The Flexibility of One Ford

[ahmed_7erzon]

This is the Ford dealership of the near future: If you find a big-city showroom in which every car is smaller than a Mustang and every truck or crossover is smaller than an Edge, you might think you've stepped into a European store. The automaker's C-platform takes centre, uh, center stage, as Ford believes compacts like the Focus eventually will replace midsize sedans like the Fusion as the volume passenger car. (Even if that doesn't happen, the 2013 Fusion converges with the European Mondeo's design.)
Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, near Dearborn, has been converted from truck production to build the new 2012 Focus sedan and hatchback. It's also the factory for the electric Focus and both hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the Focus-based C-Max multipurpose vehicle. Ford hasn't identified the assembly plant for North American production of the conventional C-Max.

Are we ready for smaller sedans, compact hatchbacks, and micro-minivans?

Thanks to the flexibility of the Michigan Assembly Plant, it may not matter. Flexibility means the factory can add production of a particularly popular model while cutting production of models that aren't selling that well, notes Ford product chief Derrick Kuzak. He says the Fiesta's early 60/40 hatchback/sedan split is more hatchback than Ford expected. So how does Ford's compact lineup shake out? Here are the variants to begin production in Wayne over the next couple of years:

Focus sedan and hatchback: Includes the ST hatchback. Just launched, we wouldn't count on the same 60-percent-hatchback take-rate as for the Fiesta. Look for 50/50 at best in the first year, with sedan sales dominating through the rest of the product cycle. Ford counts the Audi A3 among the new Focus' competitors.


Focus electric hatchback: Distinguished by its Aston Martin-like grille and lack of a tailpipe, 100 percent of its materials are "sustainable." Ford claims a 100-mile range, on a recharge taking 3-4 hours at 240 volts-that's faster recharging than the Nissan Leaf, better mpg equivalent than the Chevy Volt, and a dedicated charging station that's $500 to $700 less than Nissan's or Chevy's. Microsoft is supplying a "value charging" feature that helps owners find off-peak rates for their recharge. The car will feature Sync, MyFord, WiFi, Sirius, and HD radio. On sale late '11.
C-Max: A Mazda5-size minivan, with sliding rear doors on both sides. Ford calls seating "5+2," with the two seats in the far back best for kids or short trips. The center row features a neat feature: The middle seat can flip forward and then to its right, storing under the right-side seat bottom. And the keyless entry opens the hatchlid when you shake your foot, twice, under the rear bumper while your arms are full of shopping bags. A 2.5-liter four will be standard, and a 170-horsepower, 177-pound-foot 1.6-liter EcoBoost four will be optional, either coupled to a six-speed automatic. Sale date and production location not confirmed.

C-Max Hybrid: With its third-generation hybrid system (after Escape and Fusion), Ford is bringing its battery development in-house. The automaker says the lithium-ion battery pack is 25-30 percent smaller, half as heavy, and easier to package than the Fusion hybrid's. And it will improve on the Fusion hybrid's 41-mpg city mileage, and 47 mph all-electric top speed. On sale in 2012.

C-Max E=nergi: This is the plug-in version of the C-Max hybrid. Ford claims a quicker full-battery charge than Chevy Volt, possible on 110 volts, though 240 volts will be quicker. Maximum range will be more than 500 miles, Ford says. On sale in 2012.