The Fit is now in its second month--it didn't hit the US market until 4/20, and it still sold nearly 3,800 units.

how is it that the aveo, the cheapest sub-compact by a margin of roughly 30%, which has the same features, same displacement engine, same power, same performance, is a total dog on the market?

i've driven a jazz/fit, an aveo, an xA, and an xB. i would buy the xB without a second thought, if i were in the market. if i never see an aveo again, much the better.

my opinion: GM still thinks about them as economy cars {like generic brand toothpaste or rainier beer}, while, to the japanese, they are small cars {like cell phones, laptops, mp3 players}.

in europe, where GM fails nearly as badly as it does here, the general trend in styling is that the smaller the car is, the more extroverted its styling is. peugeot is a good example of this with their 206 with flashy style vs their 607 that nobody can quite remember what it looks like.

maybe GM thought americans were different, but we're not. we like our small cars to stand out, to have emotional presence to make up for their lack of physical presence. they should have realized that from the example of the 1st gen echo and mini.

maybe they'll get it right next time.

naturally ford and chrysler have no better records w/ small cars, but everyone likes to pick on #1.

if i never see an aveo again, much the better.

Do you remember the "Big/Little" commercial for that thing? Four tall basketball players walk up and get into the thing, then they show baby versions of them from the inside.

http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2532927

Notice how they don't actually show them sitting in the thing at their actual size?

Headroom, front (in.)
=============
xB - 46.1
Fit - 40.6
Aveo - 39.2

Headroom, rear (in.)
=============
xB - 45.7
Fit - 38.6
Aveo - 37.6

Legroom, front (in.)
============
xB - 45.3
Fit - 41.9
Aveo - 41.2

Legroom, rear (in.)
============
xB - 38.0
Aveo - 35.3
Fit - 33.7

Trunk volume (cu ft)
=============
Fit - 21.3
xB - 21.2
Aveo - 11.6

EPA Combined (MPG)
=============
Fit - 33 to 35
xB - 31
Aveo - 28 to 29

Perhaps if GM bothered to advertise to Aveo more people would buy them. We pulled up behind an Aveo and my wife was surprised that Chevy sold a small car.

My mother loves hers so I think they have cornered the granny market.

"how is it that the aveo.. is a total dog on the market?"

It is in its last months of production for the current model. The new version comes out this summer. I sat in the 2007 Aveo at the NY Auto Show (black/tan interior) and was suprised that it had one of the best interiors of any of the subcompacts at the show. The problem with this car is the powertrain, only 24 mpg city, which sadly carries over to the new model.

GM just does't get it. I love my xA & it's 30 - 34 mpg's around town. It also has some style. Maybe if GM tried to do some style stamping into the sheet metal. The Aveo looks like an afterthought.... oh yea.... we'll sell this to those idiots who don't want an SUV... :)

Being a Chrysler guy I love a good GM or Ford bashing, but I must say that Chrysler has never been serious about anything really worthwhile in the last forever. Good examples would be the Pronto Cruiser, the Prowler, and the new Charger. None of these vehicles even remotely come close to their original concept glory. I very much doubt that the Hornet will be much more than any other American economy car--high on econmy, low on car. Just like my Neon.