The truth gets out every now and then – not that many are paying attention. And the truth behind Fiat’s slow-motion exit-stage-left from the North American car market is that Americans just aren’t very interested in “efficient” small cars.
If they were very interested, as the government (and media) constantly claims that they are, then available efficient small cars like the 500 three-door hatchback would be selling well.
They’re available; anyone who want one is free to buy one.
Instead, they hardly sell at all. Fiat had counted on 50,000 sales annually – on the assumption that Americans hungered for efficient small cars denied them by the evil entente of Big Oil and the Big Three, which forced them to buy “gas hogs” they really didn’t want.
That, at any rate, was the government’s line. Still is the government’s lie.
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The facts speak for themselves. Given the choice, most Americans don’t want the kinds of cars the government insists they’re pining for.
Last year, only 5,370 Fiat 500s were sold nationwide.
Ford sells more F-150 pick ups in a week.
Thus, the news that Fiat will cease trying to sell what few Americans actually want.
The 500 slides off the radar after the end of this model year and probably soon thereafter, Fiat itself since its remaining models – the 500L and 500X – are also small-sized slow-sellers that never sold as well as the 500 hatchback.
Fiat’s overall sales are down almost 40 percent.
But it’s not just Fiat doing the Randy Watson microphone drop.
BMW is having the same tough time selling the same thing Fiat’s been having trouble selling. The German luxury car maker owns Mini – and they’re not selling well, either. Notably, the three-door Mini hatchback – which is a car very similar in layout and specifications to the ill-starred 500 from Fiat. It gets even better gas mileage – but so far this year, BMW has only sold about twice as many Minis per month as Fiat has 500s.
Which isn’t many.
