Which is why Ford would be foolish to not offer at least some car form factors with this affordable EV platform. Not only would they sell ok, but because the platform is cheap to build, in theory, they would also turn a profit unlike other Ford sedans of the past.
Not lucid, but with rivian, Ford was gonna use some of their platforms for some sporty models. The Continental EV, which was apparently a large crossover and not a sedan, looked fantastic according to people who saw it. The fact that they canned that is insane.
Ford just hates the idea of doing neat things with Lincoln. The Lincoln three row was apparently also a great product, very futuristic and attractive looking apparently. But they killed it, yet they're keeping the fugly Ford three row. These decisions blow my mind.
I personally don’t have a problem with this strategy, as long as the base platform is sound. In respect to Toyota, whenever they had a new model, the changes were sufficient enough to look like a model. Most people could care less about the frame of the vehicle. If Ford could have stuck with one platform for all their sedans maybe they could’ve realize more cost savings over time and there would still be a Ford sedan. As you say, C2 is more than sufficient to last a long time and underpin multiple models.
I have a Continental with the 2.7T and have had almost no issues so far (currently at 50K miles) other than having all four electric door handles replaced under warranty (some handles started working intermittently, LED lights were burning out--apparently there was a recall for them). I would be more worried about electronics (door handles, rear sunshade, panoramic glass roof motor, rear taillight bar, etc.) than I would the engine. I'm on a Continental FB group and it's generally recommended to get an extended warranty through Ford because when some of the electronic things fail, it can get very expensive.
You can contact guides from this Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/tourguidesandtourmanagers/ I have seen plenty of tour guides on that group.
I was disappointed they didn't keep an investment in Rivian and that the Lincoln that they were developing together never saw the light of day.
Lucid will never happen. Sedans are to Ford what crosses are to vampires. Besides you'd have the Saudi royal family to deal with.
I’d really like to see ford bring back the functionality of sync that my fusion had back in the days. Being able to control the AC and the radio from the steering wheel without having to take your eyes off the road at all was great. I’d be ok with no physical buttons if I had that ability.
Volume is on the steering wheel and with auto climate you really don’t have to adjust it very much. Given a choice I would take physical buttons but even with those you still have to glance at it. It’s really not a big issue if you don’t have to go through menus.