Ford is foolish not to sell the Puma in America

"El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!" (lightningzone)
06/26/2019 at 15:27 • Filed to: None

It’s one of the few cars in the class that can compete with the Toyota CH-R on styling and attitude.

Instead they will keep selling the Ecosport.

It wants to play the “American ruggedness ” card of the Jeep Renegade , but it looks like it came out of a Soviet tractor factory.

DISCUSSION (21)

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 15:43

eh... alternatively

Kinja'd!!!

fuck ford .... all their new ideas suck and so does their quality control*

*i could be bought with a nice sierra cosworth and only say nice things about you tho

Ash78, voting early and often > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 15:45

This could be smart...I think small crossovers are about to be the first segment up against the wall during the next recession. Not that they’re bad, just too crowded.

A few years ago, I’d totally agree. The EcoSport is confusing.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
06/26/2019 at 15:45

focus st wagon would also suffice

facw > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
06/26/2019 at 15:51

Yet another Puma we never got (we got the bigger, but similarly styled Mercury Cougar).

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > facw
06/26/2019 at 15:53

we got the cougar too... as a ford

it just wasnt as cool as the puma

HammerheadFistpunch > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 15:54

They could have at least renamed the eco (pronounced eco, not ech o dammit!)sport.

Milky > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 15:54

Its also foolish because they need cheaper cars in their lineup. T he F iesta is damn near dead, the Fusion starts at $22k but will be dead in a couple years. So they have the Ecos port at $20k and the Escape at $24 k.

facw > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
06/26/2019 at 15:55

Had they sold the Cougar as a Ford here, I suspect it would have been called the Probe (unless they got tired of people snickering...)

punkgoose17 > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 15:55

They should sell both in the U.S.A.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 16:09

Counterpoint: It would just be another indistinguishable blob clogging our roads.

RT > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 16:12

As someone familiar with the original Puma, I did not need to know this was a thing.

Wow.

AMC/Renauledge > HammerheadFistpunch
06/26/2019 at 16:14

With an EcoBoost engine pronounced differently , to boot.

AMC/Renauledge > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 16:15

Because Ford would rather pad its profit margins selling us a retrimmed B-CUV for developing markets rather than a more refined, and expensive-to-make model for European markets.

Textured Soy Protein > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 16:21

Toyota only sells about half as many C-HRs as Honda sells HR-Vs, so maybe going for the “stylish” end of the segment isn’t the best strategy.

Besides, all Ford wants to sell in the US anymore is high margin vehicles. They make plenty of fine small cars throughout the world but they have little faith in US consumers spending much money in those segments.

Think back to the 2nd gen Focus. The original Focus was designed as a world car and the US version, while slightly decontented compared to the European version, was the same basic car. But when Ford came out with the all-new second generation Focus that shared its platform with the Mazda 3 and assorted compact Volvos, the US got a more-decontented version of the original car, with different, boxier styling.

The EcoSport is probably way cheaper to make than the Puma. Even if the Puma is way nicer, the margins on it in the US would be really slim. The EcoSport is shit even compared to most of its competitors but it's the only small car Ford sells in the US. And it actually outsold the C-HR for 2018.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 16:36

It will be sad to see Ford slide further down the shitter... but... fuck em

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 16:54

So the Puma is an Ec osport Coupe(in the BMX x4,6 sense)?

GSKING19 > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 16:59

It looks like the Jaguar E-Pace.

Under_Score > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 17:33

I don’t think this segment is working well. There’s something nice about a smaller crossover that can carry a dresser or a recliner. Escapes outsell Ecosports, RAV4s outsell the CH-R, CR-Vs outsell the HR-V. Rather than adding a new tiny crossover with mediocre sales into the mix, Ford should focus on its current lineup.

Also, a brand new Escape is coming out with Puma styling cues.

Spanfeller is a twat > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 19:30

Counterpoint:

No one can compete with the CX-3, why bother.

Svend > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/26/2019 at 19:54

What? Ford came up with this shit of a car and not even selling it there.

I can’t see it making much headway here in the U.K. other than to take sales away from the Ford Ecosport.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/27/2019 at 09:57

Well yes but in relative American terms it’s about the size of a Bobcat...