Why the obsession with 'Line'

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Sun 12 Dec 2021 09:25
Why the obsession with 'Line' - badbusdriver

Seems to me that a huge proportion of new cars have trim levels called something Line. Just off the top of my head I've seen S-Line, ST-Line, R-Line and N-Line. Why 'Line'?, what is is for?.

When I think of the word line, the first thing that comes into my head is doing lines at school as a punishment. Second (and this is from TV and film rather than personal experience, honest!) is lines of cocaine!. Neither of which are positive associations with the word line.

Probably just a fad which marketing types from various manufacturers jumped on, but I'm still perplexed as to who came up with it and why it was thought that adding the word Line to a letter or two was a brilliant idea?

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Sun 12 Dec 2021 09:31
Why the obsession with 'Line' - primus 1

It’s just marketing to appeal to buyers who want a sporty car without actually calling it sport,

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Sun 12 Dec 2021 09:41
Why the obsession with 'Line' - badbusdriver

It’s just marketing to appeal to buyers who want a sporty car without actually calling it sport,

But surely S, ST and possibly R (for Racing presumably) would do the same on their own without adding Line?. N (Nurburgring presumably) on it's own, might be a bit obscure, but you could say that about R-Line.

GT Line is another, but again, why not just GT?

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Sun 12 Dec 2021 10:14
Why the obsession with 'Line' - Terry W

It may be that the word "line" which can define a boundary is used for cars to define the distinction between different parts of a model "range" - eg: GT "Line", Handles like a Blancmange "Line", Comfort "Line", Technology "Line" etc.

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Sun 12 Dec 2021 10:21
Why the obsession with 'Line' - thunderbird

2 examples.

VW have the Golf R, the top of the range. To add extra kudos to lesser models they call them the R followed by the word "line". No doubt owners hope that the public will not notice the work "line" indicating its a fake Golf R.

Mercedes have had the AMG models as the top of the range for years now. High performance and sound great. Now they do AMG "line" models and as with VW the owners no doubt hope that the public will not notice the work "line" indicating its a fake AMG.

Its called marketing and the public lap it up.

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Sun 12 Dec 2021 10:49
Why the obsession with 'Line' - RichT54

Is it not the same with BMW's M Sport trim vs M series cars (M3, M5 etc) and M Performance cars (M135i, M330i etc) ?

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Sun 12 Dec 2021 10:46
Why the obsession with 'Line' - Grenache

This reminds me of a TV programmes some years ago about salesmen and their company cars.

One interviewee stated that he had a 1.6i. And the i stood for 'important'.

What a ****!

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Sun 12 Dec 2021 11:34
Why the obsession with 'Line' - Manatee

It's a bit of jargon taken from the phrase 'product line', meaning a more or less related and similarly branded range of products from a manufacturer.

Somebody in marketing somewhere sometime thought it sounded better than "trim level", "grade" etc.

From a marketing point of view, different trim levels are key to the margin mix as a route to "added value". Trim level is a separate dimension to engineering differences and costs relatively little in manufacturing to step up compared with the increments in price that can be charged.

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Sun 12 Dec 2021 11:37
Why the obsession with 'Line' - FP

The word "line" has an amazingly large number of definitions, but the one that seems appropriate here is "a defined range" (of products, jobs etc.).

Examples: "The X co. has launched a new line of men's wear."

"What line of work are you in?"

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Sun 12 Dec 2021 13:04
Why the obsession with 'Line' - Engineer Andy

Most 'Sport' models are nothing of the sort and in reality are 'Lux+' models with lower profile tyres (another longer lasting fad) and no difference in the engine spec over a good number of models below it, which I never understand, given a nice smooth ride is part of a car being 'luxurious', or at least it used to be.

Rather like film and TV producers, its all about copying others who appear to be 'trendy', but in reality they mostly are behind that curve by some margin.

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Sun 12 Dec 2021 19:56
Why the obsession with 'Line' - RT

"-Line" is for people who want the bling and visual extras without any performance increase.

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Mon 13 Dec 2021 08:08
Why the obsession with 'Line' - madf

"Line" is for people who want to advertise their lack of taste to the world. :-)

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Mon 13 Dec 2021 11:16
Why the obsession with 'Line' - Theophilus

No doubt I shall quickly be corrected, but it seems to be an affectation exclusive to German manufacturers.

I wondered whether "line" had a meaning in German that I was missing ... and is it only when selling to the UK market that this superfluous epithet is attached?

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Mon 13 Dec 2021 11:47
Why the obsession with 'Line' - groaver

No doubt I shall quickly be corrected, but it seems to be an affectation exclusive to German manufacturers.

I wondered whether "line" had a meaning in German that I was missing ... and is it only when selling to the UK market that this superfluous epithet is attached?

Yep, Kia.

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Mon 13 Dec 2021 13:12
Why the obsession with 'Line' - _

Les Grenouilles are at it too. Peugeot 3008 gt line next to me at lights today

Bling wheels anyone?

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Mon 13 Dec 2021 14:43
Why the obsession with 'Line' - Ethan Edwards

Anyone old enough to recall the Onedin Line? Or the White Star Line people have been using it for years. A long 'line' of people you might say...

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Mon 13 Dec 2021 14:53
Why the obsession with 'Line' - madf

A line of coke?

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Mon 13 Dec 2021 14:59
Why the obsession with 'Line' - Metropolis.
That’s exclusive to the M Sport package
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Mon 13 Dec 2021 19:02
Why the obsession with 'Line' - Engineer Andy
That’s exclusive to the M Sport package

For the BMW owner who can't afford real performance. Rather like the X3, the car for small-time drug dealers who can't afford an X5. (just a joke, BMW - don't sue me!).

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Mon 13 Dec 2021 19:06
Why the obsession with 'Line' - Engineer Andy

A line of coke?

Presumably all credit cards gratefully accepted?

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Mon 13 Dec 2021 14:57
Why the obsession with 'Line' - badbusdriver

Was cleaning a customers widows today and noticed their motorhome parked next to the house. What did I see on the bonnet and front door?, W-Line!.

Couldn't say much else about it other than it wasn't very old and was based on a Fiat Ducato.

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Mon 13 Dec 2021 14:59
Why the obsession with 'Line' - Theophilus

Anyone old enough to recall ... the White Star Line

Oh - I remember that one, they had a "liner" called the Titanic - and look how long that lasted!

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Mon 13 Dec 2021 15:31
Why the obsession with 'Line' - groaver

Anyone old enough to recall ... the White Star Line

Oh - I remember that one, they had a "liner" called the Titanic - and look how long that lasted!

Ah, but Jack Dawson had a great time while it lasted.

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Mon 13 Dec 2021 19:05
Why the obsession with 'Line' - Engineer Andy

Anyone old enough to recall ... the White Star Line

Oh - I remember that one, they had a "liner" called the Titanic - and look how long that lasted!

Coulda done with some side impact bars and a front airbag! Or maybe a collision avoidance system other than two blokes looking out and ring a bell.

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Mon 13 Dec 2021 19:50
Why the obsession with 'Line' - Chris M

"maybe a collision avoidance system other than two blokes looking out and ring a bell."

Wouldn't have helped. The Captain was old school and would have turned it off as soon as he started the engine as the bleeping annoyed him....

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Mon 13 Dec 2021 18:59
Why the obsession with 'Line' - Engineer Andy

"-Line" is for people who want the bling and visual extras without any performance increase.

The new 'Sport'? I wonder what that makes cars that are called 'Sport Line'?

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