• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Fiesta ST Forum and Fiesta ST community dedicated to Fiesta ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Fiesta ST Forum today!


Ford unveiled a Fiesta Van and it's adorable

Messages
182
Likes
54
Location
Gatineau
#10
I don't understand what makes it a van. I suppose there are no back seats and that's it?

I know we're used to have van that are much bigger here, but I don't understand the point of having a dedicated van version like that. Does it make that much difference in cargo space to remove the back seats to warrant its own version?
 


Messages
22
Likes
7
Location
Modena
#11
I don't understand what makes it a van. I suppose there are no back seats and that's it?

I know we're used to have van that are much bigger here, but I don't understand the point of having a dedicated van version like that. Does it make that much difference in cargo space to remove the back seats to warrant its own version?
Yeah i think the same. But if they produce it, there's a good motivation (if there's one...).
Personally i'm going to buy a Transit Connect or similar if i need a large back space.
However it look so "racing" with the back glass covered [biggrin]
 


Messages
356
Likes
230
Location
Grass Lake
#12
If that's a van, I got a house for sale.

Dominoes pizza had to have major body customizing done to Chevy Spark hatchbacks just to get them into a configuration that allowed them to install warming ovens.
The definition of a van is malleable. Ford blindly ignored the huge market for small, efficient delivery vehicles. Fiesta was a pefect template for a small delivery car. Florest shops, urban parcel delivery. Catering services all would have been a perfect place for a commercial delivery version of Fiesta to strut it stuff. A properly designed slide out tray would have made Fiesta into a versatile tool. Ford has demonstrated a huge lack of imagination regarding the commercial potential of small cars.
 


Intuit

3000 Post Club
Messages
3,601
Likes
2,203
Location
South West Ohio
#13
What, market the Fiesta? Why do that when we can market something that has a larger profit margin; say the F150? Screw diversifying. [deviltail]
 


jmrtsus

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,521
Likes
1,155
Location
Ooltewah
#14
Dominoes pizza had to have major body customizing done to Chevy Spark hatchbacks just to get them into a configuration that allowed them to install warming ovens.
The definition of a van is malleable. Ford blindly ignored the huge market for small, efficient delivery vehicles. Fiesta was a pefect template for a small delivery car. Florest shops, urban parcel delivery. Catering services all would have been a perfect place for a commercial delivery version of Fiesta to strut it stuff. A properly designed slide out tray would have made Fiesta into a versatile tool. Ford has demonstrated a huge lack of imagination regarding the commercial potential of small cars.
Not enough of a market here......people want TRUCKS and SUV's here. If you have ever driven in Europe and bought gas in Europe you would see why they buy small cars.People that do not understand a business sells what people are buying......the USA does not buy small cars, simple fact.
 


jmrtsus

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,521
Likes
1,155
Location
Ooltewah
#15
And
What, market the Fiesta? Why do that when we can market something that has a larger profit margin; say the F150? Screw diversifying. [deviltail]

They sell what people buy........and stop trying to sell what people do not want. The only way a business can keep the doors open. The F-150 need no marketing.......just look at your dealers lot. I just looked Ford sold 20 F150 trucks for every 1 Fiesta in the USA in 2017. And each truck averages 7 times the profit on a Fiesta. Which would you sell and which would you drop?
 


Messages
356
Likes
230
Location
Grass Lake
#16
Not enough of a market here......people want TRUCKS and SUV's here. If you have ever driven in Europe and bought gas in Europe you would see why they buy small cars.People that do not understand a business sells what people are buying......the USA does not buy small cars, simple fact.
We are talking about commercial use vehicles. I see many small cars being used as delivery vehicles . business buys vehicles that are rational for what they need to do a job. If small vehicles are not wanted, why is Transit connect selling?
 


Intuit

3000 Post Club
Messages
3,601
Likes
2,203
Location
South West Ohio
#17
And


They sell what people buy........and stop trying to sell what people do not want. The only way a business can keep the doors open. The F-150 need no marketing.......just look at your dealers lot. I just looked Ford sold 20 F150 trucks for every 1 Fiesta in the USA in 2017. And each truck averages 7 times the profit on a Fiesta. Which would you sell and which would you drop?
Strong suspicion that this has a lot to do with the need to start recouping for the drastically higher R&D costs, associated with internal combustion alternatives and autonomous technologies.

I don't think that people are making the case that Ford should avoid serving higher demand markets or loose money or try to change our culture. Only that Ford should continue to offer a diversified lineup. Haven't heard any statements that they have been or will start loosing money on these alternatives. I understand that dealers will not want to stock these because they're taxed on their inventory. Ford may need to take a page out of Tesla's book and begin marketing them to order, directly to customers.

I think most of us will note that they weren't really *trying* to sell it. I've seen countless truck and SUV ads, never an ad for Fiesta. Personally only discovered it by going directly to Ford's website and clicking around for the complete lineup. Went to several dealerships in the area looking for it and they weren't even interested in fetching one from another location. At most, they only wanted to push the Focus ST already on the lot. Two dealerships blew me off completely. The vehicle I have, came from 400 miles away. There is a Woody Sander dealer that I had totally forgot about. They have them now, don't know about back in 2016.
 


Messages
356
Likes
230
Location
Grass Lake
#18
Intuits experience at various dealerships mirrors mine exactly. Everything from indifference to outright efforts to sell me something else.
 


jmrtsus

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,521
Likes
1,155
Location
Ooltewah
#19
We are talking about commercial use vehicles. I see many small cars being used as delivery vehicles . business buys vehicles that are rational for what they need to do a job. If small vehicles are not wanted, why is Transit connect selling?
It is not selling......less sales than the Fiesta. Fiesta sold 47K in 2017 the TC was 34K


Ford
Transit Connect
2017 34.473
2016 43.232
2015 52.221
2014 43.210
2013 39.703
2012 35.216
2011 31.914
2010 27.405
2009 8.834
 


jmrtsus

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,521
Likes
1,155
Location
Ooltewah
#20
Strong suspicion that this has a lot to do with the need to start recouping for the drastically higher R&D costs, associated with internal combustion alternatives and autonomous technologies.

I don't think that people are making the case that Ford should avoid serving higher demand markets or loose money or try to change our culture. Only that Ford should continue to offer a diversified lineup. Haven't heard any statements that they have been or will start loosing money on these alternatives. I understand that dealers will not want to stock these because they're taxed on their inventory. Ford may need to take a page out of Tesla's book and begin marketing them to order, directly to customers.

I think most of us will note that they weren't really *trying* to sell it. I've seen countless truck and SUV ads, never an ad for Fiesta. Personally only discovered it by going directly to Ford's website and clicking around for the complete lineup. Went to several dealerships in the area looking for it and they weren't even interested in fetching one from another location. At most, they only wanted to push the Focus ST already on the lot. Two dealerships blew me off completely. The vehicle I have, came from 400 miles away. There is a Woody Sander dealer that I had totally forgot about. They have them now, don't know about back in 2016.
You hit the nail on the head.....make money! That is why a business exists. Tesla......what a joke! Has never made a penny in profit.....a modern day pyramid scheme. I don't think any car company will follow their fiasco. The truck ads are to convince you to buy a Ford truck over a Chevy or Ram, not to buy one instead of a Fiesta. I don't think they even wanted to carry the Fiesta over this year.
I learned a hard lesson in the jewelry business years ago. Know your market and cater to it. We stocked items that the rest of the US was buying and the world market was booming. But here in our local market we could not give the stuff away. Ended up with the stock of that stuff being used as presents and giveaways. This region is brainwashed into only buying faceted gems like Diamonds and will not buy gemstones like jade, lapis and pearl necklaces. For Ford the local USA market buys big trucks and SUV's, the rest of the world does not. So they sell what sells here and what sells worldwide and they are not the same. To think anyone on this Forum is in a position to tell Ford how to make money is laughable.They have enough floors of bean counters to do that and didn't need my taxes to survive! None of us like it but even GM is dropping cars, Buick is gone and many of their small cars are being discontinued. Maybe, just maybe we will get some fed laws on all the tax breaks and funding foreign car companies get and allow the same breaks for US car companies and make US cars competitive again pricing wise. But niether Ford nor GM can compete on quality and content when their costs are higher. So walk away is the proper thing to do in the business world.
 


Similar threads



Top