Not every new vehicle needs to be an SUV or crossover. Benjamin Battles recently went-off about the new Acura RSX – a once spirited sports coupe, now turned EV crossover. And I’m right there with him… enough is enough! I’ve been mad about the Eclipse Cross ever since (what’s left of) Mitsubishi turned it into a crossover. We already knew what was coming with the RSX, but Acura’s official reveal sent (what’s left of) Acura’s fanbase into a rage.
SUVs & crossovers have been spreading like dandelions in spring…
Or herpes… depending how you look at it lol. Because cars that used to be sporty, unique, and/or exciting… have fallen victim to the SUV & crossover machine. The Mitsubishi Eclipse is now a crossover called the Eclipse Cross. Chevy castrated the Blazer & turned it into a crossover. Mustang put the iconic Mustang name on a 4-door crossover EV. The Hornet, historical American muscle, is now an (abysmally failing) dinky Italian hybrid crossover with Dodge emblems. And now the Acura RSX is following suit. Once a revered sport-compact, the new RSX is yet another uninspiring (soon to be unselling) EV crossover. No heart, no effort, no imagination, and no balls… just like the trickle of people who’ll aimlessly wander into an Acura dealership & buy it. I mean lease it. If you don’t show allegiance to your fanbase (or yourselves)… then we’re history… just like your cool cars.
This one-size-fits-all robotic mindset is destroying the car industry…
Correction – ‘has destroyed’. People want new vehicles that are worth buying. Are we humans? Or are we just little bots, commuting to work so we can afford an uninspiring tablet-car to commute to work in. Thankfully, there are a few bright spots out there. Ford has vowed to get out of the boring car business. And Toyota has delivered on a wide selection of inspiring lifestyle vehicles – from capable 4x4s to (OMG) actual sports cars. When many carmakers were neutering themselves, Toyota found themselves. The Ford Maverick brought the small pickup back from the dead, and look at the success it’s had (a rehashed name gone right). Even Dodge has some new blood, which is actually the ‘old blood’ coming back to set it straight. They’ve apologized for letting their fanbase down, and promised to fix it. Bottom line…
The auto industry has gotta stop pretending…
There’s only 3 boxes to check: 1) Giant SUV, 2) Giant truck, or 3) Midsize crossover. Take some risks, show some passion, earn a fanbase. The automotive world is unstoppable when it’s emotional. Turning their backs on that emotion has been the most critical mistake in automotive history.
Article by David S. Windsor
