Small is better. Even if the four-wheeled tradition of our Italy would speak the language of performance and style, of luxury and in any case of the charm of a dream car. Even if the big profits, the car manufacturers make them with high-priced cars…
But the world changes. Cities change and the cost of fuel becomes increasingly prohibitive. Hence the 'small' cars, once relegated to the role of second family car, or first choice for a young novice driver, are increasingly going beyond their old role. And the market adjusts. Advertising adjusts.
The commercial dedicated by Gianni Morandi to the Volkswagen Up in the television opening of the first evening of the Sanremo Festival is its eloquent aspect. As well as the war of numbers, of satisfaction and performance, of emissions, between the new little German car and the Fiat New Panda, he is already writing a new chapter on the relationship between cars and Italians. Once upon a time, if anything, the rivalry between the increasingly strong VW brand in our house, as well as prevailing in Europe, and the products of Mamma Fiat, would have focused on the comparison between Golf and an average Alfa, let's say the Giulietta. Or maybe with yet another version of the Punto. Not today. The general attention goes to the dimensions and equipment of the Up and Panda, each of the two accused of having copied the other in terms of style, look, technical choices and equipment. As if between the economic situation and city centers now barred to ex-'real' cars, if only due to the now dramatic lack of parking, every Italian about to change car could think of nothing but a small one.
This is how (even so) one was born completely new philosophy of the world on four wheels, in almost all its possible repercussions. More and more car brands focus their image no longer on performance and driving fascination, central and inevitable values until a few, very few years ago. For many manufacturers, every commercial cannot ignore the 'sustainability' of a product, which must first of all be kind to the environment and traffic, i.e. as close as possible to the concept of 'green'. And it doesn't matter if the data communicated for CO2 emissions, as well as those relating to fuel consumption, are very often a theoretical and very impractical reality. Just pay attention to the aspect of noise: how much advertising today promises cars whose roar of the engine (an intriguing value, once) is replaced by a breath of wind…
Marchionne wants to sell over six million New Pandas in the next few years. There are no official estimates from VW for the Up, but they certainly won't want to be left behind. An invasion of the market that will not be enough to please the mayor Renzi, who has established that in the historic center of his Florence, from 2016, non-residents will enter behind the wheel only if driven by an electric motor: owned or car sharing . But this is the trend.
And besides, it will also be a superficial assessment, but today the charm of the roaring and muscular car, which makes it fun to drive when not even fast, is no longer what it used to be. Especially for young people. It is no coincidence that the comparison between 2000 and 2011 sees small MPVs (data from UNRAE, the association of foreign car manufacturers in Italy) protagonists of a leap from 1% to 4,9% of the vehicle fleet. A record leap. It is no coincidence that for an electric car market that is still completely unsatisfactory in terms of the actual availability of models with at least decent performance and range, customers are starting to choose small microcars powered by a small battery propulsion unit. These are almost always small two-seaters with a top speed of 60km/h, at best. But for two passengers (and maybe even for shopping bags) enough. And they can enter and park anywhere, often guaranteeing the thirty kilometers per recharge that allow an average day of movement in the city. And with a significant advantage: they cost as much as a scooter of a certain level, and running costs tend to be zero.
