Hybrids, SUV “lites” reflect tastes, trends in 2005

As a car dealer, 2005 came early to Ryan Ferrero’s Loveland auto showroom.
“For us it started in April,´ said Ferrero, owner of Ferrero Auto Center, the Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler in Loveland. “’05 came really early for our brand because there were so many new models.”
In all, Ferrero will introduce nine new 2005 models before 2004 fades to history. He expects an additional five new models to be introduced by April 1.
While dealers of other makes may not have quite so many new cars to become familiar with, an assortment of other newbies – from hybrids to crossover SUVs – are rolling off the production lines for 2005.
Steve Hardy, general sales manager for Markley Motors, is awaiting an all-new version of the Honda Odyssey mini van and two brand new sedans this fall. The Fort Collins dealership features Honda, Buick, Pontiac and GMC models.
Hardy expects the new G6 to arrive in October. The G6 replaces the Grand Am. A new Buick LaCrosse, replacing the Century and Regal sedans, should be on the showroom floor in late 2004.
Meanwhile, Buick, Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn all bring new mini vans to the marketplace. The four models feature new, 200-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 engines and offer optional all wheel drive.
A new, smaller Cadillac, the STS, was available as of September, joining a handful of other new car models for 2005. The 2005 new car market will welcome a couple of new crossover SUVs, another couple of new hybrids – fuel efficient beasts that couple gas and electrical power – and a redesigned Nissan Pathfinder, Xterra and Frontier.
Bill Barrow, executive director of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, said new crossover SUVs are the biggest news right now. “SUV lites, as I call them, are what’s hot right now and are going to be hotter in the future.”
Smaller and lighter, these vehicles shed most, if not all, of the more traditional sport utility’s off-road capabilities in favor of a better on-road ride and more fuel efficiency. They typically sport all-wheel drive, retaining a reputation for going well in snowy conditions.
“Those are beginning to appeal more especially in metro areas,” Barrow said.
The crossover SUVs have piqued the interest of aging baby boomers who are at once tired of their mini vans and disinterested in vehicles they have to climb up into to board.
Ford speaks to the trend toward crossover SUVs in 2005 with its brand new Five Hundred Freestyle. The Five Hundred is a sedan, slightly larger than Ford’s long-popular Taurus. The Freestyle is a wagon, built on the same Taurus platform but available in four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
Both cars offer what Ford calls “command seating.” The driver and front passenger seats are about four inches higher than those in a conventional sedan, but five inches lower than a compact SUV like the Ford Escape. The result is a better view of the road with out a big climb to get in.
Chevrolet also brings a new crossover SUV to the marketplace for 2005 in the form of the five-passenger Equinox.
The spike in gasoline prices has boosted consumer interest in hybrid cars, a trend that’s likely to continue in 2005.
Barrow said that as the marketplace matures and more hybrids are offered with more capabilities, the trend among consumers would likely expand rapidly.
While Barrow looks for those two sectors of the new car market – SUV lites and hybrids – to gather strength, he doesn’t discount some of the old standbys. Trucks will continue to be important.
“Ford has just come out with its new half-ton pickup truck and is announcing a new three-quarter ton pickup truck. Those are going to be strong in the marketplace,” Barrow said.
“Trucks are a long way from being out of style. Folks still want to have four-wheel-drive pickup trucks and SUVs.”
Hardy looks for SUVs to continue strong sales in 2005. “The SUV is a popular vehicle right now.”
Chrysler is taking its own approach to the hybrid craze. Ferrero said the brand will not be building a hybrid but is focusing instead on power with fuel economy.
“People want the higher fuel economy but they’re not wanting to give up the performance,” he said.
The new Chrysler 300C, for instance, is a rear-wheel drive luxury car with a 340-horsepower Hemi V8. “Once on the highway it shuts down four cylinders and becomes a four-cylinder. It gets in the high 20s in fuel economy.”
Ferrero is also looking forward to a brand new Grand Cherokee, expected by late September, an all-new Hemi-powered Dodge Durango and, by late 2004, a new diesel-powered Jeep Liberty. Given the average American driver sits in traffic for 42 hours a year should drive continued luxury and amenity in car interiors.
“It’s a delicate balance between having the toys and being safe,” noted Ferrero as he ticked off some of the popular amenities in cars today. “We’re capable of putting in just about anything, there are even in-dash DVD players.”
Sound – both in terms of reduced road noise and quality stereo output – is important right now, Ferrero said. Telephone reception is being integrated with car stereos and stereo speaker quality is at a high, he said.
Safety is beefed up somewhat in 2005 with the presence of new air bags which go above drivers’ and front passengers’ windows and then over the visors, Barrow said.
Back on the outside of the car, 2005 colors reflect the backgrounds and interests of the largest segment of drivers today, Ferrero said.
“A lot of our buyers are pretty well educated. They’re 30 to 55 and they own the iPods, they own the new iMac computers. They’re pretty technically oriented.”
As a result, metallic colors in the style of high-tech gear are increasingly popular. “Cool vanilla, magnesium, deep lava. Colors are very rich but very modern,” Ferrero said. “That’s likely to be the trend for the next couple, three years.”

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