AP story dated today.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22903817

Derick Kuzak, head of global product development likens the Taurus looks to Homer Simpson...........

I can't believe this number though. They only sold 68,178 Tauri last year, compared to 473,108 Camri......

Well, perhaps things will improve. (as John and Paul would say, "Can't get much worse....")

 

I predict that Ford will do the same thing in the midsized car market they did in the minivan market....Give up and let the competition take over. I can actually envision a Ford motor corp that only makes one car. The ford mustang.

Ford's executives just don't have any fire in their bellies. I kinda wonder if they'll let the same slow death eventually claim the F-150 as well

 

There is another story today, too lazy to look for it, maybe in WSJ, that Ford is going to bring an European van to the US. You may recall a video of a woman driving a diesel European Ford van around the Nuerburgring....Not sure if it's the same model...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XVPmnomMME

 

You know not everything from Europe is better.......

 

Well, it would be better than Ford's current mini-van offering............(if that's what it is, I still don't feel like looking............ok, you shamed me into looking:

1/30/08 Wall St Journal, D9, by Mike Spector.

http://www.autosavant.net/2008/01/fo...l-come-to.html

Oh, competes with the Sprinter, which means it would probably erode Econoline sales more than Dodges....

Think they will sell it here with a 1.8 turbo diesel and manual trans...???

 

Taurus is not a class with Camry anymore. Fusion is.

 

Transit Connect is much smaller than Sprinter and Econoline.

I saw many of them when I was in Europe few years ago.

Basically, it's a car with only front seats and some space in the back. Nothing special. It won't compete with Sprinter or Econoline since it's a lot smaller.

 

The current model Transit is a great van, and the Ford Transit has been one of the UK's best selling and most popular vehicles since it's introduction.

The way we see pickups off all makes and models every day on the road...that's how many Transits you'll see on a road in England. It's not marketed like vans here are. It's a work machine first and foremost. There are no "conversions" like with E series vans.

The current model Transit is also roughly the same size as a Sprinter with a load flat floor...the wheel wells don't encroach on the cargo area. It's also very affordable, and like many of Ford's other UK market cars, WELL MADE. There's a reason Ford has lagged behind the competition...they've lagged behind in passion AND design.

Ford already pawned off Aston Martin, a brand that turned a reliable profit for them. Now they're about to dump Jaguar and Land Rover, even though for the last several years Jag has been making Ford reliable money. And now with the new XK and XF on the market, they're only looking to make more...but Ford wants a lump sum to cover US losses. That's unfortunate. LR on the other had has always been and will always be a money pit.

If Ford would bring the Mondeo here the Fusion would never sell again. The Mondeo is a real treat to drive and is head an shoulders above even the 500/Taurus in interior design and quality.

The new Focus (which the Mazda3 was based on) has been available in the whole of Europe for years...but Ford's US teams refuse to let the outdated Mexico built model die.

Ford deserves to be losing ground in the US, no matter how much it pains me to say it.

Wow, this turned into a big rant.

 

I think you guys are confusing Transit and Transit Connect. Transit is a big van (same size as Sprinter) and Transit Connect is a small van (one that is coming to the USA).

Transit (not coming to the USA):


Transit Connect (coming to the USA):

 

Jaguar has been losing money for a while. I'm glad to see it gone.

Mondeo would be a mistake in the USA. Ford already tried to sell Mondeo in the USA (as Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique) and it failed.

Next generation Focus, which will be on sale in 2011 or 2012, will be same in both Europe and the USA.

I would like to see Asian Ranger and Australian Falcon in the USA.

 

The mondeo is hardly better than the fusion, someone seems to have a UK biased here. I've driven both and the fusion will hold it's own with the best of them. The fusion is one of fords sucess stories and is as good if not better than anything in it's class and price range. We just need a performance model. The 500/taraus is being lumped in with the buick crowd, mostly older people. The taraus needs to be streamlined with some flare. Make it more sporty, yet functional with the safty of a volvo so it will appeal to young and old a like.

 

At least the good news out of this is exactly that, they are going to restyle the Taurus to make it seem, what, more zippy, peppy, full of life, I guess.....

 

So there going to give it the little blue pill treatment??









Sorry I couldn't resist

 

[QUOTE=herman391]So there going to give it the little blue pill treatment??

That and also a CLI optional trim level.

 

Speaking of SHO I just found this online, I really hope they decide to build them...