It seems to make sense; instead of spreading yourself too thin and trying to be everything to everyone at the cost of quality, spend more of your resources on fewer models to ensure a well put-together product.
Clearly addressing the euthanization of Mercury and its badge-engineered wonders (as well as parting out Ford's Premier Automotive Group), Ford CEO Alan Mulally said:
"When I arrived, it was absolutely clear that we had to simplify Ford dramatically...Fewer brands means you can put more focus into improving the quality of engineering."
For the record, Mulally came into a FoMoCo that had ninety-seven (97!) models in 2006. Thanks to cutting back models and standardizing components, Ford has helped bring down the cost of multi-market cars like the Fiesta (65% of which is standardized parts).
With Volvo's sale - at a huge loss - to Chinese Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ford's golden child already is now making sure those wasted Mercury funds are allocated properly (i.e. to Lincoln and its non-cohesiveproduct range). What's next?
Mulally says, "The key thing now is to keep the economy going. All the fundamentals say that we are moving in the right direction."
I'll believe that when Lincoln is a true-blue luxury brand once more.
By Phil Alex
Source: Bloomberg
The three-door test car featured in these photos gets a wilder bodykit with a front apron incorporating a lip spoiler, chunky side skirts, a bigger roof spoiler and a rear diffuser that houses two large exhaust pipes.
The sporty Fiesta also receives darkened headlamps and big alloy wheels, while we can also see a pair of body-hugging bucket seats for the front passengers.
A closer look at the pictures reveal a massive intercooler up front which feeds the ST's EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine. At this moment, we don't know if Ford has opted to fit the Fiesta ST with a 1.6-liter or a 2.0-liter variant of the EcoBoost engine family.
If anyone knows a German website(s) where we can find more information about the car from the license plate number, we (and consequently our readers) would deeply appreciate it.
In any case, expect an output of around 200-horsepower with all those ponies finding their way to the road through the front wheels. Suspension, brake and steering wheel system tweaks should be on the menu also.
Ford has not yet made any official announcements on the Fiesta ST, which may or may not make it on this side of the pond, but expect to see the Polo GTI-rivaling model arriving first in Europe in 2011.
Ford's decision to kill its American compact pickup has a couple reasons behind it: competitors offer better options that would cost too much to compete against, and more importantly, the segment is simply dying and not worth investing in. By canceling the US Ranger, Ford will be shutting down its St. Paul, Minnesota assembly plant.
The bottom line is that Ford can and has justified spending its money elsewhere. One example is moving some of its former Ranger fleet purchases to Transit Connects, which makes a lot of sense.
For all those compact pickup fans, there is an upside: markets that make use of small trucks will be getting a new Ranger very soon. The next, more efficient compact pickup will debut at Sydney's Australian International Motor Show. The truck was designed in Australia, which has been on a roll lately with great designs and ideas (e.g. the new Falcon GT and Cruze Hatchback).
The world's next Ranger should come with EcoBoost power and four and six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. As soon as we get some more info closer to its debut, you know where to come.
By Phil Alex
Source: USA Today
