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Old 14th May 2018, 08:39 AM   #3
Segnosaur
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Originally Posted by The Don View Post
The increase in globalisation and global standards means that it will be less difficult to re-introduce other models than 45 years ago (GM OTOH would have greater challenges).
yes, they could take models designed for the European or Asian markets and begin to sell them here. There are a couple of problems with that:

- It assumes that Ford will be quick enough to react if/when public demand for smaller cars suddenly spikes (or will they simply hold on to the higher-margin Trucks/SUVs until the bitter end, thinking "People will go back to SUVs eventually... we just have to wait a bit longer") If Trump starts bombing Iran and gas goes up $1/gallon, how long do you think it will take for Ford to start marketing sedans again in the United States? 6 months? A year? How many sales will they lose in the mean time?

- They are turning their back on a large segment of the market who want sedans NOW. Granted, as I pointed out, consumer demand has drifted towards larger vehicles. But even now, Ford does sell 10s of thousands of sedans in a year. They're basically giving up that market to other manufacturers. And while drivers are not always loyal to car brands, there will be at least a few entry-level drivers who buy low-end sedans out of necessity (because they can't afford anything else) and decided to stick with the brand (even when they go to higher-end models) simply because they were happy with the first purchase.

I myself drive a Hyundai Accent. My last car was a Civic. (I did look at other vehicles the last time I bought a car, including Toyotas, Chevs, Kias, Fords, etc.) I do not like driving big cars. Not only do I prefer smaller cars for the fuel efficiency, I also like their maneuverability (my Accent can fit into some pretty tight spaces) and their responsiveness (the car stops faster when I step on the breaks.) Plus, I do not see cars as some sort of "status symbol", and I do not get any pleasure out of buying some sort of high-end luxury car with features that I don't need. Give me basic, reliable transportation at a decent price. What Ford has done is guaranteed that the next time I shop for a car, I can avoid my local Ford dealership because they won't have what I want.
Quote:
I also think that there have been major advances in fuel efficient engines so that the US could still have enormous vehicles but that they won't be as woefully inefficient.
Yes, cars are a lot more fuel efficient. But such things are relative. A small car will almost always be more efficient than an SUV. So when gas prices spike, people probably won't be comparing the fuel efficiency of their SUV with the SUVs from a decade ago, they will compare the fuel efficiency of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

Now, perhaps Ford will manage to do well with electric cars (which almost negates the whole "fuel efficiency" issue). But, there are many parts of the world where the technology isn't feasible now and probably won't be for some time. (I could not use an electric vehicle for example... I live in Canada, with a cold climate, and regularly have to drive 4 hours to see family along a stretch of road which has no places where late-night charging stations are feasible.) Plus, lets face it: North American manufacturers haven't always been that great when dealing with new automotive technology.
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