This is big news. Ford CEO Jim Hackett said that they will not bring or give the Taurus, Fiesta, Fusion, C-Max and Focus sedans a next generation in North America. While we agree with all but the Fiesta, know that the Mustang will remain. A new addition will be the Chinese-built Focus Active crossover.
This is all part of Ford’s “fitness” initiative presented by Hackett last October. The goal is massive cost cutting but this news is not about Ford scaling back new car production, per say. Within the next two years they will add a number of new products, including the highly anticipated Ranger pickup and five crossovers, one of which is the equally anticipated return of the Bronco.
It is possible that the bottom line might be affected by de demise of these cars but as crossovers no longer present any shortcomings such as fuel economy or drivability when compared to cars, Ford customers will move on quickly.
This CUV trend is morphing into more than just a phase. Mitsubishi’s moving away from cars and it is conceivable that others will too. The question is whether or not GM will follow suit. Caddy’s car-days are numbered, or so that was the plan.
Then there’s FCA. With the exception of Charger, Challenger and Alfa Giulia, they too could easily clean house…
