Ford Axing all cars except Mustang and Focus Active Crossover in North America

[GTMesteno_5.0]

http://www.motortrend.com/news/ford-cutting-car-lineup-two-vehicles-north-america/

In this article the make reference to a "Mustang-styled performance SUV" :frusty:

The first pure electric vehicle, a Mustang-styled performance SUV, comes to market in 2020, and Ford is pledging 16 battery electric vehicles by 2022. Ford has also said it expects to be the No. 1 producer of hybrids by 2021.

I wonder if this is the "smaller Bronco" everyone is referring too??

Sponsored

 

[Nameless]

It's a bold move, but it could pay off. The Fusion and Taurus were coming up on full model redesigns, which is an incredibly expensive process. By canning those models all together, they can test the waters with this new mostly SUV/Truck lineup with little risk.
If the plan fails, then they can start the Fusion / Taurus programs back up where they left off (I'm sure some re-design has already taken place).

The Taurus already got full redesign but that new gen Taurus is only available for China right now. The full redesign is still coming for the Fusion (A.K.A. Mondeo) but it looks like it will have the same fate than the Taurus (being a China-only car).

How will this affect the price of the mustang in 2020 ?

It won’t

http://www.motortrend.com/news/ford-cutting-car-lineup-two-vehicles-north-america/
In this article the make reference to a "Mustang-styled performance SUV" :frusty:
I wonder if this is the "smaller Bronco" everyone is referring too??

The make has never make a reference to a “mustang-styled performance SUV” (have they?). There WILL BE an electric crossover (not SUV) but it won’t be related to the Mustang. I think it’s the “Model E” Tesla Fighter that some rumors talked about a couple of years ago (It might compete against the upcoming Tesla “Model Y” or the Jaguar “i-Pace”).
And the “smaller bronco” as far as I know it WON’T be a “smaller Bronco”, but an Escape-sized off road crossover (at least that’s what it looks like with the “Teased picture”). I guess it will be a Compass competitor in the same way the Bronco will go against the Wrangler.

 

[Arthonon]

The make has never make a reference to a “mustang-styled performance SUV” (have they?). There WILL BE an electric crossover (not SUV) but it won’t be related to the Mustang. I think it’s the “Model E” Tesla Fighter that some rumors talked about a couple of years ago (It might compete against the upcoming Tesla “Model Y” or the Jaguar “i-Pace”).
And the “smaller bronco” as far as I know it WON’T be a “smaller Bronco”, but an Escape-sized off road crossover (at least that’s what it looks like with the “Teased picture”). I guess it will be a Compass competitor in the same way the Bronco will go against the Wrangler.

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...v-will-be-a-four-door-mustang-suv-124338.html

 

[Nameless]

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...v-will-be-a-four-door-mustang-suv-124338.html

So, basically hearsay. There’s not a way to confirm what Jim Farley said but I would bet every penny that I have that he didn’t say explicitly “It will be a Mustang SUV”.

Maybe he said that it will have “the same DNA” than the Mustang or follow the same design language but not a Mustang SUV.

 

[nrc]

I wonder what percentage of that half a million in passenger car sales each year Ford expects that they can convert into SUV buyers vs what percentage they're accepting that they're just throwing away.

I also don't get why they think it makes sense to sell only the jacked up Focus with body cladding in the U.S. How much more expensive could it be to sell the regular version along side? That would open the door to maintaining the Focus ST brand which they've touted as attracting a younger, more affluent customer.

 

[Arthonon]

So, basically hearsay. There’s not a way to confirm what Jim Farley said but I would bet every penny that I have that he didn’t say explicitly “It will be a Mustang SUV”.

Maybe he said that it will have “the same DNA” than the Mustang or follow the same design language but not a Mustang SUV.

Well, they talked about it being called a Mach 1 - didn't you hear about that before? They also showed a video of a Mustang and Explorer entering Ford's electric car plant. So, no, it may not technically be a Mustang SUV, but if it's called a Mach 1, I'm not sure what else they would be basing that on.

 

[Allegro]

I also don't get why they think it makes sense to sell only the jacked up Focus with body cladding in the U.S. How much more expensive could it be to sell the regular version along side? That would open the door to maintaining the Focus ST brand which they've touted as attracting a younger, more affluent customer.

Last year Ford announced that Focus production was moving from the U.S. to China beginning in 2019. Is this still going to happen?

 

[ODucksFan]

Last year Ford announced that Focus production was moving from the U.S. to China beginning in 2019. Is this still going to happen?

Yep. Focus production is moving to China. The only Focus we will get is the new Focus Active model.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/this-is-the-ford-focus-active-thats-coming-to-the-us

Ford rep in article says new Focus will come from China.

 

[analogman]

What about Apple computer when Jobs came back? They got rid of a bunch of product, seemed to help them a bit

Coloradoeco, I'm no global business strategy expert, but I think there are significant differences in the fundamentals between tech and auto.

Companies (should?) get rid of failed products all the time, whether it's the Edsel or Lisa. But the product life cycles, development times, R&D costs, and especially capital investments needed to make cars are much higher than in tech. From what I've read, it can take 4+ years from start to market, and hundreds of millions to billions of dollars, to get a new car on the market. Tech can move faster and less expensively (the 'move fast' crap that Wall Street loves so much) and can adapt to a changing environment more quickly.

For Ford, when gas prices go back up (or if people decide they just don't want SUVs anymore), they won't be able to adapt and move quickly to bring smaller, more fuel-efficient cars to the market. At that point they will be well and truly screwed.

But, Hackett and the Ford family don't care. They've totally bought into the short-term obsession that rules Wall Street. Hackett will long be gone by then, living on his lavish retirement package and fat bonuses driven by how high he can hype the stock price in the short term. I bet they'll use much of the money 'saved' from the cuts for stock buy-backs.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Ford family is thinking about or maybe even positioning Ford to be sold. Downsize it to a specialty truck company, and then sell it to a Chinese company with a line of cars that is looking for established distribution channels in the U.S. Like the old saying about family businesses goes - the first generation makes the money, the second generation lives off of it, and the third generation runs it into the ground.

I don't own any Ford stock. My motivations are as a car enthusiast. My own personal agenda is I want to see more car offerings. I'd like to keep buying Mustangs, and would buy a Fiesta or Focus coupe too if Ford only offered the European versions here in the U.S. But with this relentless downsizing, even the Mustang might be on the chopping block in the future - it's sales volumes are lower than some of the cars Ford just axed.

And that would be a heartbreaking shame...

 

[EcoVert]

Swell. In 3 years, the big 3 will have the Mustang, Challenger, Camaro, Vette and a shitton of trucks & SUVs that never see more adventure than deftly navigating the Costco parking lot.

More like Mustang Challenger Vette and Cruse. Bet on it especially if the 2019camaro refresh bombs like it looks like it will.

 

[Nameless]

Well, they talked about it being called a Mach 1 - didn't you hear about that before? They also showed a video of a Mustang and Explorer entering Ford's electric car plant. So, no, it may not technically be a Mustang SUV, but if it's called a Mach 1, I'm not sure what else they would be basing that on.

Yes I did and that's why I know what's happening hahahah, there was confirmation that Ford won't be using the "Mach 1" nameplate, apparently it was only for the teaser.

Compact crossovers look like cars to me. Ford must keep some lower priced automobiles for customers so I suppose they will call these new cars crossovers. Just terminology at the cheaper end of the market.

What you do lose with these small crossover cars is any sense of beauty. Ugly vehicles in general. We Mustang owners are lucky to own one of the most beautiful cars around, imagine owning one of these UK best sellers...

https://www.autocar.co.uk/sites/aut...-image/public/nissan-juke_0.jpg?itok=okzPVSTp

Well, apparently the "entry level-car" from Ford will be the Ecosport, followed by the Focus Active, then the Escape and the upcoming "off road crossover"

 

[UAmach1]

So in about 40yrs we've gone from Escort to EcoSport.... I'd rather have an Escort GT.

 

[Nameless]

So in about 40yrs we've gone from Escort to EcoSport.... I'd rather have an Escort GT.

Would you prefer the 2019 Escort over the Ecosport?

 

[UAmach1]

Would you prefer the 2019 Escort over the Ecosport?

Shame it wont come here. I'd gladly get one. I cut my teeth learning how engines work and how to work on/fix cars with Escorts. I'd rock one all day long.

 

[cbrookre]

In other news, Ford executives are cutting off their legs to save costs on denim and shoes...

Shame as the Focus ST and RS, and Fusion Sport are great options. Ford just was not very good at competing in this segment after the initial Taurus, reliability and dependability is what these buyers are after primarily.

Sponsored