Germany’s Big Three (Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz) have had sales explosions recently. They each proclaimed their aspirations of becoming the world’s highest-selling luxury automaker. In that pursuit, they resemble the American Big Three, which has always chased proliferation and platform sharing. Quality didn’t take a backseat to quantity at these firms; quality was placed in the third row of a Chevy Suburban.
At the front lines of this German plot to conquer the world are families of small, FWD-based vehicles. Enthusiasts responded to Ingolstadt’s sales push differently than Stuttgart’s or Munich’s. Perhaps this is because all Audis (with one super exception) are FWD-based, their cars look like clones, and as an insurgent brand, Audi has long done well at the low end of the premium market—where it overlapped with Volkswagen.
Now, BMW and Mercedes are hoping their brands and designs can give them an edge over upper-trim VWs. However, one can be forgiven for asking, ‘where’s the cream filling in these hollowed-out forms?’ Vehicles like the CLA, Kia Carens (…), and even A3 don’t seem luxurious; they seem European mainstream—as competent as an Opel or Peugeot. Base drivetrains are humble, cockpits are spartan, and tech available in a $25,000 Hyundai raises prices above $40,000—at which point one can consider compelling alternatives (which offer rear legroom).
However, the CLA and A3 resemble operational model cars. The CLA makes the CLS available to the masses. The A3 does the same for…all Audi sedans. That will be enough for buyers.
But what does luxury mean anymore? It used to be exclusivity, leather seats, wood trim, and power everything. Then it was exclusivity, GPS, panoramic glass roofs, and heated/ventilated seats. With the exception of exclusivity, ordinary cars have all those things and more. The Kia Optima is a spaceship by ‘94 standards.
Do these Teutonic vehicles fit into the luxury mold for being emotional and irrational buying propositions—as luxury cars have always been? In other words, one buys a small, stylish sedan instead of a large, plain one. Or does “luxurious” just mean “expensive” now? Has luxury changed, or have luxury carmakers changed?
By Nico Grant
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