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Ford to kill all non SUV models except Mustang and Focus Active

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I think this is terrible news.

In order to cut cost and basically and plainly “make more money” Ford just came up with the idea of killing all cars.
Sure, the Taurus and Fiesta are old outdated models that have been replaced already in other markets.
But the popular Fusion will not be replaced after this current generation. And they are still selling 210 000 of it a year…
Now they will only bring us the Active version of the new Focus. No sedan or regular hatchbacks are planned for the US.

And, thank God, the Mustang is staying with a new model around 2020.

It seems that everyone else is making tons of money from sedans these days. Even if they sell less than they used to. Can you imagine Honda killing all sedans? Or Toyota?
It is really sad that Ford is so miss-managed that they can’t figure out how to make money from a car that sells 210 000 units a year (???)

I am really not sure that killing off a huge part of their market is a genius idea.
I really hope it doesn’t work out for them. I just don’t like the idea of these huge corporations pushing people into “fatter profits and less regulations” SUVs.

What do you think?

Conversation 16 comments

  3. Except for the upcoming Bronco I feel a Ford haa bunch of stale products. Having no cars/sedans is a short sighted idea that will come back to hurt them. Remember when Minivans were all the range what if the only sold the Windstsr? Where would they be today?

  4. Like I've said elsewhere… Ford sedans will show up again here, but as notchback versions of SUVs and crossovers…. and they will be chunky and ugly looking. The first most obvious will be an Explorer with a trunk for police use as the primary market. Because they are hanging onto the Mustang, I will be disappointed but not surprised when they start expanding the Mustang range to include a "4 door coupe". (There may also be some new brand thinking going on with the chinese-built sedans being brought here with another name than Ford – entirely my conjecture)

  5. The mismanagement is even worse considering these are world cars where you only have to tweak the models for the US.

    That 210K will now be spread over the remaining sedan players. Making there sedan lineups stronger. Making a possible Ford re-entry down the road tougher.

    A few days ago, Ford announced that they would be racing Mustangs in NASCAR next year. I know, different front grill and decals. Now we know the reason.

    I drive a Honda CRV. It does what it needs to do. I like it. If Honda made an Accord wagon, I'd probably have bought that.

    The biggest problem with sedans (all makers) is while the trunk may be cubic feet large, the joke of a trunk lid makes that space unusable for many objects. A wagon on a hatchback model would have kept a lot of people in sedans.

  6. TOTALLY agree with you, Vince. Ford should have invested in a complete redesign of the Fusion and should have replaced the Taurus with a slightly larger, more upscale car. Ford needs better plug-in hybrid cars, too. The Asian carmakers are going to jump at this opportunity and grab lots of prospective buyers who don't want SUVs. Bad move, Ford. Plus, the Explorer is very stale.

  7. I'm not sure what to think about this move. Part of me thinks it's a genius idea and will work out well for them, but another part of me thinks they should have at least kept the Focus sedan and Fusion around. If this does work, it will also make crazy Sergio look like a genius too for basically doing the same thing over at FCA.

  8. It is short sighted. Increase short term profit and reduce your long term market share. They need something in the segment just to remain competitive. All those customer that do buy sedan or the millions that rent them are more likely to cross shop the brands that do make them.

  9. I've said before, you don't cut your way to sales and profits. You do so by making compelling products. If cars have suffered in sales compared to SUVs, it's because Ford, GM, and others just haven't been very creative in their offerings, including design and value.

  10. "It is really sad that Ford is so miss-managed that they can't figure out how to make money from a car that sells 210 000 units a year" I don't think it's a case of they can't make money, it's just that cars don't have the same profit margin as SUV's and, especially, trucks, and Ford is greedy. That's also why they are having so many issues with recalls.

  11. This Ford Focus Active is a very attractive hatchback! The only fear is that Ford will underpower it for mpg ratings. I hope Ford puts out a RS version with around 400 hp and ft. lbs. torque model.

  12. Interesting read about cars Vs. SUVs regulations here: https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1107161_are-you-driving-a-car-a-crossover-an-suv-or-a-truck-do-you-care

    I also agree about the Focus Active being quite good looking. But this is only a FWD car.
    So it probably will be killed by the Subaru Crosstrek . Unless sit's really, really cheap.

    As you guys are saying, this is just pure short sighted greed. And not a good long term move for the company…

  13. I assure you Vince that as a consumer I have zero interest in buying anything because it is subjected to "more regulations." Not sure what kind of person sings "what the world needs now … is regs, sweet regs… they're the only thing that there's just … to little of."

    Anyway, I have always preferred Ford products, but given this I can pretty much assure Ford they are off my shopping list. I no longer have any interest in the monstrous unmanageable full-size behemoths they call trucks, Ford doesn't come close to making any top 3 CUVs on my lists, but the Fusion would have made a good sedan and I was looking forward to a new Fusion should they replace it.

    But since I, as a customer, am dead to Ford, then Ford is dead to me.

  14. CUV’s are just tall cars. People currently prefer high rooflines, just as they once preferred vinyl tops and tail fins. If and when style preferences change Ford can lower the rooflines. Just as Dior and Chanel raise and lower hemlines as fashion dictates.

  15. It most likely will be fitted with some sort of halidex AWD system.

    It seems like your boy, Crazy Sergio has stated the anti-sedan movement.

  16. I am not sure the model they introduced in Europe is even offered at all with AWD. ( I don't think the Euro Fiesta Active is…)
    And yes, Crazy Sergio did set a very bad precedent.

    Many economists are predicting "higher to much higher" gas prices within the next two years. (See links bellow)
    Which could be devastating to idiots like FCA and Ford who will rely solely on trucks/SUVs for profit.

    I actually predict FCA and Ford will both be in terrible shape when that happens and will be up for grabs. Mostly by a Chinese company.

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2018/04/13/gas-prices-will-run-14-higher-this-summer-how-do-you-like-that-big-suv-now/#b1d86f12f88d

    https://fortune.com/2018/02/28/gas-prices-summer-2018-high/

    https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping

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