Ford plant dumps SUVs, goes small

CNN.com ^ | May 6, 2009 | By Ben Rooney

[RayChuang88]

The plant will build the third-generation Ford Focus, as previewed by the Ford Iosis Max concept car shown recently:

What I find interesting about Ford is that unlike almost every other car company, they're willing to stick their necks out in terms of "daring" styling for their small car line (if you've seen the new Fiesta that has become a huge hit in Europe you know what I mean).

[commish]

I am not a little car fan, but that baby is cool looking.

I’ll stick with my Mustang though. :-)

[eraser2005]

F-150s come from Kansas City or Dearborn...

Super Dutys come from Louisville...

And with the retooling of the Cuautitlan, Mexico plant, which was building the F-series for that market (two generations OLD design, I believe), the Kansas City, Dearborn, and Louisville plants will start exporting trucks to Mexico.

[FlashBack]

I believe you are correct.

[eraser2005]

I’ve heard nothing about Wayne being shut down.

I hope that isn’t true. Obviously with Michigan Truck being tooled to build Focus-platform vehicles, that might seem like a logical conclusion. Of course, with the number of vehicles coming off that platform you never know. Right now, they’re getting the Focus, Focus C-Max, Mazda 3, Volvo S40, Volvo V50, Mazda 5, Volvo C70, Volvo C30, and Ford Kuga off that platform.

I’ve heard rumors that the Kuga will end up being produced at Kansas City, replacing the Escape. That’s a logical move.

I’d love to see the C-Max added.... And you could possibly justify moving Mazda 3/5 production in as well. Some of those small platform vehicles are tremendously efficient. Heck, the Transit Connect has 135 cubic feet of cargo volume... compare that to a 2000 GMC Yukon XL with 131.6 cubic feet (source: edmunds.com).... and the Yukon’s 12/17 mpg falls well short of 22/25...

Granted, it can go offroad while the Transit Connect can’t, but really....

[eraser2005]

I don’t think Ford’s hybrids have been sitting around... Toyotas were... but Ford never sold many.

The Fusion hybrid has been a big seller - for April, something like 40% of all 2010 Fusions sold were hybrids. And Ford sold more Fusions in April than in any other month in that vehicle’s history.

[RayChuang88]

I do think Ford will offer the next-generation C-Max in the USA, probably be called Focus MAX for North America. Interestingly enough, by the time the new C-Max arrives in the USA in 2011, Ford will start offering their next-generation Duratec I-4 engines with direct fuel injection and possibly an idle-stop system along with the six-epeed Powershift dual-clutch transmission, combination of which could improve fuel economy as much as 20% over the current Focus models sold in the USA.

[REPANDPROUDOFIT]

How 'bout this little gem hidden deep in the article?:

A Ford spokesperson said the automaker is actively pursuing government aid through a Department of Energy initiative to help fund the production of fuel-efficient cars. At this time, however, no funding for this initiative has been granted to any applicant.

Sounds like a great big economic "carrot" is being dangled in front of carmakers. I bet they get back that $550 million they spent to retool the plant(s).