Ford Risks It All on Taurus, Fusion

Often referred to as the most powerful member of the Detroit 3 group, American automaker Ford struggles to maintain its position in the upcoming year and expressed its confidence that Taurus and Fusion, two models set to debut in January, will help it revamp sales. In addition, Ford Americas President Mark Fields admitted that Ford may fail to meet the demand for hybrid vehicles due to the lack of batteries, but explained that improving relations with suppliers should change this aspect very soon, The Detroit News reported quoting a transcript of an online chat with employees.

But more importantly, Ford confirmed that new cost-cutting measures may be applied in the near future, including white-collar job cuts as Ford is willing to “do whatever is necessary,” the aforementioned source. Such a move is mandatory if Ford struggles to remain close to GM and Chrysler, the two Detroit 3 members which got financial support from the government.

Getting back to the two models, Ford says that both Taurus and Fusion provide advanced features that could help them dominate their segments.

“Both Taurus and Fusion are critical. Taurus will further strengthen our car lineup, offering head-turning design and outstanding driving dynamics -- introducing some buzz in the full-size sedan segment for us. At the same time, Fusion -- with a new powertrain lineup and an all-new hybrid that will be America's most fuel-efficient midsize sedan -- helps build Ford's credibility as an industry leader in fuel efficiency,” Fields was quoted as saying by The Detroit News.

On the other hand, meeting hybrid demand may become one of the main goals of the company in 2009, as Ford struggles to keep it up with the industry and produce as many hybrid vehicles as requested. However, the lack of batteries makes this goal impossible but Ford promises that working closely with suppliers should resolve the problem.

“We are constrained by the amount of components -- including batteries -- that the supply base can provide us. That said, we will continue to work with suppliers to look at every opportunity to meet demand and still provide a good return for the business,” Ford's official added.