Ford plans Common Global Styling

[mackinaw]

From today's Automotive News. Article by Paul McVeigh:

 

"Ford is harmonizing the design of its cars in markets across the world as it unifies development of compact and mid-sized cars globally to save money through efficiencies in engineering, purchasing and manufacturing.

 

"We are developing an appropriate design language that will work all over the world," said Martin Smith, Ford's European Design Chief, in an interview at the auto show here.

 

"Currently, Ford uses kinetic design in Europe and a styling it calls "red, white and bold" in North America. Usually, automakers have different car designs for different markets because they believe customers have different tastes in various parts of the globe.

 

"Smith said that with globalization and the Internet this no longer holds true. "A killer car will work everywhere," he said.

 

"Smith said specifically American vehicles such as the Taurus sedan and F-150 pickup will not become part of Ford's common global styling."

[RichardJensen]

Odd. The Fusion looks more 'American' than the Taurus---which a guy just (entirely unprompted) told me looks like a Camry.

[Deanh]

Odd. The Fusion looks more 'American' than the Taurus---which a guy just (entirely unprompted) told me looks like a Camry.

?....not sure i see that at all...along those lines I have seen two ads for the new Lexus Hybrid.....is THAT A THREE BAR GRILL INTERPRETATION???????

[rmc523]

From today's Automotive News. Article by Paul McVeigh:

 

"Ford is harmonizing the design of its cars in markets across the world as it unifies development of compact and mid-sized cars globally to save money through efficiencies in engineering, purchasing and manufacturing.

 

"We are developing an appropriate design language that will work all over the world," said Martin Smith, Ford's European Design Chief, in an interview at the auto show here.

 

"Currently, Ford uses kinetic design in Europe and a styling it calls "red, white and bold" in North America. Usually, automakers have different car designs for different markets because they believe customers have different tastes in various parts of the globe.

 

"Smith said that with globalization and the Internet this no longer holds true. "A killer car will work everywhere," he said.

 

"Smith said specifically American vehicles such as the Taurus sedan and F-150 pickup will not become part of Ford's common global styling."

 

Well, we better still have an "American" Taurus then - F-150's obvious that' we'll have it American styled.

 

?....not sure i see that at all...along those lines I have seen two ads for the new Lexus Hybrid.....is THAT A THREE BAR GRILL INTERPRETATION???????

 

Yes, I believe it is.....

[ds91776]

I think I remember reading that the Taurus, Fusion, Edge, and Explorer all got "Kenetic-ized" a bit before being finalized. Notice how the Fusion's front changed? Notice how the rest of the Taurus looks a lot like the Intercepter except the front?

 

With the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion/Mondeo, Grand C-Max (or whatever they call it), Escape/Kuga, Ranger, and others all being (more or less) identical in the near future all around the world, Ford will really have a unified design theme. NA only products (more or less) like the Edge, Explorer, Taurus, F-150, and Mustang either have to fully be integrated, or like the Mustang and probably F-150, have familiar, or family related cues without full wrought integration.

[waymondospiff]

I'm not sure why you'd do that. If more subtle, sophisticated designs are called for in Europe or Asia, while North & South America clamour for more passionate designs, why compromise and miss both marks with an extroverted car in Europe/Asia and a bland, boring car in the Americas?

 

Even weirder considering that the manufacturing of the vehicles is likely to stay separated - there's little to no economies of scale to be gained in production by commonizing across continents.

 

I don't get it.

[Cougarpower]

^ I think the only vehicles that will not have the globalized look will be the Fseries and thats F150 and Superdutys and the Mustang, the rest will have the same familiar look

[2b2]

^^ imho this is just the current 'phase' of Ford's designers... that they all are agreeing on a styling direction

whether they've been overly influenced by the 'One Ford' mantra

whether this turns out to be a compromised strategy or Not,

I don't expect consistent adherence to it to last very long

[rmc523]

I'm not sure why you'd do that. If more subtle, sophisticated designs are called for in Europe or Asia, while North & South America clamour for more passionate designs, why compromise and miss both marks with an extroverted car in Europe/Asia and a bland, boring car in the Americas?

 

Even weirder considering that the manufacturing of the vehicles is likely to stay separated - there's little to no economies of scale to be gained in production by commonizing across continents.

 

I don't get it.

 

But with the same (for the most part) styling, Ford can order the same type of tooling for production throughtout the world, which would save costs. So how do you feel about vehicles like the Fiesta? Is that not "passionate" enough for you? I'm not questioning you, just curious how you feel about it. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this either yet.

 

^^ imho this is just the current 'phase' of Ford's designers... that they all are agreeing on a styling direction

whether they've been overly influenced by the 'One Ford' mantra

whether this turns out to be a compromised strategy or Not,

I don't expect consistent adherence to it to last very long

 

I honestly am not either.

[waymondospiff]

But with the same (for the most part) styling, Ford can order the same type of tooling for production throughtout the world, which would save costs. So how do you feel about vehicles like the Fiesta? Is that not "passionate" enough for you? I'm not questioning you, just curious how you feel about it. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this either yet.

I guess there might be some tooling savings...but I can't imagine it'd make a significant swing in total costs over the life of the vehicle.

 

I personally like all of the FofE products, so I personally don't have a problem with the styling language. But looking at the products there are some distinct differences between FofNA & FofE products and I'm not sure the Mondeo would be as powerful here in the US as it is in Europe and conversely, I'm not sure that the Fusion's big grille would win fans in Europe.

 

Maybe it'll be a homerun. I do see overall trends in Europe & NA are converging somewhat, but I'm not sure if they'll ever be the same. Closer, but not identical. But, maybe there will be a "styling direction" that would still allow for changes like Taurus taillamps instead of Mondeo taillamps and the Fusion big chromey grille vs. the Fiesta's black plastic cross-haired piece. The article isn't really clear on the amount of standardization, just that there will be one language.

 

Wiggle room perhaps for the future?

[ANTAUS]

What about their 3rd world-ish vehicles? Like what you would see in India...some of those designs are a bit, hmm 80s...?

[rmc523]

I guess there might be some tooling savings...but I can't imagine it'd make a significant swing in total costs over the life of the vehicle.

 

I personally like all of the FofE products, so I personally don't have a problem with the styling language. But looking at the products there are some distinct differences between FofNA & FofE products and I'm not sure the Mondeo would be as powerful here in the US as it is in Europe and conversely, I'm not sure that the Fusion's big grille would win fans in Europe.

 

Maybe it'll be a homerun. I do see overall trends in Europe & NA are converging somewhat, but I'm not sure if they'll ever be the same. Closer, but not identical. But, maybe there will be a "styling direction" that would still allow for changes like Taurus taillamps instead of Mondeo taillamps and the Fusion big chromey grille vs. the Fiesta's black plastic cross-haired piece. The article isn't really clear on the amount of standardization, just that there will be one language.

 

Wiggle room perhaps for the future?

 

I agree with your opinion. I definitely think there'll be wiggle room in regards to this global design policy.

 

What about their 3rd world-ish vehicles? Like what you would see in India...some of those designs are a bit, hmm 80s...?

 

Good question.

[BORG]

Global design may work for low volume makers (at least in the US) such as VW, Audi, BMW, MB, etc..., but I'm not so sure about mainstream like Honda, Toyota, and Ford.

[theoldwizard]

Mid and full size SUVs and CUVs are likely exempt (like F Series) from the global styling because they are not sold (in high volume) in any other country.

[ausrutherford]

What about their 3rd world-ish vehicles? Like what you would see in India...some of those designs are a bit, hmm 80s...?

 

Well have to wait and see until the new ikon comes out this year.

[mercury_1988]

I'm with Ford's Common Global Styling plan if Ford offer the Falcon as the panther replacement . The falcon will be offered with a new 4 cylinder ecoboost engine .

[fubbyo]

Get rid of the chromed grills. And please don't send them to Europe. They hate us enough already.

[Ford Jellymoulds]

We need more Americans like loser Lutz, FOE were on a role in the late 60's to late 70's with the Capri, Cortina & Escort they were making massive profits every year with car No1 in both UK & Europe for nearly a whole decade. Ford's awesome classic styled Capri, Cortina & Escort with 32% market share destroying British leyland giving Fords future an cars an easy ride.

 

Do l hate Americans for destroying British Leyland no l don't, l love the Americans cars to bits for giving me some awesome Capri. Cortina & Escort cars.

 

Idiot Lutz arrived on the scene help destroy FOE market share he decide boring, dull & bland cars are what the buyer wanted with his new Jellymoulded Sierra, rather than cars that rock that put Ford at No1 in Europe with kool coefficents and huge profits. Sierra never made No 1 best seller in UK TOP 10 for the year with boring dull low drag co-efficents folk were not interested Ford market share dropped to 16% buy the time Idiot Lutz had left FOE and destroyed out market share.

 

Do l hate Loser Lutz for destroying FOE market share in the UK you bet l do, do l hate the the Jellymoulded Sierra with the styling cues taken from Stevie Wonder and all the subtlety of a punch in the face, you bet l do 1,000% its the most offensive car ever made. Detroit in the 1960's used to build 95% of the cars for the USA when drag kool-efficeints mattered and ruled the roost in styling departments.

 

AWESOME AMERICANS I LOVE TO BITS...

Boxy Transit van NOT G8 - Mundane jellymoulded space wasting roof lines by default Ford No1 in Europe forever.

 

Boxy E-Series van NOT G8 - Sierra - Mundane jellymoulded space wasting roof lines by default No 1 in USA forever.

 

Classic F-Series Pick- boxy front ends, roof lines, beds. NOT G8 - Mundane jellymoulded space wasting roof lines is the World's No1.

 

Classic good ole Silverado Pick-Up their its best selling vehicle in the USA and all thats propping up GM USA, NOT a boring bland dull GM loser Lutz's G8 ditto etc :boring: .

 

Classsic Ford Mustang USA No1 best selling muscle car forever, never outsold by a Toyonda MUSCLE CAR ever in this class of car they have nooooooooooooooo answer to classic styling.

 

FOE have ditched dull styling for good looking styling, Fiesta 300,000 sales and booming as a result of it. Fiesta will give Americans the a choice of something other than dull & boring. Toyonda are going to suffer once it arrives.

 

Classic boxy out of date shape, Americans love it NOT G8 - Mundane jellymoulded space wasting shape No 1 best selling SUV USA.

 

 

AMERICANS CARS NOT SOOOOOOH GOOD

When boring bland styling is the only dish in town how do you complain to the Detroits big 3 Chef buy a Toyonda it's your only way, Lutz's of this world will never listern thats the one thing you can be sure, selling cars on ebay is what they think will save GM. If the Pontiac G8/Mondeo stayed in production for a million years they would still have the same shape just like the fridge in my house but a fridge is a million times more exciting, maybe thats why nobody bothers to refresh cars like Honda anymore they don't have to, the American buyer pissed off with food on offer is boring they will just lodge his quite protest vote all the time and buy a Honda and they know it..

 

Chevy GM G8 Ford's MUndeo Camry killers with superb handling with anonymous styling cues taken from Stevie Wonder, and all the subtlety of a punch in the face.

 

Mundane sales August 2009 European/US Camry killers

Ford Mondeo - 5,200 sales

Pontiac Chevy - G8 1,600 sales

Mundane sales look fantastic with ugly cheese gratting grilles made from only the best quality ugly plaaaaaaaastic its fantastic, you can keep the cheap n' nasty ugly plastic Stateside please we don't want it in Europe.

Edited September 18, 2009 by Ford Jellymoulds