PREMiERdrum

Talent! "Look, guys. No hands!"

👆

FYI this orchestrated pic parade was supposed to begin months ago as a drip.. drip.. drip. Things changed. Now it's a deluge. Enjoy it guys, it's a good time to be a BONer.

Yup. I believe it's a catalog accessory but I wouldn't be surprised to see it in an appearance package as well.

AFAIK the FORD grille will also be offered. The direction taken by the new Escape should make *much* more sense now.

They're both legit. 4 door is production spec build. 2 door is a slightly older clay study. Enjoy. The wave is starting.

Re: Retro vs. Modern They want Bronco to not just stick around... but to grow into a rather comprehensive brand. We saw with the 2005 Mustang, Flex, first of the New Beetles, PT Cruiser, HHR, etc, that retro vehicles are nearly impossible to update. I told you all a while ago that the most apt comparison for Bronco's design direction is the 2015 Mustang. A thoroughly and decidedly modern design that flexes its heritage in just the right spots. I told you they weren't screwing around with this. Can't wait.

Things have gotten a bit conflated here. What I'm saying is that by the time the consumer actually makes it to a dealership to test drive something, they've already made the purchasing decision in most situations. If any comparison is being done, it is likely between same-make models on the same lot. 30 years ago, test drives were what earned conquest sales. Today, it's marketing, brand awareness, and word of mouth that drive conquest sales. Customers are absolutely less brand loyal than ever, which is why the brands doing well today are the ones who have had consistently good marketing programs in the recent past. From the dealer's perspective if they've gotten the customer to the lot they've more than likely already made a sale.

I'm in a family that is very much directly involved with the industry. According to them, the vast majority of customers only do comparative test drives of same-make vehicles... like coming to the Ford store to drive an Escape vs. Edge or Explorer vs. Expedition. Automakers - or at least Ford - are doing more meaningful market research than ever to identify exactly what target buyers are looking for in hyper-specific segments and in particular buying patterns. The idea of bouncing from a Honda store to Chevy to Ford to drive Pilots, Traverses, and Explorers is far outside of normal for today's average customer. Thus the brand - of both the maker and the nameplate - are arguably more important now than ever. The Telluride has a nicer interior than Explorer... mainly noticeable in the rear seating areas. This is surely more expensive... is that cost recuperated? What is the balance of total volume of Telluride/Palisade sales and at what ATP to keep the program profitable? Ford gambled with the switch back to RWD and a brand new platform, and perhaps they were too conservative in certain interior appointments. However, the decisions weren't made out of laziness or ineptitude... they were made to support a specific business case. And, from all I can tell, even the disastrous launch hasn't impacted the financial expectations of the program. They are making some very small adjustments to interior materials as a direct response to pre-launch feedback. They're also going to sell at least 200,000 copies in 2020 and make a mint doing it.

The current directive from the top down is to commit to and own segments. Explorer launch was an absolute outlier and blame has been assigned and punishment executed. We're going to see a long, slow transition of power from Hackett to Farley and I'd expect mostly smooth sailing.

The production issues have been largely resolved for quite a while now, but the (forced) high-profile storyline about the model changeover extravaganza, barges on the river, Commando-style swap are still too rich for auto rags to ignore. From my own butt-in-seat time, interior materials range from slightly above average to very nice... depending on where you're touching. While the Telluride has an arguably nicer overall interior package, I'd wager many would find Explorer's cabin much nicer than the Pilot'sin a blind test. From what I've heard, they still plan to sell 200,000 Explorers this CY and don't think they'll have to dip below their planned margin to do it. I have heard a slight acceleration of the first planned MCE, which would address many of the remaining complaints about the front clip and a few interior touchpoints. Unconfirmed, but likely.

Sent towards the falls without a paddle.

Several higher-ups at CAP knew why they were in the situation and who was to blame. It wasn't unintentional.

This will be less pronounced without the camo. The busy pattern over the paint is forcing attention right down onto the upper grille sculpting. In final form, the LED piping flanking the hood edge will carry the visual load at the top of the fascia.

Yup.