Ford quits Minivan segment /Makes moves in Crossover
01-02-2007, 05:41 PM
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Ford quits Minivan segment /Makes moves in Crossover
First earlier today i was reading this article
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/02/f...sales-numbers/
which talks about how the US minvans sales have been inflated by fleet sales. it remarks about how for instance the honda odyssey's sales only have about 1% fleet sales while for the Ford Freestar fleet sales account for 65% of the total. It also mentions Ford is bailing out of the minivan market in favor of its Fairlane concept.
later there was this article by our freind John Neff about a Bloomberg story
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/02/n...r-to-be-a-cuv/
which says Ford is making the next Explorer a crossover with a new car based chassis instead of truck chassis and better fuel economy. John suggests they ditch the Freestyle and i have to say i agree totally. with the Explorer and the upcoming fairlane plus the current Edge ther is just too much there. something must go.
now the latest news i just got from Automotive news
Confirming that Ford is now out of the minvan market.
Last bit i just saw at autoblog:
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/02/r...e-sold-in-u-s/
Ford is bring its commercial van over to be sold in the US following a similar move from Chrysler. Its currently made in Turkey but production will be moved to the US in the next couple of years
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/02/f...sales-numbers/
which talks about how the US minvans sales have been inflated by fleet sales. it remarks about how for instance the honda odyssey's sales only have about 1% fleet sales while for the Ford Freestar fleet sales account for 65% of the total. It also mentions Ford is bailing out of the minivan market in favor of its Fairlane concept.
later there was this article by our freind John Neff about a Bloomberg story
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/02/n...r-to-be-a-cuv/
which says Ford is making the next Explorer a crossover with a new car based chassis instead of truck chassis and better fuel economy. John suggests they ditch the Freestyle and i have to say i agree totally. with the Explorer and the upcoming fairlane plus the current Edge ther is just too much there. something must go.
now the latest news i just got from Automotive news
Freestar Ends Production.
Amy Wilson
DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. has produced its last Freestar minivan.
The automaker won't restart production of the Freestar at its Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant, spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari said Tuesday. That decision was reached during the last half of December, she said.
Freestar production went on hiatus in early November. At the time, it was a temporary halt to allow for a smoother production launch of the 2007 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers at the Oakville plant.
The Freestar was to resume production early in 2007 and run through the end of the model year. But Ford executives preferred the business case for the Edge and MKX.
"We looked at the demand for Edge and MKX, and it's so strong that we've decided that this is the thing to do -- concentrate fully on the all-new models there," Gattari said.
Fleet buyers are the majority customer for the Freestar, responsible for about 65 percent of sales during the first 10 months of 2006, according to the Automotive News Data Center. Ford intends to work with fleet customers with Freestar orders on substituting other Ford vehicles, Gattari said.
Ford produced just 430 Freestars in November, Ford sales analyst George Pipas said. About 2,500 remain in dealer inventory. That doesn't count December sales, which will be reported Wednesday.
The December sales report will include "a handful" of Edges and MKXs, Pipas said. After a delayed launch, those vehicles began reaching dealerships mid-month.
"The demand for the Edge and the MKX is such that if we restart Freestar, we'll have to compromise some Edge and MKX volume, and that's not good," Pipas said. "The future of Ford Motor Co. is not with the Freestar."
Amy Wilson
DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. has produced its last Freestar minivan.
The automaker won't restart production of the Freestar at its Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant, spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari said Tuesday. That decision was reached during the last half of December, she said.
Freestar production went on hiatus in early November. At the time, it was a temporary halt to allow for a smoother production launch of the 2007 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers at the Oakville plant.
The Freestar was to resume production early in 2007 and run through the end of the model year. But Ford executives preferred the business case for the Edge and MKX.
"We looked at the demand for Edge and MKX, and it's so strong that we've decided that this is the thing to do -- concentrate fully on the all-new models there," Gattari said.
Fleet buyers are the majority customer for the Freestar, responsible for about 65 percent of sales during the first 10 months of 2006, according to the Automotive News Data Center. Ford intends to work with fleet customers with Freestar orders on substituting other Ford vehicles, Gattari said.
Ford produced just 430 Freestars in November, Ford sales analyst George Pipas said. About 2,500 remain in dealer inventory. That doesn't count December sales, which will be reported Wednesday.
The December sales report will include "a handful" of Edges and MKXs, Pipas said. After a delayed launch, those vehicles began reaching dealerships mid-month.
"The demand for the Edge and the MKX is such that if we restart Freestar, we'll have to compromise some Edge and MKX volume, and that's not good," Pipas said. "The future of Ford Motor Co. is not with the Freestar."
Confirming that Ford is now out of the minvan market.
Last bit i just saw at autoblog:
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/02/r...e-sold-in-u-s/
Ford is bring its commercial van over to be sold in the US following a similar move from Chrysler. Its currently made in Turkey but production will be moved to the US in the next couple of years
01-02-2007, 06:05 PM
#2
Its all about Style...
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Hmm.. I didnt know Ford still made MiniVans. Well hopefully Ford will make more "Bold Moves" like this in some kind of attempt to focus what they care to do.
01-02-2007, 07:14 PM
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Originally Posted by alnielsen
And the difference between a mini-van and a crossover is what? A longer hood?
But bonus for Ford will be they will be combining two segments together, the eco-soccer mom who bought the mini-van will buy the crossover and the soccer mom who wishes to feel HUGE in her SUV will also buy the crossover 'cause their SUV is no longer made. I just pray it looks as nice/sporty or atleast rugged like the Nitro or the Cx-7.
Oh and Keef please dont drudge that kinda stuff up in a thread like this man.
01-03-2007, 12:58 PM
#5
Originally Posted by Keef
I wouldn't have such a grudge agains't Ford if the actual founder, Henry Ford, wasn't anti-semitic...
I think Ford made its "Bold Moves" in WW2, by helping the Germans... Other than that I wish the company would drop dead...
I think Ford made its "Bold Moves" in WW2, by helping the Germans... Other than that I wish the company would drop dead...
Do you honestly think American manufacturing companies supplied Germany or the Axis powers in WWII?
You must be thinking of Toyota, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, etc.
Do some research before you make asinine statements. Your statement is so incredibly idiotic, it simply amazes.
01-03-2007, 01:24 PM
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Originally Posted by RotoRocket
Ford didn't help Germany in WWII. Ford was too busy supplying the American Military with everything from diesel engines to tank tracks.
Do you honestly think American manufacturing companies supplied Germany or the Axis powers in WWII?
You must be thinking of Toyota, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, etc.
Do some research before you make asinine statements. Your statement is so incredibly idiotic, it simply amazes.
Do you honestly think American manufacturing companies supplied Germany or the Axis powers in WWII?
You must be thinking of Toyota, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, etc.
Do some research before you make asinine statements. Your statement is so incredibly idiotic, it simply amazes.
ya, I won't drudge anything like this up again...
01-03-2007, 01:30 PM
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DaveCm
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I can't blame them. The big market right now is the "cross-over" vehicle. It has the utility of a minivan, but looks more like an SUV. Basicly,....a minivan with a longer hood.
01-03-2007, 07:10 PM
#9
Ya, lose the mini van and pick up the CX-7
That is right!!! Ford is about to introduce what they called the 'edge'. It IS the CX-7 body, but it will have the 3.0 v6 instead of the turbo 4. Kinda scary
That is right!!! Ford is about to introduce what they called the 'edge'. It IS the CX-7 body, but it will have the 3.0 v6 instead of the turbo 4. Kinda scary
01-03-2007, 10:27 PM
#10
Originally Posted by RotoRocket
Ford didn't help Germany in WWII. Ford was too busy supplying the American Military with everything from diesel engines to tank tracks.
Do you honestly think American manufacturing companies supplied Germany or the Axis powers in WWII?
You must be thinking of Toyota, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, etc.
Do some research before you make asinine statements. Your statement is so incredibly idiotic, it simply amazes.
Do you honestly think American manufacturing companies supplied Germany or the Axis powers in WWII?
You must be thinking of Toyota, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, etc.
Do some research before you make asinine statements. Your statement is so incredibly idiotic, it simply amazes.
01-04-2007, 09:22 AM
#11
Originally Posted by Razz1
Why do you say that? We all knoe there wasn't a Holocaust.
Oh, there was a Holocaust, alright.
My uncle served in active combat in Germany (11th Armored Division), and he personally helped to liberate the **** concentration camp at Mauthausen, and described it to me in great deal on many occasions.
Anyone who denies the Holocaust is welcome to call him. He will tell anyone who denies the Holocaust, or his witnessing of the existence of adults who weighed no more than 70 pounds, and other hard to believe observations (observations he personally made, however) what idiots they are.
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