Introduction
Critical Knowledge:
When Ford President and CEO Alan Mullaly arrived in Dearborn several years ago to steer the ailing company toward greater fortunes, the conversation probably resembled a talk with a teen-aged son or daughter:
Mullaly: Why does Ford build different cars for different markets around the world?
FoMoCo: I don’t know.
Mullaly: It costs a fortune to design, develop and market all these different vehicles. Do you know how much we could save if we stopped all this nonsense?
FoMoCo: I don’t know.
Mullaly: Americans love European cars, and pay a premium for them. Why didn’t we bring the redesigned Focus here in 2005? And why isn’t the Fiesta in the lineup to battle the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris?
FoMoCo: I don’t know.
Mullaly (slapping his forehead): Bring the European cars to Americans, now!
Mullaly’s “One Ford” vision is becoming reality. The Transit Connect, designed to serve commercial needs on narrow European city streets, is already on sale in the U.S. Next up is the Ford Fiesta subcompact, followed by a redesigned 2011 Ford Focus, the full-size Transit commercial van, and a global replacement for the Fusion family sedan.
We’re also getting the vehicle shown above. This is the 2012 Ford Focus C-MAX (Grand C-MAX in Europe), which has seven seats in a 3-row, 2/3/2 configuration. It’s got sliding doors on each side, the seats fold to create a flat load floor, and it’s about the size of a Mazda5. Ford wants you to call it a multi-activity vehicle, or MAV—not a minivan.
“The Focus C-MAX will be great to look at, great to sit in, and great to drive,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Ford Global Product Development. Let’s hope so.
For More Information:
2012 Ford Focus C-MAX Preview
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