Ford To Replace 75% Of Lineup Over Next 2 Years

Ford Motor Co. says it aims to supplant Toyota Motor Corp. as the top seller of hybrid vehicles in the U.S. in three years as part of a dramatic reshaping of its lineup to focus heavily on utility vehicles and pickups.

The automaker plans to add two off-road SUVs and create hybrid or electric versions of its other utilities with the expectation that light trucks will account for nearly seven out of every eight vehicles it sells in 2020.

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MDarringer - 3/16/2018 8:30:27 AM

0 Boost

I can't wait for the Bronco and the small "Bronco" to arrive. They should sell quite well. There is a persistent belief among the regional guys that the Focus may arrive only as a sedan with the hatchback supplanted by crossover sales.

PUGPROUD - 3/16/2018 12:55:34 PM

0 Boost

What will be the dealer markup on a GT500...25K, 30K, 40k? While a capitalist I hate this practice. Make as many as orders you have. Followup question...With introduction of GT500 will Gt350R markups disappear or even turn to discounts?

MDarringer - 3/16/2018 7:50:52 PM

+1 Boost

The plan as I understand it is that the GT350 will go away in a year or so. It wasn't updated for 2018. It will be on sale likely until the GT500 shows up and then disappear until the new Mustang shows up around 2021.

MrEE - 3/16/2018 8:33:52 PM

+1 Boost

To get to 75% replacement must mean Ford is serious about dropping models (Flex, Taurus, Fiesta, Lincoln models).
Though could be styling changes may be counted as replacement models.

I wasn't impressed with a recent week long rental of a Fusion hybrid. Seems like a lot of these went to Hertz.

MDarringer - 3/16/2018 9:51:15 PM

+2 Boost

To be fair, the Flex and the Taurus were obvious goners with the replacement of the Explorer because the latter is the only volume member on that platform.

The Fiesta was a car without a market. Ford had to pay dealers to sell the Fiesta.

Killing the MKZ is a no-brainer because no one buys it, but not using the Continental to replace the MKZ was the stumble.

Hybrids are a soft market if your car isn't a rolling freak show. There really isn't any reason to get a Fusion Hybrid, a Fusion Energi, or even an Ecoboost because the 2.5 Fusion is simply a tremendous value for very little money. The 2017 update of the Fusion wasn't enough of an update and sales stalled.

Ford will claim that the Ranger is new when it isn't and that the Bronco is new when it largely isn't. They will claim the Nautilus is new, but it isn't. They claim the Ecosport is new, but we know it isn't.

And so on.

The wonderment here isn't about all-new product, but the quick repackaging that is being done.