Mother Proof Live at the Chicago Auto Show: Day 1
2/6/2007
Reports From the Auto Show Floor
I’m making the rounds at the Chicago Auto Show today. Here are my first reports; check back later today and tomorrow for more coverage.
2009 Chevrolet Traverse
It’s Day 1 of the Chicago Auto Show, and mommy guilt is already starting to set in. I haven’t been able to reach my kids by phone since I left home, and also happened to meet a woman who wrote a book aptly titled “Mommy Guilt.” But here’s the real kicker: During this morning’s press conference to reveal the new Chevy Traverse, vehicle line director Sue Wilson (who happens to be a mother of four), pushed me over the edge. That’s right, this woman made me cry. Nice move, Chevy! Grab a mother’s heartstrings and rip them to shreds, why don’t you?
Sue loaded up the Traverse for its big auto show debut with her entire family, her husband and four children peeking meekly through the windows of the car, out to a sea of suits and cameras. They then proceeded to climb out, one by one, and grab their gear (hockey equipment, dance clothes, etc.) to cleverly demonstrate the crossover’s family-friendliness.
As a great-looking addition to the GM lineup of large crossovers, the Traverse is poised to be one of the most affordable (read: family-budget friendly) of the lot. That’s a good thing, as I’m sure Sue had to pay a steep price to convince her two teenage daughters to take part in this.
2009 Volkswagen Routan
Take a Chrysler Town & Country minivan, strip it of its coolest features, slap a VW badge on the front of that puppy and — voila! You have a Volkswagen Routan. Jazz hands!
Pointless? Possibly, but I can see a pretty strong demographic that might be attracted to the Routan. Forgive my overgeneralization here, but play along if you will; it’s really quite fun. The buyer looks something like this: Family man in his late 40s or early 50s who spends his drone-like days drinking corporate Kool-Aid under fluorescent lights and routine evenings schlepping the kids to basketball practice. He was lucky enough to drive a VW “sin” van during the best years of his life: His teen years in the ‘70s. We don’t need to go into detail as to what happened in that sin van, but we can all assume that a van with a VW badge holds very fond memories for him. These memories keep him fueled during that umpteenth trip from work to home to soccer practice and back again. Routine, Routan.
Still, while memories are great, substance is even better. VW partnered with Chrysler to use the Town & Country platform, yet the Routan is missing that minivan’s Stow ‘n Go and Swivel ‘n Go seats. For most minivan owners, extra storage and added seating flexibility are paramount. My guess is that the Routan misses the mark for most of us.
Comments
Clearly, the VW was not designed for a female demographic (as you noted), which is fortunate because the male corporate drones need an attractively styled minivan to haul the kids. Probably his wife refuses to be seen in a minivan, and prefers a White Chocolate colored Escalade, or other gas guzzling SUV which she drives alone with a Starbucks latte.
Posted by: anonymous (for obvious reasons) | Feb 8, 2008 10:26:51 PM
Why do people persist in coming here to mock mothers and comment in a name-calling, judgmental sort of way? Can't we all just get along?
Seriously, I'm not sure which is more annoying, the "soccer mom" stereotype or the hostile, angry people who keep bringing it up.
Posted by: Sara Lacey | Feb 10, 2008 5:36:02 PM
Sara –
While I totally agree with your frustration on people coming here and making nasty comments, I don’t think that ‘anonymous’ was being all that nasty. He (I’m assuming he’s a he) didn’t make any reference to ‘soccer’ in his comment. And…I kinda deserved a little something in return for my psychographic generalization on the market for the Routan. Although I don’t drive a gas guzzling SUV, I frequently drive alone with a Starbucks (chai) latte :)
Posted by: Chief Mama | Feb 10, 2008 6:08:00 PM
True, true. It's just...straws, camels, etc. I got carried away.
Posted by: Sara Lacey | Feb 10, 2008 6:34:13 PM
Enlightening feedback. I am a "he", as "Chief Mama" correctly assumed. I will add that I do not own a minivan or SUV, but I have many friends (male and female) that own both for reasons of practicality and/or image. I do find the articles on this site interesting because of the different perspectives.
Posted by: anonymous (for obvious reasons) | Feb 15, 2008 6:35:11 PM
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Thanks for the shout out about my book!
I agree with you completely about the VW van. Kim (from Chicago Parent and Chicago Moms Blog) confronted the VW guy about the issues with the interior and he tried to give her a song and dance. She refused to harmonize nor did she put him on her dance card. Nope, we weren't buying it, the car or his BS.
It was wonderful to meet you!
Posted by: Devra Renner | Feb 8, 2008 3:12:45 PM