"Not Compact" Crossovers - Sales October 2007

[BORG]

When is the next Explorer coming online? I'm hoping for a more direct and 'conventional' competitor to the Lambdas instead of the wagon-like Flex freak show. I like the Flex, but I would be much more interested in something that looks like a Lambda. However, with Flex pricing hitting 40k, how much room can there be for two vehicles around the same price?

[Michael Reynolds]

The Edge is doing amazing, simply amazing, It is like bittersweet, the edge doing so well but the fusion just is just barely on life support.

 

All the Edge trully needs is a new interior and a couple tweaks here and there and then it would really be unstoppable.

 

Ford should be selling more Fusions, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it is on life support. Especially when Ford sold 11K copies last month.

[DCK]

Ford should be selling more Fusions, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it is on life support. Especially when Ford sold 11K copies last month.

I have to disagree, in this segment, the Fusion should be doing a lot better. They should be selling 20-25k a month, Ford set the sales goals ultra low thinking they would easily pass them and could brag about them, but the Fusion is barely meeting te ultra low sales goals. It should be selling half of what the camry sells, but it did nothing to camry sales, it isn't attracting the consumer, Ford needs to put a lot into the 2009 MCE in order to compete, because with only 11k a month, and a rough estimate of 25-30% retail, it is on life support, Ford can't and shouldn't be striving to compete against Kia and Hyundai, they should be competing against the Japanese, and the fusion isn't.

[suv_guy_19]

I have to disagree, in this segment, the Fusion should be doing a lot better. They should be selling 20-25k a month, Ford set the sales goals ultra low thinking they would easily pass them and could brag about them, but the Fusion is barely meeting te ultra low sales goals. It should be selling half of what the camry sells, but it did nothing to camry sales, it isn't attracting the consumer, Ford needs to put a lot into the 2009 MCE in order to compete, because with only 11k a month, and a rough estimate of 25-30% retail, it is on life support, Ford can't and shouldn't be striving to compete against Kia and Hyundai, they should be competing against the Japanese, and the fusion isn't.

 

 

Only two cars in the segment sell in the numbers your talking about. I find it highly unlikely that a new entry could ever achieve that....25 - 30 % retail....uhh, ok....The Fusion is a competitor now. Could it be better? yeah. Will it be better? Yeah. Theres no use talking about it time and time again and talking about how its a failure when its not.

[Michael Reynolds]

I have to disagree, in this segment, the Fusion should be doing a lot better. They should be selling 20-25k a month, Ford set the sales goals ultra low thinking they would easily pass them and could brag about them, but the Fusion is barely meeting te ultra low sales goals. It should be selling half of what the camry sells, but it did nothing to camry sales, it isn't attracting the consumer, Ford needs to put a lot into the 2009 MCE in order to compete, because with only 11k a month, and a rough estimate of 25-30% retail, it is on life support, Ford can't and shouldn't be striving to compete against Kia and Hyundai, they should be competing against the Japanese, and the fusion isn't.

 

Didn't I make mention that Ford should be selling more Fusions? If Ford sold 25K units of the Fusion a month there would be no capacity at Hermosillio for anything else. Nevermind the other markets in the Americas that also receive the Fusion..

 

Also who made any mention that Ford is attempting to compete directly against Hyundai/Kia? They have vehicles that occupy the same class group, but that's not providing any evidence to backup your claim. If Ford weren't competing against the Japanese then their marketing people better change their ad campagin, because everything that I've seen has been geared directly towards the Accord and Camry. Where are you coming up with information that Ford isn't competing against Toyota and Honda? If Ford were hell bent on competing with Hyundai then they would be selling a lot fewer units.

 

11K units is far from life support. Also have we come across an up-to-date fleet total for the Fusion thus far?

 

I also question your comments about Camry sales. Don't expect something all new last year to come in like gang busters and rattle the likes of established leaders. That's like Toyota expecting to bite into a huge chunk of F-150 sales right off the bat with the Tundra. Those that have owned multiple Camrys/Accords with not an issue, will more than likely not abandon those nameplates just because Ford is attempting to sell them some new fangled sedan.

[wescoent]

When is the next Explorer coming online? I'm hoping for a more direct and 'conventional' competitor to the Lambdas instead of the wagon-like Flex freak show. I like the Flex, but I would be much more interested in something that looks like a Lambda. However, with Flex pricing hitting 40k, how much room can there be for two vehicles around the same price?

 

I would say the absolute soonest we'll see the On-Road D3 Explorer would be in 2 years' time. I'm hopeful for a concept next month. To be perfectly honest, I would expect the Explorer to share a lot of the Flex's engineering, and essentially would be a SWB Flex under the skin. An Explorer would be a midsized crossover, much like the Edge, but retain its tough SUV styling language in a cleaner package. Look at the Range Rover Sport. Very tough-looking, but at the same time, has very simple and clean style. 3.5L V6 is a given, though I would wonder whether we'll see an optional Twin Force for fuel economy in either 4 or 6 cylinder guise. 2 rows would be standard, with a small 3rd row jump seat optional. FWD would be standard, with optional AWD.

 

Ultimately, we'll see a vehicle with all of the useful capability of the current Explorer (high ride height, tough looks, ability to navigate snow, stone/dirt roads, and decent space inside), in an INFINITELY better driving package, with far better gas mileage.

 

Within a year or two, there's no reason why such a vehicle wouldn't be tops in this segment.

[P71_CrownVic]

11K units is far from life support. Also have we come across an up-to-date fleet total for the Fusion thus far?

 

We need a fleet breakdown chart for all models. I read somewhere that Yahoo news reported that the Taurus II sees 37% of sales go to fleets. I could not find the article so I dismissed the claim...but still.

Edited November 4, 2007 by P71_CrownVic

[Michael Reynolds]

We need a fleet breakdown chart for all models. I read somewhere that Yahoo news reported that the Taurus II sees 37% of sales go to fleets. I could not find the article so I dismissed the claim...but still.

 

Ford thought it would be a good idea to dump a ton of em in fleets to begin with vs. advertising them. It was their way of getting the product out their to the masses. I recall there being an entire thread devoted to it.

[rmc523]

The Taurus X is doing pretty well considering no advertising, no extra incentives, and no special lease deals.

 

How come Ford doesn't lump Taurus and Taurus X numbers together like Toyota does w/ the Corolla and Matrix?

[rmc523]

Only two cars in the segment sell in the numbers your talking about. I find it highly unlikely that a new entry could ever achieve that....25 - 30 % retail....uhh, ok....The Fusion is a competitor now. Could it be better? yeah. Will it be better? Yeah. Theres no use talking about it time and time again and talking about how its a failure when its not.

 

I have a feeling we'll have a Pscario sighting soon.