I think Katie under estimates how “bad” the American Focus is compared to what they get in Europe.

We don’t get the wagon anymore. We don’t get the hatchback version anymore. The Euro-Focus is better looking.

So we get the less useful sedan that is uglier to boot. No thanks.

Focus used to be on my short list but not without a hatchback.

No one, I repeat no one, makes the same car for Europe and the US. Not BMW, not Mercedes, not Audi, and certainly not FOrd. But Ford keeps trying, and failing.

The first Focus was supposed to be a European car, but by the time it met the US standards and the US tastes, it shared fewer than 10% of it’s parts with the Euro version.

Remember the Contour (nee Mondeao)? The Five Hundred (nee Volvo)? The 2 seater Capri (nee Mazda)? The Mercury Tracer (nee Mazda)? The Probe (nee Mazda)?

And so on.

If nothing else, the seats will have to be completely different, and that’s a big chunk of the car.

I once studied the teardown of 3 Toyota Corollas, a US version, the Euro version, and the home market version. There were, literally, no common parts. Eventhe emblemns were colored differently. The Corolla remains a success not because of any common engineering, but because Toyota makes the best car they can for each market.

I was at the BMW plant in Munich last summer, where they explained (in a condesending manner to an inept American who didn’t speak German) how they make each 3 series differnetly for each market. The floor pans are differnet for a US model,, and the differneces go from there. Again, BMW is successful because every BMW is targeted to be the best for the market they are in. BMW does use the same emblem on all 3 series.

“Common platforms” is bullshit from top people who knownothing about actually making cars, and are trying to hide that fact from the public and from the stockholders.

Bob

However, the 2010 Fusion launching in January of 2009 is expected to be somewhere around 21-22/31-32.

Here it is again from a survey sent by Mazda to certain customers.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/mazda6.html

As to the previous question… I don’t know what the Fusion will get in the way of gas mileage, but Mazda opted to use their 2.5 and the current 5-speed auto in the 6 (for now). Ford’s 2.5 in the Escape is expected to return 21/27-8 or so with its six-speed auto. Given that the Fusion is more aerodynamic and lighter, I would assume 21/31 is a safe bet and 22/31-32 is possible. Mazda is also using their 3.7 and Ford will be using their 3.0 PIP. The Fusion will likely get 19/29 like the rest of the V6s in the class, maybe slightly better (I’ve heard 30 mpg hwy was the target).

And yes, you can learn a lot about GM and Ford and *manufacturer’s name* future plans from the fan boards. Some of the info is off, much of it is right, but you have to parse through carefully and figure out who normally gets it and who doesn’t.

In short, Ford becomes the company of a thousand rebadges – the American car is dead.

Why not just buy a Japanese car, rather than a copy of a Japanese car?

Ford was to have done this back in the 1990s when the “Ford 2000″ reorganization supposedly established a global engineering organization. Maybe now they will actually do it.

specs:
http://www.leftlanenews.com/mazda6.html

You drive a Yaris, right?

Sure, the Euro Focus isn’t the bees knees, but have you driven a US Focus? The Euro version far surpasses the US version; that should tell you how bad we have it here.

Oh look, Katie said something nice about a Ford.

KP: “…but I wouldn’t want one.”

Wait. Never mind.

The C1-2 Focus development actually is interesting. Supposedly, U.S. engineers took the existing C1 and made updates that would make the platform more adaptable for the U.S. and Asian markets. Then the basic designs were shipped back to Europe for full engineering. The result will be a platform that should be slightly less expensive and more flexible than the current C1, yet have better dynamics overall.

There’s no ground up change here (C2 isn’t due until 2016), but U.S. engineers are hands off except in a few areas. There will still be some slight style differences like the Fiesta, but most of it will be to accomodate the different impact requirements for the U.S. versus EU. So, all indications suggest this will not be anything like Ford’s first attempt to bring the Focus here.

The Fusion and Mondeo (and S-Max and Edge) will merge onto Ford’s updated midsize platform in 2012 for the 2013 MY. But don’t worry, the 2010 Fusion will hold its own – just wait.

Diesel is currently averaging 20% more costly than regular unleaded. Also, I suspect that diesel prices are even more inelastic than gasoline, so that 20% discrepancy could increase in a heartbeat.

I’m not sure we’ll see future diesel prices lower than gasoline prices like has been the case in the past. Diesel used to be cheap because it was cheap to refine and there wasn’t as much demand. Not any more (especially with the low-sulfur requirements). Diesel engines have also gotten more pricey because of the added pollution requirements.

Judging by GM marketing, there are still people in the USA who think E85 is a better deal than unleaded simply because the price is lower. That same thinking–but in reverse–is going to make diesel a hard sell at 20% higher cost (even if you wind up getting 25% to 40% better mileage per gallon).

How do the CAFE rules treat diesel vehicles? That might be one reason for diesel in the future.

These Euro Fords aren’t that great. They’re standard at best. I drove 2 Ford Focuses for work and I’ve never felt so underwhelmed. The car felt underpowered, it handled like a tank, the interior was cheap & depressing and the fuel economy who poor. I can only think about how poor the US Focuses are!

The Mondeo is a good looking car, but I wouldn’t want one.

P.S Doesn’t Mark Fields talk some shit?! Has this guy said ANYTHING of substance? Look on youtube for his “simplexity” speech!

I am not sure, but reading all of the reports, nothing is really clear about the production.
Bringing over could mean built or just the designs.
I think the exchange is a problem.
Same thing right now with the Saturn Opel import.
I believe they are losing with each sale.
Am I correct?

Hopefully they’ll avoid the mistake they made with the original Focus, to wit: Take a superb Euro Ford, let the Ford NA cost engineers let have their wicked way with it, then sit back and watch the recalls come rolling in.

I hadn’t genuinely laughed at anything on the internet all day, until just now. Thanks