenient, more silent, more opulent automobile." [9]
Cadillac continued its sales leadership in the premium market by making switches with the market and introduced the one thousand nine hundred eighty two Cadillac Cimarron, a luxury version of the compact GM J platform. [Ten] The Cimarron helped to boost the automaker’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), but its badge engineering of a front-drive, high-mileage model was evaluated as a low-value proposition in contrast to historic Cadillac luxury. [11]
In the early 2010s, automakers again responded to switches in the marketplace and in the "mind-set" of consumers looking for status on a budget. [12] Traditional "luxury car makers are gearing up to suggest petite models that will test whether affluent U.S. car buyers are ready to concede that fatter isn’t always better." [13] Facing higher fuel costs and traffic, switches are sweeping through the luxury car market and "Americans are beginning to catch up with global trends." [14] Part of this trend is a higher invasion by foreign brands in the US marketplace with examples such as the C-Class series of compact executive cars that became Mercedes-Benz’s top-selling North American product line since 2000. [15]
United Kingdom Edit
Two of the earliest European compact executives were created by the Nuffield Organization and introduced in one thousand nine hundred fifty two under the MG and Wolseley brands. The badge engineered Magnette and Four/44 twins had monocoque construction. [16] Another monocoque compact executive was the Austin Cambridge which was brought to the market in 1954.
BMC suggested larger Battista Farina designed saloons in 1959, which included the all-new Austin Cambridge Mk. II, MG Magnette Mk. III, Morris Oxford Series V, Riley Four/68-4/72 and Wolseley 15/60-16/60 derivatives.
Other British compact executive contenders included the one thousand nine hundred fifty five Hillman Minx, Singer Gazelle and sportier Sunbeam Rapier triplets from the Rootes Group. They were all substituted in one thousand nine hundred sixty six with the Rootes Arrow range of cars – some of the last to be designed before the Chrysler takeover – and were made up of the Hillman Fresh Minx and Hunter, Singer Gazelle VII and Fresh Vogue as well as the top of the range Humber Sceptre Mk. III.
Standard’s Vanguard (available as Sportsman, Ensign, Vignale and Six derivatives) appeared after 1955. After Leyland bought the Standard-Triumph company, the Standard name was discontinued in one thousand nine hundred sixty three in favour of the more saleable Triumph brand. In one thousand nine hundred sixty five Leyland introduced the Triumph one thousand three hundred which was their very first front-wheel drive vehicle. This evolved into the Triumph one thousand five hundred before being re-engineered for rear-wheel drive for the one thousand nine hundred seventy Triumph Toledo and Dolomite twins. The latter was fitted with a 16v, SOHC engine and is considered the world’s very first mass-produced multi-valve car. [17]
By the time the Austin-Rover group formed in 1983, the Austin Montego – which was also available in sporting MG Montego guise – was about to be launched. Like the later Rover 600, Austin marketed the Montego as both a family and an executive car and correspondingly made it available with luxurious Vanden Plas trim and high-powered engines.
In one thousand nine hundred ninety three Rover introduced the larger 600-Series which straddled the compact executive and large family car classes. It was based on the 5th generation European Honda Accord but was a more upmarket proposition. [Eighteen] The 600’s replacement was the Rover 75, announced in 1998, which was also mid-sized and spawned a sportier MG ZT version. The Rover seventy five resumes in spread form to this day [Nineteen] as the Roewe 750, also known as MG 750, predominantly for the Chinese and South American markets.
Like Rover, Jaguar’s very first compact executive competitor, the two thousand one X-Type, was thicker than the class average, partly as a result of it being based on the Ford CD132 platform. Sales were disappointing [20] so its replacement, the XE, didn’t show up until two thousand fourteen – the XE is far more closely aligned with the biggest-selling compact executive class cars.
Italy Edit
Italian manufacturing group Fiat S.p.A. suggested its one thousand nine hundred sixty one Fiat one thousand three hundred as a one thousand five hundred model, with enlargened engine size for greater spectacle and prestige. This was followed by the Fiat one hundred twenty five from 1967, Fiat one hundred thirty two in one thousand nine hundred seventy two and the related Argenta in 1981. Fiat no longer competes in the compact executive class.
In one thousand nine hundred sixty two Alfa Romeo embarked production of the Giulia sport sedan. The 116, 75, 155, one hundred fifty six and one hundred fifty nine were the successors. Alfa Romeo was absent from the market for five years before returning with the fresh Giulia in 2016.
Lancia, along with MG and Wolseley, helped to establish the modern compact executive car in the early 1950s. Lancia launched the monocoque Appia in 1953, which took styling inspiration from the fascinating Lancia Aurelia. In a accomplish clean sheet design, Lancia introduced the Fulvia in 1963; this was the last model introduced before FIAT’s takeover in 1969. The Lancia Beta was introduced in one thousand nine hundred seventy two and this morphed into the Trevi by 1980. The Lancia Delta based Prisma was too petite to be a serious compact executive competitor, so the larger Dedra substituted it in one thousand nine hundred eighty nine which was itself usurped by the Lybra in 1998. Lancia failed to make a success of its compact executive competitors in later years and left the sector in 2005.
Germany Edit
During the period of economic progress in the mid-sixties in Germany, BMW introduced its two series. Nowadays BMW has two compact executive model lines: 3-Series (Saloon and Touring) and 4-Series (Coupé, Cabriolet and Gran Coupé). The 3-Series is the best-selling BMW in the company’s history. [21]
In one thousand nine hundred eighty three Mercedes Benz introduced its 190E compact executive car. [22] Contemporary Mercedes-Benz compact executive automobiles are marketed under C-Class branding which is in its fourth generation. Saloon, Estate, hatchback (called Sport Coupé), Coupé and Convertible derivatives of the C-Class have been manufactured over the years.
Most of the Volkswagen Group’s compact executives are produced by Audi which in one thousand nine hundred sixty five introduced its very first competitor, the Audi F103 – derived from the DKW F102. It was succeeded by the Audi eighty in one thousand nine hundred seventy two before the A4 name began, of which there have been five generations. Contemporary Audi’s compact executive models are A4 and A5. The SEAT Exeo was a lower-cost compact executive strenuously based on the B7 Audi A4 but was discontinued after five years. Volkswagen introduced the upmarket CC to sit above the family-biased Passat in 2007. In two thousand seventeen Volkswagen discontinued the CC in favour of the Arteon.
France Edit
In one thousand nine hundred sixty six Simca suggested very first French compact executive car model 1301/1501 which is upgraded derivate from its one thousand three hundred model. With its aggressive design, roomy and powerful engines with speed of over 150km/h these cars were accepted most on the domestic market. After one thousand nine hundred seventy five Simka no longer rival with such class of cars.
Presently, Citroën offers a compact executive with its DS five hatchback. [23] It forms part of the range of DS Automobiles, the fresh luxury brand of PSA. Peugeot and Renault have concentrated on the family car market.
Sweden Edit
The Swedish brand Volvo has began production of compact executive automobiles with its Amazon in 1955. It was followed by Volvo 140, then eight hundred fifty which evolved into the S70 saloon and V70 estate. Nowadays it offers the Volvo S60 and V60 in the compact executive car sector.
Fellow Swedish brand Saab introduced the ninety nine in one thousand nine hundred sixty eight and substituted it with the ninety in 1984. Under GM control and on GM’s GM2900 platform (which also underpins cars like the Vauxhall Cavalier and Opel Vectra), SAAB introduced the nine hundred (NG) which evolved into the very first generation 9-3 in 1998. Saab’s last compact executive car was the second-generation 9-3 which was produced from two thousand three to 2014.
The Japanese luxury automobile market is rather junior than the European and American markets. There are three main premium car brands in Japan: Acura, Infiniti and Lexus which were all established in the mid to late 1980s. All three brands became popular in the US, but only Infiniti and Lexus are sold in Europe. The examples of the Japanese compact executive automobiles are Lexus IS (also known as the Toyota Altezza until the 2nd generation), Infiniti Q50 (previously known as the G-Series), and the Acura TLX (a re-badged North American Honda Accord, which substituted the Acura TSX (which was a re-badged European Honda Accord itself)).
Mazda attempted to break into the compact executive market in the early 1990s with its own-brand Xedos 6. This was originally to be marketed under Mazda’s luxury Amati brand, designed to take on Acura, Infiniti and Lexus. When the Amati project fell through the Xedos six continued in Europe badged as a Mazda and in Japan and Australia as the Eunos 500. When the Xedos six was discontinued in 1999, Mazda returned its concentrate to the large family car market.
Dimensionally, compact executive cars are smaller than mid-size/large family cars, and sometimes even smaller than compact cars. Mass market compact cars typically use the economical front wheel drive transverse engine layout, well suited to the inline-4 engine, which also maximizes interior room. [24] Several compact executive cars are rear-wheel drive with longitudinal engines, for improved stability and treating, [24] and in order to accommodate the larger size of higher-performance engines (straight-6, V6, uncommonly V8), with four-wheel drive often being available. [1] Compact executive cars also tend have more complicated independent suspensions, sportier transmissions, and high revolution engines that may require premium gasoline. The more sophisticated powertrain and mechanical layouts of compact executive cars comes at enhanced cost and diminished interior passenger and trunk space.
Compact executive cars usually suggest the buyer less equipment, interior room or engine horsepower for the money, compared to mass market (non-luxury) cars. [ citation needed ] However, the material and building quality is higher, there are off the hook features not found on mass market cars, there is better treating and spectacle, and the nameplate itself is part of the value proposition. [1] Recently, the entry-level luxury segment has been very competitive, and there has been price-overlapping with well-equipped non-luxury cars. [25] [26] Today, many compact executive cars particularly emphasize sporty treating. [27] [28] This category of vehicle is crucial to luxury marque BMW; BMW three Series accounts for up to 40% of the vehicles that BMW sells worldwide. [29]
Other vehicles such as the Lexus ES, Acura TL, Acura TSX, and Chrysler three hundred are also considered entry-level luxury in the United States and Canada, being similar in price to the BMW three Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. [30] However, the ES and TL are not sold in Europe and do not fall under European luxury classifications. The ES and TL actually began as badge engineered versions of the midsize Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, respectively, retaining the front wheel drive transverse engine layout platform with mass-market cars. The ES and TL are not considered executive cars either, despite similar dimensions, since executive cars usually emphasize higher spectacle, often being rear-wheel drive with longitudinal engines (the Chrysler three hundred and 300C are examples). [27] [28] The present iterations of the ES and LaCrosse emphasize "convenient, reasonably priced luxury", [31] while the TL has recently been targeted at the entry-level luxury sport market. [30]