Ford Fiesta ECOnetic 65-75 MPG-Will Not be Sold in USA

[katty]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w4QGMPyRi0

[Vincardog]

1. "But there are business reasons why we can't sell it in the U.S."

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Business decisions have consequences. That's all I have to say to them about that.

[ThomCat]

15. It would be damned nice to know what those supposed

business reasons are. x(

[nc4bo]

2. Too bad, cute little car. I like it.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :nuke:

[Hoopla Phil]

3. Does it meet U.S. emissions standards?

I know that is the reason that lots of high MPG diesel cars from Europe are not sold here in the U.S. I wonder if there have been any studies on the trade off of high MPG cars that don't meet emissions versus low MPG cars (like a suburban) that DO meet emissions standards. I wonder which one actually palutes more.

[Thothmes]

8. Also, do they meet U.S. crash standards?

[Lorien]

21. I believe that our crash standards are lower than those in the EU. nt

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

24. The US has lower crash and emissions standards than Europe

[Tesha]

18. Strangely enough, even in Yurp they have pollution standards on cars. (NT)

[Lorien]

20. Lowest emissions in the Ford fleet. nt

[Stevenmarc]

5. Some of the reasons that it won't be sold here

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_37/b4099060491065.htm?chan=autos_autos+--+lifestyle+subindex+page_top+stories

[Oregone]

6. Why can't the engines be built domestically?

Bolts all in metric or something? I don't understand the need to import.

[Stevenmarc]

7. I doubt they would want to retool a line

on a product that they don't have market confidence in. They have to turn around consumers ideas about diesel, companies like Mercedes and Volkswagen pretty much have a lock on the consumers that are on board with diesel.

[Oregone]

9. Huh...market confidence will build itself over a vehicle this efficient.

[Stevenmarc]

12. Personally I have the Jetta TDI on my short list for the next car

Volkswagen has a product that is already in the $18,000 - $23,000 price range, it's larger than the Fiesta ECOnetic and the mileage is in the 50+ mpg. It's going to be a real uphill battle for Ford to make their car marketable in the USA at that price level for that size car.

[screembloodymurder]

22. Bullshit!

I don't buy the anti-diesel sentiment crap.

[TreasonousBastard]

11. 350 million to build the factory and...

tool up to make an engine there's no demonstrated market for? And then add up the costs to make it meet all the US standards. And the marketing, spare parts, dealer service training...

If you were going broke but could get your hands on about half a billion dollars that would make or break your company, would you take this gamble? Or would you take a somewhat safer route to profitability?

[Stevenmarc]

13. Exactly

[Oregone]

14. Whats the safer route to profitability?

:)

Yeah, that doesn't seem to be working.

Look, 350 is a lot of dough (Too bad the government can't nationalize them and fund the project). I just think the marketing is a bit ridiculous...its going to take care of itself. People would eat this up more than the current hybrids.

Maybe they are just waiting for another crude oil crisis though to launch em.

[Stevenmarc]

17. Ford might disagree, they understand marketing failures

They lost $350 million on the Edsel and that was in the 50's. The current hybrids are doing pretty damn well and near the end of the year the Prius plug-in will be on the showroom floors so now the Fiesta ECOnetic will be up against a car that will be getting around 100 mpg

[TreasonousBastard]

25. I doubt people will eat it up...

last year the roads around here were full of SUVs for sale, now it's econoboxes-- fact is that people LIKE big cars and only downsize when forced to.

Toyota is the company everyone lilkes to point ot. OK, but they make the Yaris in addition to the Corolla, Prius and a few others, like Scions, which get great mileage.

Quick! How many Yarises have you seen on the roads in the past month or so? Year? Ever see more Corollas than Camrys? How about Highlanders? 4Runners? Lots of those. More than Priuses. And Lexus sales ain't doin' so bad.

Right now, nobody is buying much of anything, and the few people that have the money to pay cash or get financing aren't buying econoboxes, much less diesels, so Ford has the Focus and will have a new one out soon, and there's that kickass Fusion hybrid due out this year that should kick sales up.

(That's the safer way.)

[Hoopla Phil]

10. I've read that over half of the desiel that the U.S. produces

is shipped overseas. I wonder how much the price would come down if something was done to limit the amount shipped overseas.

[eridani]

19. That's because diesel is the primary milirary fuel. n/t

[fascisthunter]

16. BIG OIL... that's why

colluding between automanufacturers and big oil has been going on for a very long time.

[Generic Brad]

23. I guess FORD wants to go out of business

What a bunch of dumb asses. I would buy one if they were sold here. But since they won't, I'll continue driving my foreign car that gets 34 mpg. It's like they want to lose. :crazy:

[jmowreader]

26. Oh god, not this shit again!

You can buy a hell of a lot of fuel with the $10,000 difference between a Focus and a Fiesta ECOnetic. That, friends, is how Americans think. If Ford Americas decided to put this car into the North American market with the economy we're dealing with right now, the shareholders would tell the board members to go home that day. And they'd be justified in doing so.