akirby Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 4 hours ago, Harley Lover said: That attitude/approach is exactly what has killed so many Ford products. I’ll say it again - there is a big difference in what Fields did (cutting back on development and hoarding cash for an event that never happened) and what Hackett appears to be doing (diverting resources to more important products). Yes, sales will be impacted and it’s not a great situation but I think we have to wait and see what we get in the end before we can say whether it was a good business decision or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 2 minutes ago, akirby said: I’ll say it again - there is a big difference in what Fields did (cutting back on development and hoarding cash for an event that never happened) and what Hackett appears to be doing (diverting resources to more important products). Yes, sales will be impacted and it’s not a great situation but I think we have to wait and see what we get in the end before we can say whether it was a good business decision or not. That was my point-the Edge refresh boils down to unfortunate timing-it was at the end of Fields reins, but yet one of the newer products to be released with Hackett in charge. Given that we will see 5 new products between now and 2022 (Bronco, Maverick, Model E, Small pickup and its CUV platform mate), outside of a new F-150 plus BEV and other refreshes, its understandable why its slipping to the right for 18 months or so. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadicalX Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 15 hours ago, Harley Lover said: That attitude/approach is exactly what has killed so many Ford products. YES Ford doesn't seem to care about market indicators. It seems that everything is extendable, or that everything can have palliative solution Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonj80 Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 3 minutes ago, RadicalX said: Ford doesn't seem to care about market indicators. It seems that everything is extendable, or that everything can have palliative solution Well some of that comes down to who was more politically connected with the board. Not a favorite person, your product launch could get pushed and dollars diverted not based on market conditions but based on that you don't get along or someone. Hackett seems to be fixing that to a degree with some of the reorganization, trying to stop that mentality from setting in to new employees and taking areas where it was and just reassigning duty's to force people to work together or the team as a whole looks bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadicalX Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 It seems that Ford lacks definitive and immediate solutions. Let's remind the European Escort MK5. In order to reduce costs, even if threatening to undermine a consecrated model, to increase profits (motive that killed several other Ford cars) resolved to make a project of escort that became a fiasco and ruined the reputation of the escort. Instead of canceling the production and reworking a new generation, they have requed the car for another 9 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harley Lover Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 14 hours ago, akirby said: I’ll say it again - there is a big difference in what Fields did (cutting back on development and hoarding cash for an event that never happened) and what Hackett appears to be doing (diverting resources to more important products). If the Edge doesn't hit the bullseye of what Hackett claims is a priority product for his version of Ford, then what does? And I'll say it again - That attitude/approach is exactly what has killed so many Ford products. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 2 minutes ago, Harley Lover said: If the Edge doesn't hit the bullseye of what Hackett claims is a priority product for his version of Ford, then what does? And I'll say it again - That attitude/approach is exactly what has killed so many Ford products. THIS Edge is on an old platform. The NEW Edge should hit the bullseye (new shared platform, electrification). Sometimes you have to choose between giving Edge a new interior for 2019 (which would be effectively thrown away in a few years) and funding new stuff like hybrid trucks and SUVs and BEVs. IF they let the new vehicles (Ranger, Explorer, Aviator, Bronco, Maverick, Escape, Corsair, new Edge/Nautilus, etc. etc.) languish without significant updates for 5-6 years or more then I will agree with you 100%. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 17 minutes ago, akirby said: THIS Edge is on an old platform. The NEW Edge should hit the bullseye (new shared platform, electrification). Sometimes you have to choose between giving Edge a new interior for 2019 (which would be effectively thrown away in a few years) and funding new stuff like hybrid trucks and SUVs and BEVs. IF they let the new vehicles (Ranger, Explorer, Aviator, Bronco, Maverick, Escape, Corsair, new Edge/Nautilus, etc. etc.) languish without significant updates for 5-6 years or more then I will agree with you 100%. This is a fair point. It's still inexcusable that they didn't at least include the new instrument cluster in it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 2 minutes ago, fuzzymoomoo said: This is a fair point. It's still inexcusable that they didn't at least include the new instrument cluster in it though. It’s not inexcusable, just disappointing. And where this will really hurt them is returning leasees. If I had leased a 2016 Edge for 3 years I probably wouldn’t go lease a 2019 because it’s basically the same vehicle. Same for MKX/Nautilus but at least Nautilus gets a new grille. If the new stuff is as great as expected then it’s probably a good business decision. If not then it’s a big miss. Won’t know for 2-3 more years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 1 minute ago, akirby said: It’s not inexcusable, just disappointing. And where this will really hurt them is returning leasees. If I had leased a 2016 Edge for 3 years I probably wouldn’t go lease a 2019 because it’s basically the same vehicle. Same for MKX/Nautilus but at least Nautilus gets a new grille. If the new stuff is as great as expected then it’s probably a good business decision. If not then it’s a big miss. Won’t know for 2-3 more years. Edge got the same amount of changes design wise as Nautilus - a new front end, new taillight graphics, etc. Edge went to the rotary shifter, while Nautilus' interior change was going with the full digital cluster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 22 minutes ago, akirby said: It’s not inexcusable, just disappointing. And where this will really hurt them is returning leasees. If I had leased a 2016 Edge for 3 years I probably wouldn’t go lease a 2019 because it’s basically the same vehicle. Same for MKX/Nautilus but at least Nautilus gets a new grille. If the new stuff is as great as expected then it’s probably a good business decision. If not then it’s a big miss. Won’t know for 2-3 more years. That's why I find it inexcusable. They changed nothing but that in the Mustang interior, why couldn't they do that with the Edge too? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 57 minutes ago, fuzzymoomoo said: That's why I find it inexcusable. They changed nothing but that in the Mustang interior, why couldn't they do that with the Edge too? Sometimes a change like that snowballs - to change the cluster you have to change this module. To change that module you have to change the steering wheel. And so on. And what seemed like a 30 day $10K effort turns into a 6 month $200K effort. Or they just decided it wasn't worth the effort. Who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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