Demand for that type of saloon/hatch & estate is falling.
tinyurl.com/ycrt94ec
Huge job cuts worldwide.
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Pity Ford didn't open their eyes and make a desirable EV.
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>>EV
+1
Also, their warranty is still just 3 years.
The Mondeo has been struggling for years against cars like the 3 Series BMW.
Just had a quick look at a leasing site:
Personal lease:
6+35, 20k miles. Mondeo Zetec 2.0TDCi £341.41
6+35 20k miles, BMW 3 Series 320D MSport, incl sun protection glazing £343.68.
For £3 difference the BMW is likely to be the more aspirational purchase.
The only difference for business leasing is VAT.
Last edited by: zippy on Sun 2 Sep 18 at 21:33
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I saw an 18 plate Mondeo today. First time I've seen a newish one in ages. It's a big car these days...
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The reasons for Ford's struggles in the UK - and probably in other parts of Europe too - aren't hard to find.
Firstly, Mondeo-sized cars when new are bought mainly by companies, usually under leasing deals. Because they hold their value better, as Zippy has shown above, the deals are just as good on the German prestige models as they are on Fords and Vauxhalls. No prizes for guessing what user-choosers go for.
Private owners who buy new - includiing me - are going for SUVs. I had an A4 Avant back in 2004 and loved it - but successive A4 models have grown, and the current one is 4.7 metres long. My Q2 is only 4.2 metres and has easily enough room for people and luggage. That's nearly two feet shorter and makes life a lot easier.
Ford can offer only the ageing C-Max, the inadequate Ecosport, and the S-Max (also ageing) and Edge which are both bigger than many private buyers want or need.
Sadly Ford of Europe just didn't see the SUV boom coming. And they can't even get the city car right. The original Ka was a hoot to drive, but the current Ka+ is hopelessly underpowered. What sort of corporate mindset decided to put this completely separate, weedy engine in the Ka+ instead of using one of the engines available in the Fiesta?
Last edited by: Avant on Sun 2 Sep 18 at 23:59
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The current KA is ugly. I think the previous model was a better proposition as a rebadged Fiat 500.
Fiat seem to be struggling as well at the moment. They have dropped the Punto from the range and now have only the Fiat 500 / Panda (same underpinnings) and the Tipo.
Perhaps Ford and Fiat should have collaborated on a replacement for both the 500 and KA.
The 500 / Panda are now showing their age and the UK Tipo is underspecified compared to the competition and even in comparison to their EU equivalents (why the different display sizes - its just miserly?).
The Spider is really a Mazda.
The Doblo is based on a GM platform I believe.
At least the 500 x has got them in to the SUV space - but its an ugly bug, trying to copy the 500 but is almost a "jelly mould" in looks.
Last edited by: zippy on Mon 3 Sep 18 at 01:32
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Ford have a motive power issue. They bet the farm on diesel and small petrol engines. Diesel is dead, and small petrol cant move larger vehicles. They have no good proven electric or hybrid tech.
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Not an issue for them in the US where they still ship hundreds of thousands of massive pickups and SUVs.
But sure is in Europe and the Far East.
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Ford have denied they are ending production of the Mondeo (they would say that). They may have announced that they are going to stop 'saloon' production in the USA, but I can't believe they would stop selling the Mondeo, Galaxy and S-Max in Europe. In an age of niche-filling by car ,manufacturers, this would leave them with the KA+, Fiesta, Eco-Sport, Focus, Kuga, Edge and Mustang. Hardly a full range given that the Eco-Sport and Edge have bombed, and the Mustang is very specialised.
I wouldn't say that diesel is dead in the larger car segment either.Unless you do very few miles, it is probably the better bet for most drivers. Government dithering and inconsistency is what is holding back sales of larger diesel cars.
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>> I wouldn't say that diesel is dead in the larger car segment either.
Well the makers think so, most of them have plans to ditch them, Sharpish. A lot already have.
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>>
>> >> I wouldn't say that diesel is dead in the larger car segment either.
>>
>> Well the makers think so, most of them have plans to ditch them, Sharpish. A
>> lot already have.
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Smaller, low-selling, end-of-the-line models, yes. But large cars (i.e. German) are still mostly diesel powered. Have any of those been dropped?
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>> >>
>> >> >> I wouldn't say that diesel is dead in the larger car segment either.
>> >>
>> >> Well the makers think so, most of them have plans to ditch them, Sharpish.
>> A
>> >> lot already have.
>> >>
>>
>> Smaller, low-selling, end-of-the-line models, yes. But large cars (i.e. German) are still mostly diesel powered.
>> Have any of those been dropped?
MB are mulling it* German cities are planning to ban diesels wholesale, and if you cant get a big stutgart taxi into a ger,man city, who is going to buy them
*Apparently production is severely curtailed, they cant get their diesel engines through the new Euro testing criteria, and have run out of room to store the ones they produced pre WLTP deadlne date.
Diesel for passenger cars is dead, as dead as a stiff thing in the dead centre of deadsville.
VAG shot it.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 3 Sep 18 at 16:20
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Jim Hackett the CEO of Ford, said a couple of months ago that they were going to spend £10bn (might have been dollars) on restructuring its European business.
That amount of money probably means closures though I have no idea of where or what.
They might even reshape it and sell it. Or JV it perhaps.
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Ford - Mondeo is ceasing production in Europe - Lygonos
