Anthony Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 (edited) http://www.autonews.com/article/20160104/OEM03/301049921 Automakers are boosting investments significantly in midcycle enhancements of vehicles in highly competitive segments. The changes are going far beyond the traditional freshening, including new powertrains and infotainment systems. Edited January 12, 2016 by Intrepidatious 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Well, there are lots of car hobbyists complaining that newer cars don't change enough year to year, so these should please them, ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyle Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 In my opinion Ford is not in that group and seems to be making very modest changes. I know they launched plenty of product the past year but the refreshed Focus and Fusion lack enough changes. Just a small example but the updates Fusion still has that ugly whip antenna. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 In my opinion Ford is not in that group and seems to be making very modest changes. I know they launched plenty of product the past year but the refreshed Focus and Fusion lack enough changes. Just a small example but the updates Fusion still has that ugly whip antenna. Automakers are boosting investments significantly in midcycle enhancements of vehicles in highly competitive segments. The changes are going far beyond the traditional freshening, including new powertrains and infotainment systems. Hmmm, the Fusion gets Sync 3 and a new (to it) 2.7L V6. Looks like Ford IS in that camp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Ugly whip antenna? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyle Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Really guys? I'm not the only one expressing disappointment in the Fusion refresh. Sync 3 is across the board and badly needed on a vehicle that has been out for 4 years. Besides the V6 option (which is kind of strange with their 4 cylinder ecoboost engines hardly lacking horsepower) no other powertrain changes were addressed. The whip antenna is on lower priced vehicles in the industry and just a pet peeve of mine since it screams cheapness. I'm more excited about the Escape and will leave it at that:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Really guys? I'm not the only one expressing disappointment in the Fusion refresh. Sync 3 is across the board and badly needed on a vehicle that has been out for 4 years. Besides the V6 option (which is kind of strange with their 4 cylinder ecoboost engines hardly lacking horsepower) no other powertrain changes were addressed. The whip antenna is on lower priced vehicles in the industry and just a pet peeve of mine since it screams cheapness. I'm more excited about the Escape and will leave it at that:) Why change a powertrain that by and large has had no issues? Why fix what's not broken? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pioneer Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Really guys? I'm not the only one expressing disappointment in the Fusion refresh. Sync 3 is across the board and badly needed on a vehicle that has been out for 4 years. Besides the V6 option (which is kind of strange with their 4 cylinder ecoboost engines hardly lacking horsepower) no other powertrain changes were addressed. The whip antenna is on lower priced vehicles in the industry and just a pet peeve of mine since it screams cheapness. I'm more excited about the Escape and will leave it at that:) I understand what you're saying, and I agree with you. Take my wife's 2011 Escape. It has the Sirius antenna on the roof AND a whip antenna. Why couldn't they just have both on the roof? Even my '09 Focus has both on the roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyle Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Why change a powertrain that by and large has had no issues? Why fix what's not broken? Because the industry is evolving. I just expect Ford to reach farther. Think that was their tagline for a few months:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 You must really hate the Porsche 911 then...... It still looks fresh to me compared to the competition and I don't think sales have suffered. Changing it just to change it is silly unless sales are lagging or it looks dated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyle Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 You must really hate the Porsche 911 then...... It still looks fresh to me compared to the competition and I don't think sales have suffered. Changing it just to change it is silly unless sales are lagging or it looks dated. Well even linking those two models into the same area of discussion is stretching things a bit!! One is a classic sports car with the highest of pedigrees, the other is in the most competitive segment of the automotive market where their competitors are rapidly pushing the market (Malibu, Accord, Altima, Mazeda 6). Regarding sales lagging and then making changes does not really add up since any product changes take probably close to 36 months to push thru. The 4 door midsize sedan market 2-3 years ago was taking off and not it is stalling-just like most passenger cars. And another point is Escape sales were strong several years ago and yet, Ford made a more significant refresh compared to the Fusion-and I think they have been on sale just about the same amount of time? I will buy the argument that the movement to SUV's is a much higher priority than passenger cars where margins are heading south over what has been mentioned. Again my opinion.....just like everyone's here.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
probowler Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 The 911 is like the miata of sports cars... A flying Turd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Please explain exactly where the new Fusion comes up short against the competition. Powertrain options? Nope. Styling? Nope. Features? Nope. Not seeing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 The 911 is like the miata of sports cars... A flying Turd. That's the most ridiculous statement I've heard all year. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 The 911 is like the miata of sports cars... A flying Turd. A preposterous statement. You should have started wearing a helmet decades ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyle Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Please explain exactly where the new Fusion comes up short against the competition. Powertrain options? Nope. Styling? Nope. Features? Nope. Not seeing it. Not sure why I have to explain it anymore than you do since I clearly stated it was my opinion. When the Fusion launched it was by far the vehicle that shook up the midsze market with its styling and to an extent available premium features. Look at what Honda has done with the Accord by adding all of their safety packages under one package for a bargain at $1k. The Sonata has had one minor and another fairly major facelift in 5 years. The Malibu now comes standard with a great base engine and styling that really stands out. I'm sure many of you have kids that want the newest iPhone especially the 5 or 6 models. Not so much when Apple is in between major updates and you cannot even tell the difference between a 6 or 6s. If your happy with what Ford has done with the Fusion and feel its the too car in the segemnt -great. I think they got complacememt and that is what bugs me more than anything. Again my opinion-just like yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 (edited) Not sure why I have to explain it anymore than you do since I clearly stated it was my opinion. When the Fusion launched it was by far the vehicle that shook up the midsze market with its styling and to an extent available premium features. Look at what Honda has done with the Accord by adding all of their safety packages under one package for a bargain at $1k. The Sonata has had one minor and another fairly major facelift in 5 years. The Malibu now comes standard with a great base engine and styling that really stands out. I'm sure many of you have kids that want the newest iPhone especially the 5 or 6 models. Not so much when Apple is in between major updates and you cannot even tell the difference between a 6 or 6s. If your happy with what Ford has done with the Fusion and feel its the too car in the segemnt -great. I think they got complacememt and that is what bugs me more than anything. Again my opinion-just like yours. I can understand what you're saying but with a different slant, Ford is not complacement, just stingy. deliberately driving seven year product cycles and limiting costs to squeeze the most profit out of North America. The accountants love it, the great unwashed keep buying it (~300K sales) but not the stand out against competition. I sense better gearboxes and more engine tech may be on the way but there's precious little evidence in the field. Edited January 13, 2016 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 I agree there are some folks who won't buy a 2017 if it looks just like a 2013. But there are others who would upgrade just to get sync 3 or to get the Sport drivetrain. If the current styling was dated or the competition was raising the bar then that could significantly affect sales. My point is that doesn't appear to be the case. I don't understand what Honda bundling options on the Accord has to do with it. Specifically - I still think Fusion looks better than the new Malibu or any other newer midsized sedans. If you disagree that's fine. Ultimately it comes down to how sales will be affected and I don't see this decision affecting sales much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Specifically - I still think Fusion looks better than the new Malibu or any other newer midsized sedans. If you disagree that's fine. Yeah, I saw a new Malibu on the road just yesterday afternoon. I'll admit it was a base model, but the front end looked terrible in real life. It's way too squished/flat looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 The refresh of the Fusion is fine...I wish the sport model was bit more different then the rest of the lineup, but it has my interest as a possible replacement for my SHO down the road. The 2017 Fusion vs the 2013-2016 Fusion styling is most likely going to be like the difference between the 2009 Mustang and 2013 Mustang. They'll look almost the same in photos, but look a lot different in person when parked next to one another. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 The refresh of the Fusion is fine...I wish the sport model was bit more different then the rest of the lineup, but it has my interest as a possible replacement for my SHO down the road. The 2017 Fusion vs the 2013-2016 Fusion styling is most likely going to be like the difference between the 2009 Mustang and 2013 Mustang. They'll look almost the same in photos, but look a lot different in person when parked next to one another. From the rear, yes. From the front (taking the sport model out of it), not so much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 (edited) And still bash out close to 300K annual sales with increasing ATPs, This late in the project cycle makes that a great revenue soure, Something Malibu is striving to do with this new car four years After Fusion changed - something we should keep in mind Edited January 13, 2016 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StangBang Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 The refresh of the Fusion is fine...I wish the sport model was bit more different then the rest of the lineup, but it has my interest as a possible replacement for my SHO down the road. The 2017 Fusion vs the 2013-2016 Fusion styling is most likely going to be like the difference between the 2009 Mustang and 2013 Mustang. They'll look almost the same in photos, but look a lot different in person when parked next to one another. There isn't even that much change to the Fusion. It's only getting front and rear fascia changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 deliberately driving seven year product cycles and limiting costs to squeeze the most profit out of North America. which is dumb and Short- sighted. 5 year product cycle is the industry norm, 7 year product cycles only lead to more incentives and or less volume. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harley Lover Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 (edited) I think it's fair to say that Kyle pointed out a perspective on the Fusion refresh that is worth considering, and of course there are several posters on the other side of the aisle that don't see a problem. There's probably room for both takes to be valid. I vaguely recall Mark Fields being quoted a few years ago with words to the effect that refreshes would be more significant and redesigns would be more frequent (5 years comes to mind, but I might be misremembering). My recollection is that his comments were in the context of discussing one of the ways that Ford was becoming more competitive in the market. IF all of that is being recalled correctly, one could certainly view the Fusion refresh in that context as being somewhat lacking. On the other hand, I would posit that if Ford were asked, they would say that quite of bit of engineering money went into the refresh, particularly the drivetrain for the 2.7. I have a question in that regard: when the new Fusion was introduced in 2013(?), it it did not offer a V6 engine. I kind of thought that the chassis was designed in such a manner as to not accept a V6 (although perhaps it couldn't accept the V6 offerings available at the time). Did Ford have to do any significant reengineering of the chassis to accept the 2.7? If so, could that represent some of the cost of the refresh? Or would the development of the Continental have covered the cost to accept the V6 (including 3.0)? It seems that the cost to engineer the chassis to take the V6 is a big deal, because all the derivatives based on this chassis in the future will now have the V6 option on the table. Edited January 14, 2016 by Harley Lover 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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