Where does the Fiesta fit in and how are you going to position it and price it relative to Focus?
We want to position the Fiesta as a vehicle with a very different character. The basic personality of Fiesta is very different from Focus or Fit or Yaris. It’s not a commodity product, and we’re not trying to please everyone. It’s a product with a design that tells people you don’t want a washing machine.
People in the U.S. are buying much more expensive B, C, and C/D cars. Look at the transaction price over the past five or six years: Civic is a $20,000 car, Fit is a $16,000 or $17,000 car. The Corolla is a $15,000 car and the Camry is a $17,000 or $18,000 car. The reality is that you don’t have to make a car that’s for everyone. Mazda 3 showed that. If you make a car with a strong personality, there will be a group of people who really appreciate it. And if you combine that unique personality with our dynamics, and our design, and our technology, and you offer specification levels that attract buyers from segments above you, there’s a huge number of downtraders in the U.S. There’s a lot of downsizing going on, not just because of the economy but because of a lot of other reasons, one of which is that the products have got a lot better
The Future is Focus-ed: Ford to Bring 10 Focus Variants to U.S. Over Next Three Years - Car and Driver Blog
We want to position the Fiesta as a vehicle with a very different character. The basic personality of Fiesta is very different from Focus or Fit or Yaris. It’s not a commodity product, and we’re not trying to please everyone. It’s a product with a design that tells people you don’t want a washing machine.
People in the U.S. are buying much more expensive B, C, and C/D cars. Look at the transaction price over the past five or six years: Civic is a $20,000 car, Fit is a $16,000 or $17,000 car. The Corolla is a $15,000 car and the Camry is a $17,000 or $18,000 car. The reality is that you don’t have to make a car that’s for everyone. Mazda 3 showed that. If you make a car with a strong personality, there will be a group of people who really appreciate it. And if you combine that unique personality with our dynamics, and our design, and our technology, and you offer specification levels that attract buyers from segments above you, there’s a huge number of downtraders in the U.S. There’s a lot of downsizing going on, not just because of the economy but because of a lot of other reasons, one of which is that the products have got a lot better
The Future is Focus-ed: Ford to Bring 10 Focus Variants to U.S. Over Next Three Years - Car and Driver Blog
