New Camaro Makes Track Performance Accessible
Slideshow: Camaro sales have not been showing the best figures in recent years. But Chevy is planning to take on the competition, and win.
Looking for a Comeback
While the fifth-generation Chevy Camaro had a lot of success in sales numbers, leading the charts for four consecutive years, the newest iteration of the legendary muscle car has not been moving the needle to the same level. However, Chevrolet is finding ways to make this edition of the Camaro more desirable in an effort to boost sales.
Drop in Sales
With a facelift for 2019, the Camaro gets an even more aggressive and sporty look. But how do GM plan on garnering enough excitement around their refreshed pony car to really be able to make up for the 28% drop in sales numbers in 2018?
Fighting Strategy
GM officials are aware of the issue, and they are strategizing for a return to form. The success of the Mustang has been digging into the Camaro's sales. Most significantly, in the entry-level four-cylinder muscle car sales, the Mustang has been dominant. And while on the higher end, the Camaro is an all-round better sports car, it's the lower-priced models that really make the difference.
Discounts and Carry-Overs
In short, the plan is for Chevy to bring the thrilling performance of the Camaro to the masses. They want to cut down on the prices of their entry-level models by about $1,000. In addition, the mid-level trims of 1LT and 2LT will also be getting a price decrease. But the most significant addition here is that there will be a new Turbo 1LE package. This performance upgrade will be "bringing track technology to the baseline," as Automotive News put it.
Turbo 1LE Package
So what exactly will this performance pack be adding to the base Camaro? While the turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine remains, the 275HP motor will have a more capable chassis to ride on. The Turbo 1LE package will have a more track-focused setup, and it comes with 20-inch wheels and a 6-speed manual gearbox. The price tag for the Camaro with this package is set at $30,995, and adding Recaro seats will add another $1,595.
Low-to-Mid Range
In truth, there is a large market for entry-level sports cars in and around the $30,000 mark. The majority of the public doesn't quite have the driving knowledge to be able to handle high-performance sports cars. But since the allure of driving the sports car is not yet lost, the lower-level muscle cars give most customers the happy medium between a track-ready automobile and a comfortable daily driver they're looking for. That low-to-mid range muscle car market has been dominated by the Mustang in recent years. While Chevy is doing just fine with the sales of their top of the line SS models, they are more than ready to adjust their strategy and win the muscle car sales battle.
For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.