Next Gen. Ford Freestar News
01-30-2004, 11:57 PM
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Next Gen. Ford Freestar News
New Ford minivans start slow
Automaker idles Ontario plant building Freestar, Monterey to reduce inventory
By Eric Mayne / The Detroit News
Ford Motor Co.’s latest minivans — the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey — have stumbled out of the starting gate, prompting the automaker to idle a Canadian assembly plant where they are built to reduce swollen inventories.
Ford’s Oakville Assembly Plant in Ontario will temporarily cease production of the Freestar and Monterey for two weeks beginning Feb. 9. The Freestar is a replacement for Ford’s Windstar minivan, while the Monterey is all-new for Mercury.
The minivans represent a cornerstone of Ford’s latest efforts to rebuild revenues and profits with a barrage of new models. They debuted last fall in a market segment that is shrinking, but remains competitive. Ford is counting on the minivan’s third row seats that fold flat into the floor to be a major selling point and help recover customers that have defected to the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.
U.S. minivan sales slumped 5.3 percent last year as consumers continued to shift to crossover vehicles and SUVs. Overall, industry sales fell just 1 percent last year.
Separately, Ford and General Motors Corp.’s shares posted their biggest drop in at least six months Thursday over investors’ concern that interest rates will rise, cutting into U.S. vehicle demand and giving automakers less flexibility to offer zero-percent and other low-financing deals.
Ford’s shares fell 74 cents, or 4.8 percent, to close at $14.84 in New York Stock Exchange trading Thursday. GM’s shares dropped $1.75, or 3.3 percent, to $50.71.
Ford remains optimistic about the fortunes of the Freestar and Monterey, which didn’t arrive in dealer showrooms until late last year.
“We started sending units to dealers in a period which is not the minivan selling season,” said Ford sales analyst George Pipas. “November, December, January, February are slow sales periods for all vehicles. But for minivans, the seasonal sales curve is much like the sales curve for convertibles. It starts in the spring and continues on through the summer.”
Ford won’t mount a significant marketing campaign for the two new minivans until next month, Pipas said.
Analysts say it’s smart move.
“It’s really just poor timing because the Quest came out and the Sienna came out and there has just been an absolute bombardment of advertising on those,” said Rebecca Lindland, senior analyst with Global Insight, referring to new minivans from Nissan and Toyota that reached the U.S. market before Ford’s offerings.
In a related move, GM said slow sales will result in a one-week shutdown of its minivan plant in Doraville, Ga. The plant, which builds the Chevrolet Venture, Oldsmobile Silhouette and Pontiac Montana, will temporarily halt production Monday.
For some automakers, the minivan segment remains healthy. DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler Group has scheduled overtime at its primary minivan plant in Windsor, Ontario.
“The minivan is definitely going to survive because it does have a niche in the marketplace,” Lindland said.
While automakers are counting on new car and truck sales to rebound in 2004, growing supplies of some models are forcing automakers to idle other plants.
In addition to the minivan plants, GM and Ford plan to idle four other North American factories for at least a week in February to help clear unsold cars and trucks from dealer lots.
GM will idle a small pickup truck factory in Linden, N.J., as well as output of the Saturn Ion in Spring Hill, Tenn.
In coming weeks, Ford will temporarily close its Wayne plant that makes Focus small cars and a Cuautitlan, Mexico, factory that builds small cars and pickup trucks.
The moves will idle nearly 12,000 workers at the two automakers.
You can reach Eric Mayne at (313) 222-2443 or emayne@detnews.com.
Automaker idles Ontario plant building Freestar, Monterey to reduce inventory
By Eric Mayne / The Detroit News
Ford Motor Co.’s latest minivans — the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey — have stumbled out of the starting gate, prompting the automaker to idle a Canadian assembly plant where they are built to reduce swollen inventories.
Ford’s Oakville Assembly Plant in Ontario will temporarily cease production of the Freestar and Monterey for two weeks beginning Feb. 9. The Freestar is a replacement for Ford’s Windstar minivan, while the Monterey is all-new for Mercury.
The minivans represent a cornerstone of Ford’s latest efforts to rebuild revenues and profits with a barrage of new models. They debuted last fall in a market segment that is shrinking, but remains competitive. Ford is counting on the minivan’s third row seats that fold flat into the floor to be a major selling point and help recover customers that have defected to the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.
U.S. minivan sales slumped 5.3 percent last year as consumers continued to shift to crossover vehicles and SUVs. Overall, industry sales fell just 1 percent last year.
Separately, Ford and General Motors Corp.’s shares posted their biggest drop in at least six months Thursday over investors’ concern that interest rates will rise, cutting into U.S. vehicle demand and giving automakers less flexibility to offer zero-percent and other low-financing deals.
Ford’s shares fell 74 cents, or 4.8 percent, to close at $14.84 in New York Stock Exchange trading Thursday. GM’s shares dropped $1.75, or 3.3 percent, to $50.71.
Ford remains optimistic about the fortunes of the Freestar and Monterey, which didn’t arrive in dealer showrooms until late last year.
“We started sending units to dealers in a period which is not the minivan selling season,” said Ford sales analyst George Pipas. “November, December, January, February are slow sales periods for all vehicles. But for minivans, the seasonal sales curve is much like the sales curve for convertibles. It starts in the spring and continues on through the summer.”
Ford won’t mount a significant marketing campaign for the two new minivans until next month, Pipas said.
Analysts say it’s smart move.
“It’s really just poor timing because the Quest came out and the Sienna came out and there has just been an absolute bombardment of advertising on those,” said Rebecca Lindland, senior analyst with Global Insight, referring to new minivans from Nissan and Toyota that reached the U.S. market before Ford’s offerings.
In a related move, GM said slow sales will result in a one-week shutdown of its minivan plant in Doraville, Ga. The plant, which builds the Chevrolet Venture, Oldsmobile Silhouette and Pontiac Montana, will temporarily halt production Monday.
For some automakers, the minivan segment remains healthy. DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler Group has scheduled overtime at its primary minivan plant in Windsor, Ontario.
“The minivan is definitely going to survive because it does have a niche in the marketplace,” Lindland said.
While automakers are counting on new car and truck sales to rebound in 2004, growing supplies of some models are forcing automakers to idle other plants.
In addition to the minivan plants, GM and Ford plan to idle four other North American factories for at least a week in February to help clear unsold cars and trucks from dealer lots.
GM will idle a small pickup truck factory in Linden, N.J., as well as output of the Saturn Ion in Spring Hill, Tenn.
In coming weeks, Ford will temporarily close its Wayne plant that makes Focus small cars and a Cuautitlan, Mexico, factory that builds small cars and pickup trucks.
The moves will idle nearly 12,000 workers at the two automakers.
You can reach Eric Mayne at (313) 222-2443 or emayne@detnews.com.
01-30-2004, 11:58 PM
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01-31-2004, 11:58 AM
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Have they even seen the new Sienna, the new industry standard. It's called a van Lexus. The old standard and still damn near perfect, the Odyessy? Even the new Quest is a good improvement over the old one.
There is no way I can see anyone buying the Ford/Mercury after driving/seeing those Japanese vans.
There is no way I can see anyone buying the Ford/Mercury after driving/seeing those Japanese vans.
01-31-2004, 10:24 PM
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I hate to agree and join that stereotype, but my pops bought a windstar and its had rediculous probs for only being 6 years old. It had the same problem the focus has with the wheels falling off, no joke. He thought it was a fluke but once I heard why he took it to the shop, it pissed me off.
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02-02-2004, 11:13 AM
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My mom use to drive a windstar, we only got like 31000 miles on it, and that car is not starting 9 out of 10 times....... so I bring back to the ford dealership to see what the problem is.... they kept my car there for the entire week but they still can't find what's problem.......... we ended up have to trade that car in for a super low price..... from then........ i know i will never ever buy a ford again!!
02-04-2004, 10:00 AM
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Funny thing is...have you seen the new freestar's tv ads? they say the 'caravan doesnt have foldable rear seats'. Well, they havent really payed attention, because the early release of the 2005 caravan and town and country, not only have a rear seat that folds flat into the floor, but the middle seat does too!...and when not folded into the floor...it makes an awesome place for storage.
leave minivans to Chrysler...they invented and perfected them!
leave minivans to Chrysler...they invented and perfected them!
02-05-2004, 11:16 PM
#10
idiots, all they have to do is through an AWD system in it and it would sell better. that's what is driving the Sienna to the top, and the Quest is just awsome with the interior styling, I would buy that minivan yeasterday if it had all wheel drive. I'm just gonna wait until the Sienna demand dies down, or until the quest gets the AWD.
01-20-2006, 02:38 PM
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Ford to pursue new look for minivans - - Reuters - - Automotive News / January 20, 2006
DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co., which is gearing up to unveil its turnaround plan on Monday, Jan. 23, is likely to announce a new direction for its sluggish minivan lineup, a person familiar with the automaker's product plan said on Friday.
The No. 2 U.S. automaker will move away from the traditional minivan look, characterized by sliding doors and a truck platform, and pursue a design similar to the Fairlane concept wagon that it revealed at the Detroit auto show last year, the person said.
The vehicle had three rows of seats, was based on a car platform, and looked more like a larger station wagon. The automaker called the Fairlane a "people mover."
Ford, facing a deepening financial crisis, will announce a comprehensive restructuring plan on Monday that will include plant closings and layoffs, as well as present its fourth-quarter earnings.
Ford spokesman Jon Harmon declined to comment on changes to the minivan lineup but said the restructuring plan is more than just a cost-cutting strategy.
Ford's minivans compete in a crowded segment led by the Chrysler group. Sales of the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey were down 23 percent and 53 percent respectively in 2005.
Ford has announced that two new vehicles -- the new Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossover -- will be built in the Oakville, Ontario, plant, which currently makes the Freestar and Monterey minivans.
The details of Ford's restructuring plan -- dubbed "Way Forward" -- have been subject of much speculation, but various media reports suggest the automaker is likely to cut about 25,000 jobs in North America. Also, analysts expect the automaker to close about five assembly plants.
Mark Fields, president of Ford's operations in the Americas who has been charged with drafting the strategy, said earlier this month that the automaker is eyeing all aspects of its business on both cost and revenue sides.
"We are scrutinizing every cost, looking at our competitiveness on a material cost basis, looking at our competitiveness on a fixed cost basis and aligning that with the demand," Fields said.
Fields said reining in excess capacity is very important for Ford going forward.
Ford utilized only 79 percent of its total North American production capacity in 2005, the lowest capacity utilization by any automaker, according to Harbour Consulting.
Ford ended 2005 with a market share of 17.4 percent, the lowest level since the late 1920s.
The No. 2 U.S. automaker will move away from the traditional minivan look, characterized by sliding doors and a truck platform, and pursue a design similar to the Fairlane concept wagon that it revealed at the Detroit auto show last year, the person said.
The vehicle had three rows of seats, was based on a car platform, and looked more like a larger station wagon. The automaker called the Fairlane a "people mover."
Ford, facing a deepening financial crisis, will announce a comprehensive restructuring plan on Monday that will include plant closings and layoffs, as well as present its fourth-quarter earnings.
Ford spokesman Jon Harmon declined to comment on changes to the minivan lineup but said the restructuring plan is more than just a cost-cutting strategy.
Ford's minivans compete in a crowded segment led by the Chrysler group. Sales of the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey were down 23 percent and 53 percent respectively in 2005.
Ford has announced that two new vehicles -- the new Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossover -- will be built in the Oakville, Ontario, plant, which currently makes the Freestar and Monterey minivans.
The details of Ford's restructuring plan -- dubbed "Way Forward" -- have been subject of much speculation, but various media reports suggest the automaker is likely to cut about 25,000 jobs in North America. Also, analysts expect the automaker to close about five assembly plants.
Mark Fields, president of Ford's operations in the Americas who has been charged with drafting the strategy, said earlier this month that the automaker is eyeing all aspects of its business on both cost and revenue sides.
"We are scrutinizing every cost, looking at our competitiveness on a material cost basis, looking at our competitiveness on a fixed cost basis and aligning that with the demand," Fields said.
Fields said reining in excess capacity is very important for Ford going forward.
Ford utilized only 79 percent of its total North American production capacity in 2005, the lowest capacity utilization by any automaker, according to Harbour Consulting.
Ford ended 2005 with a market share of 17.4 percent, the lowest level since the late 1920s.
01-20-2006, 05:49 PM
#13
The sizzle in the Steak
Nissan tried to re-invent the minivan too.....the Quest turned out to be 3rd of 4th place.
Instead of re-inventing the minivan, just build one as good or better than Honda.
Instead of re-inventing the minivan, just build one as good or better than Honda.
01-20-2006, 06:17 PM
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Looks interesting but designing their new minivan like this ^ will pretty much equal abandoning the segment. Something styled like this will only attract more suv buyers instead of tapping the minivan segment.
02-03-2006, 07:02 PM
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Originally Posted by heyitsme
Looks interesting but designing their new minivan like this ^ will pretty much equal abandoning the segment. Something styled like this will only attract more suv buyers instead of tapping the minivan segment.
02-03-2006, 07:16 PM
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Originally Posted by bigman
At some point or another, minivans need to change the way they look a little. If vehicles didnt change, we'd still have large square sedans, and hard edged, pointy coupes.
I disagree, Minivan= A smaller version of a van. A van will most likely always outperform an SUV in terms of versatility and I think the Odyssey is a fine looking vehicle. Even if a sharper look was needed, something along the lines of the JDM Odyssey would work.
This new idea just makes Ford a bunch of quitters. Whats next, quitting against the Tacoma with the Ranger, or how bout against the Civic with the Focus...
02-03-2006, 11:05 PM
#18
Fahrvergnügen'd
I drove a Freestar from Baltimore to NYC and back to pick up some speakers I bought.
I made it in 2:45 to NYC from Baltimore-Washington International Airport. For those of you in the DC/MD area you know what kind of good time we were making. I was doing 85 the entire way and the the thing was really solid and a nice ride.
HOWEVER - There were so many touches that just screamed "WTF is this cheap shit?" ...
For example:
A real handbrake between the front seats. Just randomly sticking out of the floor. WTF? Why not go with the footbrake like most minivans?
A very average engine in terms of refinement. It's very quiet but when goosed it complains and gets rather thrashy.
A very average transmission.
Fit and finish weren't bad. The minivan had 6k miles on it. Lots of hard, cheap plastic though. I wouldn't have spent $30k on a SEL like Ford wants. This was a $22-23k vehicle IMO.
I made it in 2:45 to NYC from Baltimore-Washington International Airport. For those of you in the DC/MD area you know what kind of good time we were making. I was doing 85 the entire way and the the thing was really solid and a nice ride.
HOWEVER - There were so many touches that just screamed "WTF is this cheap shit?" ...
For example:
A real handbrake between the front seats. Just randomly sticking out of the floor. WTF? Why not go with the footbrake like most minivans?
A very average engine in terms of refinement. It's very quiet but when goosed it complains and gets rather thrashy.
A very average transmission.
Fit and finish weren't bad. The minivan had 6k miles on it. Lots of hard, cheap plastic though. I wouldn't have spent $30k on a SEL like Ford wants. This was a $22-23k vehicle IMO.
02-06-2006, 10:54 AM
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Originally Posted by heyitsme
Looks interesting but designing their new minivan like this ^ will pretty much equal abandoning the segment. Something styled like this will only attract more suv buyers instead of tapping the minivan segment.
To all: This is the Ford Fairlane Concept. The thread is located here:
https://acurazine.com/forums/automotive-news-6/ford-flex-news-%2A%2Aselling-slowly-page-2-%2A%2A-164613/
02-06-2006, 10:55 AM
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Chicago, Oakville get new Lincolns - - Source: Automotive News
...
A minivan replacement based on the Ford Fairlane concept is now set to go into production in Oakville beginning in February 2008. Ford calls the vehicle, code-named d471, a "people mover." Ford is forecasting volume at 103,000 vehicles annually, suppliers said. That likely will include 12,000 hybrids, one supplier said.
The production version of the Fairlane is expected to replace the Ford Freestar minivan, which has sold poorly since its 2003 launch.
Some suppliers and industry forecasters have speculated that Ford will drop the Freestar early. Ford won't talk about the ultimate plan for the Freestar and its Mercury Monterey companion. But Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, said on Jan. 23 that there will be a 2007 Freestar.
...
A minivan replacement based on the Ford Fairlane concept is now set to go into production in Oakville beginning in February 2008. Ford calls the vehicle, code-named d471, a "people mover." Ford is forecasting volume at 103,000 vehicles annually, suppliers said. That likely will include 12,000 hybrids, one supplier said.
The production version of the Fairlane is expected to replace the Ford Freestar minivan, which has sold poorly since its 2003 launch.
Some suppliers and industry forecasters have speculated that Ford will drop the Freestar early. Ford won't talk about the ultimate plan for the Freestar and its Mercury Monterey companion. But Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, said on Jan. 23 that there will be a 2007 Freestar.
...
02-06-2006, 11:56 AM
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I think it's incredibly sad that both GM and Ford can't seem to make a world class minivan. It's not that fuckin' hard. GM has resulted in creating ugly ass minivans with a pseudo-SUV snout, to try to fool the public. Ford will take it a step further, and make a minivan in true SUV/crossover skin. How many fuckin' SUVs does Ford need? They're worse than Toyota with that lame shit. Atleast Toyota can create a true minivan.
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