silvrsvt Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-developing-budget-sedan-for-rural-china.html Interestingly, Smith isn’t referring to the all-new Focus but rather the Mk2 Focus that is currently on sale in Europe and other parts of China. Ford’s proposed budget sedan would use the Mk2’s platform but would fit it with a cheaper top hat. Smith says sedan wouldn’t skimp on safety features “but you could give it single-piece headlights and tail lights, and reduce the glass panels in the side from three to two” in order to cut costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzcat Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-developing-budget-sedan-for-rural-china.html The only surprise here is that it took Ford this long to do something like this in China. This Mk2 Focus based cheap car could also replace the MK1 Focus still for sale in Brazil. GM is re-using the Chevy Lacetti/Buick Excelle platform for its new Baojun budget car. Toyota and Hyundai are selling both the current and previous gen Corolla and Elantra in China. And of course VW has been recycling old cars in China (and Brazil) for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92merc Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Why not use that small car they built for India? I forget the name... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausrutherford Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Why not use that small car they built for India? I forget the name... Figo is B-Segment. This would be C-Segment, by far the biggest segment in China Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 (edited) The only surprise here is that it took Ford this long to do something like this in China. This Mk2 Focus based cheap car could also replace the MK1 Focus still for sale in Brazil. Sorry, but Brazil has been selling MK II or C1 Focus for a while now, here's the Ford Brazil website LINK Maybe thois is confirmation of an early revelation last October, it was believed then that the new car for China would be based on the old Fiesta, maybe a new top hat for the C1 Focus is a much more practical way to go. Ford Australia to develop Chinese car - LINK Barry Park October 15, 2010 Ford Australia is set to develop a small car for the Chinese market following the success of the development of the new Ranger ute that will be sold around the world. Ford Australia is designing a new low-cost small car for the booming Chinese market, after successfully developing a one-tonne ute that will be sold in more than 180 countries. A Ford insider told Drive the design team had picked up the Chinese project after impressing its US parent with its work on the Figo - a low-cost city car designed specifically for the Indian market - and the Ranger ute, which will be unveiled at today's Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. It is believed the low-cost Chinese car will be based on an old version of the Fiesta small car. Ford is already testing various small cars at its You Yangs proving ground south-west of Melbourne, one of which was snapped by a spy photographer Edited February 3, 2011 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92merc Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 So they'll be building all new C car? Why? So much for "One Ford" and "Global". I guess the US/European Focus model isn't good enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausrutherford Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 So they'll be building all new C car? Why? So much for "One Ford" and "Global". I guess the US/European Focus model isn't good enough? You still have to have cars built for local areas. You wont see like a Mustang being built in China or a Figo being built in the US. Heck, Ford has entire brands that are regional! And not just Lincoln...but also JMC, Troller, and Landwind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausrutherford Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 What China needs is to sell the Mk2 focus along with this cheap car and the Mk3 Focus. Mk3 - Buick Excelle Mk2 - Chevy Cruze Unnamed - Baojun 630 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weiweishen Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Why not use that small car they built for India? I forget the name... I guess Chinese need cheap big car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moosetang Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 So they'll be building all new C car? Why? So much for "One Ford" and "Global". I guess the US/European Focus model isn't good enough? This would still be based off a global platform. And the New Focus will also be sold there in the big cities, this would be the cheaper option B for less well off areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomcat68 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Why not just let thm build this? After we don't need the tooling anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironhorse Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 How about Ford develop a budget sedan for Rural America? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 How about Ford develop a budget sedan for Rural America? Because the US is knee-deep in used cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 How about Ford develop a budget sedan for Rural America? unfortunately here it has to pass A) emissions B) Pedestrian safety C) National highway Safety tests D) get 5 stars in EVERYTHING...front side rear and rollover AND E) Impress Insurance agencies....hear that ringing? thats the Death Knoll for budget sedans here...especially if you are a domestic manufacturer. Now if you are Korean anything goes.....and you always have an advantage if you are Japanese as well...who needs sound insulation anyways..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Why not just let the build this? After we don't need the tooling anymore. The C170 chassis is a good solid design and would do well in rural China.... How about Ford develop a budget sedan for Rural America? Because no one would buy it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 (edited) So they'll be building all new C car? Why? So much for "One Ford" and "Global". I guess the US/European Focus model isn't good enough? The Mk3 Focus will be sold there...plus there really isn't that much different between the New Focus and the C1 (Mk2) Focus previously being built. If anything, its just a new tophat (like doing a Lincoln) that will geared towards making it cheaper and easier to fix. Not a whole new car. Edited February 4, 2011 by silvrsvt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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