I never once claimed it was only an American thing, I was simply commenting on the trends I see in America. However, projecting a tough/outdoorsy/active image is certainly a popular theme among American consumers.And it is nowhere near ONLY an American thing. That's truly my issue with your statement. Like European buyers are smarter about it? Nah...
I've linked to several articles describing this phenomenon. Here's another...
https://jalopnik.com/mazda-is-entering-the-off-road-world-with-the-cx-50-and-1848060120
- I’m talking about looks here, because let’s be honest, that’s why people buy these vehicles anyway — it’s all about image. And this Mazda CX-50 looks incredible.
- Mazda has followed the same formula everyone else is using: throw some black plastic cladding, jack up the ground clearance a bit, throw some chunky tires on some aggressive looking black wheels, add silver trim that looks like a skid plate, and install some matte black graphics on the hood.
Aren't you describing the exact same point I have been making all along that you claimed was BS...that Mazda is appealing to consumers who want to project an "outdoorsy" image, even though they don't plan to go off-road? It seems you have come full circle.Because they ARE going for the market of people that by Jeeps and Subaru, for whatever reason they buy them. "Adventurous" plays into a lot of marketing and people buy them not to go off road... but to be able to go to Costco in 8 inches of snow. Smart play.