The worst automotive brands of 2012
Despite its beauty, Lotus makes the list of worst automotive brands of 2012 (Photo Credit: CC BY/Michael Price/Wikipedia)
While automotive sales improved with the healthier global economy in 2012, some auto brands didn’t get the memo. Courtesy of Jalopnik, here are the worst automotive brands of 2012. These are auto brands that lacked direction, or otherwise didn’t seem to have answers to what consumers really want. Their mistakes in design, marketing and other factors made 2012 a trial – for them.
Worst automotive brands of 2012 No. 9 – Lotus
The termination of CEO Danny Bahar failed to produce the results Lotus had hoped for. Growth for the exotic lifestyle auto brand was impossible to come by, which is a shame, considering the brand’s reputation for producing highly unique, sleek, powerful vehicles.
Worst automotive brands of 2012 No. 8 – Peugeot
The European car buying market is keyed into quality at a very low price, particularly since Europe is still mired in what some economic experts would call a recession. French automaker Peugeot has fallen behind those like Renault, largely because it has yet to produce a car that can compete with the popular Dacia. The fact that Peugeot went through a failed relationship with General Motors didn’t help matters in 2012, either.
Worst automotive brands of 2012 No. 7 – Fiat
Whereas the Fiat 500 Abarth is stylish and a favorite of the modding community, its more recent development – the Fiat 500L – is a horrible direction to take, according to those in the know.
Worst automotive brands of 2012 No. 6 – Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi hasn’t been relevant in quite a while. Its performance at recent auto shows indicates that at best, Mitsubishi is only holding the line. Not much happening here.
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Worst automotive brands of 2012 No. 5 – Suzuki
The 2012 model year was pitiful for Suzuki in America, so much so that it gave up in the U.S. Completely. Best of luck with that.
Worst automotive brands of 2012 No. 4 – Fisker
Battery-powered fires and recalls have driven the Fisker brand’s reputation into the ground – hard.
Worst automotive brands of 2012 No. 3 – GM
Why is General Motors on the list? It flubbed the launch of the mid-sized family Malibu vehicle, lost its lunch trying to market its Opel brand in Europe and ultimately brought nothing fresh to the 2012 calendar year of vehicles.
Worst automotive brands of 2012 No. 2 – Lincoln
The Daniel Day-Lewis movie “Lincoln” may win some awards for 2012, but the automotive brand turned up dead on arrival. Speaking of dead presidents, Lincoln’s big marketing move in 2012 was to point out that it made great cars as far back as JFK. Their marketing and design teams have clearly missed the mark.
Worst automotive brands of 2012 No. 1 – Honda
When the Civic went to cheaper construction a decade ago, people scoffed. In 2012, Honda continued to cheap out. Some critics see the 2013 as a path back to respectability, but the majority are skeptical.
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