Deanh Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I got a cheaper solution, why not slap in the 2.5L I4 into the Feista and just call it a Fiesta GT for the NA Market and sell it for about 18-20K pffffffffffffffffft!..........little 1.6 ecoboost, 200hp in a sub 3000lb car is a HOOT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 double post again dammit! Don't be so hard on yourself. The internet has only been out for 10-15 years. :P Here's a question: Why would Ford even attempt to sell a 25K Fiesta, when they could be selling a 25K Focus ST? Like I said, bring them both over here, and sell the Fiesta RS somewhere between 16-20K and the Focus ST between 22-26K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Don't be so hard on yourself. The internet has only been out for 10-15 years. :P Here's a question: Why would Ford even attempt to sell a 25K Fiesta, when they could be selling a 25K Focus ST? Like I said, bring them both over here, and sell the Fiesta RS somewhere between 16-20K and the Focus ST between 22-26K. hey I'm old school, and all fingers and thumbs on a keyboard as is blatantly obvious, hell I still do math LONG hand and actually know what Pi is... the 25k is purely speculative anyways, but LOADED to the gills may not be far off the mark. I truley beleive with similar options a Focii may hit 29ish...but then again these are all out performance models....awd, ecoboost etc etc...the Focus would have to outperform the Fiesta.....new BMW 1 series is 300hp...imagine THAT sort of power awd @ 3200lbs..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 hell I still do math LONG hand and actually know what Pi is... Performance Improved? Police Interceptor? 3.141592654...? A dessert consisting of a filling (as of fruit or custard) in a pastry shell or topped with pastry or both (I added that one because of the KNOWN spelling issues...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Performance Improved?Police Interceptor? 3.141592654...? A dessert consisting of a filling (as of fruit or custard) in a pastry shell or topped with pastry or both (I added that one because of the KNOWN spelling issues...) as for spelling....I don't think anyone is blameless there....my typing SUCKS though, would be ok if i had fat fingers.....and Pi is PIE in the custard case... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueblood Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Well, I would agree with the part that there is little to no market for a car like this in the US. I would say comparisons to the Mini aren't really valid either, as the Mini is perceived as a "premium" small car, whereas the Fiesta never will be, even with a cool "go-fast" version. Bullshit, the new Fiesta is so nice as lng as Ford doesn't cheapen up the interior it will be seen as premium level, give us the RS and people will buy it, I'd kill for one. Don't mistake your tastes for those of 300 million people.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueblood Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Who hell is going to pay that much for a small car from Ford? They couldn't sell SVT Foci for that much when they did make them... :rolleyes: You're right, Ford should just give up, close shop. damn negatards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueblood Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 not really. I love the Focus RS, but a Cooperworks MINI would destroy it. Oh and you can say this about a car that doesn't even exist yet, nice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Bullshit, the new Fiesta is so nice as lng as Ford doesn't cheapen up the interior it will be seen as premium level, give us the RS and people will buy it, I'd kill for one. Don't mistake your tastes for those of 300 million people.. I'm trying to put myself in the position of those 300 million people. I personally think the Fiesta is a top notch vehicle with a premium look for a B-car. HOWEVER, VERY VERY VERY few of those 300 million people think ANYTHING from Ford is premium on any level. I just think it would be a stretch to push a $25K B-car from a brand that recently has not been associated with anything remotely "premium". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Don't mistake your tastes for those of 300 million people.. I'd kill for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suv_guy_19 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 (edited) . Edited March 27, 2008 by suv_guy_19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suv_guy_19 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old_fairmont_wagon Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Just remember, Volvo is having a hard time selling the C30 in the 25-30K range in the US (aside from the initial sales surge due to it being "new") Volvo has arguably more brand cachet than Ford for a product that is quite good overall. Now, imagine Ford trying to push that same vehicle, off of Ford lots, with a blue oval on the hood, in this country. I have very low estimations for them being able to move enough to make the model economically viable. Now, and here's the kicker, they could possibly move them better with a Mercury logo and trim, off of a L/M lot. It would be selling in the Milan price range, but, offer more performance in an urban friendly package. This is where Mercury can really benifit Ford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Just remember, Volvo is having a hard time selling the C30 in the 25-30K range in the US (aside from the initial sales surge due to it being "new") Volvo has arguably more brand cachet than Ford for a product that is quite good overall. Now, imagine Ford trying to push that same vehicle, off of Ford lots, with a blue oval on the hood, in this country. I have very low estimations for them being able to move enough to make the model economically viable. Now, and here's the kicker, they could possibly move them better with a Mercury logo and trim, off of a L/M lot. It would be selling in the Milan price range, but, offer more performance in an urban friendly package. This is where Mercury can really benifit Ford. Volvos problem is what you get for 25k........good looks thats it, no AWD, not great performance, not exactly stellar handling..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Jellymoulds Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Mind you can to pay up to $48,000 for a Mondeo estate car in the UK so the Fiesta sounds cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Mind you can to pay up to $48,000 for a Mondeo estate car in the UK so the Fiesta sounds cheap. Again the huge differences between the UK market and the US market as far as the perception of the Ford brand. A $48K Fusion/Mondeo would NEVER sail in the US. Just as I think it would be difficult for a $25K Fiesta to sail here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Again the huge differences between the UK market and the US market as far as the perception of the Ford brand. A $48K Fusion/Mondeo would NEVER sail in the US. Just as I think it would be difficult for a $25K Fiesta to sail here. I dunno nick...if it performed above and beyond and undercut the competition substantially, I could make a case....sub 6 sec 0-60, AWD, 6 speed dual clutch...etc etc......I'll admit being a bit of a dreamer, but if something like that was around from Ford instead of the PATHETIC SVT focus, i might well be driving a ford as we speak....and if ford doesn't offer an alternative then they basically hand the market over...thus the Minis sucess.....ZERO competition..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I dunno nick...if it performed above and beyond and undercut the competition substantially, I could make a case....sub 6 sec 0-60, AWD, 6 speed dual clutch...etc etc......I'll admit being a bit of a dreamer, but if something like that was around from Ford instead of the PATHETIC SVT focus, i might well be driving a ford as we speak....and if ford doesn't offer an alternative then they basically hand the market over...thus the Minis sucess.....ZERO competition..... I still think it would be less risky to utilize the slightly larger and more expensive Focus in such a scenario instead of risking it with the Fiesta. I would consider a hi-po Focus for my driveway. I probably wouldn't look twice at a zoom-zoom Fiesta, just because of the size and lack of practicality. The C-segment is just larger overall than the B-segment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I still think it would be less risky to utilize the slightly larger and more expensive Focus in such a scenario instead of risking it with the Fiesta. I would consider a hi-po Focus for my driveway. I probably wouldn't look twice at a zoom-zoom Fiesta, just because of the size and lack of practicality. The C-segment is just larger overall than the B-segment. I agree with that, Americans prefer slightly larger...possibly due to necessity....personally i'm all over the size of the Fiesta ESPECIALLY in the eco-boost performance version, talk about tossable.....then again smaller cars ARE pretty much the norm in countries where the drive thru requires an inconveinient 30 minute drive.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSFan00 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 This same group of marketing geniuses would have killed the Yaris, Smart, and Mini before they got over here as "too small for American tastes." "Why go smaller than a tercel or corolla?" After building it's market share/reputation in the compact segment, Toyota has, significantly by comparison, gotten away without really starting with a new model for what, 15 years now with the Corolla? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSFan00 Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Nick, I really don't think many Mondeo's have been sold for 48,000 bucks. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say without any research that less than 20 percent of Euro Mondeo sales are for more than 32K (to Ford, not bizarro taxes). Ford is capable of being a prestigious name in the American auto market, and command the brand premiums that Honda and Toyota do today. You can spec out a Camry in Leather with a moonroof for over $31K TODAY right down the street. Not an Avalon, or of course the Lexus, mind you, but a Camry. Here's some more thoughts about smaller cars finally coming to the US. Ford needed some prestigious small cars no later than June 2007, which was right around when the beautiful Focus re-skin was dumped on us. Maybe not micro-cars, but if micro-cars are now just about to become a real segment, then a higher-end Fiesta option below the Focus only makes more sense. Popular Mechanics this month I've heard the same line for years, from both consumers and automakers alike: European and Asian micro-size cars will never succeed here in the United States. Why? Well, first Americans are too large—we just won’t fit comfortably inside these vehicles. Plus, they say, we wouldn’t feel safe driving rides so tiny they make a Honda Civic look like a Lincoln Town Car. Americans want big cars—period. Right? For decades, that was the accepted ideology on microcars, and few argued. Well, it looks like everyone may have been wrong. ... So what’s the microcar holdup, you ask? The real stumbling block is adapting these current production cars from Japan and elsewhere to meet our side-impact safety standards. The Smart was designed to pass our standards, so that one’s good to go. And I know Mitsubishi is working on adapting the iMiev platform to pass our standards, though it’ll take them a few years to do so. If cars don’t pass our stringent safety regs, they’re classified as Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV) and are limited to roads with a 25-35 mph speed limit, depending on the state. But so what if they’re only classified as NEVs? If you restrict them to roads where speeds are low, the likelihood of a high-speed accident is low, too. When I travel to Japan periodically to cover a new car introduction, I see not only Kei-cars but little microvans, pickup trucks and even stake trucks. Mind you, they’ve got just about enough room inside to carry two people and maybe a lawnmower. But most of the time, that’s enough. Okay, I’ll fess up: These tiny tyke cars will almost certainly not be a household’s only ride. They’re suitable for short trips and low speeds, but you’re not taking them on a cross-country vacation. Still, for at least half the trips we take every day (unless you commute from say, Columbus to Toledo) these smaller cars might be all we need. And think about all the advantages: lower pollution, lower fuel consumption, smaller footprint in traffic or parking lots. The all-electric Subaru I drove was perfectly adequate for keeping up with traffic. With a 65-mph top speed and a 50-mi. range, I could have delivered pizza or delivered mail around all day on a single charge. With a mild relaxation of federal standards or some re-engineering of existing micro platforms, I think we could see this shrinking trend really take off. I do my part at least once a week to help the cause—I ride a motorcycle to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Ford is capable of being a prestigious name in the American auto market, and command the brand premiums that Honda and Toyota do today. Why would they want to do that when they have Lincoln and to a lesser extent Mercury? Its going to take a decade or two for people to pay "premium" for a Ford...How many people pay 31K for a Loaded Camry? The vast majorty of them are I4...just like the Fusion Here's some more thoughts about smaller cars finally coming to the US. Ford needed some prestigious small cars no later than June 2007, which was right around when the beautiful Focus re-skin was dumped on us. Maybe not micro-cars, but if micro-cars are now just about to become a real segment, then a higher-end Fiesta option below the Focus only makes more sense. After reading the PM article I still don't see a real need for a Microcars in the US...who is going to want a tiny car smaller then Fiesta...its too limited in its use for the most part and car makers won't make any money on them either. People bought trucks as second cars because they where useful...I dont think we'll see people flocking to a highly specialized car that its only redeeming feature is good MPG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Again the huge differences between the UK market and the US market as far as the perception of the Ford brand. A $48K Fusion/Mondeo would NEVER sail in the US. Just as I think it would be difficult for a $25K Fiesta to sail here. Mondeo, Mazda 6 and Camry are all similar prices here in Australia. I think that is the best yardstick you can use - relative car prices in the same market. If a US Mondeo was the same price as a Mazda 6 - that would be much cheaper than $48K? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSFan00 Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 On the "competition" board there is a lively thread about the 22K Cobalt SS right now. Americans will be/are paying that much for small cars. I don't see how the existence of Lincoln is a proof source for the argument that the Ford brand cannot command the market premium Toyota gets today. Lexus/Acura don't detract from the increased median prices paid by consumers for Honda/Toyota prices over Ford. Mercury in some interesting mental olympics is necessary to pull in some buyers I guess, and keep Lincoln dealers open. Since it get's little to no advertising it's harmless in some respects. I don't want to turn this into a "Mercury should/should not die" thread though. I agree jpd, if the same 3 makers can sell 3 models for similar prices in one place on the globe, they should be able to pull it off in another place too. Tough to fault that logic. The $48K Mondeo story is a canard just as my $32K Camry one is. Sure, it can be done, but it's pretty silly given the alternatives at that price-point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 the engine has been a big known for over a year now - Ford will use it to eliminate the 2.0l Duratec Igor in europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.