It comes down to average fleet mpg. Ever worked on a PT Cruiser or whatever GM'S version of it? The parts are not found under passenger cars, they are listed under trucks. When Dodge put the Hemi in the trucks back in the early 2000's they needed to offset it's 10 mpg. To do so they took the Neon, put a bigger body on it, and the PT cruiser was born. They then flooded the rental car market with them to get the numbers right to meet the EPA's Fleet Average. Same thing is happening right now. Ford loosing weight and new tech engines. GM, AFM and multi trucks. Chris
There is as split. Car segment and truck segment. I've always worked on the truck side for GM. You are right about the PT Cruiser. It did make an off set in the average MPG standards in the truck segment because it was considered an SUV which put it in the truck segment. When GM built minivans, they were considered truck segment also due to it being a multi passenger (over 5) vehicle. The rules are and have been changing. I'm sure you are aware of the "gas guzzler tax". If a vehicle fits this category ( the ZL-1 Camaro for instance) the Feds require the tax to be on the window sticker (around $1300 on the ZL-1) and is passed on to the customer. The truck segment is being looks at differently now. With the MPG requirements, there has to be change in the trucks themselves. I'm really surprised that Ford didn't come out of the gate with a small, fresh, new truck like GM. Instead they are tossing weight w lighter V-6 engines producing V-8 type HP and using more aluminum than any other truck manufacture. It's a bold move but I'm sure a lot of testing and engineering has been put into the new F-series truck. Only time will tell. If the longevity of the truck is compromised and costly repairs follow, they could loose a lot of customers. It's a wait and see game.