
This is going to be interesting....
Say goodbye to the Ford minivans.The Detroit News is reporting that the Fairlane concept has been greenlighted and will debut in production form during next year's auto show circuit. With its minivan sales in steady decline since 2000, FoMoCo has apparently decided to face the problem head-on by attacking that market segment with the new vehicle.
The Fairlane (in concept form, at least) is an attractive take on the current crossover segment, offering minivan-like carrying capacity without the frumpy stigma those vehicles carry in tow. Its large, wagon-like profile evokes SUVs while its low step-in height is more carlike. Sliding doors are ditched in favor of full-sized, rear-hinged "suicide" doors that provide easy access to the passenger cabin when fully opened. Outside, crisp lines and Ford's three-bar corporate face set the tone stylewise.
The interior offers flexible seating that can be reconfigured to accomodate different types of cargo. Fairlane's dashboard and many of the other cabin materials are pure concept car stuff, but given that Ford has done nice work with the cabins of the Five Hundred, Freestyle, and Edge, there's no reason to believe that the interior of the production Fairlane won't be up to snuff.
Now, the paper also reports that there are several aspects of the car that are still up in the air, such as the name (note to Ford: "Fairlane" is just fine) and the final styling direction. Still, news of its approval is an important development. A well-executed Fairlane should easily surpass the numbers being put up by the current minivans, and could help alleviate the pain caused by slower-selling SUVs, especially if it takes an extended period of time for those numbers to start ticking back upward.
Most importantly, this decision demonstrates that the Way Forward plan is not just empty corporate rhetoric and that "Bold Moves" is more than a throwaway tagline. If these are the kinds of maneuvers --leaving stagnant market segments, approving compelling new products -- that can expect to see from Ford from now on, then there is reason to believe that good things are in store.
Say goodbye to the Ford minivans.The Detroit News is reporting that the Fairlane concept has been greenlighted and will debut in production form during next year's auto show circuit. With its minivan sales in steady decline since 2000, FoMoCo has apparently decided to face the problem head-on by attacking that market segment with the new vehicle.
The Fairlane (in concept form, at least) is an attractive take on the current crossover segment, offering minivan-like carrying capacity without the frumpy stigma those vehicles carry in tow. Its large, wagon-like profile evokes SUVs while its low step-in height is more carlike. Sliding doors are ditched in favor of full-sized, rear-hinged "suicide" doors that provide easy access to the passenger cabin when fully opened. Outside, crisp lines and Ford's three-bar corporate face set the tone stylewise.
The interior offers flexible seating that can be reconfigured to accomodate different types of cargo. Fairlane's dashboard and many of the other cabin materials are pure concept car stuff, but given that Ford has done nice work with the cabins of the Five Hundred, Freestyle, and Edge, there's no reason to believe that the interior of the production Fairlane won't be up to snuff.
Now, the paper also reports that there are several aspects of the car that are still up in the air, such as the name (note to Ford: "Fairlane" is just fine) and the final styling direction. Still, news of its approval is an important development. A well-executed Fairlane should easily surpass the numbers being put up by the current minivans, and could help alleviate the pain caused by slower-selling SUVs, especially if it takes an extended period of time for those numbers to start ticking back upward.
Most importantly, this decision demonstrates that the Way Forward plan is not just empty corporate rhetoric and that "Bold Moves" is more than a throwaway tagline. If these are the kinds of maneuvers --leaving stagnant market segments, approving compelling new products -- that can expect to see from Ford from now on, then there is reason to believe that good things are in store.
I guess you're not too excited about the all-new 7-passenger Mercury Comet Cyclone 4x4, either?moxiepwr777 said:I'm still sad that the Fairlane...isn't a Fairlane![]()
Ford is starting to run out of "F" names for their cars, so they had to into their heritage to find one......moxiepwr777 said:I'm still sad that the Fairlane...isn't a Fairlane![]()
Have you been following the popularity treads? Gigantic SUVs with squared off corners are all the rage lately... and Chrysler's big hit 300C is a square design as well.hkysk8r07 said:RED LIGHT
what is this 1985?? that thing's a box.
You and me both sister.moxiepwr777 said:I'm still sad that the Fairlane...isn't a Fairlane![]()
thats not a gigantic SUV though it's a crossover. look at the mazda 5/CX7, chrysler whatever it's called, infinity Q45,nissan murano, VW toureg, audi Q7, mercedes R-class, do i have to keep going. yeah i know land/range rovers are boxy as well as escalades, suburbans and durangos. but the escalade and range/land rovers are actually good looking cars. this car has no contrast. it's an ugly color with even uglier bodylines.OmniFocus said:Have you been following the popularity treads? Gigantic SUVs with squared off corners are all the rage lately... and Chrysler's big hit 300C is a square design as well.
Sharp edges are in these days, which is ironic, because no matter how you try to cheat physics, at 80MPH, they have a C/D of a barn door... and fuel consumption to match.
'86, but I get your point.OmniFocus said:Hang on, you turned that all around. Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending it... but I think you're way off base with the "1985" idea and the boxyness. I'm saying boxy and squared edges are back in style, regardless of what the Fairlane's competitors look like. NOTHING in 1985 looked like that!
In 1985, Ford was making this swoopy futuristic car:![]()
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Thameth said:Your right Jinstall, but the only problem with the S-Max is that its still waaaay too small for the American MiniVan Market. They need something to compete with the Odyseey(Sp?) and the Quest which are both almost twice the size of the S-Max...