Damn you Ford

"TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel) 04/10/2019 at 08:00 • Filed to: None

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New performance edition of the MK8 FiST. It has a bunch of upgrades over a standard ST but I’m more interested in this awesome orange. Why did they have to take the FiST away from us?

vondon302 > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 04/10/2019 at 08:17

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Im so mad at Ford. If they would of have us this or the Fost. I probably wouldn’t have bought the Ram. Although with the way our roads are imI'm probably better off.

Maxima Speed > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 04/10/2019 at 08:19

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That’s a beautiful little car. The new design actually works for the ST version.

jimz > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 04/10/2019 at 08:28

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Because the Fiesta was a money loser, and they wouldn’t sell near enough of the ST to justify offering only that one  here. The complaints would just be “why is it so damn expensive?” instead of “why can’t I have one?”

PartyPooper2012 > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 04/10/2019 at 08:30

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TheTurbochargedSquirrel > jimz 04/10/2019 at 08:33

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I wouldn't expect them to bring just the ST over. I'm just sad to see all Ford cars die, taking the fun versions with them.

AuthiCooper1300 > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 04/10/2019 at 08:37

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I s n ’ t t h a t t h e s a m e h u e C l a r k s o n ( i n ) f a m o u s l y c a l l e d “ A s b o O r a n g e ” ?

jimz > vondon302 04/10/2019 at 08:39

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if you bought a Ram “instead,” I highly doubt you would have ever actually bought a FiST or FoST. 

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 04/10/2019 at 08:47

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The worst part is that the new Fiesta and Focus are the best looking ones yet, by far 

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 04/10/2019 at 08:54

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The MK8 is a damn good looking car and reviews seem to indicate it is a real improvement over the already great MK7.

vondon302 > jimz 04/10/2019 at 08:54

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I’m on my second Fost now. Or more accurately the wife is.

Its hiding behind the p71

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > AuthiCooper1300 04/10/2019 at 08:59

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I don't remember the Asbo Orange comment but I believe this color is new for Ford.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 04/10/2019 at 09:11

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Maybe that’s why they pulled out of the US they wanted to improve quality one the car’s, but couldn’t do that, and maintain a reasonable margin. 

ateamfan42 > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 04/10/2019 at 09:26

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Why did they have to take the FiST away from us?

Because ‘Mericans love trucks (and SUVs and crossovers).

AuthiCooper1300 > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 04/10/2019 at 09:38

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After looking for the official name/code it seems Clarkson did not actually refer to the colour as “Asbo” but just to the car (a Focus ST he tested in Top Gear).

In any case, the “Asbo colour” name certainly has stuck among UK Ford fans for what is Ford Europe 6FSE “Electric-Orange (Metallic)”:

https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/fao-asbo-orange-ford-owners.17670466/

Clarkson’s Top Gear segment with t h e Focus ST:

(I also found the mixing formula if you are interested.)

WildlyMild > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 04/10/2019 at 09:39

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Because americans accumulate mileage quickly enough to expose too many of their shoddy engineering flaws while low production vehicles are still under warranty.

Sorry, I really really want to like these cars

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 04/10/2019 at 09:40

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Translation: Ford can't improve quality from their Mexico factory.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 04/10/2019 at 09:49

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Same goes for VW 

CobraJoe > jimz 04/10/2019 at 10:00

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Killing the Focus because the Fiesta was a slow seller is a pretty dumb move.

I understand that the sedan market is slow, and that’s a good reason to cull some of the poor selling vehicles, but Ford did a major dumb move here.  

jimz > CobraJoe 04/10/2019 at 10:40

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Sorry, but you’re totally wrong. The Focus was a slow seller too. The last year and a half of its existence, there was $3,500-5,000 in incentives on every damn one (save for the RS.) You literally could drive out of the showroom with a Focus that cost you less than the MSRP of a Fiesta.

I’d put a good bet on Ford having lost at least $2,000 on every Focus. 

CobraJoe > jimz 04/10/2019 at 11:42

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For the last year, it was widely known that the model (and all other sedans) were due to be discontinued. Doomed models and brands always sell poorly, and people expect steep discounts.

But even then, total sales for the Focus and Fiesta last year was 113.345 and 51.730 respectively, totalling 165,075 small cars. In 2017 was 158.385 and 46.249 for a total of 204,634 small cars. Remember, both of these vehicles were due for a fresh design by 2017, and sales always taper off by the end of a model run.

For comparison, the Escape sold 272.228 in 2018, and 308.296 in 2017.

But like I said, that is a reason to cull some of the slower models, not to cut them off completely. Killing off all the sedans is completely eliminating those sales in the hope of selling more CUVs. I’m sure they will sell more CUVs, but I really doubt it will add up to match the sedan and hatchback sales.

Kill off the Fiesta, kill off the Taurus, refresh the Fusion and Focus to share a chassis and a lot of other parts. Make the Fusion as a sedan only on a slightly longer wheelbase, make the Focus as a hatchback only, and then market them both as the affordable and sporty option to the “family and adventure ready” crossovers.  

That should have been the answer:  Slow selling models are killed off, costs are minimized, buyers who still want sedans or small hatches aren’t left in the wind, and the name recognition for the popular cars from the past 15-20 years isn’t lost.