Monthly Archives: October 2010

Ford: New Focus will take cues from Fiesta

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Posted in Ford

By all accounts, Ford's redesigned Fiesta subcompact has been a huge hit for the company, as the small car is already approaching 1 million units sold worldwide after just a few months on the market. Ford is also making a tidy profit on the vehicle as buyers are loading it up with extra features and packages, according to the company's data.

Now, Ford says that its next big launch, the Focus, will take many of its cues from the Fiesta.

Ford's launch of the Fiesta used social media to get the ball rolling long before the vehicle debuted. Using consumers that the company identified as "agents," Ford unveiled test designs to people who would begin to spread the message about the people and received key feedback before the car launched.

"One of the things we learned with the Fiesta Movement was that it allowed us to forecast initial demand," Jim Farley, Ford's VP of Global Marketing told the New York Times. "Our engineers started talking to agents, our marketing people talked to agents, and we made changes based on those conversations. The agents said the 5-door hatchback was going to be more popular than the sedan, so we were prepared."

The new Focus has already been unveiled at the Paris Auto Show and follows in the Fiesta's footsteps by offering hatchback and sedan styles in addition to a wagon option. It also comes with a slew of upgradeable features, similar exterior styling and a performance trim level dubbed the ST.

Drivers interested in Fiestas and Focuses might want to shop the used car market, as the popularity of the new vehicles have driven down the cost of previous iterations of the model. 

Ford Fiesta approaches 1 million sales

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Ford

Ford has announced that its Fiesta model, which debuted this year, is already approaching the 1 million vehicle sales mark worldwide, far exceeding the company's expectations.

The company revealed that response to the new car has been strong in every market where it is sold, including China, Europe, Thailand, Australia, South Africa and the U.S. The company also said that many drivers were choosing to purchase higher trim levels and packages rather than simply sticking with the base model.

"We worked together to design and build a great small car for the world – with leading quality, safety, fuel economy, smart design and value – and nearly a million customers have responded," said Ford CEO Alan Mulally.

The success is a ringing endorsement for Ford's new global B-platform, which it says will hopefully be on 1.6 million vehicles sold in 2014. The company says it will take what it learned from the Fiesta's launch and apply it to the upcoming Ford Focus, which will run on its new C-platform.

Drivers may want to wait for the Fiesta to hit the used car market, where they'll be able to find it for much less than its current new price.
 

GM selects “consumer advisory board” for upcoming Volt

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Posted in Chevrolet

Anticipation for GM's electric Chevy Volt has been building for several months, but for some car buyers, the moment has been years in the making.

Before the Volt and Nissan Leaf began looking like serious possibilities, GM leased a concept electric vehicle called the EV1 to select drivers. Although the car worked and drove fine, GM ultimately deemed the market for an electric vehicle to be too small. Lessees, who by and large responded positively to the concept, were forced to turn in their EV1s, which were then scrapped. Many blamed GM and oil companies for keeping electric cars off the road, a theory that was propagated by the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?"

Now, as a way of reaching out to some of those consumers in advance of the Volt's launch, GM has selected a "consumer advisory board" of 15 people to help advise it on any final changes that need to be made on the Volt before it goes to market. The group includes some former vocal EV1 lessees in addition to consumers involved in the alternative energy industry.

The group of 15 will begin to drive the car in October, and will be allowed to keep it for 3 months. GM hopes that the drivers will show the car off and loan it to friends.

Electric cars are slated to hit the market soon, but may be expensive upon launch. Drivers may want to wait until a few hit the used car market before making the switch in order to save some dough.

New Camaro convertible to be priced at $30,000

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Chevrolet

Chevy has yet to officially debut its upcoming Camaro convertible, but has already announced that the vehicle will retail for around $30,000 – about $2,000 more than its chief rival, the Mustang.

The Camaro and Mustang have a rivalry that goes back decades, but it's been renewed in recent years. When Chevy revived the Camaro in 2009, it began to trounce the Mustang in sales figures. That extended into 2010 until Ford introduced the new 2011 Mustang with an engine that produces comparable power and better fuel economy at a cheaper price. Although the Camaro still leads sales totals for the year by a slim margin, the Mustang has won in recent months thanks to the new vehicle.

The Mustang already has a convertible option available that is priced close to $28,000 new. The Camaro's early price point suggests that Chevy thinks the Camaro can continue to compete with the Mustang even at a higher price.

Once the Camaro convertible hits the market, other Camaros might take a small hit in value. If drivers desire a pony car, they may want to search the used car market to find a deal on the Camaro or Mustang.