If small SUVs are hot, why are Tracker and Sidekick cold?

Speaking of the sport/utility wave, there are mixed signals coming from the low-end of the market's hottest segment. If Toyota Motor Corp.'s RAV4 and Kia Motor Co.'s Sportage are going to be the smash hits most experts seem to think, why does Chevrolet have nearly a year's supply -- 318 days -- of Geo Trackers on dealer lots or at the Cami Automotive Inc. plant in Ingersoll, Ont.? Suzuki's stock of its Sidekick SUV stands at a bloated 148 days supply. Some dealers complain that they still have not received their first four-door Trackers. "I think Chevy has decided it doesn't make that much money on it," says Bill Fox, a Chevy dealer in Rochester Hills, MI. "When was the last time you saw a commercial for Tracker?" Pricing could be a problem for RAV4, a fully loaded 4-wheel-drive package can run above $20,000. Says Mr. Fox, warning that the hype over the new mini-SUVs could be overblown, "There's too many better vehicles out there that aren't much more expensive."