why do car companies make (ie) different corollas for diff countries. i understand reducing engine size like 320i bmws in EU, but does anyone care about different corollas or civics (uk is different)?

 

I wonder why for example we all don't get the same colors. I mean really.......whats so hard about that.

Corolla - No1 selling car in aus - thats just wrong!

 

alex...what is demographics/marketing

 

Because not all markets want the same thing. In the US we want bigger cars and are happy to have larger displacement engines. Note that over the years while the domestics have followed some of the trends set by the imports, the imports have followed a few significant domestic trends. More and more Toyotas have Buick like ride quality. Enthusiast used to (still) say Buick didn't get ride and handling. Clearly they had some idea as Toyota has followed their lead in that regard (Avalon, The Toyota Buick). Same with car size, the imports have all grown over the years based on the demands of our market. Clearly our market wanted bigger cars than other markets. Given the number of Accords and Civics sold each year it makes sense to customize them to each market.

However, on the tight streets of Japan or England that large car isn't a good idea. In those countries people don't always want large. Even though the MINI is a US exception, in general small in the US is entry level. In other countries the small cars will have more features and options simply because they buyers are willing to pay the extra cash for those features on a small car.

Many companies have discovered that one size doesn't always fit all. In the premium markets one size has done a good job in many cases (BMW, MB etc) but in the family sedan market, nope. Ford tried with the Contour/Mondeo but US buyers were unwilling to pay the price needed to deliver the premium interiors the Euro versions got. Honda and Toyota long ago decided that it was better to cater to the US consumer than just sell a car designed for the Japanese domestic market in the US.

Different folks, different strokes.

 

but the cars im talkin about are about the same size, just a diff body. anyways, was just wondering.

 

OP see my initial reply...lol

 

In the case of Honda and North America it is a heart breaker, to think we could have a proper 2.0 spinning up to 9 grand in this country... but nooooooooo, Honda thinks we all prefer the tiny increase in torque with a 1,000 less rpms.

 

these marketers will be considering if they have food to eat tomorrow if they don't do like that.

 

ill speak from experience in regards to what we get in the philippines...as far as looks we have sleeker bumpers coz we dont have to comply with the 5mph federal bumper standard, and airbags are optional. imho as far as the airbags are concerned its more like a cost issue more than anything i mean to replace an airbag that deploys there would cost more than 2 months salary of the average joe.

 

Many reasons:

- Crash regs
- Efficiency regs
- Market sensibilities
- Metropolitan design
- Road types
- Culture
- etc.