To be an upstart, you need to begin in a bit of a niche. So in typical Canadian fashion, I'll start by defining what I won't do:
- full size trucks (Detroit is just too dominant to get a start here)
- small economy cars (the Japanese are too dominant here to get a start)
- Luxury cars (name means a lot in this segment)
- mid size cars (market is over-saturated, difficult to get enough volume)
- 4 door coupes (because I hate them, with a passion)
- Minivans (see above)
- FWD performance (again, see above)
So, that pretty much leaves large cars, performance, crossovers, small trucks, and SUVs. Unfortunately, this doesn't bode well for meeting CAFE. Oh well. I'll tack on the cost of the fines back onto the vehicle price. The company motto will be 'go big, or go home'. By the numbers, everything we offer will be the best where it matters most in the segment. Comfortable large cars, capable SUVs, and fastest performance. One thing that will make us unique is a diesel option on every vehicle we sell, including the halo sports car.
The large cars will be more akin to the Charger and G8 than say the Genesis or the Taurus. There will also be a deticated fleet (taxi and police) model, separate from the retail version to avoid the resale and perception issues that cars like the Impala face.
I think the segment where I could make the biggest impact is in the small truck market. Currently, full size trucks offer more capability for a little more money. Most of the big companies focus so much of their attention on the large trucks and as a result the small ones are seemingly an afterthought. Given a similar focus on small trucks should yield the best value in the entire truck market, and steal sales from not just Rangers and Tacomas but Silverados and Rams as well.
SUVs, I will bring back the meaning of Sport Utility Vehicle. They will be built to be used and abused. Mechanically simple so that things are easier to fix than they are to break. They will feature things like easy to clean interiors (owners will be expected to get muddy now and then).
Crossovers will be relatively nondescript. They will look more like SUV's than waggons. But fundamentally, they will still be cars. All the convenience features that one would expect will be there. Plenty of cup holders, entertainment for the kids, good cargo volume, removable seats, etc.
Performance will be characterized by the motto 'no replacement for displacement'. But they won't be just simple big engined brutes like the Viper (as much as I love that car, the market is hardly big enough for the Viper itself, let alone any competition). The halo car will feature a clean and classy interior with high-end materials, selectable suspension and performance settings, front-mid engine + RWD, 2 seats, killer looks, all the things such a car should be.