Higher gasoline prices shouldn't hurt volumes of the Flex and MKS because consumers who were driving big SUVs are turning to cars and crossovers,” Ford CEO Alan Mulally told Automotive News. They want improved fuel efficiency, but still may need the space of a bigger car.
The MKS is already performing strongly, having impressed car buyers at last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show and bearing the fruits of a new marketing campaign which saw an astonishing 8,600 pre-orders placed for the vehicle already.
The Blue Oval is also confident that sales of its redesigned 2009 F-150 will be strong, although volume will inevitably be down due to higher fuel prices. Mulally explained that Ford has to bring "down the overall volume on the trucks and SUVs", a plan that will enviably cost a significant number of Ford employees their jobs in the U.S.