Bigger is not always better, at least among mainstream automakers these days. Large cars like the Ford Taurus, Nissan Maxima and Toyota Avalon are fast losing favor among car buyers, according to the research company R.L. Polk in Southfield, Mich.
The large car market is expected to account for just 3.5 percent of the new-vehicle market in 2012 according to Polk retail sales projections, which is down from 5.8 percent in 2008. Polk advisor Tom Libby says automakers are instead focusing on the midsize car segment (which comprised 17.6 percent of the market last year), where they are delivering quicker redesigns, alternative-fuel powertrains and a myriad of safety and connectivity features.
Still, Libby says the segment is not exactly in danger of extinction, with several new models coming for 2014 and beyond, including revised versions of the Chevrolet Impala and Volkswagen Phaeton and the all-new Chevrolet SS and Kia Cadenza.
