[ZTWsquared]

darkpuppet,Dec 7 2006, 04:13 PM Wrote:It's just the economies and perceptions are so different.

In europe, driving isn't a right, it's a privelege.  Gas is 2 bucks a liter, getting your license costs in the thousands, and you still have the cost of permits, congestion fees, and parking that makes Toronto look like one giant empty lot by comparison.
performance when it comes to north american brands. 
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Not only are our perceptions and sensibilities skewed because we're enthusiasts ... it's doubly out of whack because we're Canadian.

Canadian's for the most part are far more European in terms of what we like about cars than are Americans ... hence the difference in hatchback / wagon sales here vs US and conversely coupes in the states. But economically we still think more like Americans in terms of what we want to pay for a car.

I know for a fact that in 1997 Ford division in the U.S. had absolutlely no interest in the 3-door Focus hatch and it was Bobbie Gaunt (Ford of Canada president) who almost single handedly convinced Ford they really needed a hatch for Canada if the car was to be successful here. And so Ford reluctantly added it to the NA Focus lineup.

Based on 3 and 5-door Focus sales in the states Ford has always regretted that decision and you can see them "making it right" for American dealers by discontinuing the wagon ... and soon the hatchbacks will also be gone. The Focus lineup will soon consist of a sedan and a coupe.

I guess the point is that the Ford lineup in North America will more and more be driven by the needs and wants of the American consumer and the American dealer ... and because of the lack of profitability right now at Ford there will be little support for creating / importing models intended to meet Canadian-specific requirements.

Havings said all that, Ford does indeed need some new "halo" vehicles (vehicles that are industry leading in some way and therefore make a splash even if the volumes are low) as OACSparky pointed out ... but the sharp money says it will be designed to appeal to the American market. Think Mustang and Lightning and not SVT Focus.

IMO all this does not bode well for an enthusiast in Canada ... we can only hope that Ford concludes that some of the cars we'd like to see, will also sell well in the states - because that's the only way we'll see them here.

[K_OS]

If GM can do it then Ford should be able to do it as well GM announced yestrerday that they will finally bring the Opel Astra across the pond as a Saturn. I'm all in favour of bringing over the Euro models(one reason why I bought a Focus) but they will have to be manufactured here in NA to make sure the prices stay competitive with comparable models from the competition.

from The CarConnection

Quote:Saturn confirms that the Opel Astra compact will cross the Atlantic to join the Saturn lineup late next year.

The 2008 Astra joins the Sky, Aura, and the Outlook in a lineup that GM says is one of the youngest in the industry. All of Saturn's vehicles will be under 20 months old when the Astra makes its sales debut.

The Astra has been rumored in recent weeks to be a stopgap replacement for today's Saturn Ion until a new model with more distinctive sheetmetal can be developed. Indeed, a new Astra is scheduled for the 2010 model year, when it might also be built in America at one of GM's assembly plants.

Saturn also is prepping a new Vue SUV for 2008, one that shares its essentials with a new Opel compact SUV.

Laterz :)

[NefCanuck]

OAC_Sparky,Dec 8 2006, 07:33 AM Wrote:

NOS2Go4Me,Dec 8 2006, 06:58 AM Wrote:Judging by the needle travel (which is hardly scientific) vs. distance travelled, we're at least as good as the SPI so far :)
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It will improve greatly as the engine breaks in. The Duratecs start off pretty tight.
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Agreed, mine even got better as I started driving it my way as opposed to how it was driven. When I got the car with 14,712 on it I averaged 11L/100KM city, these days with 43,000km on the engine I'm pulling 9.5L/100km, even using winter blend gas (The intake and exhaust upgrades had something to do with it I'm sure, but not that much)

NefCanuck

[NOS2Go4Me]

Cool, thanks for the mileage info Daniel... we'll have fairly similar setups soon enough :)

[Festive_Zombie]

The Focus has pretty sad gas mileage, since I get average 8.5l/100km With my 05 Subaru Outback, My Focus gets worst gas mileage. But I also drive both cars differently.

Only with the Fiesta in NA and a re-badge of the Euro Focus would you be able to sell it for 30g... and even then, it would still be in the same class as the new Civic.
I prefer the look of the MK2 Focus , but the Civic is a though competitor.

[NOS2Go4Me]

Festive_Zombie,Dec 8 2006, 04:10 PM Wrote:The Focus has pretty sad gas mileage, since I get average 8.5l/100km With my 05 Subaru Outback, My Focus gets worst gas mileage. But I also drive both cars differently.

Only with the Fiesta in NA and a re-badge of the Euro Focus would you be able to sell it for 30g... and even then, it would still be in the same class as the new Civic.
I prefer the look of the MK2 Focus , but the Civic is a though competitor.
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Are you talking highway or city? I don't see myself getting less than 44 MPG on the highway with the new Focus... and I was always a solid 42 MPG with the SPI.

[D-Dub]

Ford would screw around with bringing a Euro model over , but it would have to be made here. There is no way in hell it will bring Euro Built cars over to N/A. The s*** they would take from N/A auto workers, (especially from Ford) would make the cargo ships turning around and heading back to Germany.

If the new Saturn Aura came in stick Id buy it, its got Opel written all over it.

[FocusGuy7476]

UAW seem to be holding Ford back from being a profitable company, as well there has been no successful negotiation with the UAW that benefits both the company and union. All the big 3 auto companies have this problem.

[meford4u]

FocusGuy7476,Dec 11 2006, 10:09 PM Wrote:UAW seem to be holding Ford back from being a profitable company, as well there has been no successful negotiation with the UAW that benefits both the company and union. All the big 3 auto companies have this problem.
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If that is true, and I don't really know to the contrary that it isn't, it certainly is a different environment than what we are dealing with at Ford in Canada with the CAW.
The CAW has bent over backwards and taken more than a few lumps with trying to appease Ford to bring the new plant to Oakville.
But you guys are right. I highly doubt that Euro model would be built anywhere but here in NA.

[K_OS]

meford4u,Dec 11 2006, 10:39 PM Wrote:If that is true, and I don't really know to the contrary that it isn't, it certainly is a different environment than what we are dealing with at Ford in Canada with the CAW.
The CAW has bent over backwards and taken more than a few lumps with trying to appease Ford to bring the new plant to Oakville.
But you guys are right.  I highly doubt that Euro model would be built anywhere but here in NA.
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Built in NA would be best, the other thing that Ford could do is to bring over the Euro Focus and other Euro models as Lincolns this would actually kill 2 birds with one stone as Audi have started to sell luxury compacts and BMW's MINI is selling well and would also allow Ford to compete with Honda's Euro models that they sell here as Acura's(ie: Euro Accord = Acura TSX).

Laterz :)

[Drivesthebeast]

The Fiesta and Street KA would destroy the Fit, Versa, and Yaris. They are simply better cars. As is the MK2 Focus over the Civic, Corolla, and Sentra. Also, I don't know why the new Mini is still doing so well...it costs MORE money than a Mustang GT, and costs more to insure too...

Ford 4 life bitches! :lol: