Ford culls Focus 2025

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

There's a way to fix that. Australia needs to change to LHD. we have no reason not to change other than being lazy. (apathy is a huge problem in Australia, sure, but it still needs to happen)

I know you’re reply was half tongue in cheek but we barely get enough now for road maintenance.
Seriously, our whole road system to LHD would be unjustifiable, especially if the government then
lifted our taxes to pay for the damned thing which in all likelihood they would do in a heartbeat.

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

There's a way to fix that. Australia needs to change to LHD. we have no reason not to change other than being lazy. (apathy is a huge problem in Australia, sure, but it still needs to happen)

$Billions

Imagine all of the off ramps and highway changes that’d need to changed for starters. Then add the rest.

It won’t happen.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Fordman1

$Billions

Imagine all of the off ramps and highway changes that’d need to changed for starters. Then add the rest.

It won’t happen.

Correct,
Even without any physical change to road systems, you’re still looking at billions in
electrical road sensors and signage and painted physical road signage.Not only that,
all the take away drive throughs would be wrong way around, lots of collateral damage
to businesses.


And with all of that, there’s no guarantee that the supply of LHD vehicles would be any better
and most likely another raft of strange reasons why LHD vehicles couldn’t be supplied to our market..

Don’t just whinge, do something constructive like lobby Ford.
A better suggestion is to lobby companies like Ford Australia with signed petitions from people
who are prepared to buy a said vehicle and for a deposit to demonstrate intent.
Showing that you’re off to buy a Jeep because there’s no Bronco would also be of some benefit,
gotta give the heads at Ford some examples of buyers and sales going elsewhere as meaningful data.
(which is why the original suggestion for LHD came about)

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Correct,
Even without any physical change to road systems, you’re still looking at billions in
electrical road sensors and signage and painted physical road signage.Not only that,
all the take away drive throughs would be wrong way around, lots of collateral damage
to businesses.


And with all of that, there’s no guarantee that the supply of LHD vehicles would be any better
and most likely another raft of strange reasons why LHD vehicles couldn’t be supplied to our market..

Don’t just whinge, do something constructive like lobby Ford.
A better suggestion is to lobby companies like Ford Australia with signed petitions from people
who are prepared to buy a said vehicle and for a deposit to demonstrate intent.
Showing that you’re off to buy a Jeep because there’s no Bronco would also be of some benefit,
gotta give the heads at Ford some examples of buyers and sales going elsewhere as meaningful data.
(which is why the original suggestion for LHD came about)

That's the problem with Bronco though. Ford see Jeep selling about 150 Wranglers a month here, which would be it's main competitor. The segment just isn't big enough to support RHD Bronco. Sales would need to be at least 1000 a month to justify the RHD development costs to build it RHD. And the potential sales just don't justify it. Mustang is different cause it had strong global numbers to support it.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Fordman1

$Billions

Imagine all of the off ramps and highway changes that’d need to changed for starters. Then add the rest.

It won’t happen.

Thats not even the most concerning one,

What about the Maccas drivethru!

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by b0son

to see over the bonnets of all the other ever higher cars. soon we'll all be driving cars as awkward-looking as an X6.

Nearly Bought an X6 Recently but decided on the more Practical X5 but if I didn't have kids I probably would have


There are more reasons that seeing over Bonnets to Buy such cars
Certainly handled better than any Falcon I've ever driven

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

That's the problem with Bronco though. Ford see Jeep selling about 150 Wranglers a month here, which would be it's main competitor. The segment just isn't big enough to support RHD Bronco. Sales would need to be at least 1000 a month to justify the RHD development costs to build it RHD. And the potential sales just don't justify it. Mustang is different cause it had strong global numbers to support it.

I’m not talking factory RHD.
There’s still an opportunity for Ford to deliver a Bronco using similar RHD conversion as F150,
Sure it would be low numbers but entirely doable with assistance from Engineering and suppliers.
They’re predicting 4,000 F150 sales for ‘23 so maybe there’s hope of Adding Bronco or Super Duty.

The two I’m interested in is Bronco Sport and Maverick which sort of go better with Ranger and Everest.
Again I know not specifically RHD but based on C2 like Escape/Transit Connect, there’s already some
or a lot of RHD parts already developed and supplied to other vehicles, so not completely zero start….

Paint me the eternal optimist but I sense that Farley would be more open to the above than Hackett & Fields were.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by jpd80

I’m not talking factory RHD.
There’s still an opportunity for Ford to deliver a Bronco using similar RHD conversion as F150,
Sure it would be low numbers but entirely doable with assistance from Engineering and suppliers.

The two I’m interested in is Bronco Sport and Maverick which sort of go better with Ranger and Everest.
Again I know not specifically RHD but based on C2 like Escape/Transit Connect, there’s already some
or a lot of RHD parts already developed and supplied to other vehicles, so not completely zero start….

Paint me the eternal optimist but I sense that Farley would be more open to the above than Hackett & Fields were.

Ranger and Everest being in this market make a converted RHD Bronco a tough sell though, cause it's smaller than both of them and would probably cost 20-30k more.

Bronco Sport should definitely get a look in though. I reckon that is one vehicle that could sustain RHD production numbers. Maverick probably could too, but it has sold so well that production capacity is fully booked for that for ages. There's no excess capacity to have.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by Eaturbo

I should have been more clear, they have closed down manufacturing in Brazil,the UK, France, Germany, Russia, India and Australia. This is while other manufacturers are building Factories. Toyota still sell plenty of Corollas and Camrys globally. I've probably owned and supported Ford more then most and still do but they constantly make poor decisions. Where's our right hand drive Bronco. They would sell like hotcakes. They can build a Right hand drive Mustang but not a right hand drive GT500. Where's the right hand drive Explorer, not to mention Factory RHD F truck. The car business is only going to get harder and they are not making it easy for themselves.

But your initial Argument was Ford pulling out whilst Toyota Dominates.. but that was happening anyway

Toyota closed Production here as well and has closed other plants around the work too. Ford is building and modernizing Production facilities like the one in South Africa where the Ranger is being Built.

Focus was never built here anyway and Corolla stopped in 99. they have been imports for many years

on this:
"I've probably owned and supported Ford more then most and still do"
It could be your Profile pic of the AU that makes me have this impression but how many New Fords have you purchased?



The last Comment about LHD vehicles while we like to Romanticize about some of the American cars coming here the business case does not stack up. I was they same re the Explorer - but I was never going to pay $100K for one

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Vesper Martini

But your initial Argument was Ford pulling out whilst Toyota Dominates.. but that was happening anyway

Toyota closed Production here as well and has closed other plants around the work too. Ford is building and modernizing Production facilities like the one in South Africa where the Ranger is being Built.

Focus was never built here anyway and Corolla stopped in 99. they have been imports for many years

on this:
"I've probably owned and supported Ford more then most and still do"
It could be your Profile pic of the AU that makes me have this impression but how many New Fords have you purchased?



The last Comment about LHD vehicles while we like to Romanticize about some of the American cars coming here the business case does not stack up. I was they same re the Explorer - but I was never going to pay $100K for one

Not so long ago, people wouldn’t pay up to $90,000 for a Ranger…the gap is closing somewhat.
Maybe this is the “new era FPV”, low volume converted vehicles supported by OEM engineering and suppliers.
Where the numbers don’t work for lower cost factory RHD then just look at the the small but hardcore buyers.

[stefcio007]

I think they will get rid of combustion engine Focus and just make an electric Focus like they did with the MK3 that didn’t do that well / was too ahead for the time.

Seems a bit of a waste to retire the Focus naming.

[DanielXR8]

Originally Posted by simon varley

what an absolute load of BS. The company is busier than ever, sells more variety than ever and employs more people than ever.

I only have to look at my local Ford dealers lot to prove that claim wrong. Let alone, I remember what a Ford dealer looked like in the 70's and 80's.

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by DanielXR8

I only have to look at my local Ford dealers lot to prove that claim wrong. Let alone, I remember what a Ford dealer looked like in the 70's and 80's.

Actually Simon's claim is true (and I think he was referring to Ford globally), what you see in one yard reflects the current whole manufacturing & supply issues of anything made anywhere..

But you referred to the 70's/80's well there was a Falcon-based range (sed/wagon/ute/coupe), plus LWB models, Escort, Cortina (later replaced by Laser/Telstar/Mondeo) and a van. (obviously No Terry in 80's)

Now you have Fiesta ST, Focus ST, Puma, Escape, Ranger, Everest, Transit Custom, Transit, Mustang, and one or two not yet sold...

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by DanielXR8

I only have to look at my local Ford dealers lot to prove that claim wrong. Let alone, I remember what a Ford dealer looked like in the 70's and 80's.

Have you forgotten where simon varley works?