Posted on Wednesday 6 December 2006
Ford is evaluating plans to import models built by its European operation to the US for next year. Ford’s European range is generally considered to be better built and designed than its car in the US, especially when competing against in the lower-luxury segment. The models being evaluated include the new Mondeo, Focus, S-Max, and Galaxy minivan. The report from Just-Auto states that no plans have been finalised yet, but Ford has confirmed that they are looking at the models.
Ford’s Way Forward plan has always been about a product driven turnaround and by calling in the cavalry from Europe, they will have a leg-up when it comes to competing with GM and Toyota. The new Mondeo is shaping up to be one of the benchmarks of its segment and the S-Max recently won the prestigious European Car of the Year award.
Ford should have brought its superior Euro cars here long ago. The US was alway stuck with the junk versions.
YES Even Fords newest cars suffer from boring styling and cooked spaghetti-like performance. Walking into a Ford dealer leaves you wondering if they pump chloroform into the air. At least the European Fords have offer a smidgen of excitement.
Bring on the Ka
The Focus was a Euro design and look how well it performed Stateside.
Gunnar, If Ford had brought the ST or even the Titanium versions to the US the car would have sold. Instead they brought these crappy version and well… You saw what happened. The FOcus ST would have been a beast of a car and i would have bought it over my Evo7 in a heartbeat.
Gunnar, two things about the Focus. First, the market has changed and good small cars are in demand. At the time of the Focus intro in the US few cared. The other, Ford absolutely botched the intro with both official and unofficial recalls only reinforcing the public’s impression that the Focus was just another cheap piece of crap.
Does anyone recognize that this could be the way to save Mercury? Make the Mondeo the Merc version of a midsize sedan. S-Max would be its people mover. Maybe Ford will wait to see how it’s working for Saturn. My guess is it’ll work. Can’t be any worse than what’s happening now (famous last words).