I think we could have guessed that.....   Nailed it   Listening to the bean counters and making sometimes ill informed financial decisions.   This is why the CEO has to mandate quality being most important so you don't make these tradeoffs.  

Australia is example of how some ROW markets have adapted to a market where Ford Europes products are either unavailable or uncompetitive.   The majority of sales are dominated by highly profitable Ranger and Everest, a handful of mustangs, Transits and Transit Customs.   Australia has had ultra low Sulfur diesel for many years but has just introduced ultra low Sulfur gasoline meaning that the latest euro 6d and similar gasoline vehicles can now be sold in Australia…….   No news from Ford regarding new models for Australia but Territory and Equator would be perfect fits for Australia 

I drive a 2012 Focus with a 5-speed manual transmission. And it's been the most reliable car I've ever owned.    For the life of me, I cannot understand why they stuck with this transaxle for so long. 5 years in they were much better. Dual clutch alternatives made by get drag at the time, or even a traditional 6-speed automatic, that eventually launched with the EcoBoost 1.0 in the fiesta and focus. The power shift Power shift issue I think is a great example of what Ford gets wrong, I think a bean counter calculated that the cost of canceling or restructuring the manufacturing contract with Getrag, was less costly than the damage to brand perception, and warranty claims. Which looking back at it was 100% wrong. Often in corporate structures like Ford the risk of decision making isn't shared, but dumped onto different silos.    For example, warranty costs are handled through a different division, handles the manufacturing costs so the decisions made in manufacturing directly impact warranty costs, but the decision makers do not bear the risks of their decisions, but share the benefits and bonuses of decreases or increases manufacturing costs.   Where was Ford's leadership, in this decision-making process? Since then, whenever Ford takes a massive write-off on a particular investment or product, can't help but think that this is a way for management to offload a bunch of bad decisions. Instead of taking responsibility for them.  

Air Suspension, I know my MKZ has electronic adjustable suspension, optional Revel Ultima stereo system, and you have the option of going to Black Label interior.  Maybe some insulation here and there, but there isn't much really.  I'm expecting auto enter/exit doors in the next generation of Lincolns, I keep looking at Lincoln China to see how it differs but I expect anything that is leading the market, to come from there.  

That would make it an Omni. Might buy one out of nostalgia; our first new car was an '82 (also 1st car w/AC [dlr inst.]). 

2017 Ford Edge Sport 21" Rims with worn but serviceable tires and Factory TPMS. 2 of the rims have some minor curb rash. Need out of my garage. $300 Takes the set. Comes with factory lug nuts  Email me at slivkamichael648@gmail.com  If interested 

No snow here but plenty cold. Lots of spinouts from black ice. We had -22ºF/-30ºC with -45ºF/-42.8C windchill Saturday morning. Temps ar staring to moderate, expecing highs in the low 20s by next week. 87 E10 shot up 20¢/gal Sunday morning to $2.89.9 BTW.  

I don't recall ever seeing one on the road. I might have confused them with a Mitsubishi Mirage:

Hamden, CT (New Haven) got 14.5" of snow with the storm moving out hours ahead of the forecast.

I remember seeing a final year production Focus at my Ford dealer and remember looking at the MSRP sticker and it showed a 6 speed automatic transaxle....I thought, "well, that is too little / too late to save it"