jpd80

Everything is being reworked, the current frame is boxed but of more importance is that once you go to V engines, the crash protection package has to be fully re-evaluated as the original design and testing was limited to I-4 and I-5 engines So while it may be a brownfield project, it’s so much more than just a combover and a repower , everything that needs to be there for the NA market is being included.

One thing about the new Ranger, you can get impressive power increases with just a tune.

You could also pick up a great deal on the last of the 2019 SDs with a lot of confidence that the truck is right.

The CEO at the time of this was Alan Mulally, so I'm left wondering was he part of the cover up or was all of this kept from him?

A GM approach to faux luxury, only saved by the fact that the Buick badge corresponds to the Chinese symbol for good luck....

It's fine to aspire to becoming a more premium brand but it must be backed up by products that justify those prices, simply chopping the base/entry trim and considering the rest as more premium is a very "Buick" approach to customers.

What I'm talking about is what Ford is doing now, they are jacking up prices on new products like Explorer and Escape as well as many of the refreshes as they fall due, those higher prices are not being supported by good lease packages. IMO, that's critical to giving buyers expected / competitive repayments. All I'm saying is that we should be wary and that simply delivering new good product and asking higher prices is not a slam dunk guarantee for success...they have to bring buyers along on the journey.

I'm concerned that Ford is taking Mulally's sales strategy too much to the high side of pricing and and missing the sweet spot for sales-production- return, it's like they're going too far in the wrong direction and not producing enough of the right trim mix that buyers want. The mistake I see here is in letting the Fusion name become tarnished, they should be keeping the trim and sales mix strong to the end and then step onto the Fusion crossover. I know the agenda was set years ago but by trashing the current Fusion, they are setting up a tough launch for the new vehicle.

You realize that you've just described a CD6 Edge....

This from the second recall in October, Ford needs to look after its fleet buyers or lose massive sales, it's different to pissing off single sale retail buyers...................

Yes, perhaps the styling is more to European tastes that Ford is willing to endure in the US knowing that baby Bronco presents as a completely different styled vehicle, the price will be higher but again, Ford testing the hungry desire for "Bronco" in a compact product...

Only at quarterly sales calls

Exactly. Ford splitting the Escape market in two requires softer styling for it and the chunky/edgy style for the baby Bronco. and of course, throw in a bit of retro look and people will pay more for what they really want............... As bzcat said above, this is Ford not building 40,000 Escapes to compete with RAV4 or Equinox but offering two different products to better cover the market (unnecessary duplication in Mulally speak)

Amazing what Ford ROW is capable of doing when the situation requires.. It even goes to variations within the main models at those plants, even building Euro LHD and RHD specced vehicles down the same line is a real challenge, FRAP and OAC being the only two plants engaged in RHD/LHD Euro based export vehicles. The real eye opener to GM execs was Holden's now defunct Australian plant at Elizabeth, Australia. Down the same line they would make domestic RHD Commodore sedan, Pick up and stationwagon, Export LHD G8 and middle east cars in LHD but then after GFC those were replaced by LHD SS and Caprice. The set up to do all of that with just in time parts was simply amazing to watch.

I have a theory on this, Maybe the GM strike caused it to miss a fleet order in October that was filled by Ford last month? I have no proof of this but the jump of near 5,000 sales would be explained by a fleet delivery.