Hot hatches, a potential Galapagos phenomenon from Europe?

"Galapagosized Guy" (galapagosizedautomotive)
09/15/2016 at 11:26 • Filed to: galapagosization, Galapagos, galapagos syndrome, hot hatch, hot hatches, europe, european, Sports Sedan

Ford Focus RS, one of the Euro-Galapagosized hot hatches. Ford didn’t even want to make a sedan version.

(Copied from this article in my blog: http://galapagosizedautomotive.kinja.com/hot-hatches-a-potential-galapagos-phenomenon-from-euro-1786653501)

Hot hatches are a common topic ranging from small cars and large luxury cars, but we mostly use the term “hot hatch” for the small performance two-box hatchbacks, since many fast large luxury hatchbacks blurred the “large hatchback” designations due to fastback-like designs (large hot hatches including Audi RS7 and Opel Insignia OPC, to a few). Many European car makers are making exciting compact hot hatches, but this has made a Galapagosization on European car makers, and thus, many European carmakers failed to thrive in sedan-preferred global markets where classic three-box sedans are more favoured. And they didn’t build a Mitsubishi Evo-esque sports sedan even they made a small sedan each for the global range. They just didn’t care about dying compact sports sedan market where WRX STI was a lone goner (except Audi has the S3 Sedan and Mercedes-AMG has CLA45).

Sedan-only fourth-gen Subaru WRX STI. Subaru discontinued the hatchback WRX to eradicate their European Galapagos Syndrome and in response to global preference on sedans.

Audi S3 Sedan. While the A3 Sedan was intended for response to global markets, the S3 Sedan was a response to Mercedes-AMG CLA45 and Subaru WRX STI.

Why? European market is a sharp contrast to other markets such as North America, and sedan market in Europe is just ignored by many carmakers. And, Europeans exaggeratedly preferring small two-box hatchbacks and versatile estates to big-boot three box sedans, thus making many European carmakers and other few carmakers (such as Ford, who never wanted to spruce up Focus sedan) forgetting about importance of making a high-performance versions of their small sedans in their entire global range. Some even didn’t know there is still a market potential for those small fast sedans for the global market.

Renault Megane RS. Renault didn’t make an RS version for Megane’s sedan counterpart, Fluence, due to European Galapagos Syndrome.

Global preferences on sedan bodies has pulled in some few European carmakers to expand their small car range as a response. However, due to European Galapagos syndrome of excessive focus on hot hatches, only a few responded to the dying sports sedan market as well. So far, only Audi and Mercedes-Benz have responded to Subaru’s sedan-only WRX STI with their Audi S3 Sedan and Mercedes CLA45 AMG, while other European carmakers didn’t care about it, not making powerful versions of their small sedans. For example, Renault’s Fluence didn’t receive RS treatment.

The excessive focus on hot hatches can make a negative impact for the European carmakers, if they wanted to go on global market. If they want to stop this syndrome, the only quick real aid is to make a high performance small sedan for the global market, or making a combined liftback sedan instead of separate versions, and making a high performance version of it.

EXTRA NOTE: Three-box liftback sedans can be a better aid since this cuts down costs on making separate versions, and can be very useful on small cars. This was largely used on large luxury hatchbacks but there are only very few liftback sedans in the small car market (We are looking at you, Skoda Octavia and Rapid).

DISCUSSION (4)

duurtlang > Galapagosized Guy
09/15/2016 at 11:42

Talking about Galapagos syndrome while talking about an entire continent is a bit out of place in my opinion. Anyway, if manufacturers thought there was a market for high performance compact sedans they’d offer them. You can hardly accuse a company like Ford of being too Focussed on the European market. Besides, R&D required to install the Focus ST or RS drive train in a sedan is minimal. That they don’t offer them is because they expect there’s insufficient demand. Not just in Europe, but globally. These companies are in it for the money, if they can make easy money they will.

Galapagosized Guy > duurtlang
09/15/2016 at 11:57

Yeah. But global market’s (still) stronger preference on sedan bodies hasn’t affected Ford yet. Ford did make a Focus ST sedan once sometime in mid 2000s, but they never wanted to remake in third generation despite global market still favors sedan bodies in general. (lThis could be due to more and more people liking hatchbacks, and more carmakers joining the fray.

Also, the Focus is a mainly European car so this is why Ford never had a sedan version in mind while making Focus ST and RS. (They even vowed not to make sedan RS, which IMO, is a pretty stupid idea.)

Off topic, Americans have equal liking on both sedans and hatchbacks so the “Americans hate hatchbacks” stereotype should never apply. But not many carmakers sell hatchbacks in USA due to the stupid stereotype. In general, sedans are still popular in USA despite hatchbacks on the rise, due to low fuel prices. (There are way more hatchbacks than anyone think, if you count real sports cars with hatch roofs in.)

Cé hé sin > Galapagosized Guy
09/15/2016 at 15:31

You could say this kind of thing about many markets though. Kei cars? American petrol automatic pickups? German and British estates/wagons? Tastes and requirements differ.

Galapagosized Guy > Cé hé sin
09/15/2016 at 19:48

Yeah. Also, European hot hatches will soon join the Galapagosization list because 1, many countries outside Europe still prefer saloons (even developed nations like Singapore still prefer saloon bodies), 2, Euro carmakers didn’t feel the need to spruce up their small saloons (Jetta, Fluence, Focus 4dr, and such), 3, they though small sports saloons won’t boost the sales. The latter two are why Euro carmakers make small saloons targeting at budget buyers instead of larger audience.

They hardly think that. They even didn’t think hot hatch boom have exceed the limits.

Off-topic, I would want to see more small sports saloons instead of small hot hatches. Sports saloons look much nicer (Subaru WRX STI anyone?) while hot hatches are just... Weird with rear spoilers. I think the hot hatch boom is over, and hot hatches aren’t cool now.