This is a dumb move.
I can't blame them. There are a few Ford people who have posted on FR over the years, and they've laid out the problem a company like Ford faces very clearly.
Basically, this is what Ford is up against ...
Between the cost of their union labor and the regulatory environment here in the U.S., it costs so much money to produce even a simple compact car that they've effectively priced themselves out of the market for compact and mid-sized cars. A reasonably equipped Ford Fusion will cost you in the mid-$20,000 range, and many prospective buyers just figure they may as well spend a few more dollars to get an SUV or crossover vehicle.
No sh*t. I own the F150 too as my “piss of liberals with my gas guzzler” vehicle.
As dumb as discontinuing the Taurus when is was the best selling sedan in America?
Is it? I heard Ford loses money on every sedan they sell.
By and large, people want crossovers (butch, high-riding station wagons), SUVs and trucks.
So, it's no wonder self-driving cars are the future. Few people enjoy driving anymore. They'd rather be texting and watching two-minute YouTube videos.
But, me, I'm a dinosaur. I intend to keep on driving manual-transmission sedans to my grave.