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So Cars Don't Sell?


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are you guys in the " when gas prices go up " forgetting the influx of hybrid drivetrains basically across the board...the MPG numbers will be either similar or superior to today's hybrid offerings....kinda makes sedans redundant...HOWEVER...the public is fickle, and the fact Ford will continue building the Z and has the new E platform coming out, dont be surprised, if given demand...a sedan top hat suddenly makes an entrance on the E platform....this time around its not CUVs getting built on car chassis...almost Sedans being able to be built on a CUV chassis...

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a sedan top hat suddenly makes an entrance on the E platform....this time around its not CUVs getting built on car chassis...almost Sedans being able to be built on a CUV chassis...

 

Not sure if you've looked at an Escape, but the front subframe is more or less identical as the Focus-its not that hard to get a higher belt line look if you do it properly.

 

Just look at the C-Max and Escape-They very similar another-outside of some changes in ride height and headlights/tail lights.

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Hackett has set Ford on a course of leveraging Utilties even further combined with Ranger and EVs.

The question to ask is whether in his quest for higher ROI and cutting costs, he's missing what Deanh just said.

 

I can understand the move away from cars but it's all the other changes we haven't been told that worries me,

the whole demeanor regarding Lincoln and global dvisions worries me, how far is this guy prepared to cut

to get his percentages up.

Edited by jpd80
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We also have hybrids and Electrics arriving in the same time frame as these cars exit. Ford has this pretty well mapped out.

just not EXPLAINED OrElse.gif

 

are you guys in the " when gas prices go up " forgetting the influx of hybrid drivetrains basically across the board...the MPG numbers will be either similar or superior to today's hybrid offerings....kinda makes sedans redundant...HOWEVER...the public is fickle, and the fact Ford will continue building the ZREPLACEMENT and has the new E platform coming out, dont be surprised, if given demand...a sedan top hat suddenly makes an entrance on the E platform....this time around its not CUVs getting built on car chassis...almost Sedans being able to be built on a CUV chassis...

biggrin.gif^

imho

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just not EXPLAINED OrElse.gif

 

biggrin.gif^

imho

 

I think people are just failing to connect the dots which Ford has put out there constantly and repeatedly.

 

The automotive press reporting is remarkably bad, I'm just constantly flabbergasted by what a dumpster fire it is. I can't believe people are paid to talk about an industry nobody seems to follow as closely as a professional should.

Edited by Assimilator
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I think people are just failing to connect the dots which Ford has put out there constantly and repeatedly.

 

The automotive press reporting is remarkably bad, I'm just constantly flabbergasted by what a dumpster fire it is. I can't believe people are paid to talk about an industry nobody seems to follow as closely as a professional should.

I agree but honestly Ford didn’t have to say a damn thing about Fusion right now. They could have just waited. And they could have reiterated the addition of hybrid utilities across the board. But they didn’t. It’s frustrating but I blame them as much as the journalists.

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This whole dog and pony show has been an effort by Ford to impress analysts and boost the stock price (nothing necessarily wrong with that if they wouldn’t have shot themselves in the feet). The thing that worries me is the bragging about cutting costs at a time when so many new models are being introduced.

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This whole dog and pony show has been an effort by Ford to impress analysts and boost the stock price (nothing necessarily wrong with that if they wouldnt have shot themselves in the feet). The thing that worries me is the bragging about cutting costs at a time when so many new models are being introduced.

Dont forget not mentioning quality once....
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Ford has repeatedly disclosed their electrification and product plans, the Ford Uncovered event just happened in which we got a ton of product news...but all of that seems to have been forgotten now that Ford has scrapped its car investments. Those are the dots I'm talking about and sure Ford and Hackett are to blame for failing to understand how news is reported. Ford should have combined these events. "We are killing cars...BUT here's why and look at all these new products we'll be revealing soon to offset them". This seems simple.

 

But I suspect they didn't want to muddy their messaging with the negative (Car Cancellations) next to their positives (New Utilities). I've never seen a Car company plot its messaging more carefully than Ford. They use to be much better at it before Fields however. Compared to other companies however, Ford is much more strategic. We know far more about what's going on at Ford than anybody else but it's amazing how poorly that messaging is sticking.

Edited by Assimilator
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-- the Ford Uncovered event just happened in which we got a ton of product news...but all of that seems to have been forgotten now that Ford has scrapped its car investments. Those are the dots I'm talking about and sure Ford and Hackett are to blame for failing to understand how news is reported. Ford should have combined these events. "We are killing cars...BUT here's why and look at all these new products we'll be revealing soon to offset them". This seems simple.

 

 

-- I've never seen a Car company plot its messaging more carefully than Ford. They use to be much better at it before Fields however. Compared to other companies however, Ford is much more strategic. We know far more about what's going on at Ford than anybody else but it's amazing how poorly that messaging is sticking.

 

-- UNcovered was forgotten becuz it wasn't "phrased" well enough, imho, like all their other post-Hatchett aNNouncements

 

-- if this is Fomoco messaging carefully - they [& we] just ran out of luck

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Toyota is already on record as expecting more of its Camry customers to move to RAV4

and is preparing to manage that transition in the next few years.

 

Toyota is not immune to change, just the last to feel the effects.

 

The all-new Corolla will be manufactured not only at the factory in Mississippi, but also at a new assembly plant Toyota is building in association with Mazda in Alabama. It’s set to be operational beginning 2021 following a $1.6-billion investment and will have an annual capacity of 300,000 cars.

Source http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyotas+mississippi+plant+investments+in+full+bloom.htm

 

Toyota recent $1.33-billion investment in their Kentucky plant building the new Camry and Avalon - http://toyotanews.pressroom.toyota.com/releases/future+toyota+manufacturing+all+new+2019+avalon+kentucky+production+showrooms.htm

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This whole dog and pony show has been an effort by Ford to impress analysts and boost the stock price (nothing necessarily wrong with that if they wouldn’t have shot themselves in the feet). The thing that worries me is the bragging about cutting costs at a time when so many new models are being introduced.

This makes me think of things like screwing up the ambient lighting in the F-150 and door lock issues. What sneaky things will they do and hope nobody notices to save a few dollars?

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The all-new Corolla will be manufactured not only at the factory in Mississippi, but also at a new assembly plant Toyota is building in association with Mazda in Alabama. Its set to be operational beginning 2021 following a $1.6-billion investment and will have an annual capacity of 300,000 cars.

Source http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyotas+mississippi+plant+investments+in+full+bloom.htm

 

Toyota recent $1.33-billion investment in their Kentucky plant building the new Camry and Avalon - http://toyotanews.pressroom.toyota.com/releases/future+toyota+manufacturing+all+new+2019+avalon+kentucky+production+showrooms.htm

Wait, theyre building the Corolla in 2 different plants at a time when sedan sales are falling globally, not just in North America? :facepalm:
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This makes me think of things like screwing up the ambient lighting in the F-150 and door lock issues. What sneaky things will they do and hope nobody notices to save a few dollars?

probably something ridiculous like floor mats slightly thinner and drop in bed liners for trucks made from cheaper plastics.
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Maybe ten years back, we were visiting friends who live in Northport, New York (on Long Island). It was winter, and they just had several inches of snow. A neighbor of my friends was stuck in her driveway. She was driving some sort of Nissan SUV. I went over to help push her out and noticed that her Nissan was in 2WD. I told her to put it in 4WD. She didn't know how. She had the vehicle for several year and had never put it in 4WD. I pulled back on the lever (stiff from non-use) and put it in 4WD. She drove right out of the snowdrift. So yes, people buy things all the time they never use.

The more appropriate takeaway from this story is that people buy on looks and image (SUV) where they will never use it for what it was intended. It also reinforces that most drivers are dumb as shit.

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The more appropriate takeaway from this story is that people buy on looks and image (SUV) where they will never use it for what it was intended. It also reinforces that most drivers are dumb as shit.

Everyone buys for looks - do you ever buy a vehicle that you think is ugly?

 

As for intended use - my daughter just moved into a new apartment. We loaded up her Escape and our MKX to the gills with stuff that would never fit in a car. How is that not an “intended use”?

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Maybe just wishful thinking -

 

With the elimination of Focus, Fusion, Taurus and retention of the Mustang, isn't there a much greater chance of Ford exploiting the Mustang platform? Maybe offering a Ford sedan to the line up as well as one or two Lincolns (stretched wb) all based on the Mustang platform?

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