No Plans for North American Fusion Wagon, Hatch

[SierraGS]

Ford is missing an opportunity here to add sales to the Fusion line.

VW is talking about a Passat AllTrack (i.e. Subaru Outback) and Ford could offer something similar except with better styling. Young buyers are not really going to want SUV's and Crossovers as much as many may think since they grew up in them and are "Mommy's Car"; a lifted AWD Fusion Wagon would get better MPG with most of the utility and could attract young buyers looking for something different and help Ford's CAFE numbers as well.

Don't get me wrong, CUV's and Crossovers will continue sell well, but Subaru does sell over 100,000 Outbacks a year in the U.S. alone, not bad numbers and sure they have good margins.

[2b2]

Ford is missing an opportunity here to add sales to the Fusion line.

VW is talking about a Passat AllTrack (i.e. Subaru Outback) and Ford could offer something similar except with better styling. Young buyers are not really going to want SUV's and Crossovers as much as many may think since they grew up in them and are "Mommy's Car"; a lifted AWD Fusion Wagon would get better MPG with most of the utility and could attract young buyers looking for something different and help Ford's CAFE numbers as well.

Don't get me wrong, CUV's and Crossovers will continue sell well, but Subaru does sell over 100,000 Outbacks a year in the U.S. alone, not bad numbers and sure they have good margins.

good to see you here again, Sierra
I've hoped for more diversity in vehicles forms for some time,
& tho I no longer know which thread I posted this in,
your lifted Awd Fusion wagon reminds of my Milan-CX

rather primitive quickie chop from Oct'07

[2b2]

...I've managed to completely convince myself that FlatRock will build at least One of the other body styles when Fusion production starts there next year

I've partly just changed my mind - think the other bodystyles will be built at Hermosillo
cuz
- it is getting a capacity increase
&
- believe Fomoco wants to offer the US-built Fusions in the Most popular bodystyle ONLY, ie sedan
Both to satisfy the more conservative MadeInTheUSA customers with the more conservative bodystyle
& to keep costs of the FlatRock output down to compete profit-wise with Hermosillo

[cobra#1]

Keeping cost down is always a factor, so you are probably right.

[igor2]

Ford is not one to push certain envelopes these days. Ford will not bring a diesel, not bring a wagon, not build a unique hybrid.

Mulally's legacy is one of streamlining. He took an automaker that had assinine inconsistencies throughout the company, duplicate costs and god knows what else and built a global, lean and mean corporation. My read of his leadership is that he will not approve projects that are not surefire successes. He will not approve pet projects. He will simply not approve the kinds of cars that make small group of enthusiasts salivate. He is not a bean-counter - far from it - but he is a fiscally driven CEO that managed to commandeer the company through a crisis that took GM, Chrysler and many a small automaker.

A Hatch and Wagon Fusion. A diesel in a car, a RWD Lincoln .... all these things make sense. They also make sense as an investment in building Ford's leadership in some potentially important future markets. However, under Mulally, Ford will not enter these long-term investments with the trailblazers - Ford will enter when the tide turns and the proposition becomes profitable.

For example, consider the case of Ford's involvement in plug in hybrids versus electric cars. Plug-ins just reached a tipping point. After Hybrids reached a mainstream status, people grasped the fact that plugging in your hybrid makes absolutely perfect sense. Ford invested heavily to develop excellent plug-in hybrid system and is releasing it strategically across the lineup.

Electric cars are still but a niche - one that will struggle to define itself for another decade or so. Ford has two (well had two) electric cars, but NEITHER is designed by them. The Transit Connect is (was) built by Azure. The electric Focus was developed by Magna and ford simply ships the whole system into Wayne Assembly to stick it under the hood of the car. The only reason Ford is building these is because they can do it cheaply, Ford was pitched proposals that were bulletproof and risk-free. The results were acceptable, and marketable, but the products are purchased, not developed. A far cry from the investment in the 6.7l Power Stroke, the Energi system, the Chevy Volt, the Lexus LFA and many other systems that were developed in house to grow organizational assets.

This means, that Ford will have a diesel in cars. Ford will have a wagon again. They will have them, when those propositions are solidly profitable propositions either thanks to market shift, or manufacturing / design coincidence / design. Tooling Flat Rock (or Hermossillo) for the ~700 car a year is not a profitable proposition; not yet; not this generation.

In short, while Mulally is at the whelm, one has to keep in mind that this is a risk-evasive Ford. A profitable, smart, but conservative, Ford.
The crazies may get to run Ford again, but I doubt Fields (the likely eventual replacement for Mulally) will make that happen. Maybe the guy after him.

[Logans Run]

It is still hard to accept the limits given to the profitable US market, when the markets receiving many more options are losing money.