Photo: Ford
Earlier this year, the Ford Motor Company dropped a bombshell on the American automotive industry by announcing it would discontinue all passenger cars except for the Focus Active and Mustang. Fast-forward to July 2018, and people familiar with the automaker’s plans claimed that the Fusion would transition to an all-road wagon in 2021.
Now September is knocking on the door, and the U.S.-China trade war has killed off the Focus Active before even setting foot on American soil. The Ford Motor Company confirmed the information to The Detroit Bureau, claiming that the import tariff would make the crossover-styled hatchback too expensive.
"Given the negative financial impact of the new tariffs, we've decided not to import this vehicle from China," declared Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford in North America. "The significant thing that moved was the tariffs going up substantially higher. We're choosing to deploy resources elsewhere."
Given these circumstances, the Fusion-based longroof and Mustang will carry the torch from 2021 onward, with the rest of the lineup to be completed by crossovers, sport utility vehicles, vans, and pickup trucks. James Hackett plans to bring down the number of platforms from nine to five, which is a huge undertaking when you think about it.
In the long run, however, switching to modular platforms such as the C2 (Focus, Escape) and CD6 (Mustang, Explorer) will help Ford make the best out of their research & development funds. Better still, the modular design ensures a quicker and less expensive development process, be it the Ford Motor Company or Lincoln luxury division.
By 2020, Ford expects 90 percent of the automaker’s North American sales to consist of utility vehicles, trucks, and commercial vehicles. Preparing for the uncertain future, the company announced that it would cut $25.5 billion in operating costs. Towards this goal, Ford will spend $11 billion to restructure its global businesses.
Turning our attention back to the Focus Active, the automaker would’ve sold “fewer than 50,000” examples of the breed in the United States on a yearly basis. Alas, another one bites the dust.
The 25-percent tariff could bring General Motors to reconsider its lineup as well. At the present moment, General Motors manufactures the Cadillac CT6 Plug-In Hybrid and Buick Envision in the Middle Kingdom.
"Given the negative financial impact of the new tariffs, we've decided not to import this vehicle from China," declared Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford in North America. "The significant thing that moved was the tariffs going up substantially higher. We're choosing to deploy resources elsewhere."
Given these circumstances, the Fusion-based longroof and Mustang will carry the torch from 2021 onward, with the rest of the lineup to be completed by crossovers, sport utility vehicles, vans, and pickup trucks. James Hackett plans to bring down the number of platforms from nine to five, which is a huge undertaking when you think about it.
In the long run, however, switching to modular platforms such as the C2 (Focus, Escape) and CD6 (Mustang, Explorer) will help Ford make the best out of their research & development funds. Better still, the modular design ensures a quicker and less expensive development process, be it the Ford Motor Company or Lincoln luxury division.
By 2020, Ford expects 90 percent of the automaker’s North American sales to consist of utility vehicles, trucks, and commercial vehicles. Preparing for the uncertain future, the company announced that it would cut $25.5 billion in operating costs. Towards this goal, Ford will spend $11 billion to restructure its global businesses.
Turning our attention back to the Focus Active, the automaker would’ve sold “fewer than 50,000” examples of the breed in the United States on a yearly basis. Alas, another one bites the dust.
The 25-percent tariff could bring General Motors to reconsider its lineup as well. At the present moment, General Motors manufactures the Cadillac CT6 Plug-In Hybrid and Buick Envision in the Middle Kingdom.
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