The Ford Taurus, Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Cruze, and GMC Terrain SUV were all decent enough. Most disappointingly, however, the Chevrolet Impala and Malibu, Buick Lucerne, and all the midsize and large Chryslers were all very much reminiscent of what the American manufacturers were building ten years ago. These aforementioned cars (the Impala in particular) are all huge sellers. What every car I've just mentioned lacks, however, is an intrinsic "American-ness." A properly American car needs a name with flair, exciting styling, power and room to spare, and solid build quality. What I will attempt to do is to outline what the Big Three ought to do to restore this elusive quality to their product lineups.
In 2006, when Buick replaced the Park Avenue, they named their newest large slushboat sedan "Lucerne." An American car should not, in any circumstance, be named after a quaint Swiss town (note that there was never a Pontiac Geneva or a Mercury Zurich.) Considering that it sits on architecture that is, to say the least, aged, the Lucerne has sold incredibly well. I'm still left scratching my head, however, as to why GM didn't give the big Buick a better name. In the past, the Tri-Shield has marketed cars with some of the following illustrious names:
- Roadmaster
- Riviera
- Century/Centurion
- Wildcat
- Skyhawk
- Electra
- Bolero (show car)
Similarly, Detroit needs a styling revolution. The latest Lincolns are an improvement, but the monstrous shiny proboscis of the Ford Fusion does a lot to harm what is otherwise a decent design. It's hard to pinpoint what makes a design "American." Whatever the case may be, a properly domestic car needs a certain flair, a certain swagger, and certain embodiment of our unique, Western way of life. Tacking chrome onto a design that is otherwise understated and "European" doesn't make any car properly American. Likewise, crafting the sheet metal with a chisel (CTS) makes the car neither exciting nor attractive. The Chrysler 300 was a good effort, but it's always been just a little awkward. I'm hoping the 2012 re-boot of the LX cars will rectify this and give us designs that are similar in spirit to, but somewhat more refined than those found on the current models.
Personally, I'm all for a revival of discreet tailfins (Lancia tried it out on the Kappa in the '90s, so such a renaissance wouldn't be without precedent.) A pair of thin dorsals could be just the thing to set aside the current Malibu from the competition. The current low-roof trend isn't that offensive, but all the American manufacturers could design more fluid rooflines. The nation that incubated the fastback should never have produced the awkwardly roofed Chrysler Sebring (Mk II). In this sense, the aforementioned Buick Lucerne (Electra?) is a bit of a winner: the trunkline is gentle and elegant, even if it does look a little like what one would find on a 1997 Toyota Camry. The current trend of slapping oceans of chrome on otherwise pedestrian cars (the aforementioned Fusion; most other Fords save for the Mustang and, possibly, the Taurus) has also got to go. A little chrome, strategically placed, is fine. A mirror-like chrome face is not. In the details and the bigger picture, then, Detroit needs to pick up the pace. A return of "coke bottle" styling (already initiated by Audi on the A5) would evoke the past, as would subtle fins (call them "sight lines", as Mercedes once did) and tasteful (?) chrome accents. Aggressive stances and clean silhouettes would point to the future. The moment in which to begin this revolution in styling is upon us.
An American car must be, in the traditionally held view, a power-house. The Big Three are starting to recognize this again, and are also slowly realizing that power and engine size aren't necessary related. After building the insipid 3.8L "3800 Series" V6 engine for years and years, GM is equipping its new Buicks with more interesting power plants: the 2011 Regal will have a 2.0L turbo four-cylinder, mated to a six speed manual gearbox. Ford has discovered turbocharging, and the 3.5L "EcoBoost" (rated at 365hp, I believe) is now available in the Taurus and the Lincoln MKS. A new 5.0L V8 has arrived for the Mustang, and even Chrysler is bringing to the game its new "Pentastar" six cylinder engines. All told, the Americans are now making some excellent mid-sized and large engines. "But what about the environment?", you say at this point. Well, it is common knowledge that electric engines produce 100% torque of the mark. Imagine a "green" AWD Taurus (or RWD Aussie Falcon, as I'd have it) with the 5.0L V8 and/or a peppy electric assist. Impressive, no? Even I would consider buying one. Through turbo-charging, performance hybrids, and the use of efficient V6 and V8 motors, the Big Three can once again build affordable cars that have power to spare.
Since the 1990s, the American manufacturers have come light-years in terms of build quality. I recall our old Chrysler New Yorker having faux-wood trim throughout the interior; on two of the doors, the trim panels simply fell off. This was, apparently, a common problem on late 1980s and early 1990s Chryslers. With the exception of the Cadillac CTS, I have been quite impressed with the interior fit-and-finish on all the latest models launched by Chrysler, FoMoCo, and the General ("latest" generally denoting 2008 and later; including but not limited to the following: new Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan/Lincoln MKZ, Ford Taurus/Lincoln MKS/Ford Flex/Lincoln MKT, Chevrolet Malibu, Buick LaCrosse, Buick Regal, Chevrolet Equinox/GMC Terrain, and the late Pontiac G8.) The plastics are still a little hard, and the edges are occasionally a little rough, but every indicator represents a giant step in the right direction from the terrible cabins found in many American cars ten years ago (e.g., 2000-2005 Pontiac Bonneville.) When the doors of a Chrysler shut with the same assured sound as the doors of Honda Accord, and when the cabin of a Lincoln blocks out noise as well as that of a BMW, the American forces will have been victorious. The Big Three have come a long way. Up the quality, improve the names, inject the styling with excitement, and the revolution will be complete.
