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More fuel efficient vehicles are finally “the” consideration vs. “a” consideration. (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=127238)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_European_Ford_Fiesta_Zetec_Rear.jpgWayne Gerdes - CleanMPG (www.cleanmpg.com) - July 24, 2008

2009 European Ford Fiesta – Missing from the 2010 North American Lineup will be the 70 + mpg 1.6L TDCi turbo-diesel.

DEARBORN, MI – Ford today announced an acceleration of its introduction of several new fuel-efficient small vehicles in North America.

The actions represent a considerable shift in Ford’s North American product plans and investments toward smaller vehicles and fuel-efficient powertrains in both the near- and mid-term in line with rapid changes in customer buying preferences.

In addition to bringing six small vehicles to North America from the company’s acclaimed European lineup, Ford is accelerating the introduction of fuel-efficient EcoBoost and all-new four-cylinder engines plus boosting hybrid production.

“We continue to take fast and decisive action implementing our plan and responding to the rapidly changing business environment,” said Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally. “Ford is moving aggressively using our global product strengths to introduce additional smaller vehicles in North America and to provide outstanding fuel economy with every new product.”

The Plan…

Cuautitlan Assembly Plant in Mexico, which currently produces F-Series pickups, will be converted to begin production of the new Fiesta small car for North America in early 2010.

Louisville (Ky.) Assembly Plant, which builds the Ford Explorer mid-size SUV, will be converted to produce small vehicles from Ford’s global C-car platform beginning in 2011.

Twin Cities (Minn.) Assembly Plant – which was scheduled to close in 2009 – will continue production of the somewhat fue efficient Ford Ranger through 2011 to meet consumer demand for the compact pickup.
As previously announced, Kansas City Assembly Plant this year will add a third crew to its small utility line for the Ford Escape, Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner and Mariner Hybrid.

New Products

Ford is adding several new North American products in the near- and mid-term, and shifting from a primary emphasis on large trucks and SUVs to smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles. By the end of 2010, two-thirds of spending will be on cars and crossovers – up from one-half today.

The new products include six European small vehicles to be introduced in North America by the end of 2012. Ford’s acclaimed European products are set apart by their world-class driving dynamics, exciting design and outstanding quality.

The Ford, Lincoln, Mercury line will be almost completely upgraded by the end of 2010, including:
2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ sedans, on sale in early 2009, with Fusion’s and Milan’s four-cylinder fuel economy expected to top Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

New Ford Taurus sedan – with EcoBoost engine and even more advanced safety and convenience technologies – in mid-2009

New European Ford Fiesta, in both four- and five-door versions, in early 2010

New European Ford Focus, in both four- and five-door versions, in 2010

New Mercury small car in 2010

New European small vehicle that will be a “whitespace” entry in North America in 2010
With every new product, Ford expects to be the best or among the best for fuel economy. This is aided by one of the most extensive powertrain upgrades ever for Ford. By the end of 2010, nearly all of Ford’s North American engines will be upgraded or replaced. In addition, within two years, nearly all of Ford’s North American lineup will offer fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmissions.

Coming in 2009 are the first applications of Ford’s new EcoBoost engines. EcoBoost uses gasoline turbocharged direct-injection technology for up to 20 percent better fuel economy, up to 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions and superior driving performance versus larger-displacement engines.

EcoBoost V-6 engines will be introduced on several vehicles next year, beginning with the Lincoln MKS and Ford Taurus sedans, and Ford Flex crossover. Four-cylinder EcoBoost engines will debut in 2010 in both North America and Europe. Ford will offer EcoBoost on more than 80 percent of its North American lineup by the end of 2012.

In addition, Ford plans to double its hybrid volume and offerings next year – and is looking to expand further going forward. Production of the all-new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid begins in December – with fuel economy expected to top the Toyota Camry hybrid.

Ford also is introducing six-speeds with PowerShift that offers the fuel economy of a manual transmission and convenience of an automatic; start-stop engines that shut off when the vehicle stops; electric power steering; direct injection, and Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing engines. These technologies will be progressively introduced within the North American lineup by 2012.

I'm wondering if it may be a case of too little, too late? If they can score mileage better than the honda's and toyota's, more power to them.

So let me get this straight, when these new fuel efficient cars hit the showroom, they'll have EPA mileage figures that are as good as Honda's and Toyota's. Um, do they think about the fact that Honda and Toyota just might be working on their own new vehicles that will have much better mileage than their current lineup?

I can picture the board meetings at Ford circa 2012. Great job guys! We are now offering cars with MPG's that rival that of a 2004 Civic! Where's the Champagne?!?

It's great to see an American car company striving to be a leader in fuel economy. I was convinced they were never going to "get it" and permanently cede the fuel economy crown to Toyota and Honda. Ford's commitment to FE will only enhance its chances of success in the future and will spur on T and H to up their own FE even higher. This is great news.

2012 seems like an awful long time to have to wait in order to get those European fuel misers. By then, we'll probably have all kinds of Chinese imports to pick from at a fraction of the cost. Someone should let Ford know there are freighters that cross the Atlantic on a daily basis and that a boat load of those Fiesta diesels would probably sell like hotcakes.

Greg

Ford will probably be out of business before the 2012, so I doubt we'll ever see any good, small, thrifty cars out of this company.

They'll never go out of business. They still have Europe, South America, and other developing nations to sell to even if they are doing poorly here.

I have always enjoyed the statement "Just bring 'em over here and they will sell like hotcakes"...if it were only that easy. Unfortunately, there are many things that stand in their way.

First and most significant,the U.K. is a right hand drive country, so all those Fiesta's you want to put on a freighter would be right hand drive cars and a conversion to left hand drive is not easy or cheap.

Second, our government has many laws for automobiles for emissions and safety. I know the U.K. has these as well, but they are very different than they are here. Not saying one is more complicated than the other, just they are different. Before any car becomes street legal here, it has to go through these series of tests, and they are not quick tests.

Third, putting all those vehicles on a freighter to ship them over here would add unnecessary cost to the car itself. They would have export taxes, import taxes, the shipping itself, the trucking of all those cars to dealerships. Add that to the cost and there are many more attractive options that buyers would prefer.

So, yes, they could ship them over and convert them, but would you pay$35,000 (just a SWAG on my end) for a Fiesta?

And before someone says it, yes I agree that they should have had the foresight to do this a long time ago, but they didn't and now they are doing their best to remedy that mistake.

Articles like this make me want to hug my HCH! :Banane41:

Good. Looks like more than just rearranging the deck chairs here. Whether Ford's ship is going down remains to be seen, but they may have a chance of saving it.

Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ sedans, early 2009, with Fusion’s and Milan’s 4cyl fuel economy expected to top Accord and Camry. Ok, a new midsized sedan. Ford absolutely needs a bread-and-butter midsize sedan, and as long as it's half decent quality (see prev-gen Taurus) it will help keep Ford afloat. "Expected to top"? Um yeah, I'll wait until the EPA numbers come out, but absent the EcoBoost or a hybrid option I'm sure it will be in the Accord/Camry ballpark.
New Ford Taurus sedan – with EcoBoost engine – in mid-2009. Ok, a new fullsized sedan with mpg in the 20s. Bread and butter for Ford, but won't win over a lot of SUV and minivan converts unless they bring back the Taurus wagon. And if the EcoBoost is offered in the Taurus but not Fusion/Milan it's just going to cannibalize the latter's sales. Better get on the stick with that one.
New European Ford Fiesta, in both four- and five-door versions, in early 2010. Good.
New European Ford Focus, in both four- and five-door versions, in 2010. Good. Finally we won't always be eating Europe's Focus leftovers. Now how about bringing over the wagon too?
New Mercury small car in 2010. Good. Probably just a rebadged Fiesta though.
New European small vehicle that will be a “whitespace” entry in North America in 2010. "Whitespace" for an intro only 2 years away??! Not holding my breath on this one.
MN Assembly Plant will continue production of the Ranger through 2011. Good! Besides keeping a lot of my homies employed back in MN, keeping the US' most fuel efficient pickup in production is an excellent idea. Now how about offering a 2.0L gas engine (already sitting in Ford's parts bin) or a small diesel on the 2WD models, and at least offer some kind of 4-cylinder on the 4WD models?
Within two years, nearly all of Ford’s North American lineup will offer fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmissions ... with PowerShift that offers the fuel economy of a manual transmission and convenience of an automatic. Here's an idea: how about offering a six-speed manual transmission? Oh wait, Ford can charge more for the six-speed Auto. This is what really p1sses me off about the auto industry right now. Given comparable gearing an MT will below an AT out of the water, hands down, every time. But these guys keep dumping the R&D into ATs with more and more gears, and taller highway gearing, meanwhile gearing the 5sp MTs too low because they think the remaining 3% of Americans who buy MTs are too lazy to downshift! It makes it look like ATs are just as efficient when they are not.
EcoBoost uses gasoline turbocharged direct-injection technology. Good! Bring it on.
Add a third crew to its small utility line for the Ford Escape, Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner and Mariner Hybrid. Good, and build another line while you're at it, because these vehicles had chronic shortages long before gas hit $4.
Production of the all-new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid begins in December – with fuel economy expected to top the Toyota Camry hybrid. Good.
Start-stop engines that shut off when the vehicle stops. Good.
Electric power steering. Good.
Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing engines. Good. Thanks for catching up with 1990s Japanese engine technology.

First and most significant,the U.K. is a right hand drive country, so all those Fiesta's you want to put on a freighter would be right hand drive cars and a conversion to left hand drive is not easy or cheap.Is the Fiesta not offered in a LHD version on the European continent as well? I agree with the other challenges you stated, but certification (except with respect to diesel emissions) is a fairly minor hurdle for a company the size of Ford.

It's great to see an American car company striving to be a leader in fuel economy. I was convinced they were never going to "get it" and permanently cede the fuel economy crown to Toyota and Honda. Ford's commitment to FE will only enhance its chances of success in the future and will spur on T and H to up their own FE even higher. This is great news.

Well, given our hunger for fuel efficient cars, and the cost of gasoline, we will jump for anything. But it is the oil cartel that is ALLOWING these to come in in 2010, not now, for it would stiffle their "windfall profits. And they (the oil cartel) will defenitely NOT allow the 70+ MPG TDI Fiesta in here. "We gotta make a living too" they would say. :D

What they have done to us is criminal.

From another thread: "Ford is their own worst enemy."

Hi Lenard:

___Except the European Focus has the same chassis as the Mazda3 here in the US whereas Ford decided we should get the non-update with something called sync to make it pretty and pray to make a profit on it. And the Focus overseas (not just Great Britain) has available to it a number of turbo-diesels that double the FE of the US spec’ed 2.0 Duratec. When asking Ford about those diesels the previous 3 years, “There emissions packages would cost to much.” And the Prius’ at $10,000 retail over the price of the average Ford Focus keep flying off the lots :(

___At one time, Ford was the leader in diesel emissions if you can believe that! ECOBoost? Ford’s priorities are with the 3.5L as of three months ago. Woohooo, we will make an 18 mpg FSP get 21 mpg! Woohooo. As gasoline triples. The 2.0L ECOBoost for the next gen Explorer. How much you want to bet that same ICE goes into the Focus. Woohoo, a 20% increase!!! All while the price of gasoline triples.

___I have poked and prodded some of their decision makers for the 1.2L Duratec to be ECOBoosted in the Focus and Fiesta but I doubt Ford would think of MAX FE in this day and age. After all, they have survived the past 100 years selling what they thought was a hit. But they have never been so close to bankrupt as they are now :ccry: As the price of gasoline triples…

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hate to be a cynic, but if the gas prices fall the US will start driving gas hogs again.

It's happened before. Car companies won't be making nearly the profit per car they had been making. The will build bigger cars if they get the chance, unless congress ever raises CAFE standards (for all vehicles).


What will be really ugly is if gas prices fall while the US auto makers are finally in production of fuel efficient autos. Then those cars don't sell, because the general public wants their testosterone cars. Its going to be interesting to see how it all plays out.


SUVs never should have been classified as "trucks" to get around the CAFE rules.

I have always enjoyed the statement "Just bring 'em over here and they will sell like hotcakes"...if it were only that easy. Unfortunately, there are many things that stand in their way.....

UAW for example.

Ford sold what the market DEMANDED. Ford wasn't jamming SUV's and pickup's down anyone's throat. They were popular and that is what the market demanded. Honest to god, most American's DO NOT WANT A MANUAL TRANSMISSION-that is the reason we don't see 6 speed manuals, not because some Ford exec or engineer doesn't want to invest in R&D on manual tranny's.


Put yourself in Ford's shoes. NOBODY and I mean NOBODY saw the dramatic oil price increase. If you say, "I saw it coming," you had better be a millionaire, because if you were that sure of yourself, you would have put all your money into oil. If you're not filthy rich by now, you're playing "Monday Morning Quarterback" and hindsight is 20/20...

Even some people's beloved Toyota got caught with their pants down with the Tundra. Even Toyota didn't see it coming. Where's my 6 speed manual Camry???? Where's my 6 speed manual corolla?

Blah!!! Ford's doing the best they can, just like all the other car companys. It's a lot harder for Ford to change their line from F150 to Fiesta, then say, Honda to change from Accord to Civic.



:flag:

I saw that there was a great potential for dramatic oil price increases following the gas price run up after hurricane Katrina caused a week's worth of disruption to the oil infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico (a major war in the middle east, an Al Queda coup in Saudi Arabia, or simply a whim by the mercurial Chavez to turn off the taps to punish "The Empire" could easily have produced same run up in oil prices). Since at the time, except for a few Japanese hybrids, the car companies were all headed downward in FE with each new model introduction, I gave up on the car companies ever producing a decent low-priced FE car. So I researched and started modifying my car to improve its FE (and have succeeded very well).

Honest to god, most American's DO NOT WANT A MANUAL TRANSMISSION-that is the reason we don't see 6 speed manuals, not because some Ford exec or engineer doesn't want to invest in R&D on manual tranny's.Yes, as one of the 3% still driving MT, I've kinda noticed that. Most Americans are too lazy to signal, let alone shift.

But MTs (or DSGs) are simply more efficient than slushboxes, given identical gearing. Even Honda will eventually be forced to start offering sensibly geared MTs, simply because it's a cheap way to get good MPG numbers and every mpg matters now.

Put yourself in Ford's shoes. NOBODY and I mean NOBODY saw the dramatic oil price increase.Seeing this coming was Ford execs' job. Risk assessment is a substantial component of strategic planning in any well-run company. I used to work with folks who could do risk assessments in their sleep, the concept is so simple. You look at all the calamities that could befall your company, assign a probability to each and multiply it by the possible cost to your business. Then you take those weighted costs, develop alternative contingency plans and consider implementing ones that cost less than the weighted cost of the risk.

Why should it be viewed as reasonable that Ford's top execs failed to develop a contingency plan for a change in the price of a volatile commodity that could cause a 30% drop in demand over the period for one's core and most profitable product lines? A change which has been predicted for many years by BOTH Peak Oil theory and proponents of carbon taxes to offset climate change? I'm not saying Ford could have known WHEN this change was coming -- as you pointed out, Toyota was caught off-guard by the exact timing too -- but this is hurting Toyota a lot less than Ford. And it's hurting Honda far less, because they've stubbornly resisted major forays into trucks for reasons that should be all too clear today.

For crying out loud, this has already happened to Ford twice. First in 1973, leading them to rush the poorly engineered Pinto to market, and again in 1979. To their credit they were better prepared for the second round because they had readied the cheezy but popular Escort, which sold well because demand for small cars remained high for many years after fuel prices had dropped to rock bottom. There are plenty of Ford managers who were already in the company when this first happened 30 years ago, saw firsthand both what was done right and what was done wrong, and were in a position to propose more intelligent ways of handling a crisis like this. It seems likely they were either not consulted or not listened to.

If you say, "I saw it coming," you had better be a millionaire, because if you were that sure of yourself, you would have put all your money into oil. Well, to be a millionaire as a result I would have had to (a) had massive disposable income to invest AND (b) been foolhardy enough to put it all into one basket. Neither is the case.

But I DID see it coming, and I did act on it financially. Even in the mid 1990s it seemed pretty obvious to me that exploding global demand for energy would eventually be constrained either by rising exploration costs or by climate concerns. So I put chunks of my modest retirement portfolio into New Alternatives Fund and into a few shares of Honda stock. I bought Honda back then precisely because it was clear they were the most environmentally oriented automaker out there -- and because it was also clear to me that some day that would matter, and it would matter big. No I'm certainly not rich as a result, but I do have a little extra pad in the retirement account to show for it. :D

First and most significant,the U.K. is a right hand drive country, so all those Fiesta's you want to put on a freighter would be right hand drive cars and a conversion to left hand drive is not easy or cheap.

You're correct about the U.K. But, all the rest of Europe is left hand drive. So, Ford is already making them both.

Second, our government has many laws for automobiles for emissions and safety. I know the U.K. has these as well, but they are very different than they are here. Not saying one is more complicated than the other, just they are different. Before any car becomes street legal here, it has to go through these series of tests, and they are not quick tests.

So, how does Saab, Volvo, Mini Cooper, etc. manage to do it? They see a viable market and make it happen.

Third, putting all those vehicles on a freighter to ship them over here would add unnecessary cost to the car itself. They would have export taxes, import taxes, the shipping itself, the trucking of all those cars to dealerships. Add that to the cost and there are many more attractive options that buyers would prefer.


I agree with you about the taxes and freight cost. I don't know what kind of trade agreements we have with the EU. And, I'm sure that freight would add significantly to the cost.

So, yes, they could ship them over and convert them, but would you pay$35,000 (just a SWAG on my end) for a Fiesta?

No. But I'd be real tempted in the $20,000 range.

Greg

As someone who actually enjoys driving, I sincerely hope they don't "Americanize" the Fiesta. I for one don't want softer suspension, power everything, the biggest and thirstiest engine and garish styling. They need to start with - and keep - the basics of a good vehicle in each class. Too bad the Focus is losing it's focus it has such promise, a knife doesn't stay sharp by changing the handle.

I sincerely wish luck to Ford, I believe they have great potential as a corporation. Keep your head in the game Ford, don't let your product lines get distracted with splintered styling niches and models, or neglect, this confuses the buying public. Develop a few models as the flagships and keep these at the front of the pack - always. They had a good thing and blew it with the Taurus and now maybe the Focus. Lastly, deliver. I can't buy a press release and drive it home.

Maybe I'm rambling because it's Friday and it's been a long week. It's just that it's the same old thing. The Honda and Toyota model has been to develop only a few great vehicles, keep the names of each model and ensure the names aren't tarnished. Domestics seem to change the name after they've produced a POS that nobody wants, they seem to forget that the manufacturer name is still on it.

All right, rant off.

Well, good for them, but still probably wont buy a new Ford, Toyota, or any new vehicle for a while.

Cannot afford it with the Economy in the stinker, devaluation of the dollar continuing to plummet, two endless wars with the body count continuing to go up, and the price of sweet crude fluxing to new highs.

I had a though; Toyota, Honda already makes vehicles that exceeds European specifications for fuel efficiency. For example, the Asian native Yaris, with more bells and whistles than the American Yaris for a lower price, at something like what, 30% more efficiency?

So what will stop the competition from "bringing them over here". Ford will die off. We will subsidize at our expense.. All is forgiven. But we cannot have universal Healthcare.

God bless capitalism.

And to the one making the point of the "Right drive version" or UK specific. They can sell them in the Bahamas too :P But, seriously:

The Fiesta dominates in Latin American/Asian market also: They have production plants in Taiwan, and in Mexico for the Latin scene... All countries, and including most of Europe is left side drive. Left is always the best :P

Just look around the streets of Taipei, Taiwan: Taxi please. 2007 Fiesta :) or the 2000 Escort, ha! US version 32 MPG if you luck. European 41 MPG (US). :P

Well good night all. Just got off flying 22 hours.