European Fords May Add Spice to Company's North American Lineup
January 30, 2007
DEARBORN, Mich. ââ¬â Ford is considering a plan to bolster its North American lineup with a limited group of Europe-built models, according to new boss Alan Mulally. Among the models under investigation for sale in the U.S. market are the upcoming fourth-generation Mondeo, the European Car of the Year award-winning S-Max and the Transit Connect commercial vehicle.
The move by Ford to call on its European operations to add spice to its slow-selling domestic North American lineup closely mirrors that of General Motors. GM recently engaged its own European subsidiary Opel to provide its ailing Saturn division with at least three new models, including the Astra, Antara and Vectra.
Mulally won't get specific about the Blue Oval's plans, but he says there is a high probability of Europe-built Ford models selling alongside their U.S.-produced siblings in the future.
The recently installed Ford supremo talks highly of the Mondeo in particular: "When I went to see the James Bond movie and I saw that Mondeo, I wanted it," he told Automotive News when asked about its prospects of heading Stateside. Of the Transit Connect, Mulally is quoted as saying: "What a neat vehicle for commerce in the United States. We need a small utility, a really high-utilization vehicle."
Sources close to Mulally also confirm there are ongoing cost studies with the S-Max that could also see it form part of the Blue Oval's North American lineup. Despite the enthusiasm from above, however, no firm decisions have been taken. Still, Mulally makes no bones of the fact that Mondeo, S-Max and Transit Connect are "all under consideration," adding, "They just make sense."
What this means to you: You'll have more Fords to choose from in the near future if new CEO Alan Mulally gets his way.
The s-max to north america?
what about the 2.5T st
02_svt_guy,Jan 30 2007, 07:26 AM Wrote:The s-max to north america?
what about the 2.5T st
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Seconded. Ford hasn't had a hot hatch since the SVT Focus (technically 6 years now since its first intro.) and anything before that was lukewarm at best.
A 2.5 ST (even in a non-turbo form to counter the non-turbo Cobalt SS) would kick so much ass it's not even funny. They could calculate a fair price, tack on 3Gs and still sell out of them.
Quote:GM recently engaged its own European subsidiary Opel to provide its ailing Saturn division with at least three new models, including the Astra, Antara and Vectra.
Saturn called.....they want their business plan back. They should have been doing this years ago, but only now its a good idea because Saturn is doing it??? <_<
As someone that drives an E-series van for work right now, the ford transit connect would be a nice change. Not that the E-series are bad, they actually very nice for what they are, but those transit vans are pretty nice.
The s-max is a nice looking car, and the mondeo is nice to, i just wonder where they might fit into the model line-up. If the mondeo was brought over, would that mean the end of the fusion or 500?
I'd buy the Mondeo if it was offered here, and the S-Max does offer the 2.5 I5 Turbo. but what are the chances that it will be in the S-Max when it comes over here.
Hey remember in gym class when you had to do the 2 mile run every week?, and after the run you would sit down on the grass, take a drink of water, chat with your buddies and watch the slower people run in .......well Fords the bigger kid that always came in last.
All the other companies have been getting in shape for the run but, Fords still chillin in the back with a twinkie in its mouth over-hearing something from time to time.
I'd be happy with the Mondeo if Ford dose indeed bring them back, hopefully not under the Contour / Mistique names again, and offer them in the Wagon & Sedan-Hatch as well as in the ST or ST220 trim levels as Europeans get offered.
D-Dub,Jan 30 2007, 06: Wrote:Hey remember in gym class when you had to do the 2 mile run every week?, and after the run you would sit down on the grass, take a drink of water, chat with your buddies and watch the slower people run in .......well Fords the bigger kid that always came in last.
All the other companies have been getting in shape for the run but, Fords still chillin in the back with a twinkie in its mouth over-hearing something from time to time.
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That has alot to do with upper management in the past. Boring as hell.
We are crossing our fingers that someone upstairs is actually listening to the consumer and noticing how well Ford Europe is doing.
I kind of doubt we'd get the Mondeo here, even with the publicity it got in the new Bond movie since it would eat into the Fusion sales. I also doubt they will do anything with the Focus market since they just sunk all that money into reskinning the old Focus again. So really we could be getting a new van, which is cool, but not exciting.
Isn't the Mazda 5 a revamped version of the S-Max? I don't see to many of them on the roads around here as it is. They should deffenetly bring the Mondeo over. That is a Hot ride.
guilty,Jan 31 2007, 02:32 AM Wrote:I kind of doubt we'd get the Mondeo here, even with the publicity it got in the new Bond movie since it would eat into the Fusion sales. I also doubt they will do anything with the Focus market since they just sunk all that money into reskinning the old Focus again. So really we could be getting a new van, which is cool, but not exciting.
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if you've look or heard the fusion isn't doing that great, the Mondeo will do a good job in competing against the Imports, GM and Diamler Chrysler. The company is losing money right now, it makes sense to lose a little more to redevelop the NA marketplace to be competitive.
Focus man, Focus.,Jan 30 2007, 11:24 PM Wrote:Isn't the Mazda 5 a revamped version of the S-Max? [right][snapback]225146[/snapback][/right]
Actually the 5 is a tall Mazda3.
But what I missed, and probably wasn't said, is what about small cars? What about a Fiesta ST for me? :rolleyes:
Ryan
Actually it would also be good if Ford dose bring over the Transit, after all Chrysler did it with the Benz truck and it's still selling rather well, After all the Econoline Series is old, the last real re-design was almost 16 years ago when they releaced the current design in 1992.
As for the S-max, yeah it's a cool MPV, and if they bought it over with the Galaxy it would be some real compition for both the Sienna & the Oddassy.
I thought the Fusion was selling like mad? I know even Stockfish has a hard time keeping them on the lot. When we were seriously considering one, we gave them what we wanted (SE, 2.3L, auto, red/blue exterior) and came up with NOTHING in Ontario.
You can get into a Fusion SEL for damn near what you can get into a Focus ZX5 SES... at least, you could back at the end of November. They have some crazy sales incentives on those cars and I imagine that's why they're "not doing so well"... the cash isn't there, but the sales volume is.
reldridge,Jan 31 2007, 02:31 AM Wrote:Focus man, Focus.,Jan 30 2007, 11:24 PM Wrote:Isn't the Mazda 5 a revamped version of the S-Max?ÃÂ [right][snapback]225146[/snapback][/right]
Actually the 5 is a tall Mazda3.
But what I missed, and probably wasn't said, is what about small cars? What about a Fiesta ST for me? :rolleyes:
Ryan
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IIRC you're both right ... Mazda5 based on Mazda3, S-Max based on Focus Mk.II, Mazda3=Focus Mk.II ... therefore S-Max roughly equivalent to Mazda5.
Edit: might be easier for Ford to re-badge a Mazda5 then import S-Max.
I've ridden in Mondeos, both in England, and in Dubai...They are a fantastic car, with nimble handling, and awesome interior design. In fact, any time I needed to take a cab in Dubai, I would wave the asian cab drivers away, and hail the Mondeo and Peugot Drivers down instead.
Apparently, some of the French manufacturers might take another kick at the can in North America too...which would be nice, since some of them are awesome...
Drivesthebeast,Feb 1 2007, 09:46 AM Wrote:I've ridden in Mondeos, both in England, and in Dubai...They are a fantastic car, with nimble handling, and awesome interior design.ÃÂ In fact, any time I needed to take a cab in Dubai, I would wave the asian cab drivers away, and hail the Mondeo and Peugot Drivers down instead.ÃÂ
Apparently, some of the French manufacturers might take another kick at the can in North America too...which would be nice, since some of them are awesome...
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yeah if the French manufactures are either Renault & Citroen, becaue in Europe Everone complains about the poor build quality of Peugeot.... like that website where that guy wated to crush his 306 into a cube and send it back to Peugeot.