Puma Axed except for EV

[csv8]

Ford axes the Puma except for the EV! The push to Ev’s will fail.
https://www.drive.com.au/news/petrol...4uXbNpyGHoxg7U

[kypez]

Originally Posted by csv8

Ford axes the Puma except for the EV! The push to Ev’s will fail.
https://www.drive.com.au/news/petrol...4uXbNpyGHoxg7U

Probably kept for the fleet emission standards coming in 2025.

I thought Puma was popular enough to keep

[Franco Cozzo]

Ford Ute

[Sprintey]

Imagine how well they would have done if they'd just sprung a small hatchback SUV off the Ranger platform. Called it the Ranga perhaps.

[kypez]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Imagine how well they would have done if they'd just sprung a small hatchback SUV off the Ranger platform. Called it the Ranga perhaps.

Bronco even

[Sprintey]

Red haired joke hidden in there, we are a persecuted minority lol

This quote:

"Since the final Falcon and Territory were produced in 2016, Ford Australia has also dropped the Endura, EcoSport, Escape, Focus, Fiesta, Kuga and Mondeo names."

How do you manage to get SUVs axed during the biggest shift in vehicle preferences, in favour of SUVs over cars, in the last 50 years?! They nailed it so well with the introduction of the Territory in 2004, the exact right product at exactly the right time - how have they failed so massively to arrive where they are now?! Should have kept making the Territory and invested in it.

[kypez]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Red haired joke hidden in there, we are a persecuted minority lol



This quote:



"Since the final Falcon and Territory were produced in 2016, Ford Australia has also dropped the Endura, EcoSport, Escape, Focus, Fiesta, Kuga and Mondeo names."



How do you manage to get SUVs axed during the biggest shift in vehicle preferences, in favour of SUVs over cars, in the last 50 years?! They nailed it so well with the introduction of the Territory in 2004, the exact right product at exactly the right time - how have they failed so massively to arrive where they are now?! Should have kept making the Territory and invested in it.

I thought they were all downed at birth. Like all Ford SUVs other than Everest locally.

The territory had 7 seats and the genius team that replaced it with a 5 seat Endura just didn't read the market right. Ford has a history of pricing themselves out of the mid market SUVs post territory.

[Sprintey]

The initial appeal of the SUV was it's higher driving position, and using car construction (monocoque) with it's nicer, more car-like driving & handling rather than ladder on frame and truck like handling, as had been the way in the 80s and 90s with things like the 60 series and Prado... Territory even came as RWD/AWD so you could choose if you wanted the offroad bits, and 5 or 7 seat so you could choose your space.

Territory at 39,990 at launch for RWD TX was a very good deal. I think they maintained that entry point, or close to it, until 2016?

[CyberWasp]

Lets replace a cheaper petrol powered car that is apparently not selling and has just been updated addressing a lot of the reasons why it isn't selling, with an EV which is very similar and a lot, lot more expensive in price.......right....ok

[kevino]

Puma new base model about 33 k drive away
An entry Ford
One Ford model that is affordable
Possibly offering young buyers and female an entry to Ford

New emission laws on the way
The one litre petrol Puma has a co2 of 126 if my google checks were right
Selling One litre Puma would have brought the Ford fleet co2 average down


In the past Ford sold lots of Fiestas and Focus in the 17k / 25 k market

Now that market is 30/35 k
Ford just removed that option for Fiesta and Focus owners to change to another Ford

Why drop Puma?
It’s seems an illogical move.


I was angry when Ford dropped Focus

Now I m just numb


I own a 22 Puma.

[DFB FGXR6]

I'll keep this simple.........................Ford Australia are idiots.

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I'll keep this simple.........................Ford Australia are idiots.

This ^^^^^

And this will be driven by the BS excuse from the CEO about the cost of keeping spare parts etc (like Escape).

[Rallye Sport]

Its a shame but no surprise to me, I can count on one hand the number of Pumas I've actually seen on the road.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Its a shame but no surprise to me, I can count on one hand the number of Pumas I've actually seen on the road.

Didn't resonate with target market - they're all over the RAV4 Hybrid.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I'll keep this simple.........................Ford Australia are idiots.

For the record, I have NOT hacked this account!!

[kevino]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Didn't resonate with target market - they're all over the RAV4 Hybrid.

I don’t buy that
The comparison was Puma v Yaris Cross

Ford simply couldn’t get stock kept Puma a secret supplied 5 or so to dealers at times who used them as sales cars demo s and workshop loan cars then sold them as a demo 5/8000 km and made a $

Here on the Gc the dealer for Ford never seemed to have any Puma s

So you can’t market or sell a car if you can’t get stock

Same thing happened with Escape

Little stock no marketing or sales push

So it’s rip
Puma
Escape
Focus
Fiesta
Mondeo

No more ford Europe petrol cars

[BENT_8]

Fords 3rd best seller for January after Ranger/Everest I believe.
Strange timing.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by kevino

I don’t buy that
The comparison was Puma v Yaris Cross

Ford simply couldn’t get stock kept Puma a secret supplied 5 or so to dealers at times who used them as sales cars demo s and workshop loan cars then sold them as a demo 5/8000 km and made a $

Here on the Gc the dealer for Ford never seemed to have any Puma s

So you can’t market or sell a car if you can’t get stock

Same thing happened with Escape

Little stock no marketing or sales push

So it’s rip
Puma
Escape
Focus
Fiesta
Mondeo

No more ford Europe petrol cars

I'm not talking about the car,

I'm talking about the demographics the Puma was targeting,

Puma targeting 30-something female Millennials,

Ford brand is for glass BBQ enthusiasts in orange shirts (Ranger) who try bully everyone on the roads, not for 30-something female Millennials.

RAV4 - Has huge customer base of 30-something female Millennial buyers.

[kevino]

I m just guessing it’s something to do with the factory in Romania
With the update Ford EUR have dropped the St 1,5 6mt
Setting up to produce a Puma Ev
Prob means they have less capacity to make petrol
pumas so Ford EUR tells Ford Ute Aus sorry no more


Only guessing of course

Awaiting comment from the guru JPD80 generally produces excellent commentary

[kevino]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

I'm not talking about the car,

I'm talking about the demographics the Puma was targeting,

Puma targeting 30-something female Millennials,

Ford brand is for glass BBQ enthusiasts in orange shirts (Ranger) who try bully everyone on the roads, not for 30-something female Millennials.

RAV4 - Has huge customer base of 30-something female Millennial buyers.

Nah every female I deliver stuff to with the Puma love the styling
They didn’t know it existed
I just keep telling them it’s a secret
Even my wife said she would be very happy with a puma

One 30 something thought I had a Porsche
Another 30 something thought I had an Aston Martin

Glass bbq market

Don’t think so cheapest ford after puma is an Everest at 52 k

Nah Ford ate the Tradies

Even leckies

[Franco Cozzo]

Female 30-something Millennial



Does anyone feel like buying me a RAV4 hybrid?

I wish I could afford a RAV4

Ahhhhh I'd love a RAV4 but couldn't justify a car that big just for me



Ford isn't converting this demographic into Puma sales, but Toyota is turning them into RAV4 hybrid customers hand over fist.

See how they all know what the RAV4 is?

[kevino]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Female 30-something Millennial

image

Does anyone feel like buying me a RAV4 hybrid?

I wish I could afford a RAV4

Ahhhhh I'd love a RAV4 but couldn't justify a car that big just for me

image

Ford isn't converting this demographic into Puma sales, but Toyota is turning them into RAV4 hybrid customers hand over fist.

See how they all know what the RAV4 is?

Well the Romsey Facebook page is great
But Puma doesn’t compete with Rav 4
That’s the Escapes job
Oh shirt the Escape has gone too

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by kevino

Well the Romsey Facebook page is great
But Puma doesn’t compete with Rav 4
That’s the Escapes job
Oh shirt the Escape has gone too

You're still not picking up what I'm putting down,

Puma competes for the 30-something female Millennial,

RAV4 wins the sales of the 30-something female Millennial

Both cars, target the exact same customer, its not Ford who gets the sale, its Toyota.

The size of the car, does not matter, both cars, compete for the same customer.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by kevino

Well the Romsey Facebook page is great
But Puma doesn’t compete with Rav 4
That’s the Escapes job
Oh shirt the Escape has gone too

The problem Ford has with Puma (apart from lack of supply) is that the brand simply doesn't appeal or relate to the target audience for the model. The brand is these days known for big, heavy, noisy soot blowing pickup trucks. Not the image most Puma buyers would want to be aligned with.

That applied to when Ford were the Falcon Car Company, the brand image of big, heavy, noisy sedans didn't resonate with the vast majority of Focus/Fiesta target buyers.

[kypez]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

That applied to when Ford were the Falcon Car Company, the brand image of big, heavy, noisy sedans didn't resonate with the vast majority of Focus/Fiesta target buyers.

I don't totally agree with this given the Laser did quite well. When Laser was replaced by Focus, that tanked. Not sure why but Australians just didn't warm up to Focus over Laser

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

The problem Ford has with Puma (apart from lack of supply) is that the brand simply doesn't appeal or relate to the target audience for the model. The brand is these days known for big, heavy, noisy soot blowing pickup trucks. Not the image most Puma buyers would want to be aligned with.

That applied to when Ford were the Falcon Car Company, the brand image of big, heavy, noisy sedans didn't resonate with the vast majority of Focus/Fiesta target buyers.

It did until early 2015 when Fiesta was selling around 1200 units/mth and Focus nudging 2k.
Then both fall off a cliff within months.
Powershift..never recovered

[PG2]

Originally Posted by kypez

I don't totally agree with this given the Laser did quite well. When Laser was replaced by Focus, that tanked. Not sure why but Australians just didn't warm up to Focus over Laser

I was selling Ford when Ford moved from Laser to Focus.

The Laser was a good little nippy car that had plenty of relevant features that buyers wanted. The Focus, while a more refined car, was a slug of a thing that was sparsely optioned particularly in base model. Air conditioning was not even standard.

A big problem with them was that the indicator stalk was on the left. You would be surprised how many people took that into consideration when looking at the Focus.

Ford wanted to go upmarket with their small car range. The problem was that people buying these sized cars back in the early 00's were budget conscious and the price went from $19,990 to a tad over $25,000 overnight.

[kypez]

Originally Posted by PG2

I was selling Ford when Ford moved from Laser to Focus.



The Laser was a good little nippy car that had plenty of relevant features that buyers wanted. The Focus, while a more refined car, was a slug of a thing that was sparsely optioned particularly in base model. Air conditioning was not even standard.



Ford wanted to go upmarket with their small car range. The problem was that people buying these sized cars back in the early 00's were budget conscious and the price went from $19,990 to a tad over $25,000 overnight.

Ah, there you go. Didn't know the price jump and feature list was so different with Focus. That would explain a lot of what came after.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by kypez

I don't totally agree with this given the Laser did quite well. When Laser was replaced by Focus, that tanked. Not sure why but Australians just didn't warm up to Focus over Laser

Like the AU, styling.

Fiesta, and in particular, Focus, gained traction with the WS and LW2 examples that were best looking in class for mine.
Timing/styling was right.
Transmission, not so much.

A nice WS Zetec still gets my attention.

[smoo]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

The problem Ford has with Puma (apart from lack of supply) is that the brand simply doesn't appeal or relate to the target audience for the model. The brand is these days known for big, heavy, noisy soot blowing pickup trucks. Not the image most Puma buyers would want to be aligned with.

That applied to when Ford were the Falcon Car Company, the brand image of big, heavy, noisy sedans didn't resonate with the vast majority of Focus/Fiesta target buyers.

From my recollection ford never attempted to market any of the euro cars over the past 10-15 years?

I can remember a hand ful of Euro ford owners on this forum back in the day absolutely piling on the Aussie built Fords for their quality control issues and recalls/warranty.
Little did they know Focus/Mondeo diesel DPF and power shift trans we’re getting ready to say hold my beer.
Don’t think they ever mentioned recalled/warranty again after that drama which likely contributed to the poor sales of Mondeo and Focus.