bzcat Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 (edited) The "Active" subbrand as you may recall was supposed to be for hatchback and wagon with extra plastic cladding to pretend they are SUVs. First came Fiesta Active and then Focus Active. And then earlier this year, Ford surprised everyone by launching Transit Active... the van with extra plastic cladding to look like... I supposed SUVs. Now Ford appears to be launching an EcoSport Active... a SUV with extra plastic cladding to look like a... SUV? Yea, I'm not sure where to go with this one either. But it actually doesn't look that bad. The cladding helps with mask some of the odd proportion of EcoSport and make it look more normal. Also if you read between the lines... I think this means no new EcoSport is coming soon. Ford is going to Panther Ranger Fusion Edge the EcoSport too. You can hear the chant already at the Ford dealer meeting... 4 more years! 4 more years! https://www.motor1.com/news/450998/2021-ford-ecosport-active/ Edited October 29, 2020 by bzcat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 1 hour ago, bzcat said: The "Active" subbrand as you may recall was supposed to be for hatchback and wagon with extra plastic cladding to pretend they are SUVs. First came Fiesta Active and then Focus Active. And then earlier this year, Ford surprised everyone by launching Transit Active... the van with extra plastic cladding to look like... I supposed SUVs. Now Ford appears to be launching an EcoSport Active... a SUV with extra plastic cladding to look like a... SUV? Yea, I'm not sure where to go with this one either. But it actually doesn't look that bad. The cladding helps with mask some of the odd proportion of EcoSport and make it look more normal. Also if you read between the lines... I think this means no new EcoSport is coming soon. Ford is going to Panther Ranger Fusion Edge the EcoSport too. You can hear the chant already at the Ford dealer meeting... 4 more years! 4 more years! https://www.motor1.com/news/450998/2021-ford-ecosport-active/ The subcompact Bronco Sport makes the Ecosport redundant. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snooter Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 "Extra plastic cladding" ...idiots are at least honest with there garbage marketing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-dubz Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 Those fenders look worse than the Mazda Cx30. It looks ridiculous to put that much plastic on a vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 2 hours ago, FordBuyer said: The subcompact Bronco Sport makes the Ecosport redundant. No it doesn't, Ford needs an entry level product...the BS will cost quite a bit more. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ice-capades Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 (edited) 9 hours ago, FordBuyer said: The subcompact Bronco Sport makes the Ecosport redundant. Hardly. The Bronco Sport is larger and will be priced a lot higher than the EcoSport that now fills the entry level point now that Fiesta and Focus are gone. Edited October 30, 2020 by ice-capades 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 (edited) 8 hours ago, FordBuyer said: The subcompact Bronco Sport makes the Ecosport redundant. Bronco Sport is not a subcompact, it has slightly more interior room than a Gen 1 Escape. Edited October 30, 2020 by jpd80 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
passis Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 To be fair, I think the Ford Bronco Sport (FBS) lies in a gray area. Although more roomy than Escape Mk1 (partially due to the fact that vehicles are growing in size generation after generation), it is also smaller than the Jeep Compass (which may be seen as an entry car for that brand). As for redundancy, the Bronco logo on the hood (together with all electronic and mechanical features to justify the name) will make FBS more expansive than an entry level crossover. Regarding the Ecosport Active, we've been having a cladded "Storm" version of it as top trim level. In its defence it comes with more powerful engine and apparently more off road capability than the "Active" version. However, having been around since 2012 in its current form, the Ecosport is way overdue for a new generation in international markets. And not many mules spotted so far... EcoSport Storm NG EcoSport mule with Ka tophat 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-dubz Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 (edited) 4 hours ago, jpd80 said: Bronco Sport is not a subcompact, it has slightly more interior room than a Gen 1 Escape. Ford calls it a subcompact on their website. It is the length of other subcompacts on the market as well, however with its raised roofline, it has more cargo capacity than others in the segment. Someone in another thread had posted some metrics used to determine the segment and the sport fell into the compact range. I’d say it’s a “tweener” vehicle. Small compact or large subcompact. for comparison, its roughly the same size as the new trailblazer but with a taller roof. Edited October 30, 2020 by T-dubz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 (edited) Edit, Being definitely smaller than Escape helps with the suggestion that it's next class down, I'm not going to fight too hard on this because I understand the thinking behind this and offering a short C against subcompacts was part of the plan. Edited October 30, 2020 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-dubz Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 It probably helps, now they can say “best in class” in basically every category if they are going up against subcompacts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92merc Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 Yeah, Ford definitely needs something slotted below Escape/BS to replace the price point the Focus/Fiesta was at. The EcoSport just isn't cometitive IMHO. They need the Puma or similar as a replacement in the next 2 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 (edited) I don’t think Ford needs to concern itself with try to fill that $20k slot, it’s one of the areas that make virtually no money and actually drags down the return figure Ford is trying to achieve. Edited October 30, 2020 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 2 hours ago, jpd80 said: I don’t think Ford needs to concern itself with try to fill that $20k slot, it’s one of the areas that make virtually no money and actually drags down the return figure Ford is trying to achieve. its like selling a sub 10K car 10-20 years ago or a $4K car in the 1980s (Yugo)...your just selling units and making no $$$ on them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 (edited) 10 hours ago, silvrsvt said: its like selling a sub 10K car 10-20 years ago or a $4K car in the 1980s (Yugo)...your just selling units and making no $$$ on them Exactly, It's a bone of contention because while dealers make little or no money on selling them they gladly welcome the almost guaranteed servicing and parts sales. Ford's increase in percentage return on fewer vehicles sold directly conflicts with dealers getting less future servicing. Edited October 31, 2020 by jpd80 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotRunrGuy Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 8 hours ago, jpd80 said: Exactly, It's a bone of contention because while dealers make little or no money on selling them they gladly welcome the almost guaranteed servicing and parts sales. Ford's increase in percentage return on fewer vehicles sold directly conflicts with dealers getting less future servicing. Yet there are those on here who are only concerned with driving-up the ATP, which will result in fewer sales, less servicing & parts, fewer employees and plants needed. HRG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 45 minutes ago, HotRunrGuy said: Yet there are those on here who are only concerned with driving-up the ATP, which will result in fewer sales, less servicing & parts, fewer employees and plants needed. It’s not that WE are concerned with higher ATPs. We’ve just tried to explain why Ford wants to do that and why it can be a good business decision IF you have products that can support it. Not all mfrs have products that can support it so another strategy may be better for them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleuve Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 As much as I wanted to like th Eco sport, it needs to go away or use the plant to build a very tiny bronco. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 59 minutes ago, Fleuve said: As much as I wanted to like th Eco sport, it needs to go away or use the plant to build a very tiny bronco. Well, let's start with the name Ecosport....go away. Puma is more like it. IMO, Ford needs an entry level vehicle. Young buyers need to start somewhere. There is always used, but Ford has always had an entry level vehicle. Maybe Maverick is it. We will see. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 (edited) 4 hours ago, akirby said: It’s not that WE are concerned with higher ATPs. We’ve just tried to explain why Ford wants to do that and why it can be a good business decision IF you have products that can support it. Not all mfrs have products that can support it so another strategy may be better for them. Exactly, commenting on what Ford's objectives are does not make us responsible for those decisions. Also we appreciate that cars went away before new utilities arrive, so the sales takeca hit ahead of next year. Edited October 31, 2020 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 If indeed the Bronco Sport is going up against subcompact utilities, the price is also up there so Ford is asking buyers to see the value in a fun vehicle. I wonder if that opens the door for something like Puma in place of Ecosport as a subcompact soft roader? A hunch that Maverick pickup and Puma could fill that low $20k entry point without too much bother. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
passis Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 From what I hear the NG Ecosport seems more suitable, in terms of price and size, for the US market than the Puma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleuve Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 On 10/31/2020 at 5:48 PM, FordBuyer said: Well, let's start with the name Ecosport....go away. Puma is more like it. IMO, Ford needs an entry level vehicle. Young buyers need to start somewhere. There is always used, but Ford has always had an entry level vehicle. Maybe Maverick is it. We will see. The Maverick is definitely going to be an entry level vehicle but I'm sure they'll market it to workers on job sites not the new freshman heading off to virtual college. They still need to send something different over here from India than the ecosport. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzcat Posted November 2, 2020 Author Share Posted November 2, 2020 Bronco Sport is launching with AWD only which is why the starting MSRP is a bit higher than other small compact utilities which are all standard FWD (except for Subaru Crosstrek). I suspect Ford will eventually come out with FWD version that are priced in the same starting MSRP as Jeep Compass or Chevy Trailblazer. Or they will have another short compact utility based on the Maverick to fill that role. I don't really know but I agree with the notion that Ford needs to have a competent entry in the $20k area. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 1 hour ago, bzcat said: Or they will have another short compact utility based on the Maverick to fill that role. I don't really know but I agree with the notion that Ford needs to have a competent entry in the $20k area. Not 100% how that would work-the Maverick is going to be a LWB C platform and didn't the recent spy shots show a multilink rear suspension on it too? Otherwise wouldn't be just a low rent Bronco Sport? Maybe Ford is figuring they rather use the EcoSport because its just cheap for them and if someone wants something better, they'll just move up to an entry level Escape? Just looking at Ecosports and Escapes in my area...the difference in price for a 60 month payment is "only" $30-40 per month for lower end models, but the Escape has better rates then the EcoSport, which is kinda interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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