Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

Interesting. If they go ahead with this, I'm going to be curious to see how the sit with customers side by side.

Could this open the door for Ford to pull a GM, and market the sedan as Focus Classic, like the Malibu?

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

sounds cool to me

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

Mulally has decided to retool AT LEAST THREE US Truck plants to build cars
Luisville will be retoolrd to be an overflow plant for Fusion or Focus (or both) or Focus dericatives.

C1 Focus will be introduced in US very quickly and sold alongside the current US model. The key reason - Hatch, Wagon, and CC bodies not available from the US model. The cars will be sold alongside each other for a period of time before the US focus is discontinued.

Introduction of Focus derivatives: C-Max, and Kuga in short order.

This is the Holy Grail of [FJ]focaljetterdom!

Omfg. I'm STUNNED.
:lol:

I don't know what else to say...

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

Interesting.

Personally, I think the Fusion is a good car with reasonable life in it, so I feel it isn't necessarily in need of replacement just yet.

Makes me wonder what my next car will be.... Fiesta or Focus?

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

Noice!!!! Question is, how soon?

 

Noice!!!! Question is, how soon?

well Mulally's time line is "yesterday" - so as soon as they can - probably 6 months or so

the important piece is that the decisions has been made - there is no more thinking about ,studying, and considering - the decision has been made to retool three plants and build EU models here and sell them here. Their concern is not plant utilization - so these will not be for export (or at least not 100%) - their concern is to have more small vehicles on sale here in US to have more to offer for US consumers.

The small details such as selling C1 and C170 at the same time, etc, might change (or might be wrong - remember this is still just a report on insider info), but the big thing is set - Ford will move drastically and quickly to change its portfolio in the US.

Igor

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

Will Ford be hiring more workers for this -and- where? Just Louisville?

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

SEMA just got a little more interesting this year I think. :lol:

 

Will Ford be hiring more workers for this -and- where? Just Louisville?

no new plants - maybe some hirings - but mostly this will save current workers frol GM style lay offs - GM is shutting down 4 truck plants - Ford (instead) is changing them into car plants.

Igor

 

no new plants - maybe some hirings - but mostly this will save current workers frol GM style lay offs - GM is shutting down 4 truck plants - Ford (instead) is changing them into car plants.

Igor

Kudos to Ford for doing that and also the decision to bring these cars over now.

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

I will belive it when there is a C1 focus sitting in my driveway.

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

well Mulally's time line is "yesterday" - so as soon as they can - probably 6 months or so

the important piece is that the decisions has been made - there is no more thinking about ,studying, and considering - the decision has been made to retool three plants and build EU models here and sell them here. Their concern is not plant utilization - so these will not be for export (or at least not 100%) - their concern is to have more small vehicles on sale here in US to have more to offer for US consumers.

The small details such as selling C1 and C170 at the same time, etc, might change (or might be wrong - remember this is still just a report on insider info), but the big thing is set - Ford will move drastically and quickly to change its portfolio in the US.

Igor

That is why I dont think the C1 will sell allong side of the current US Focus...

Unless they rename the US model, like the way Chevie lol: ) called the old Malibu the "classic" when they introduced the blander Malibu and Malibu Maxx. So what should/ would Ford call the current US Focus... Escort anyone?

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

:lol:


Now where are the "bring us the damn euro cars" crowd?

Put up or shut up.



Seriously... I'm curious as to this move. I don't understand it. Not one bit.

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

That is why I dont think the C1 will sell allong side of the current US Focus...

Unless they rename the US model, like the way Chevie lol: ) called the old Malibu the "classic" when they introduced the blander Malibu and Malibu Maxx. So what should/ would Ford call the current US Focus... Escort anyone?

Them selling alongside is not that far fetched. Currently the Focus is good $2,000 cheaper than its competition, it is priced on the level of the Fit, and Yaris (all price comparison are feature adjusted).

The C1 Focus is about $2,000 more expensive and would be prices just right for the segment. The US Focus would take position of the B-car of the lineup until the Fiesta debuts.

IT makes very very simple and good sense. Ford needs more options - and having a smaller, lighter, cheaper Focus, and more expensive, more feature ladden Focus - it is all OK ..

also remember we only have a sedan and a coupe in the US ... the C1 might be offered as a Hatch, Wagon and CC - and you have much less overlap. The C1 models would serve as a segway - transition - models for the MKIII in 2011.

Igor

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

Yeh i dont believe this, in 2010 an all new Focus comes out!

maybe the current Focus continues on for 2 more extra years in coupe and sedan form.

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

My question is: If it was that easy to do all... then why wouldn't they have done it sooner?

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

I will trade the Jeep on a Kuga as soon as they get the 140ps TDCi motor in the uS.

I will trrade the Focus as soon as I hear that the ST will be in the US.

Now thatbeing said I was told that there are some issues with the Kuga coming tot he US and it has been pushed back.

Still nothing on the Transit Connect?

I knew the S-Max was coming but what about the C-Max? I was told it was coming as well.

No word on the Galaxy?

Maybe this is the reason for the larger production # for the Focus RS and the higher output of the Mustang. Wishful thinking but the Focus RS would fill that gap in the HP game. Limited run SVT maybe?

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

omg at me fantasizing about a US spec Focus RS

i'd obtain one no matter what! i'd even cross the parents to get one (referring to my previous thread) hehe

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

My question is: If it was that easy to do all... then why wouldn't they have done it sooner?

My guess is high gas prices leading to declining truck sales. Ford needed to adjust quickly or would need to close those plants. Why not keep them open and sell cars that people are buying now since the trucks aren't selling as well.

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

Yeh i dont believe this, in 2010 an all new Focus comes out!

maybe the current Focus continues on for 2 more extra years in coupe and sedan form.

It makes sense to me. This will be the factor to see if the C1 sells justify bringing the C2 to the US.

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

Huh. I'm speechless. I'll be quite happy if this is true.

 

My question is: If it was that easy to do all... then why wouldn't they have done it sooner?

will - and will to spend money on it. Rmember - before the 08 Focus was developed Ford had a chance to modify C1 for US - they went with reworked C170 ..

It is also possible the C2 is ready - and Ford will simply not wait for the new top hat and EU time line to apply it in US - C2 is basically C1 with some modifications to make it cheaper to build - almost everything including the hard point remain unchanged.

That is why Kuga was to come to us "after facelift" not after current generation - they were simply waiting for the cheaper underpinnings to underpin the current top hat.

Igor

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

It sounds too good to be true. I did read on one of the automotive news sites that Ford is planning on making duplicates of the tooling from Europe and bringing that stuff here. Minor changes for the US market, otherwise, the same tooling. That seems like a fairly quick action compared to starting from scratch. Finding US suppliers who will supply the parts is another thing, unless Ford owns the supplier tooling and can have duplicates made of that as well. I can't imagine this happening within 2 years, even though we need these products today! I am sure my family's dealership would kill for a good small car or more hybrids. Their lot is nothing but trucks right now because everything has sold.

 

It sounds too good to be true. I did read on one of the automotive news sites that Ford is planning on making duplicates of the tooling from Europe and bringing that stuff here. Minor changes for the US market, otherwise, the same tooling. That seems like a fairly quick action compared to starting from scratch. Finding US suppliers who will supply the parts is another thing, unless Ford owns the supplier tooling and can have duplicates made of that as well. I can't imagine this happening within 2 years, even though we need these products today! I am sure my family's dealership would kill for a good small car or more hybrids. Their lot is nothing but trucks right now because everything has sold.

the suppliers for US are to be the same as EU - no more Delphi in EU, Visteon in US crap ... if one supplies interior in EU - the same is to supply the interior in US ... Mulally had said that at the end of the day the cost of developing the 2 interiors, the diminished volume and related costs completely eliminate the advantage of having a cheaper interior in (say ) Brazil - no more different interiors around the world - just one global interior.

That said, supplier issues have been believed to be the key problem for Ford in this move. But I would assume they had talked to suppliers already ... they are not stupid

Igor

 

Re: Ford to introduce C1 Focus and sell it alongside the US Focus (CC Coming as well!!)

Thsi is right online from what I have been hearing from Ford Koln for the past year.