Silly Rabbit, Trixx Are For Toyota...and Volkswagen

Opel's promising Trixx concept will never happen, at least according to GM Europe President Carl-Peter Forster in a recent Automotive News Europe interview. "These specialized urban vehicles have a limited market. I think the sweet spot is where we are with the [Chevrolet] Matiz," Forster told Automotive News Europe in an interview at GM Europe's offices. Forster commented that it would be "a pretty expensive proposition" to build a new platform and new engine for a car smaller than the Matiz.

A segment like this is a definite risk. Smart's results to date haven't been something to write home about. Daimler is hoping that smart will break even for 2007 and make a profit in 2008. Now with added competition from Toyota and Volkswagen, the pie will have to be sliced even thinner.

I thought the Trixx was an attractive concept. However, the Peugeot 1007 has shown that expensive and heavy sliding doors on such a small car are not a recipe for sales success. Personally I'm a big fan of sliding doors for ease of entry in tight parking situations, but that's just me.

source: automotive news europe