汽车界“土肥圆”大盘点
Alex Taylor III | 2013-04-23 14:09
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[译文]
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:
Jeep Wrangler
Length to height ratio: 2.2
Its design hasn't changed significantly in 70 years, but the upright stance of the Wrangler hasn't scared away buyers. More than 200,000 were sold worldwide last year, and Chrysler added 200 workers to its Toledo, Ohio plant in April to further boost production. The in-your-face seven-slat grille and nearly-vertical windshield deserve the overused adjective "iconic."
Fiat 500
Length to height ratio: 2.3
Fiat has contrived to make the 500's lumpy proportions look beguiling with subtle curves and bright colors. Thanks to its southern European origins, owners can fantasize about driving in the Mille Miglia on the way to the supermarket. Sales are clicking along at better than 3,000 a month.
Chevrolet Spark
Length to height ratio: 2.4
The Korean-built Spark manages to squeeze four doors out of a tiny overall package that is two inches shorter than a Mini Cooper. It is a brave attempt by a full-line manufacturer to lure Americans into small cars, but the effort shows in the design. The oversize headlamps and prominent trapezoidal light fixtures below the bumper seem too big for the shrunken sheet-metal skin.
Nissan Xterra
Length to height ratio: 2.4
Last redesigned in 2005, the Xterra is an antique whose bulges, body cladding, and off-road bling do little to relieve a boxy shape that is about as appealing as a mailbox. At Nissan dealers, it is outsold five-to-one by the more modern -- and less radical --Rogue crossover.
Nissan Cube
Length to height ratio: 2.4
Sold in the U.S since 2009, the Cube has suffered the same fate as nearly all mini-vehicles at a time of stable gasoline prices: It has been ignored. Its polarizing design hasn't helped. Unlike the G-wagon, it never found a niche as an ironic commentary on 21st century transportation.
Suzuki Grand Vitara
Length to height ratio: 2.5
Though it sports a traditional SUV silhouette, the Grand Vitara is plagued by shortcomings. An Edmunds.com reviewer found the V-6 engine lagged competitors' four-cylinder motors, while ride quality is poor, and the interior cramped and uncomfortable. Suzuki is withdrawing from the U.S. market and taking the unloved Grand Vitara with it.
Lexus GX 460
Length to height ratio: 2.5
Another old-style SUV, the GX 460 was all-new in 2010, but its dated perpendicular proportions don't show it. In terms of sophistication, not to mention fuel economy, it seems worlds apart from Lexus's RX, which outsells it 10 to one.
Toyota FJ Cruiser
Length to height ratio: 2.6
Whatever charms the FJ Cruiser exhibited when it was introduced in 2006 have faded along with the appeal of its clunky retro styling. With monthly sales running in the three-digit range, its demise has long been rumored but never confirmed.
Kia Soul
Length to height ratio: 2.6
A rare hit chunky car, the boxy Soul has caught on where the boxy Cube never did. Maybe it's those singing hamsters. The car has been reworked for 2014, and the hamsters will be back, dancing as well as singing their way through TV commercials and hoping to hold on to Soul's position as the second-best-selling car in Kia's lineup.
Toyota 4Runner
Length to height ratio: 2.6
No design awards for the 4Runner, whose current model was launched in 2009. Besides its blocky industrial shape that looks like it was carved with a chainsaw, its technology is old-school. This is that rare modern-day SUV that's more at home off-road than on, and it should probably stay there.
Suzuki SX4
Length to height ratio: 2.6
Available as a sedan or hatchback, in two-wheel or all-wheel drive, the versatile if nondescript SX-4 became Suzuki's best seller, but that wasn't good enough to brake the Japanese brand's slide out of the U.S. Market.
Buick Encore
Length to height ratio: 2.6
Longtime Buick owners will be shocked when they drive the mighty midget: Besides sporting the shortest Buick wheelbase in nearly 40 years, its four-cylinder engine is the smallest in Buick history. To make up for the lack of bulk, luxury features like soft-touch interior trim six-way power seats have been ladled on. Still, GM planners don't see big sales for Encore, and the market has confirmed their expectations. Just 4,980 found buyers in the first three months of 2013.
丰满无罪 别克（Buick）最新的重磅大作2013昂科拉（Encore）到达我家里的时候，我立刻从它身上辨认出了传统的别克元素：瀑布格栅、流光舷窗，以及三块盾牌的别克家族徽章。不过首先我却联想到了一些根系蔬菜。昂科拉的车顶很高，长度较短，与其说是辆传统的别克车型，不如说更像一颗土豆、一个萝卜或是一个地瓜。它没有把车做得更长、更低、更宽，而是做得更短、更高、更敦实。不是只有我一个人注意到了这一点。汽车网站Edmunds.com的分析师杰罗米•阿塞维多表示：“昂科拉的比例非常少见，与很多车型都不一样。” 别克在宣传材料中称昂科拉是“如同雕刻出来的一般，优雅、敏捷、高效、奢华。”虽然材料里一次也没提到昂科拉那不同寻常的尺寸，不过它承认昂科拉是“独一无二”的，而且它会“很有回头率”。 昂科拉之所以会有这样一个别出心裁的比例，是因为昂科拉是在雪佛兰科鲁兹（Chevy Cruze）这一紧凑车平台上研发的。通用公司既想让它能容纳四名成年人，又想给它配足应有的高端配置，以不负别克的家族徽章。虽然设计师极力隐藏高车顶与短车身之间的比例失衡，但是昂科拉给人带来的视觉冲击还是令人过目难忘。 昂科拉有多么不同寻常？应《财富》杂志（Fortune）的要求，汽车网站Edmunds.com分析了如今市场有售的332款不同车型的车长与长高比例。昂科拉的车长约为车高的2.6倍，排在所有车型中的第313位。Edmunds.com的分析师阿塞维多指出：“从历史上看，这种比例并没有特别流行过，不过随着最近的趋势朝着微型车方向发展，而且随着汽车厂商青睐更独特和更实用的设计，这种比例也许会变得更流行。” 究竟是不是这样还有待观望。一般来说，有钱人喜欢更加传统的比例，也就是更长、更低。车长与车高比值最大的五款车型包括宾利（Bentley）、梅塞德斯奔驰（Mercedes）、玛莎拉蒂（Maserati）和两款兰伯基尼（Lamborghini）。为了更好地了解这款别克小越野的销售前景，我们不妨先看看14款车身比例比昂科拉更极端的车型的市场表现。 | 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: |
Smart fortwo 长高比：1.7 Smart fortwo在鼓励节省停车空间的欧洲获得了成功，但是在美国却销量惨淡。原因除了价格较高，燃油经济性差，换挡顿挫感强，再就是它的比例太独特了。梅塞德斯奔驰公司正与日产公司（Nissan）合作，开发一款外型估计不那么激进的替代产品。 | Smart fortwo Length to height ratio: 1.7 Successful in Europe, where creativity in parking is encouraged, the diminutive smart has flopped in the U.S. Blame should be placed on its high price, poor fuel economy, and clunky transmission in addition to its peculiar proportions. Mercedes is working with Nissan to develop a presumably less-radical replacement. |
Scion iQ 长高比：2.0 Scion iQ这款新潮小车的魅力显然已经消失了。2013年的头三个月里，这款小车总共只卖出了1,009台，还不到去年同期的一半。像Smart for two一样，Scion iQ的失败也可以归咎于几个方面。《人车志》杂志（Car & Driver ）称它“又慢又小——但是贵得吓人。” | Scion iQ Length to height ratio: 2.0 The novelty appeal of the itty-bitty iQ has clearly worn off. Only 1,009 of these city cars found buyers in the first three months of 2013, less than half as many as in 2012. Like smart, iQ falls short in several categories. Car & Driver called it "slow and tiny -- but surprisingly expensive." |
吉普牧马人 长高比：2.2 吉普牧马人（Jeep Wrangler）的设计在最近70年里几乎没什么明显的变化，但它方方正正的体态并没有吓跑潜在买家。去年，牧马人的全球销量超过了20万台。今年4月，克莱斯勒（Chrysler）公司为它的俄亥俄州托莱多工厂新招聘了200名工人，以促进牧马人的生产。霸气的7格栅设计和近乎垂直的挡风玻璃绝对当得起“经典”二字。 | Jeep Wrangler Length to height ratio: 2.2 Its design hasn't changed significantly in 70 years, but the upright stance of the Wrangler hasn't scared away buyers. More than 200,000 were sold worldwide last year, and Chrysler added 200 workers to its Toledo, Ohio plant in April to further boost production. The in-your-face seven-slat grille and nearly-vertical windshield deserve the overused adjective "iconic." |
菲亚特500 长高比：2.3 虽然菲亚特（Fiat）500也是“短粗胖”的底子，但菲亚特公司却通过微妙的曲线和明朗的色调让它看起来颇为讨人喜欢。由于它的意大利血统，车主们在开车去超市买菜时，也可以幻想自己正在参加意大利的“1000英里赛”。现在这款车的销量在每月3,000多台左右。 | Fiat 500 Length to height ratio: 2.3 Fiat has contrived to make the 500's lumpy proportions look beguiling with subtle curves and bright colors. Thanks to its southern European origins, owners can fantasize about driving in the Mille Miglia on the way to the supermarket. Sales are clicking along at better than 3,000 a month. |
雪佛兰乐驰 长高比：2.4 虽然这款在韩国生产的雪佛兰小车比Mini Cooper还要短了两英寸，但它却在这样小的尺寸上设计了四个车门。这是通用汽车在小型车上做的一次勇敢尝试，这种努力主要体现在设计上。大号的大灯和不规则的雾灯设计对于这款缩水的小车似乎太大了些。 | Chevrolet Spark Length to height ratio: 2.4 The Korean-built Spark manages to squeeze four doors out of a tiny overall package that is two inches shorter than a Mini Cooper. It is a brave attempt by a full-line manufacturer to lure Americans into small cars, but the effort shows in the design. The oversize headlamps and prominent trapezoidal light fixtures below the bumper seem too big for the shrunken sheet-metal skin. |
日产帕拉丁 长高比：2.4 帕拉丁最后一次改款是在2005年，可以说是一款古董车了。它本来就方方正正的像个邮箱，凸出的前脸、刚硬的车身镀层和强大的越野功能更给它平添了几分彪悍的气息。不过它的销量却不尽人意，与更加现代、设计更加中庸的跨界车日产逍客相比，帕拉丁的销量只有逍客的五分之一。 | Nissan Xterra Length to height ratio: 2.4 Last redesigned in 2005, the Xterra is an antique whose bulges, body cladding, and off-road bling do little to relieve a boxy shape that is about as appealing as a mailbox. At Nissan dealers, it is outsold five-to-one by the more modern -- and less radical --Rogue crossover. |
奔驰G级 长高比：2.4 奔驰G级的轮廓也是方方正正的，看起来像一枚荣誉勋章，这个经典设计一直延用了32年。由于奔驰G级的“反时尚”派头，因此这辆曾经在军队中服役的老车也受到了多金人士的青睐，部分原因也是由于11.5万美元的起价注定了它是少数人才能享有的特权。 | Mercedes G-class Length to height ratio: 2.4 The G-wagon wears its top-heavy, squared-off look like a badge of honor -- so much so that its basic design hasn't changed in 32 years. The look is so anti-fashion that this onetime military vehicle has been adopted by the moneyed classes, in part because its base sticker price of around $115,000 guarantees a level of exclusivity. |
日产Cube 长高比：2.4 这款小车于2009年在美国上市，由于油价一直保持稳定，它也和几乎所有其它微型车一样，难逃被消费者忽视的命运。它那独特的设计也没有帮上忙。和奔驰G级成功主打怀旧风不同，日产Cube在21世纪的汽车业上始终没有开辟出属于自己的小众市场。 | Nissan Cube Length to height ratio: 2.4 Sold in the U.S since 2009, the Cube has suffered the same fate as nearly all mini-vehicles at a time of stable gasoline prices: It has been ignored. Its polarizing design hasn't helped. Unlike the G-wagon, it never found a niche as an ironic commentary on 21st century transportation. |
铃木超级维特拉 长高比：2.5 虽然超级维特拉（Grand Vitara）有一个传统SUV的壳子，但它还是被各种缺点所累。汽车网站Edmunds.com的一名评测人员发现，这款SUV的6缸发动机的性能还比不上竞争对手的4缸发动机。不光动力捉襟见肘，它的内饰也令人感到不舒服。现在铃木（Suzuki）正准备撤出美国市场，当然它会带着这款不受人喜欢的超维维特拉一起走人。 | Suzuki Grand Vitara Length to height ratio: 2.5 Though it sports a traditional SUV silhouette, the Grand Vitara is plagued by shortcomings. An Edmunds.com reviewer found the V-6 engine lagged competitors' four-cylinder motors, while ride quality is poor, and the interior cramped and uncomfortable. Suzuki is withdrawing from the U.S. market and taking the unloved Grand Vitara with it. |
雷克萨斯GX460 长高比：2.5 这是又一款老式SUV，从略显过时的方方正正的车身比例上，很难看出这是一款2010年才上市的新车。从先进性和燃油经济性上看，它似乎和雷克萨斯（Lexus）的RX系列完全不是来自同一个世界的产物，难怪它的销量只有雷克萨斯RX的十分之一。 | Lexus GX 460 Length to height ratio: 2.5 Another old-style SUV, the GX 460 was all-new in 2010, but its dated perpendicular proportions don't show it. In terms of sophistication, not to mention fuel economy, it seems worlds apart from Lexus's RX, which outsells it 10 to one. |
丰田FJ酷路泽 长高比：2.6 不管FJ酷路泽在2006年刚推出时产生了怎样的吸引力，它都已经随着那过时的复古造型渐渐淡出了人们的视野。随着它的月销量降到三位数以内，早就有人说丰田将停产这款车型，不过这格消息从来没得到过确认。 | Toyota FJ Cruiser Length to height ratio: 2.6 Whatever charms the FJ Cruiser exhibited when it was introduced in 2006 have faded along with the appeal of its clunky retro styling. With monthly sales running in the three-digit range, its demise has long been rumored but never confirmed. |
起亚秀尔 长高比：2.6 起亚秀尔是很罕见的一款获得了成功的“短粗胖”车型，它做到了日产Cube没有做到的事。或许是因为秀尔汽车广告里三只唱歌的仓鼠帮了大忙。这款车已经为2014年进行了重新设计，而且仓鼠们也将回归，在秀尔的广告里边唱边跳，希望能保住它在起亚产品线中第二畅销车型的位子。 | Kia Soul Length to height ratio: 2.6 A rare hit chunky car, the boxy Soul has caught on where the boxy Cube never did. Maybe it's those singing hamsters. The car has been reworked for 2014, and the hamsters will be back, dancing as well as singing their way through TV commercials and hoping to hold on to Soul's position as the second-best-selling car in Kia's lineup. |
丰田4Runner 长高比：2.6 丰田4Runner的设计没有任何可圈可点之处，它的现款车型是于2009年推出的。它的工业设计简单敦实，像是拿一把电锯锯出来的；同时，这款车采用的技术也过时了。这种过时的SUV与其开到路上，或许还不如一直停在家里。 | Toyota 4Runner Length to height ratio: 2.6 No design awards for the 4Runner, whose current model was launched in 2009. Besides its blocky industrial shape that looks like it was carved with a chainsaw, its technology is old-school. This is that rare modern-day SUV that's more at home off-road than on, and it should probably stay there. |
铃木SX4 长高比：2.6 铃木SX4不光提供了普通版和掀背版供客户选择，还提供了两驱和四驱两种车型，难怪多才多艺又有些难以归类的SX4成了铃木旗下最畅销的车型。不过即便如此，它也无法阻挡铃木品牌从美国市场全线溃败。 | Suzuki SX4 Length to height ratio: 2.6 Available as a sedan or hatchback, in two-wheel or all-wheel drive, the versatile if nondescript SX-4 became Suzuki's best seller, but that wasn't good enough to brake the Japanese brand's slide out of the U.S. Market. |
别克昂科拉 长高比：2.6 当别克的老车主开上这款全能小越野时，他们一定会被震撼到：昂科拉的轴距是别克品牌40年以来最短的，昂科拉的四缸发动机也是别克历史上最小的。为了弥补空间上的不足，别克给这款小车配上了软性材质内饰以及六向电动座椅调节等豪华配置。尽管如此，通用的市场人员仍然认为昂科拉的销量不会太高，市场表现也确认了他们的预期。今年前三个月，昂科拉的销量只有4,980台。（财富中文网） 译者：朴成奎 | Buick Encore Length to height ratio: 2.6 Longtime Buick owners will be shocked when they drive the mighty midget: Besides sporting the shortest Buick wheelbase in nearly 40 years, its four-cylinder engine is the smallest in Buick history. To make up for the lack of bulk, luxury features like soft-touch interior trim six-way power seats have been ladled on. Still, GM planners don't see big sales for Encore, and the market has confirmed their expectations. Just 4,980 found buyers in the first three months of 2013. |
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