汽車界“土肥圓”大盤點(diǎn)
豐滿無罪 ????別克(Buick)最新的重磅大作2013昂科拉(Encore)到達(dá)我家里的時(shí)候,我立刻從它身上辨認(rèn)出了傳統(tǒng)的別克元素:瀑布格柵、流光舷窗,以及三塊盾牌的別克家族徽章。不過首先我卻聯(lián)想到了一些根系蔬菜。昂科拉的車頂很高,長度較短,與其說是輛傳統(tǒng)的別克車型,不如說更像一顆土豆、一個(gè)蘿卜或是一個(gè)地瓜。它沒有把車做得更長、更低、更寬,而是做得更短、更高、更敦實(shí)。不是只有我一個(gè)人注意到了這一點(diǎn)。汽車網(wǎng)站Edmunds.com的分析師杰羅米?阿塞維多表示:“昂科拉的比例非常少見,與很多車型都不一樣。” ????別克在宣傳材料中稱昂科拉是“如同雕刻出來的一般,優(yōu)雅、敏捷、高效、奢華。”雖然材料里一次也沒提到昂科拉那不同尋常的尺寸,不過它承認(rèn)昂科拉是“獨(dú)一無二”的,而且它會“很有回頭率”。 ????昂科拉之所以會有這樣一個(gè)別出心裁的比例,是因?yàn)榘嚎评窃谘┓鹛m科魯茲(Chevy Cruze)這一緊湊車平臺上研發(fā)的。通用公司既想讓它能容納四名成年人,又想給它配足應(yīng)有的高端配置,以不負(fù)別克的家族徽章。雖然設(shè)計(jì)師極力隱藏高車頂與短車身之間的比例失衡,但是昂科拉給人帶來的視覺沖擊還是令人過目難忘。 ????昂科拉有多么不同尋常?應(yīng)《財(cái)富》雜志(Fortune)的要求,汽車網(wǎng)站Edmunds.com分析了如今市場有售的332款不同車型的車長與長高比例。昂科拉的車長約為車高的2.6倍,排在所有車型中的第313位。Edmunds.com的分析師阿塞維多指出:“從歷史上看,這種比例并沒有特別流行過,不過隨著最近的趨勢朝著微型車方向發(fā)展,而且隨著汽車廠商青睞更獨(dú)特和更實(shí)用的設(shè)計(jì),這種比例也許會變得更流行。” ????究竟是不是這樣還有待觀望。一般來說,有錢人喜歡更加傳統(tǒng)的比例,也就是更長、更低。車長與車高比值最大的五款車型包括賓利(Bentley)、梅塞德斯奔馳(Mercedes)、瑪莎拉蒂(Maserati)和兩款蘭伯基尼(Lamborghini)。為了更好地了解這款別克小越野的銷售前景,我們不妨先看看14款車身比例比昂科拉更極端的車型的市場表現(xiàn)。 |
Let's be blunt ????When the 2013 Encore, the latest entry in Buick's return to relevancy, arrived at my house, I immediately recognized all the traditional Buick styling cues: waterfall grille, portholes, and tri-shield emblem. But the first thing I thought of was root vegetable: With its uniquely high roof and diminutive length, the Encore looks more like a sweet potato, perhaps, or a turnip, maybe a yam, rather than a traditional Buick. Instead of longer, lower and wider, it is shorter, higher, and altogether chubbier. And I'm not the only one who noticed. Edmunds.com analyst Jeremy Acevedo says: "The proportions of the Encore are very rare, not matched by many vehicles at all." ????In promotional material, Buick calls the Encore "sculpted, elegant, nimble, efficient, and luxurious." While it never once mentions its unusual vertical amplitude, it does concede the Encore is "one of a kind," and it "will turn heads." ????The Encore comes by its unusual proportions because General Motors (GM, Fortune 500)has stacked a body large enough for four adults on the platform of a subcompact Chevy Cruze and added sufficient upscale heft to earn a Buick badge. Although designers have tried to disguise the unusual ratio between the tall roof and the short body, the visual impact is unmistakable. ????How unusual is the Encore? At Fortune's request, Edmunds.com analyzed the length to height ratios of all 332 different models available today. Encore, which is 2.6 times longer than it is tall, ranks 313th in terms of length to height ratio. "Historically these proportions haven't been particularly popular," says Acevedo, "but with the recent trend toward subcompact utilities it might be a trend that becomes more pervasive as automakers look for distinctive and functional design." ????We'll see. People with lots of money prefer more traditional proportions: longer and lower. The five cars at the top of the list with the greatest ratio of length to height include a Bentley, Mercedes, Maserati, and two Lamborghinis. To get a better idea about the prospects for the Baby Buick, we looked at the market performance for 14 cars and crossovers that feature even more extreme proportions than Encore: |