From the Horse's Mouth: EU Focus in US in 2010 (!!!!)

[tallguy2.3]

^Cant come soon enough! I see big wigs of companies driving around in full sized SUVs with most every option and just dont get why they dont spend that 55K on something way more fun and economical.
I'm glad a new focus is coming out but it would have to be something amazing like the new RS for me to be seriously interested.

[CaysE]

I'm sure there will still be plenty of griping in Pit Stop about de-contention, no RS model, blah blah blah.

[rpvitiello]

Originally Posted by CaysE

I'm sure there will still be plenty of griping in Pit Stop about de-contention, no RS model, blah blah blah.

naa if they strip the car, everyone will just buy from another car maker that does not strip their euro car. By then production volume will have shifted to match the new US demand for small cars, and that will be the new "camry and accord" class. If they make the car too cheep noone will buy it.

[jinstall]

You want AWD then buy a Kuga' it is not happening in the Focus.

Diesel, sure it will come, I can't give you a timeline yet. It will come though.

There is no demand for AWD in the C307, at all.

That AWD Focus that ran around in Sweden that everyine saw was actually the drivetrain for the Kuga'.

[rpvitiello]

It would be interesting if ford continued its AWD push with high gas prices. I know in the US that was a big selling point for the fusion, and taurus, even more so than ford expected.

With people coming out of AWD/4X4 suv's i could see it having a market in the US.

Suzuki has their SX4 with AWD, so why not ford (for the US market in 2011?)

If they want to go "up market" with the focus and try to be seen as a more premium car, it might not be a bad idea to do in the US and Canada.

They might just leave the AWD C class cars to volvo like they do now, but if they do it in the fusion and taurus, would it not make sence for Ford NA to do it in the focus too?

(although not talking about high peformance AWD, just something like they have in the fusion)

[CaysE]

Originally Posted by rpvitiello

naa if they strip the car, everyone will just buy from another car maker that does not strip their euro car...

Like everybody on this forum did?

[jinstall]

Originally Posted by rpvitiello

It would be interesting if ford continued its AWD push with high gas prices. I know in the US that was a big selling point for the fusion, and taurus, even more so than ford expected.

With people coming out of AWD/4X4 suv's i could see it having a market in the US.

Suzuki has their SX4 with AWD, so why not ford (for the US market in 2011?)

If they want to go "up market" with the focus and try to be seen as a more premium car, it might not be a bad idea to do in the US and Canada.

They might just leave the AWD C class cars to volvo like they do now, but if they do it in the fusion and taurus, would it not make sence for Ford NA to do it in the focus too?

(although not talking about high peformance AWD, just something like they have in the fusion)

Ford has one, the Kuga', and it is coming to the US. I said that already. The Focus will not have AWD. Not in the C170 nor in the C307.

[rpvitiello]

Originally Posted by CaysE

Like everybody on this forum did?

Pretty much. Allot of the original focus owners from the early days of this forum moved on to other cars, a few kept buying them, but the character of people who bought a focus new in the last few years is a bit different than back in say 2002.

Originally Posted by jinstall

Ford has one, the Kuga', and it is coming to the US. I said that already. The Focus will not have AWD. Not in the C170 nor in the C307.

the Kuga is a "crossover" though, more as an escape replacement, it is not a CAR. Ford found a good number of sales gains in the Fusion and taurus CARS by adding AWD. It may not be a big selling point in the EU, but it has been a big selling point in the northern US. Just like Subaru was ALL AWD in the US, and Audi is almost always sold as AWD in the northeast. Trucks are almost universially stocked and sold with AWD up here too, unlike the south where it is just 2wd. Try and find ANY suv on the lot in new england without awd. Even though people here are downsizeing to smaller cars, I think they still want the AWD option.

Again this is getting into global marketing, and making cars so they can fit any market. In florida and the south AWD is not a selling point at all ford a ford, since they sell it as a "safety" or "convenance" feature in the north for snow, not for handeling peformance.

VW, Audi, Merc, etc... all tend to offer AWD...

BMW is finally coming around to offering AWD on their cars too, not just the SUV's.

[jinstall]

Originally Posted by rpvitiello

Pretty much. Allot of the original focus owners from the early days of this forum moved on to other cars, a few kept buying them, but the character of people who bought a focus new in the last few years is a bit different than back in say 2002.



the Kuga is a "crossover" though, more as an escape replacement, it is not a CAR. Ford found a good number of sales gains in the Fusion and taurus CARS by adding AWD. It may not be a big selling point in the EU, but it has been a big selling point in the northern US. Just like Subaru was ALL AWD in the US, and Audi is almost always sold as AWD in the northeast. Trucks are almost universially stocked and sold with AWD up here too, unlike the south where it is just 2wd. Try and find ANY suv on the lot in new england without awd. Even though people here are downsizeing to smaller cars, I think they still want the AWD option.

Again this is getting into global marketing, and making cars so they can fit any market. In florida and the south AWD is not a selling point at all ford a ford, since they sell it as a "safety" or "convenance" feature in the north for snow, not for handeling peformance.

VW, Audi, Merc, etc... all tend to offer AWD...

BMW is finally coming around to offering AWD on their cars too, not just the SUV's.

AWD is way bigger in Europe than it will ever be in the US. Due to better traction at higher speeds.

What do you think is in the ix and X3,5 and 6? 4 wheel drive? The last BMW to have 4x4 was the E30. The E34 was too heavy and was 4x4 was cut from the line before the E30.

The Kuga is build on a Focus C-Max platform with AWD added to it. It is more car than SUV. I have been under enough of them to see it. Today was the most recent. In no way can it be compared to an Escape. The closest is the Mazda X7. But I have seen them both side by side and you can see the C-Max in the Kuga more than you can see the Mazda.

[rpvitiello]

Originally Posted by jinstall

AWD is way bigger in Europe than it will ever be in the US. Due to better traction at higher speeds.

What do you think is in the ix and X3,5 and 6? 4 wheel drive? The last BMW to have 4x4 was the E30. The E34 was too heavy and was 4x4 was cut from the line before the E30.

The Kuga is build on a Focus C-Max platform with AWD added to it. It is more car than SUV. I have been under enough of them to see it. Today was the most recent. In no way can it be compared to an Escape. The closest is the Mazda X7. But I have seen them both side by side and you can see the C-Max in the Kuga more than you can see the Mazda.

depends on what part of the US you live in. If anything is made AWD, that is pretty much ALL dealers stock around here of that car. Mercedes, VW, Audi, Volvo, etc...

I have worked at a Volvo dealer for about a year now, and i have not seen ONE non AWD XC90. Honestly i did not realize they even made a non AWD version of that car. I think i have seen about 3 non AWD (current, and pre-refresh) S60's in the year i have worked their as well.

Minivans, trucks, cars, Crossovers, what ever. If they make it in AWD that is almost all the dealers stock. If you wanted a non AWD version of a Crossover or something like that, you would have to do do a special order, of have one transfered in out of state. The dealers just don't stock them because they don't sell.

As for the Kuga, i know it is mostally a liftd waggon, but it is still marketed as an SUV/Crossover, and not a car. The same person that looks at a Focus, wont be looking at a Kuga. Just like the same person looking at a fusion are not looking at an Edge (even though the latter are VERY similar in allot of ways) it is marketing...

That makes me wonder, will the next gen Mondeo/Fusion be QWD or just FWD. I see that as a selling point in both the US and the EU markets, so i don't see ford dropping that option when the cars "merge."

Again ford may not be planning to offer AWD on the focus, but Subaru, Suzuki, Mitsu all seem to have a case for AWD in their C class cars.

[Jared]

Originally Posted by rpvitiello

Again ford may not be planning to offer AWD on the focus, but Subaru, Suzuki, Mitsu all seem to have a case for AWD in their C class cars.

Me working for Subaru right now is awesome for this reason. Tons of people are trying to get a small car but still want AWD and we are the only true good AWD system aside from Audi's quattro, so we are getting mad customers even though there is apparently a recession happening.

On a side note, I had no idea how crappy some of the so-called "AWD" systems are from some of the other manufacturers.

[jinstall]

Yes but the boxer TDi is not avalible in the US from Subaru

[Thameth]

Originally Posted by jinstall

Yes but the boxer TDi is not avalible in the US from Subaru

But there are rumors that it could be coming!

[rpvitiello]

Originally Posted by Jared

Me working for Subaru right now is awesome for this reason. Tons of people are trying to get a small car but still want AWD and we are the only true good AWD system aside from Audi's quattro, so we are getting mad customers even though there is apparently a recession happening.

On a side note, I had no idea how crappy some of the so-called "AWD" systems are from some of the other manufacturers.

see that is my point. In the south US where they don't get snow and such, and roads are flat and straight it is not a big selling point, but the twisty northeast with snow it is more of a selling point.

Again it was a surprise to even ford how well the AWD fusion was selling. That is a big selling point for the Fusion up here against its FWD counterparts.

[Rally Man]

Few more spy shots.

[SVTEuro]

Not Holding My Breath

[Rally Man]

^^^

[Rally Man]

Ford Fiesta Zetec S

*drool*



Autoblog

[imprtslyr0223]

^^^Just read that article. 50+ mpg in that Fiesta Zetec S. I hope we get one of those!

[2focusd]

Man, now I can't decide if I wanna order my Fiesta in white or blue

-Brian

[navlys32]

Originally Posted by Rally Man

Ford Fiesta Zetec S

*drool*



Autoblog

wow, this car looks stunningly good. will ford be able to make a profit on every fiesta they sell here in the US and be competitivly priced?

[MattHarrell]

God I love that car, and 50+ mpg on my huge commute would be wonderful.

[COSitsWORTHit]

If they price it just barely below the Fit, they will make money.