There are multiple reasons behind Ford’s decision to can its US saloons and hatches, but the reality is that the company has fallen behind rivals in responding to the significant extra demand for utility vehicles, especially those based on car platforms.
Ford readies all-new electric crossover but axes US cars
In many ways, it is to Ford’s credit: remember, Ford was the only one of the Big Three that didn’t go bust in the post-2007 recession and, to save the company, it cut back on new model programmes and focused on ‘One Ford’, a global efficiency strategy.
However, One Ford didn’t generate sufficient creative and management energy to expand Ford’s range of car-like SUVs, so now Ford is playing catch-up.
The irony of a company whose Explorer almost invented the utility segment in the US in the mid-1990s falling behind on SUVs will not be lost on Ford’s managers and engineers.
Hard decisions await in Europe, for example, where there are four seven-seat or 5+2 models on sales – C-Max Grand, Tourneo Grand, S-Max and Galaxy – but no 5+2 SUV.
Ford to ditch Fiesta and saloons from US line-up by 2020
Hyundai, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault and Skoda have large 5+2 SUVs, with a Seat coming and the Chinese with vehicles ready. Other manufacturers are crowding the B/C- segment crossover market. The PSA Group has at least nine nameplates on offer, Hyundai-Kia has another six, with more due shortly, and Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi has eight. Ford has four (including the Fiesta Active), although the incoming Focus Active and the CX430 will make some difference.
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F-150
I think they got lazy/caught out and relied to much on the F-150. Love to see merger between them and Tesla
TheDriver
Ford Bronco
This article is headed by a photo of a concept Ford Bronco that’s currently under development. From what I’ve read on various US motoring websites, Ford intends to reintroduce this model in the spirit of the original Bronco that was successful back in the 1970s and was a true off-road biased 4x4. Much closer, in fact, to a Jeep Wrangler than the multitude of road-biased SUV’s now on sale from seemingly every manufacturer. The Bronco is very far removed from the term crossover used in this article, and I for one hope Ford can reintroduce a truly characterful 4x4. It is obviously erroneous to state that it was the Ford Explorer that almost invented the utility segment in the US in the mid-1990s.
scrap
More pertinently, does the
More pertinently, does the world need more crossovers? Absolutely not. The auto industry is almost inviting more legislation by being largely irresponsible. The loss of traditional Ford sedans is a great shame. Presumably it means the end for the Mondeo?
k12479
Ford was the only one of the Big Three that didn’t go bust...
And why not? Because amongst other things it had some credible small cars from Europe that it could add in to its US range when oil hit $150/bbl. After hanging around the $60 mark for some time it's now been creeping up to $80...
Peter Cavellini
Small Cars aren’t big enough.......?!
We as a species are getting bigger, not because of evolution but some of us well...just eat too much!, ok, I know some are compulsive eaters who’d like to control but can’t, but we tend to eat in fast food joints and drink HUGE Cups of fizzy drinks, that’s why small Cars in America as Ford have stated will not be sold there.....
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Mondeo in Europe
Left to linger. Sales of some 320,000 in Europe in '97 now down to 56,000 (and still falling this year) in 20 years.
I kinda took my eye off it when they put a 1.0 litre engine in.
TBC
Style
Like all types of fashion, the crossover is the current trend, in the same way that they swapped from small saloons to hatchbacks, and then to MPVs. Will we all eventually be sitting in little electrically powered boxes reading or watching TV? The future is mundane, in case you hadn't noticed........
Mikey C
Yes, Ford seem to have been
Yes, Ford seem to have been caught out with too many MPV vehicles - having the Mondeo Estate, S-Max and Galaxy seems like overkill now
erly5
Ford often late to the party!
Not the first time Ford has been caught napping when it comes to forecasting market trends. I remember the development of a small MPV based on the first generation Focus. Then when Vauxhall released the 7-seater Zafira, Ford quickly tried to re-engineer their 5-seater to a 7-seater only to give up on the project in the end. Then just before the release of the second generation Focus came the C-Max, strangely offering only 5 seats - bizarre! It was with the advent of the 3rd generation Focus that Ford finally produced a 7-seater MPV, the awkwardly styled Grand C-Max. The clever, but again, awkwardly styled B-Max was another late to market product just as people were moving away from mini-MPVs. Fast forward to the present day and Ford has the MPV market well and truly covered with the B-Max, C-Max, Grand C-Max, S-Max and Galaxy. The only problem is the market for MPVs has all but collapsed, with Crossovers/SUVs picking up the demand. We have Ford's apparent inablity to forecast market trends to thank for the embarrassing EcoSport being foisted upon the American and European markets. And where's their 7-seat Crossover/SUV offering for the European market? Ford need to streamline their plethora of MPVs and get some desirable Crossovers/SUVs to market. Ford should also ditch the ill-fated Vignale project - it had failure written all over it from the outset, as did the 'One Ford' strategy. Only time will tell if their decision to stop selling saloons and hatches in the US is the right one.
jason_recliner
Yawn...
Hard to get excited about yet more wagons littering the roads.
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