Jump to content

EcoSport to the U.S.?


rmc523

Recommended Posts

 

the NX is sexy, youthful and Fun. the MKc isn't. it is kinda pedestrian looking in a youth oriented segment.

 

Sounds like your gagging on what Lexus is feeding you...to be honest I haven't seen any advertising for the NX and very little for the MKC.

 

Not to mention most youth vehicles are bought up by 55+ plus crowd, which incidently is the biggest buyer of small CUVs...so technically the MKC is the new Town Car ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hm, and normal is around 60 days I think - I was wondering if MKC production could be sent/expanded somewhere else if it were supply constrained. But it appears it isn't. It's a great product - it's a shame that something like that ugly NX takes off just because of the L badge, whereas the MKC is overlooked.

 

Ford is selling about as many MKCs as they want. I think you're going to see some load balancing going on pretty regularly w/the MKC and Escape where they'll run a lot of MKCs and draw them down, then run a bunch/draw them down.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Because if the next gen B and C cars are on the same platform, it's an opportunity to consolidate

production to low cost Mexico and Give MAP a more profitable vehicle to produce right on the

market's door step.

If Ford thought like that, they would have consolidated all Focus production to Hermosillo and Wayne would have been retooled for the Fusion.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Ford has a Second production site in Spain.Again ford isn't behaving like a global automaker.

 

Name a company that sells an entry-level product in the US sourced from Europe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excellent. You just said VW. And how well is the Tiguan doing these days?

 

Oh. Not so good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh. Right. I forgot.

 

The reason why the Tiguan isn't selling has nothing to do with it coming from Europe, and everything to do with VW not knowing how to sell cars in the US.

 

There's always an excuse, isn't there? Always a reason why some other company fails at a course you advocate strongly.

 

 

 

 

Oh, but I forgot. VW is so profitable! I mean sure, they haven't accumulated any cash after all these years of profit, and they have a huge and vague pile of 'non-current assets' that grow magically every quarter, but hey. The press release says they're profitable, so screw critical thinking!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Ford is selling about as many MKCs as they want. I think you're going to see some load balancing going on pretty regularly w/the MKC and Escape where they'll run a lot of MKCs and draw them down, then run a bunch/draw them down.

That's basically what they are doing with the C-Max, particularly the Euro PHEV exports.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

If you allow for buyer preference toward CUVs people will leav your cars for comparably priced CUVs, except since ford has no entrant buyer are looking elsewhere.

 

With 5 entrants in this segment now up from only 1 entrant 2 years ago, buyer have a choice.

 

 

I disagree.

 

 

the Ecosport

WB 99.2

L - spare 158

L +spare 168.3

W 69.5

H 64.8

 

Chevy Trax

WB 100.6

L 167.2

W 69.9

H 65.9

 

they are not that far apart

The devil is in the detail, Trax is has a bigger cargo area due to extra length.

Without the spare, Ecosport is 9" shorter than Trax:

 

Trax Cargo volume:

2- Seat mode (L / cu. ft.): 1,371 / 48.4

5-Seat mode: (L / cu. ft.): 530 / 18.7

 

Ecosport Cargo volume:

2- Seat mode (L / cu. ft.): 705 / 24.9

5-Seat mode: (L / cu. ft.): 346 / 12.2

 

That difference in cargo area is significant and can influence people one way or the other.

That's why I found the Ecosport polarizing, it's smaller than you think, a little too small IMO...

Edited by jpd80
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Name a company that sells an entry-level product in the US sourced from Europe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excellent. You just said VW. And how well is the Tiguan doing these days?

 

Oh. Not so good.

Toyota Yaris, made in France

 

The escape isn't and entry level product.

Edited by Biker16
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Ecosport hasn't done very well in the UK so far. It is imported from India and unfortuanytely the build quality is very poor. The panel gap in the rear hatch door is huge, the rear light clusters do not fit flush with the panel work, the interior/dash board materials are very cheap rough plastic and it still uses drum brakes on the rear. It appears Ford rushed this to try and fill a niche gap but in comparison to its main competitors it is a very poor offering from Ford in this day and age.......

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The devil is in the detail, Trax is has a bigger cargo area due to extra length.

Without the spare, Ecosport is 9" shorter than Trax:

 

Trax Cargo volume:

2- Seat mode (L / cu. ft.): 1,371 / 48.4

5-Seat mode: (L / cu. ft.): 530 / 18.7

 

Ecosport Cargo volume:

2- Seat mode (L / cu. ft.): 705 / 24.9

5-Seat mode: (L / cu. ft.): 346 / 12.2

 

That difference in cargo area is significant and can influence people one way or the other.

That's why I found the Ecosport polarizing, it's smaller than you think, a little too small IMO...

 

This is frustrating because FORD Invented the segment, and they IMO have been very Short sighted about the EcoSport and made some/ many decisions that make it difficult to Market in the US and Europe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

They must not make any money on them....and sell only about 20k of them a year in the US.

 

Think of it this way they had excess capacity in the EU, and the cost of building a new facility, or importing it from Japan, was greater than having to idle the plant in France.

 

The same argument can and should be made for the escape, the cost of setting up another facility in North america is going to much higher than paying a SMALL premium for importing a few escapes from the EU. you just make sure you import the highest margin variant from your highest cost facility.

 

Consider that Ford already imports the Transit connect From Spain, Too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's basically what they are doing with the C-Max, particularly the Euro PHEV exports.

I have seen you post this about the C-Max PHEV being exported to Europe numerous times, and have been wondering where the heck is Ford hiding these

C-Max Energi's?

There has been zero talk from FoE regarding the C-Max Hybrid or Energi since sometime in 2014.

 

How many of these C-Max Energi's has MAP built and sent over to Europe?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have seen you post this about the C-Max PHEV being exported to Europe numerous times, and have been wondering where the heck is Ford hiding these

C-Max Energi's?

There has been zero talk from FoE regarding the C-Max Hybrid or Energi since sometime in 2014.

 

How many of these C-Max Energi's has MAP built and sent over to Europe?

 

this likely has something to do with the Relocation of C-max production from Spain to Germany last year. I'd imagine it messed up the Production sequence in GErmany because of the PHEV and HEV.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

this likely has something to do with the Relocation of C-max production from Spain to Germany last year. I'd imagine it messed up the Production sequence in GErmany because of the PHEV and HEV.

But what does that have to do with Ford exporting C-Max Energi's to Europe but they are not selling them?

Is FoE storing these vehicles somewhere?

 

It does not make sense to store these older models, as the new face lifted gas model C-Max are already for sale over here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think a Focus "XV" is really going to cannibalize Escape sales very much. Think of Escape as the "wagon" version of C-segment CUV and the Focus "XV" as the hatchback version of C-segment CUV. Ford maybe losing some customers who viewed Escape as too big, too soccer mom, or too conventional. Who knows... but Subaru XV, Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tuscon, and the hapless VW Tiguan combined is just a million units a year in the US. There is a market for a shorter C-segment CUV in the US (nevermind Europe or South America, where the shorter size is preferred over the "wagon" size). The CUV market is evolving exactly as the car market did many years ago with many different bodystyles to suit buyers' needs and preferences.

 

I think Ford was correct to hold out the current generation EcoSport from the US market... probably not ready for primetime here. I suspect it will compare poorly to the likes of Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-3, which is the direction the market is headed... these sub-compact B-segment CUVs are essentially replacing a lot of the middle end C-segment sedan and hatchback sales. EcoSport is a little too small.

Edited by bzcat
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

The Escape is a sold by an entry-level brand (Ford) therefore it is an entry-level product.

 

So the $45,000 F-150 is also an entry level product?

 

How come the transit connect is being imported to the US? isn't it at lower price point than the entry level Escape?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have seen you post this about the C-Max PHEV being exported to Europe numerous times, and have been wondering where the heck is Ford hiding these

C-Max Energi's?

There has been zero talk from FoE regarding the C-Max Hybrid or Energi since sometime in 2014.

 

How many of these C-Max Energi's has MAP built and sent over to Europe?

 

I can't speak to that, I only see them when they are on the line. It seems like they do a run of them then stop for a week or 2. I'm not sure where in europe they are supposed to go exactly, it just says europe export high priority.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

this likely has something to do with the Relocation of C-max production from Spain to Germany last year. I'd imagine it messed up the Production sequence in GErmany because of the PHEV and HEV.

I don't think the German plant builds hybrids. Not C-Max at least

 

But what does that have to do with Ford exporting C-Max Energi's to Europe but they are not selling them?

Is FoE storing these vehicles somewhere?

 

It does not make sense to store these older models, as the new face lifted gas model C-Max are already for sale over here.

These aren't the face lifted models FYI. Not sure when MAP is supposed to start building those for NA, if at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think the German plant builds hybrids. Not C-Max at least

 

These aren't the face lifted models FYI. Not sure when MAP is supposed to start building those for NA, if at all.

Any idea how many units (C-Max Energi) MAP has exported to Europe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

So the $45,000 F-150 is also an entry level product?

 

How come the transit connect is being imported to the US? isn't it at lower price point than the entry level Escape?

 

I didn't know the F150 MSRP started at $45k.

 

And there's no US source for the TC. Do you think Ford will continue to export TCs to NA from Europe once there is a NA point of assembly for the product?

Edited by RichardJensen
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...