After checking out the top 10 best selling vehicles of last year, it’s now time to take a look at the worst performers on dealerships lots.
It isn’t a huge surprise to see the Volvo C30 on the list at 10th place, considering the Swedish automaker decided to give the vehicle the axe at the end of 2012. The Volvo C30 was on the market for six years in North America and sold only 26,000 units.
As 2012 winds to an end, AutoGuide looks back at all the vehicles that received the axe this year, some that will be missed, while others surely won’t be.
Starting it off is the Acura ZDX, a crossover that had a very tough time breaking into the market. Priced at around $51,815 including delivery, the ZDX was hardly a hot seller for the Japanese automaker, and it’s clear that Acura can’t wait to move forward from it.
The Acura ZDX hasn’t exactly been a hot seller in the United States, so it’s no surprise that the Japanese automaker is revamping its crossover for the 2013 model year.
A report by insurance comparison website InsWeb suggests that the priciest car to ensure in America isn’t a Nissan GT-R or some other foreign exotic favoured by the young and reckless, but the strange looking Acura ZDX crossover.
According to the site, there is little data on the ZDX, as few people have bought one, and the vehicle is still fairly new to the market. But the ZDX is apparently involved in more than its share of accidents, something we can’t quite account for. Rounding out the list are obvious suspects, like the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Corvette and Dodge Challenger.
At the opposite end of the spectrum were cars like the Kia Sedona, Mazda5 and Ford Escape, the three least expensive vehicles to ensure, and coincidentally, three of the least exciting.
[Source: Left Lane News]
In the automotive schoolyard, the Acura ZDX would be the kid who invites everyone to their birthday party, only to have nobody show up. The much maligned crossover was the only vehicle to actually lose Facebook fans, according to data supplied by Chris Baccus, a marketing professional who operates The Auto Marketing Blog.
From a high of 8,776 fans in April, the ZDX was down to 8,597 as of June 30th. For comparison, the lowly Toyota Yaris has 15,476 fans the yet-to-be-released BMW X1 has 9,306 fans while the Ford Mustang leads the pack with over 515,000 fans. The biggest loser remains the Lexus IS-C, with a lowly 159 fans.
[Data Supplied By Chris Baccus Of The Auto Marketing Blog]
Acura has announced a recall for all ZDX luxury crossover models citing a potential safety concern with the airbags. No complains have been made but Honda found an issue with the passenger-side airbag during a manufacturing quality check. According to Honda/Acura, the dashboard material on the passenger side may have been cut improperly potentially causing the passenger-size airbag to deploy improperly. Honda says roughly two percent of vehicles could have this defect.
Luckily for Acura, the recall doesn’t affect many cars as the ZDX is a niche-market vehicle. Since it’s launch in December, Acura has sold just 1,850 ZDX models.
Owners will be notified by Acura, or can call Honda’s hotline at (800) 382-2238.
[Source: AutoWeek]
We still have more than half of 2009 to go and already the list of 2010 North American Car & Truck of the Year nominees have been picked. That’s because the list is essentially a list of every new model for 2010.
Nominated for car of the year are: the Audi S4, BMW Z4, BMW 335d, BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Fusion, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Ford Mustang, For Mustang GT500, Ford Taurus, Ford Taurus SHO, Honda Insight, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Kia Forte, Kia Soul, Lexus HS250h, Lotus Evora, Mazda3, MazdaSpeed3, Mercedes E-Class, Nissan Cube, Nissan 370Z, Porsche Panamera, Subaru Legacy, Suzuki Kizashi, Toyota Prius, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Golf TDI.
The 2010 North American Truck of the Year list is only slightly shorter and includes: the Acura ZDX, BMw X5 xDrive 35d, Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Transit Connect, GMC Terrain, Honda Crosstour, Land Rover LR4, Lincoln MKT, Subaru Outback, Toyota 4Runner and Volvo XC60.
Many off these vehicles have yet to be officially released and some (like the Honda Crosstour) haven’t even been officially named yet.
Jurors will now begin the lengthy process of making a short list, with the final winners chosen at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Last year’s winners were the Hyundai Genesis and the Ford F-150.
[Source: Edmunds]
Those clever folks over at Acura sure must be having a good laugh right about now. The company has just announced that it will debut a “luxury four-door sport coupe” called the ZDX at the New York Auto Show.
“The ZDX prototype is unlike anything you have ever seen before from Acura,” said Jeff Conrad, vice president, Acura sales. Apparently it also looks like nothing else from Acura, as we were confident this new vehicle was set to be a sporty SUV, based off of the teaser images that looked alarmingly like a rip-off of the BMW X6.
“The prototype showcases a new level of luxury, style and refinement for Acura and speaks volumes towards our commitment to advancing the brand,” Conrad continued.
Acura is the latest auto manufacturer to explore the four-door coupe idea, with Mercedes starting the trend with its CLS and Volkswagen recently delivering the CC.
By the look of the concept, this vehicle might be more in line with the new BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, or the upcoming Audi A7, both of which feature a hatchback or “sportback” trunk.
The ZDX, which will be unveiled April 8th at the New York Auto Show will be a concept car, however, it is slated for production with sales starting as early as this Fall.
GALLERY: Acrua ZDX Concept
