jpd80

Well, I recon Focus, Fusion and later Fiesta (and Taurus) are going to savage Toyota's products. It took Ford a while to reverse the flywheel effect but I'm sure they''l be big again by 2011/2012. You can see t already starting to change now - reversing trends in the middle of a huge slowdown!!!

You cannot word associate two completely different vehicles into the same car. That's like calling a chinaman a sun tanned Norwegian with a bad hair cut.

A bench has big advantages when you're driving down the road with your girl, try it some time, crash investigators would call it a driver distraction.

Sad fact is Ford could have a perfect track record from here on and people will still throw past recalls in their face. What's happening now is far more important than three years ago.

Looking at Mid Sized Car quality scores: There's Mercury and daylight back to second (Buick La Crosse) LINK The people that complain about Mercury and want it gone should read this survey. I would say Mercury deserves even more funding!!! Well Done Mercury.

:shades:

I like them all!

The proper term is Superceeded The C1 Focus design Superceeds C170.

Thankyou for the gentle prod, I mixed up the figures- Sorry.

I wonder why Toyota are finding Europe such a tough nut to crack? Perhaps Europeans demand much more from there products - Yaris/Corolla/Camry/Avensis falling of buyer expectations? The real reason for Toyota's success in the USA is because Detroit let them walk away with the market by default! When Ford GM and Chrysler just start building vehicles the market really wants, they'll reclaim their rankings and smash Toyota.

Probably why Dearborn is in charge again - Hope they get it right this time.

Excellent news!!! Anyone know if Hermosillo is running flat out or increased production needed?

No one method is the best for achieving specific outcomes across all vehicles. In the city areas, hybrids do very well but on highway driving - not much change! DI Turbocharged vehicles offer more immediate improvements to ordinary consumers. Expect to see more hybrids in the future product cycle, circa 2012/2013 when weight reductions commence. The cost of fuel is the main driver for people's buying patterens, not Ford's need to meet CAFE. At the moment, most people are happier with cheaper more fuel efficient single mode cars.

You really don't like him! I like what Ford is doing - in hard times it would be so easy to clam up and keep doing what's been done the past 5 years. To go out and reinvent your business structure inside out and begin globalising main products - headdy stuff!! Anyone who thinks GM or Chrysler can hold a candle to Ford's changes are kidding themselves.

It's an interesting phenomen world wide - people wish Ford all the best but are just plain not interested in it because most feel Ford doesn't make cars for them. Bill Osbourne pointed out this disconnect when he took up his role with Ford Australia recently. Ford plays so well to its existing customers that others feel ignored. The key strategy with Farley's marketing attempts is to reconnect people and potential buyers with Ford products. Perception is everything and Farley has a big job convincing people and breaking the negative cycle. The best way is with his campagin with quality and safety and including testimony from "ordinary people".

Why do you think Ford puts all that extra weight into a car going into a fuel economy sensitive market? Answer: Because they have to. You could say the same thing about Mondeo Vs Fusion. You'll find the basic safty cells of of the newer Euro cars is far superior to the superceeded Americans. Otherwise, why are we all going to C1 and Global CD platforms?

The golden rule is build the volume sellers locally and import all your specials. In AUST, Focus Coupe Cabriolet sells for $43K and Turbo Focus ST sells for $36K allowing for the big jump in AUS-USA prices, I'd say: Focus CC in the USA - $30K!!! Turbo Focus ST in the USA - $25K! True the specials don't add much to volume but the really add to profit! Not waking up the C170-2 Vs C1 thing but here's the difference, The C1 has a tiny bit more shoulder and hip room - That's all! Apart from that - it looks great!! ......ST170-2 Focus (C1 Focus) Length: 175 (176.7) Width: 67.9 (72.3) Height: 58.6 (56.8) Wheelbase: 102.9 (103.9) Track Front: 58.6 (60.4) Track Rear: 58.1 (60.3) Leg Room Front: 41.7 (41.6) Leg Room Rear: 36.1 (35.7) Shoulder Room Front: 53.5 (55.5) Shoulder Room Rear: 53.7 (54.4) Head Room Front: 39.2 (39.2) Head Room Rear: 38.3 Hip Room Front: 50.4 (52.4) Hip Room Rear: 50.9 (51.9)

Not pouring cold water on the C170-2's efforts but, Corolla is struggling now, how is it ever going to keep pace with the C1? No doubt, Ford could shift a few of these: Or this one, Yeah, I know it's a photoshop:

Sure, you wont see all the engines but it too early to count anything out. Just because a Euro car is available with over eight different engines doesn't mean you need all of them for the US.

Engines will be set up to comply with all world emission regs at the one lab - big savings there!!

C1 with a new top hat that is slightly bigger and more economical to build, it's abit like an enlargement of Mazda 3 shell variation except styling is different. The 13% comes from funny things like tires, brake pads, ect.

That's a big car! Heck, I like the mule - no accounting for bad taste, eh .

Test reviews will be in in the next week or so, will post as soon as they are out. Ford ignites power wars with new FPV Falcon range

The MKR is a separate issue down the track - Dearborn wanting that tightly controlled. FoA is pressing like crazy for GRWD lead and I sense things are moving quickly now that the FG is in production. It's their "audition demo" and Mulally/Kuzak are giving them the opportunity to do alittle end run around Detroit/Dearborn here and save the company a lot of time. They have a car the execs can get up close and personal with - a huge advantage over someone talking up a concept. This won't be a fly drive holiday for over worked/under paid executives....