Ford Fiesta’s future in Australia unclear, Focus cloudy too

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

I don't recall the last time I have seen a Current model Focus RS/ST or Fiesta ST. Plenty of old XR5 from back in the Ford glory days still putting around though. They are not competitively priced for what they are, and objectively , the Japs and Germans have the Hatch and performance hatch market stitched up and the sales numbers speak for themselves...

Competitively priced yeah righto Focus RS is bloody good value for money if you look at what it has been compared with. Fiesta ST and Focus ST much in the same boat. A lot of money for what you get when compared to their chief rivals say from VW.
Also you are aware this trio do come from Germany aswell yeah?

[FlipXW]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Don't know where to start with this. Ranger offers a lot of things Hilux doesn't. It's a superior vehicle is every way bar maybe long term reliability, and it has had more updates over the past 6 years than Hilux has.

All Ford needs to do is offer the Ranger with the V6 ecoboost, call it Raptor and nothing will come close in the sales race. Or even better give us the F150 (wont happen soon), I'm bloody dying for a performance 4x4 over here. Would pick up a lot of previous SS/XRT ute buyers IMO. A market thats just waiting to be tapped.

[au2000]

Sorry but may 2017 figures of less than 500 focus and less than 120 fiestas sold is not exactly great numbers....

Before I brought my G6ET I went to look at a Focus ST, was it a pretty car, hell yes, did I love the interior, hell yes, but then I sat in it, at 5 11" and 95 kilos I was out, add to the fact my mrs needed it to be auto and my knees were hitting the centre console and it was 50 grand, the move to the larger car was a simple choice,

guess what I'm trying to say is that some say on here we have the falcon lovers but we also have some blinded ford lovers too,

The focus may be a great little car but it's sales numbers say something's missing and it can't be denied, it's not selling as well as it could, the auto debacle has hurt it badly and tbh ford need to get a new focus model out asap and somehow link peoples knowledge back to it has a proper auto,

Am I a falcon lover, hell yes, but if I was more comftable in it even without the auto option I'd have gone the focus

[DJM83]

50k for a focus ST, someone is having a lend of you there.

[Rallye Sport]

It'd be a shame to see them go. We've already lost our hero car in the Falcon, now the small Fords are next? These little things are versatile, well built cars, full of spirit and a hoot to drive, don't understand why they don't sell more. I'll still cherish my blue ovals but I think its about time to hang up my Ford hat.

[Windsor220]

It would be a good time to remarket Fords small range now they aren't the Falcon car company.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Ratmick

The US-spec Fiesta ST is made in Mexico...



All true, the bottom three are made in Germany though and the quality is markedly better than my missus' Thai WT Fiesta TDCi.

I have a Fiesta ST, great little runabout. Can't tow jack but it's a superb handling well-built fairly toey little thing

+1

The junk that comes out of Thailand is appalling in regards to Focus and Fiesta.

I've got one of the German made WS Fiestas and when the Thai made WT came out you could certainly tell the difference.

Same with the old man's WZ ST, German built.

The regular shopping models, the first new models seem to come from Germany, than the series II production comes from Thailand.

Forget it, not buying that crapola.

If you want a decent auto small car then its Mazda 3, do the Focus still use that terrible DSG? They shot themselves in the foot with that big time.

[AG3]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

+1

The junk that comes out of Thailand is appalling in regards to Focus and Fiesta.

I've got one of the German made WS Fiestas and when the Thai made WT came out you could certainly tell the difference.

Same with the old man's WZ ST, German built.

The regular shopping models, the first new models seem to come from Germany, than the series II production comes from Thailand.

Forget it, not buying that crapola.

If you want a decent auto small car then its Mazda 3, do the Focus still use that terrible DSG? They shot themselves in the foot with that big time.

The current Thai-made Fiesta's main issue is its optional PowerShift DCT which is made by "Getrag Americas" in Mexico, the same annoying transmission shared by Fiesta's built in other regions.

The current Focus in Asia-Pacific uses a 6-speed torque-converter automatic since it was upgraded with the more powerful 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine.

The dry clutch PowerShift DCT was designed primarily for lower torque engines.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by AG3

The current Thai-made Fiesta's main issue is its optional PowerShift DCT which is made by "Getrag Americas" in Mexico, the same annoying transmission shared by Fiesta's built in other regions.

The current Focus in Asia-Pacific uses a 6-speed torque-converter automatic since it was upgraded with the more powerful 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine.

The dry clutch PowerShift DCT was designed primarily for lower torque engines.

They still had issues with the wet clutch version used in the diesels too.

Ask Yellow_Festiva what happened to his at 60,000km in his LV TDCI.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

+1

The junk that comes out of Thailand is appalling in regards to Focus and Fiesta.

I've got one of the German made WS Fiestas and when the Thai made WT came out you could certainly tell the difference.

Same with the old man's WZ ST, German built.

The regular shopping models, the first new models seem to come from Germany, than the series II production comes from Thailand.

Forget it, not buying that crapola.

If you want a decent auto small car then its Mazda 3, do the Focus still use that terrible DSG? They shot themselves in the foot with that big time.

Nothing wrong with our Thailand built Focus. It's awesome!

[stig_3754]

Originally Posted by au2000

Sorry but may 2017 figures of less than 500 focus and less than 120 fiestas sold is not exactly great numbers....

Before I brought my G6ET I went to look at a Focus ST, was it a pretty car, hell yes, did I love the interior, hell yes, but then I sat in it, at 5 11" and 95 kilos I was out, add to the fact my mrs needed it to be auto and my knees were hitting the centre console and it was 50 grand, the move to the larger car was a simple choice,

guess what I'm trying to say is that some say on here we have the falcon lovers but we also have some blinded ford lovers too,

The focus may be a great little car but it's sales numbers say something's missing and it can't be denied, it's not selling as well as it could, the auto debacle has hurt it badly and tbh ford need to get a new focus model out asap and somehow link peoples knowledge back to it has a proper auto,

Am I a falcon lover, hell yes, but if I was more comftable in it even without the auto option I'd have gone the focus

$50K for a Focus ST? Come on...

And I'm 6'3" 93Kg (was just over 100Kg at some point too), and the Focus ST has never made me uncomfortable in nearly 4 years of driving it, don't ever hit the centre console or anything like that. Not to mention the 3 years I had in my old XR5T. Perhaps you should learn to adjust the seat back?

[au2000]

Originally Posted by stig_3754

$50K for a Focus ST? Come on...

And I'm 6'3" 93Kg (was just over 100Kg at some point too), and the Focus ST has never made me uncomfortable in nearly 4 years of driving it, don't ever hit the centre console or anything like that. Not to mention the 3 years I had in my old XR5T. Perhaps you should learn to adjust the seat back?

The seats adjust???? Wow never thought of that, might try that in future !
But seriously goes to show that as good as some think it is, it does not suit everyone, and that we can share positive n negative opinions here without ridicule

And yes, that was the price the dealer wanted 18 months ago

[DJM83]

Yeah even with all options they aren't 50k

[boss351290]

A st focus is $45000 drive away a lot of money for a small car. I bought my daughter a brand new trend manual 1.5 turbo. It is a fantastic car. Goes good handles good and has more o features on it than my 5.0 gtp had and that car was almost $90000. Brand new. And I only paid $18000 for it plus on roads. But I agree they are small inside.

[nstg8a]

Yep, interior space is what put me off a focus when we were shopping for the good car.

Had to be auto for the missus, smallish and economical.

Ended up getting a Subaru xv, and other than a lack of power it's the best car ive ever owned.

[TheSneakiness]

Ford must be stupid if they think the small car range isn't important here, I sent a work colleague an image of the current small car range available in Australia and there is heaps to select from. I think they need to pull their fists out of their **** and do something to get it over again, especially after the Powershift debacle and the switch back to torque converter auto.

LZ Focus Sport is at the top of my list to buy when I can in 12 months but if Ford don't care enough there are plenty of others who will.

[eb2fairmont]

Agree ranger and mustang are probably best in class at the moment

But ford needs to be pushing focus and mondeo. If not they have no fallback position.

The power shift drama is really going to hurt for years and they really need to be aggressive marketing the cars and kicking dealers backsides to get away from they all do that it's writhing tolerance mentality

[Kieron]

Originally Posted by Windsor220

It would be a good time to remarket Fords small range now they aren't the Falcon car company.

This is spot on and Ford Au have deliberately being moving itself away from the Falcon car co for a few years. Many on FF in the past have had a go at Ford for not marketing the Falcon in recent years, not thinking that this was a transition that needed to be made and for once, Ford were ahead of Holden in their marketing.

[Bossxr8]

I think it will all come down to where it is built, and where the dollar is at the time to determine how much they can sell them for. Price will be the sticking point. The new Fiesta is moving upmarket to a more premium offering and it will have a higher sticker price for sure. In Europe they are slotting the KA in underneath the Fiesta as the cheap entry point.

[Sabantien]

They don't want to bring out the new car with the latest features.
The old ones aren't selling because they lack the latest features every competitor has.

Brilliant.

[AG3]

Originally Posted by Sabantien

They don't want to bring out the new car with the latest features.
The old ones aren't selling because they lack the latest features every competitor has.

I believe its biggest flaw was its optional PowerShift transmission.
This has been replaced by a traditional automatic on the new model now on sale in Europe. They also upgraded the infotainment system to Sync 3.

The rest of the car is pretty much an improved version of the current/outgoing model.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/ford/fi...ta-2017-review
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-rev...a-2017-review/

[anto]

Originally Posted by Wretched

LOL, I think you need to take your own advice and take off the Falcon tinted glasses. I may be a Ford fan but I can at least acknowledge something other than one model.

Seriously get over it. It's time has passed. It was never anything more than an average car, never excelled at much. Quality you talk about? Sorry but Mustang is all over Falcon for quality.

Errr, no im afraid not. More content and up to date tech yes ....quality no. I just bought a manual mustang and it creaks rattles and thuds more than any falcon I've ever owned. Falcon haters need to get a grip on reality

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by anto

Falcon haters need to get a grip on reality

Unfortunately the Falcon was a dud, that's why no one bought them anymore (and why it was canned).

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by anto

Errr, no im afraid not. More content and up to date tech yes ....quality no. I just bought a manual mustang and it creaks rattles and thuds more than any falcon I've ever owned. Falcon haters need to get a grip on reality

I think some Falcon owners are the ones to get a grip on reality, everyone else seems to be doing fine.

[Bossxr8]

New Fiesta first review I read said it's very, very good. But priced to suit. It won't be cheap if it gets here. It's been moved upmarket, comparably to the VW Polo.

[Mercury Bullet]

Originally Posted by Wretched

I think some Falcon owners are the ones to get a grip on reality, everyone else seems to be doing fine.

He owns both a Mustang and a recent Falcon GT and you the Golf owner are telling him about the difference in build quality?

Don't you think that just maybe he knows what he's talking about?

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

He owns both a Mustang and a recent Falcon GT and you the Golf owner are telling him about the difference in build quality?

Thanks for the laugh.

LoL what? Golf owner...not me.

[Mercury Bullet]

I edited my post as I thought it may have been a bit personal.

Since you quoted it I changed it back.
Sorry for any confusion.

[Mercury Bullet]

Originally Posted by Wretched

LoL what? Golf owner...not me.

I thought you drove a Golf - my mistake.

Do you have a recent Falcon and Mustang to compare?
Everything I've heard is that American build quality on the Mustang is questionable.

Anto is just another one to reinforce that belief.

All I can add is my Falcon has now turned over 20,000 and it hasn't made a squeak. It's still as solid as the day it came out of the showroom.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

I thought you drove a Golf - my mistake.

Do you have a recent Falcon and Mustang to compare?
Everything I've heard is that American build quality on the Mustang is questionable.

Anto is just another one to reinforce that belief.

All I can add is my Falcon has now turned over 20,000 and it hasn't made a squeak. It's still as solid as the day it came out of the showroom.

Mustang was no 1 in it's category is the US quality surveys. So it can't be as bad as some people make it out to be.