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Fields: Ford to Launch New Vehicles in '07


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In an interview with the Associated Press Monday from his office in the company's product design center, Fields said more new vehicles are on the way starting next year.

 

CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE

 

I wonde what could make it in 2007???

 

I would have assumed that anything but redesigns would have surfaced online by now ...

 

now I am intrigued.... finally they let Ford respond to al the accusations, and they actually talked to the guy in charge..

 

Igor

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Bullshit. We would have heard something by now. Maybe not by Fields and Co., but by someone building the prototypes, or the people setting the line up.

I agree, this is bull-shit unless he is refering to the refreshening of the escape, 500, freestyle, montego, and mariner, that is all i can think off and thn the lincoln mks wwhich looks dull. That is about it........ :shrug:

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I agree, this is bull-shit unless he is refering to the refreshening of the escape, 500, freestyle, montego, and mariner, that is all i can think off and thn the lincoln mks wwhich looks dull. That is about it........ :shrug:

 

yeah .. maybe the MKS is ready early - the design might have changed so it does not need to be dull.. ...

but really the Fairlane and MKs are the only vehicles that could have made it. AFAIK

 

Igor

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Well if the vehicles will be displayed in 2007, it means they are probably 2009 models with 2008 introductions.

 

So go ahead and make a list of the vehicles, which he might be referring to. I would guess the B-class vehicles might be what his emphansize is, as well as the MKS and Fairlane.

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Well if the vehicles will be displayed in 2007, it means they are probably 2009 models with 2008 introductions.

 

So go ahead and make a list of the vehicles, which he might be referring to. I would guess the B-class vehicles might be what his emphansize is, as well as the MKS and Fairlane.

 

 

Have to figure that September 2007 is considered a 2008MY car!

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The 2007 NAIAS should be interesting. I think there will more Mercury products (maybe a Freestyle or even a Sport Trac version) than previously thought, since the decided not to kill Mercury. I also think we'll see what the Ranger (all new based on the 06 Explorer?) and Panther (based on global RWD architecture?) replacement will be next year. Plus, we'll probably find out which vehicles will the the Hurricane (or whatever they call it) engine. Just my personal baseless thoughts...

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I agree, this is bull-shit unless he is refering to the refreshening of the escape, 500, freestyle, montego, and mariner, that is all i can think off and thn the lincoln mks wwhich looks dull. That is about it........ :shrug:

 

This statement from the top yoyo's was only to counter yesterday's very long article in the New York Times. We all know there is no "NEW PRODUCT" just face lifts, which isn't going to bring people in. We would have seen spy shot by now and there would be a huge buzz around Ford HQ as all the auto mags wait to see the so called "NEW PRODUCT". Bottom line is HQ needs to be cleaned out of the good old boy club!!

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We all know there is no "NEW PRODUCT" just face lifts, which isn't going to bring people in.

 

So your saying that adding the 3.5L to the D3 wont bring in customers? Or a fully redesigned Escape won't bring in people with older Escapes to trade in? Or that the MkS will bring in 40-50K new customers to Lincoln?? Or that the Edge/MkX will stop the Explorer bleeding and add to Lincoln's market share since the Avator never sold more then 20-30K units a year?

 

If anything, reskinned products will keep market share and sales level and add to, rather then lose more market share by not updating them.

 

Everything can't be a home run, Ford needs to constantly update its products and grow them, instead of abandoing them like they have in the past.

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I also think we'll see what the Ranger (all new based on the 06 Explorer?)

 

What I heard is that the current NA Ranger will soldier on until at least 2010 when a new global Ranger will arrive (by global I mean Thailand, SA and NA)

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Try though I might, I can't see why "new vehicles" are so important to the analysts...the segment leaders in most cases aren't the brand-new entries. Sure, an all-new offering makes for a few months of fun commercials and reviews-but most of the same comes from a major freshening.

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So your saying that adding the 3.5L to the D3 wont bring in customers? Or a fully redesigned Escape won't bring in people with older Escapes to trade in? Or that the MkS will bring in 40-50K new customers to Lincoln?? Or that the Edge/MkX will stop the Explorer bleeding and add to Lincoln's market share since the Avator never sold more then 20-30K units a year?

 

If anything, reskinned products will keep market share and sales level and add to, rather then lose more market share by not updating them.

 

Everything can't be a home run, Ford needs to constantly update its products and grow them, instead of abandoing them like they have in the past.

 

Bingo - a new Escape, if done right, will be worth it (I think the model is solid itself) and a pumped up D3 is sorely needed.

 

According to someone in another thread, the 3.5L V6 can be plopped into any space that currently houses the 3.0L Duratec, which suggests it can be a quick move.

 

Your statement about not abandoning vehicles is the most telling part, because you're right that they can't keep doing that. The Focus has almost been abandoned and the Ranger (and CV?) already have been.

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So your saying that adding the 3.5L to the D3 wont bring in customers? Or a fully redesigned Escape won't bring in people with older Escapes to trade in? Or that the MkS will bring in 40-50K new customers to Lincoln?? Or that the Edge/MkX will stop the Explorer bleeding and add to Lincoln's market share since the Avator never sold more then 20-30K units a year?

 

If anything, reskinned products will keep market share and sales level and add to, rather then lose more market share by not updating them.

 

Everything can't be a home run, Ford needs to constantly update its products and grow them, instead of abandoing them like they have in the past.

First off the escape is getting the explorer treat ment will look very much the same on the outside, I agree that the reskinned products will boost the actuall sale of that product slightly but not nearly enough to counter act from the loss from the outdated older models. I see 2007 as bad of a year as this year.

 

What I heard is that the current NA Ranger will soldier on until at least 2010 when a new global Ranger will arrive (by global I mean Thailand, SA and NA)

Whats a few more years on an already 20 year old model :doh:

 

Try though I might, I can't see why "new vehicles" are so important to the analysts...the segment leaders in most cases aren't the brand-new entries. Sure, an all-new offering makes for a few months of fun commercials and reviews-but most of the same comes from a major freshening.

THis is not the case for ford at all, ford nothing really that is competing on the sales side so obviously they would need new products to bring new life into their line-up, Ford does not have anything but negative reputation to ride on so they cannot take the same path as toyota. BTW Toyota has a rigirous 5 year product cycle and it is rarely that they keep a product on the lots longer, and look it where it got toyota, way ahead of ford.

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First off the escape is getting the explorer treat ment will look very much the same on the outside, I agree that the reskinned products will boost the actuall sale of that product slightly but not nearly enough to counter act from the loss from the outdated older models. I see 2007 as bad of a year as this year.

Whats a few more years on an already 20 year old model :doh:

THis is not the case for ford at all, ford nothing really that is competing on the sales side so obviously they would need new products to bring new life into their line-up, Ford does not have anything but negative reputation to ride on so they cannot take the same path as toyota. BTW Toyota has a rigirous 5 year product cycle and it is rarely that they keep a product on the lots longer, and look it where it got toyota, way ahead of ford.

 

Really.

 

30 years atop the full-size pickup and van markets...how's that bad again?

 

Ford's has a very good release-to-recall-ratio lately...while Toyota's recalls are soaring and the scandal about the concealed defects will do nothing but grow for some time.

 

The media ignored domestic quality progress even when brands like Mercury and Buick were fully competing with Toyota and Honda...now, the media will likely turn on one of its pet companies.

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Really.

 

30 years atop the full-size pickup and van markets...how's that bad again?

 

Ford's has a very good release-to-recall-ratio lately...while Toyota's recalls are soaring and the scandal about the concealed defects will do nothing but grow for some time.

 

The media ignored domestic quality progress even when brands like Mercury and Buick were fully competing with Toyota and Honda...now, the media will likely turn on one of its pet companies.

They have the best full size pick-up on the market, i won't argue with that at all. But they shouldn't have murdered the ranger the way they did because they felt if they made the ranger better it would eat away at some f-150 sales which i think is dumb. Ford rellies too heavilly on the F-150 as it now counts for 28% of their total sales, they would rather lose customes than offer a competitive smaller truck.

 

The only reason ford sells the most full-size vans is because they really don't have any competition, most customers don't have a choice even if they aren't happy with the product, the econoline gets absolutely terrible gas mileage and ford won't invest money to make the product better because they have no competition, If nissan enters the full-size van market like they suggested they will control it in one single swoop because Ford is treating their customers in that segment like trash with decades old technology and styling, worste gas milage than full-size SUV's. Nissan should enter it because small shops and family business's that relly on the vans are getting hurt by Ford Monto of put on the lot and let it die for decades.

 

I agree their recall rate is improving as it needs to since they had the most in the industr last year.

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They have the best full size pick-up on the market, i won't argue with that at all. But they shouldn't have murdered the ranger the way they did because they felt if they made the ranger better it would eat away at some f-150 sales which i think is dumb. Ford rellies too heavilly on the F-150 as it now counts for 28% of their total sales, they would rather lose customes than offer a competitive smaller truck.

 

The only reason ford sells the most full-size vans is because they really don't have any competition, most customers don't have a choice even if they aren't happy with the product, the econoline gets absolutely terrible gas mileage and ford won't invest money to make the product better because they have no competition, If nissan enters the full-size van market like they suggested they will control it in one single swoop because Ford is treating their customers in that segment like trash with decades old technology and styling, worste gas milage than full-size SUV's. Nissan should enter it because small shops and family business's that relly on the vans are getting hurt by Ford Monto of put on the lot and let it die for decades.

 

I agree their recall rate is improving as it needs to since they had the most in the industr last year.

 

I can barely make that out....

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First off the escape is getting the explorer treat ment will look very much the same on the outside, I agree that the reskinned products will boost the actuall sale of that product slightly but not nearly enough to counter act from the loss from the outdated older models. I see 2007 as bad of a year as this year.

 

 

Could have fooled me...the front end is completely different on the 08 model vs the 07. There are also changes in the greenhouse area, even though they look similar. Just take a look at the all new Camry and the 2005 model and the only big differences on it are the new front and rear end. The greenhouse looks excaclty same as the older model.

 

Can't pass judgement on how close or close it doesn't look compared on some uncovered mule photos, since all we know they might have been new front end clips on the older models...

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Could have fooled me...the front end is completely different on the 08 model vs the 07. There are also changes in the greenhouse area, even though they look similar. Just take a look at the all new Camry and the 2005 model and the only big differences on it are the new front and rear end. The greenhouse looks excaclty same as the older model.

 

Can't pass judgement on how close or close it doesn't look compared on some uncovered mule photos, since all we know they might have been new front end clips on the older models...

Well i hope it looks different, the only thing is the front end. You can't argue that they need to put more effort into their redesigns of the Suv's. The explorer and new expedition look too similar to the out going models.

 

The camry went a lot further with its redesign than ford went with the explorer and the expedition and the upcoming escape, yes the camry has the same greenhouse but it works with the design and doesn't look dated like the ford suv's. I just don't get why ford is investing so much money into the suv's without giving them a proper exterior treatment.

Edited by DCK
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I believe these are the "known" plans:

 

2007

Edge/MKX

Expedition/Navigator - "redo"

Super Duty - "redo"

MKZ

Fusion/Milan - AWD

 

2008

Focus - facelift

Fusion/Milan - 3.5L?

500/Montego/Freestyle - facelift/3.5L

MKS

Ranger - facelift

Econoline - facelift

Crown Vic/G. Marq - facelift

 

What's not there that hasn't been announced?

New Mercury crossover?

"New" Lincoln T.C. replacement or Grand Marquis stretch?

Small cars, announced in theory, but no real model plan or production timeline yet.

New Focus? Only four years too late.

Fairlane/Lincoln model, 2009? Earlier?

Panther revamp or Aussie-based/Mustang-based large RWD?

Speed-up a Ranger replacement?

Shifting from Explorer/Mountaineer to crossovers?

Mustang-based Lincoln Mark IX or Mercury Cougar?

 

I don't think Ford will do it, but I hope Ford will do low-cost "Americanization" of existing Ford of Europe compacts and Ford of Australia RWD performance cars and import low volumes into the American market. Instant new products, low cost developments, and big PR/media buzz.

 

Mercury Territory, Ford/Lincoln Fairlane, Mercury "Madrid" (Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet), Ford S-Max/Mercury Galaxy, Ford Falcon XR6/XR8, Ford Ka.

 

Good times.

 

Scott

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I just don't get why ford is investing so much money into the suv's without giving them a proper exterior treatment.

Probably because they're not trying to win new customers in a shrinking segment. They're trying to keep current customers happy. Why upgrade if you don't get better ride & handling.

 

Just say that Ford's working on personality instead of appearance. Most marriage counselors would recommend the same, and frankly most Explorer buyers are married to the brand.

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