What Are The Biggest Auto Show Flops Of The Past Decade?

"Andrew T. Maness" (theroadlessdriven) 10/02/2014 at 20:35 • Filed to: Auto Shows, Paris, Volvo, XC-90, Mitsubishi, TRLD, Andrew Maness, News, Cadillac, Dodge, Hellcat

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What you see above is a hit grand slam, bottom of the 9th, bases loaded, walkoff. When Volvo dropped the gorgeous XC-90 in our laps earlier this year I thought it couldn't get any better. Little did I know the Swedes had an ace in the hole in the form the of XC-90 R-Design with matte blue paint that they just dropped at the Paris Auto Show. Car companies are lucky to have one buzz generating vehicle a year, Volvo has this and the V-60 Polestar.

I guess Volvo is just cooler than other brands.

In fact, many car companies drop the ball when it comes to auto show debuts. The press launches are often beyond cheesy, images of the vehicle have most likely already been leaked and there's never enough free shrimp to go around.

Of course these are just minor problems compared to the big one that many companies have faced, the vehicle itself sucks.

The H3, 6th gen Jetta , Chrysler Aspen Hybrid, all misfires and people knew it right from the get go.

I'm going to draw from personal experience with my choice, the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander which debuted to ZERO fanfare at the 2012 LA Auto Show. Nobody cares about poor 'ol Mitsubishi, probably because they killed off the one vehicle that made them relevant and make better commercial appliances than they do vehicles.

Actually, their current automotive offerings could be classified as commercial appliances, so maybe we're just looking at them wrong. When viewed as an air conditioning unit that can safely move you and 6 other people from point A to point B, the Outlander actually ain't all that bad.

Now it's your turn to weigh in. During the past decade, a decade in which we've seen the shift from the DeVille to the CTS-V and from Stratus to the Hellcat, what automakers have missed wide right with a redesign or entirely new model?

MK6GTI-now with added Miata > Andrew T. Maness 10/02/2014 at 14:25

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Not exactly sure what the question is, based on the title, but GM's last minivans for the US market were way too little, way too late. They tried to make them look more aggressive and SUV-like, but people saw them for what they were: redesigned previous-gen vans missing some of the most popular features in the segment, like folding 3rd-row seats. This is 2006, mind you.

When you compare it to what Honda had come up with a year before, it looked even more sad.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Andrew T. Maness 10/02/2014 at 14:27

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everything from Nissan besides the GTR

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > MK6GTI-now with added Miata 10/02/2014 at 15:05

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I remember the generation before the last, they were the best vans. My mother had a 1999 Pontiac Montana before we got an Odyssey in 2007, The Montana was great, but the power door somewhat jammed when cold. This was not a GM problem, as a family friend had an Odyssey from 1999 with the same problem.

Blue 300 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/02/2014 at 15:59

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Absolutely agree.

Money Hustard > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/02/2014 at 20:36

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Fookin' Prawns > MK6GTI-now with added Miata 10/02/2014 at 20:38

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I almost never see them in private hands. Either transit for the disabled or a taxi.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Andrew T. Maness 10/02/2014 at 20:38

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anti lambo flop

Money Hustard > Andrew T. Maness 10/02/2014 at 20:39

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The 6th generation Chevy Malibu in 2004 was not a good idea:

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > MK6GTI-now with added Miata 10/02/2014 at 20:42

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I have an uplander, base trim, only the front 2 seats, missing a hubcap, no cruise control or aux input. It's terrible but charming in its own right. Plenty of ground clearance and has a surprisingly stiff chassis but mushy shocks.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Andrew T. Maness 10/02/2014 at 20:46

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I'm not saying the original Aztek concept was particularly good looking. I'm not saying that. What I am saying is that it wasn't nearly as heinous as what they eventually released.

Roundbadge > Money Hustard 10/02/2014 at 21:15

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I have a Maxx.

I'll never say it's beautiful. I'll never say the electrics are of any real quality. I'll never say the fit & finish is great.

The hatch is great though. The engine is reasonably powerful, reasonably efficient, handles okay. I'd never buy the same car without a hatch, but I gained passenger space, and stopped driving a 2-seat truck but still had a vehicle with tremendous utility.

I think it's a shame they weren't more popular.

Money Hustard > Roundbadge 10/02/2014 at 21:17

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Yeah, I love a hatch the much as the next guy, it was just an idea that clearly didn't take hold, is all I meant by it.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Blue 300 10/02/2014 at 22:40

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its a close race for my least favorite car company between Nissan, and Mitsubishi.