Fiesta to be axed after 46 years.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

The damage to the Ford brand is what happened with their powershift clownshow, customer doesn't care or know what transmission the Puma has, they know it has a Ford badge on it though

The only reputable model they have is the Ranger (and a lesser degree the Everest as its a Ranger with a longer roof), its the private owner king of the Thailand Specials.

Thats it in a nut shell really, its not the detail, its the perception of the brand and its their own fault.
The dry clutch Powershift transmission was never a suitable option for our stop/start gridlocked suburban conditions as by nature its continually changing up and down as it crawls through traffic which can only equate to clutch friction wear and heat.
Ford should have acknowledged the issue and fixed it permenantly rather than deny it initially, blame the customers driving style and eventually apply a bandaid in the form of clutch packs and software updates that only prolonged the inconvenience and tarnished the badge.

Whilst Ranger and Everest are popular products they also have expensive and susceptible drivelines which could quite easily lead to the same end and would be devestating should it eventuate.
The EGR cooler and injector issues on 3.2l examples, pump gears on 2.0l/10A examples and already tailshaft issue on next Gen are all preventable.

Whilst its true all manufacturers have issues, you'd expect a brand with Fords recent experience to learn and get it right.
Are VW still selling non compliant diesel engines?

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by barra240t

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Not here.

What spec is that green stang? Is that a new colour?

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by hackney

In the UK, they also come in a manual.Why Ford never offered it here is beyond me. In fact you can get a mild Hybrid 1.0 litre Ecoboost 6 speed manual.

Manuals now only account for less than 5% of sales. That’s why. Give it a few more years and that will be 1 or 2%.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by kevino

Franco
You are weakening
1 Puma is still an SUV
2 Puma is only auto ...no manuals
3 its a DCT

Now just settle down.

Oh I'm still steadfast in my conviction

[barra240t]

Originally Posted by Polyal

What spec is that green stang? Is that a new colour?

MY22.25 GT demo in Eruption Green, now discontinued colour, one of those in between Us to Aus deletions like my fav colour of all time, Royal Crimson.

[barra240t]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Thats a breath of fresh air, they had me fooled because all I've seen seeing is Ranger/Everest.

Not under my watch! We have a Transit Custom long term demo too (out at the time) and we just got rid of a Fiesta ST demo a month ago, unfortunately won't be able to put another. I have faith in the entire range and aim to move more Puma in 23.

[kevino]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Manuals now only account for less than 5% of sales. That’s why. Give it a few more years and that will be 1 or 2%.

Yes but part of the reason manual sales decrease is because manufacturers keep deleting manuals from their range

[Sprintey]

I think you can still get a lot of manuals at Mazda, well done to them.

[kevino]

Mazda have just deleted cx5 manual yeah nobody one anyway I suppose.
It’s a shame five percent of Fords total sales can’t be manual. Even Ranger no manual now.
A six speed manual Puma yes I d buy one.

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Thats interesting, this is what I was greeted with at the Ford dealership we've bought two of our cars from:

image

You'd think they only had two models, inside the dealership was the same.

Its like an Isuzu ute dealership - only has two cars.

One imagines your dealership has a different selection of Ford's range - is this a case where this particular dealership has decided to range only Ranger/Everest?

Btw I also love their wide range of colours...

(Play a game as you drive, call the colours of the oncoming cars: it goes something like this: white, black, white, silver, grey, grey, grey, silver, grey, white, white, white, RED! omg another colour! white, black, grey, grey...

When I was a little kid there was a great children's book by an author named Bill Peet that had a world of only grey/one colour cars. In the story, someone gives them all bright, happy colours and the world is better. We need this now.)

barra240T, that's a fantastic green mustang, it's like Poly Green...

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Btw I also love their wide range of colours...

(Play a game as you drive, call the colours of the oncoming cars: it goes something like this: white, black, white, silver, grey, grey, grey, silver, grey, white, white, white, RED! omg another colour! white, black, grey, grey...

When I was a little kid there was a great children's book by an author named Bill Peet that had a world of only grey/one colour cars. In the story, someone gives them all bright, happy colours and the world is better. We need this now.)

barra240T, that's a fantastic green mustang, it's like Poly Green...

Colour is one of my favorite things about cars, so I love it when car companies go out on a limb and launch a colour that has some balls to it.

I just wish I ordered a colour instead of just accepting white with my two Rangers. Next Ranger will be either red or the stunning Blue Lightning.

[Ben73]

No wonder people are moving to SUVs. Even small ones. Regular cars are getting lower and lower to the ground.
Not having to worry about smashing your lower bumper into the road when going in and out of driveways is always good.

[kevino]

Is a Hiace 12 seat bus an SUV.
These regularly scrape the front

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Colour is one of my favorite things about cars, so I love it when car companies go out on a limb and launch a colour that has some balls to it.

I just wish I ordered a colour instead of just accepting white with my two Rangers. Next Ranger will be either red or the stunning Blue Lightning.

I'm the same. Further, gotta have colour, or stripes like an XW GS, or chrome.
Teal Glow is all time.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Btw I also love their wide range of colours...

(Play a game as you drive, call the colours of the oncoming cars: it goes something like this: white, black, white, silver, grey, grey, grey, silver, grey, white, white, white, RED! omg another colour! white, black, grey, grey...

When I was a little kid there was a great children's book by an author named Bill Peet that had a world of only grey/one colour cars. In the story, someone gives them all bright, happy colours and the world is better. We need this now.)

barra240T, that's a fantastic green mustang, it's like Poly Green...

I like my cars white, mostly because they all live outside and I don't look after their paint/panel so white cars only for me

But I do enjoy seeing things like Nitro/Octane Falcons getting around, there's a lack of these bright/iridescent colours with modern cars, everything is white or shades of grey.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by kevino

Yes but part of the reason manual sales decrease is because manufacturers keep deleting manuals from their range

It’s a death spiral. Fewer and fewer people buy them, so they get deleted from the range. Which leads to less people buying them.

It’s a symptom, not the cause.

[barra240t]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Btw I also love their wide range of colours...

(Play a game as you drive, call the colours of the oncoming cars: it goes something like this: white, black, white, silver, grey, grey, grey, silver, grey, white, white, white, RED! omg another colour! white, black, grey, grey...

When I was a little kid there was a great children's book by an author named Bill Peet that had a world of only grey/one colour cars. In the story, someone gives them all bright, happy colours and the world is better. We need this now.)

barra240T, that's a fantastic green mustang, it's like Poly Green...

Thank you, I try to have a mix of the general "will sell" and then a sprinkle od display stock that breaks them all up. If you like colour you should have seen the yard when we had FPV, now that was fun. Exterior, plus interior and then also stripe combos. I remember XRs in earlier BA's you could choose about 3x interior combo colours on some of the exteriors, good old days!

[kevino]

What’s your take on manual gearbox vehicles no longer being available barra240t?

[Big_Daz]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Btw I also love their wide range of colours...

(Play a game as you drive, call the colours of the oncoming cars: it goes something like this: white, black, white, silver, grey, grey, grey, silver, grey, white, white, white, RED! omg another colour! white, black, grey, grey...

When I was a little kid there was a great children's book by an author named Bill Peet that had a world of only grey/one colour cars. In the story, someone gives them all bright, happy colours and the world is better. We need this now.)

barra240T, that's a fantastic green mustang, it's like Poly Green...

Its funny, when I was buying the wives Sorento GT Line 2 years ago, the colours where all so boring... Silver, 2 Greys, 2 Whites, a blue so dark it may as well be black and dark blue (which I chose because it was the only actual decent colour). Most others are the same....

At least Ford has Sedona Orange and that bright metallic yellow on the ranger which is a nice change.. And Mazda has that amazing Candy Red and even a Kaki type colour..

Falcon and Commodore always had decent colour options... My MY17 SSV Redline is in Light My Fire which is a nice, bright, metallic orange but you could also get Spitfire Green (bright) Red Hot and even Slipstream Blue which was nice. FGX had Aero, Kinetic, Victory Gold... Ahh, the good old days... And thats just the last of the line for those models.. So many awesome colours over the years as an option...

[barra240t]

Originally Posted by kevino

What’s your take on manual gearbox vehicles no longer being available barra240t?

Being a manual buyer (from my Ps onwards)

Mazda 323 manual
Mirage manual
Polo Gti manual
Focus Sport manual
Focus ST manual
Fiesta Sport manual
Mustang Ecoboost manual
Mustang GT manual
Fiesta ST manual

My take is, its pretty damn sad, but, what can you do? That is the manufacturers choice. I'll be keeping the Fiesta for a bit anyway.

[hackney]

Originally Posted by barra240t

Being a manual buyer (from my Ps onwards)

Mazda 323 manual
Mirage manual
Polo Gti manual
Focus Sport manual
Focus ST manual
Fiesta Sport manual
Mustang Ecoboost manual
Mustang GT manual
Fiesta ST manual

My take is, its pretty damn sad, but, what can you do? That is the manufacturers choice. I'll be keeping the Fiesta for a bit anyway.

Me too! My Fiesta S Ecoboost 1.0 manual is a cracker!!!

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by barra240t

Thank you, I try to have a mix of the general "will sell" and then a sprinkle od display stock that breaks them all up. If you like colour you should have seen the yard when we had FPV, now that was fun. Exterior, plus interior and then also stripe combos. I remember XRs in earlier BA's you could choose about 3x interior combo colours on some of the exteriors, good old days!

That's a great way of doing it. The 'will sell' colours are required, but to also have that spice on the floor is one for the bright/interesting colour fans. That was an exciting time too, Barra240T, it was like the GT muscle legend was reborn and it came in bright oranges and angry purples and limes - it rubbed off too, because us normies went and bought a Territory in such a yard. Wasn't the hero model, but was good for a young family, and we chose a colour (and chose a custom build, built within a month! - Try that today!) that wasn't grey, black, silver or white.

Our Sprint in Poly green with the ubiquitous 90's pale grey trim (sexed up with red, yes, red highlights and a busy seat cloth) is now quite a cool colour combo.

But I do worry about the condition of people's souls, with such miserable colour palettes selling well today.

[stock1991]

I know the thinking behind white vehicles. It is someone may not want white but very few people have a complete negative reaction to it. Whereas you give people a choice. all of a sudden "i don't like red. i don't like blue" etc. White is neutral, sort of

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by barra240t

Thank you, I try to have a mix of the general "will sell" and then a sprinkle od display stock that breaks them all up. If you like colour you should have seen the yard when we had FPV, now that was fun. Exterior, plus interior and then also stripe combos. I remember XRs in earlier BA's you could choose about 3x interior combo colours on some of the exteriors, good old days!

I loved that era.

I think Ford did a great job with personalization during the BA and BF era. From memory, that was Geoff Polities directive, to make the Falcon desirable in the private sales sector, giving the average Joe a chance to custom spec his car without having to go and spend up big on a BMW or Mercedes. That carried over into the early FG series but was all but gone by the 2010.

Expanding on this, lets look at say a BF XR6 Sedan -

-Choice of 3 transmissions (6 sped man, 4 speed auto, 6 speed auto)
-Choice of 2 differentials (STD or LSD)

-Choice of 2 wheel designs
-Choice of 14 exterior colours
-Choice of sunroof

-Choice of 6 cloth trim colours
-Choice of full leather trim
-Choice of 6 luxury pack leather/suede trim colours

(In other words, you in theory had 13 interior trims to choose from!)

-Choice of 3 audio systems
-Choice of 5 different steering wheels (Momo red/grey/blue, standard XR or FPV spec)

And yet, 90% of N/A XR6 Sedans were painted Mercury Silver (great colour, just very common) with grey cloth trim and specified with a 4 speed auto and 17 inch wheels.

By the time the FG arrived, many of the personalization options were removed. Staying with the same N/A XR6 example, you still had the choice of 3 transmission but the LSD and sunroof were no longer available as an option and no optional steering wheels.

-Choice of 13 colours
-Choice of 3 wheel designs

-Choice of 4 cloth trim colours (Silver, Black, Red, Blue)
-Choice of full leather.
-Choice of 2 audio systems

I jumped at the chance to do something other that a black interior on my FG, its one of my favorite things about the car -

FG NA XR6 with 6 speed auto, side curtain airbags, premium sound, 18 inch wheels and the "Streetwise Blue" cloth trim. You rarely see FG XR's with the Blue, Red or Silver trim.

[au2000]

Originally Posted by kevino

The Gold Coast Ford dealer is the same.
Once on a blue moon add a Transit or a Mustang.
Ford have anything you want providing it’s a Ranger or Everest

Bayford in Epping - ranger, Everest, mustang ….

[barra240t]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I loved that era.

I think Ford did a great job with personalization during the BA and BF era. From memory, that was Geoff Polities directive, to make the Falcon desirable in the private sales sector, giving the average Joe a chance to custom spec his car without having to go and spend up big on a BMW or Mercedes. That carried over into the early FG series but was all but gone by the 2010.

Expanding on this, lets look at say a BF XR6 Sedan -

-Choice of 3 transmissions (6 sped man, 4 speed auto, 6 speed auto)
-Choice of 2 differentials (STD or LSD)

-Choice of 2 wheel designs
-Choice of 14 exterior colours
-Choice of sunroof

-Choice of 6 cloth trim colours
-Choice of full leather trim
-Choice of 6 luxury pack leather/suede trim colours

(In other words, you in theory had 13 interior trims to choose from!)

-Choice of 3 audio systems
-Choice of 5 different steering wheels (Momo red/grey/blue, standard XR or FPV spec)

And yet, 90% of N/A XR6 Sedans were painted Mercury Silver (great colour, just very common) with grey cloth trim and specified with a 4 speed auto and 17 inch wheels.

By the time the FG arrived, many of the personalization options were removed. Staying with the same N/A XR6 example, you still had the choice of 3 transmission but the LSD and sunroof were no longer available as an option and no optional steering wheels.

-Choice of 13 colours
-Choice of 3 wheel designs

-Choice of 4 cloth trim colours (Silver, Black, Red, Blue)
-Choice of full leather.
-Choice of 2 audio systems

I jumped at the chance to do something other that a black interior on my FG, its one of my favorite things about the car -

FG NA XR6 with 6 speed auto, side curtain airbags, premium sound, 18 inch wheels and the "Streetwise Blue" cloth trim. You rarely see FG XR's with the Blue, Red or Silver trim.

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Sure where good old days, I had a lot of fun choosing all that stuff, not long ago I was looking at old code sheets and I totally forgot how much we could option up. I remember that trim! It was a funny perforated looking inner trim, that was after the very bold lightning looking inner trim, now that was something haha. Geoff Polities was an absolute Ford Aust. legend.

[barra240t]

Originally Posted by hackney

Me too! My Fiesta S Ecoboost 1.0 manual is a cracker!!!

Was a great car, that 5 speed really needed a short shifter though, quite long in the throw!

[barra240t]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

It’s a death spiral. Fewer and fewer people buy them, so they get deleted from the range. Which leads to less people buying them.

It’s a symptom, not the cause.

The only reason I am going to keep my Mk8 Fiesta ST is because Ford have cut manual from upcoming S650 Ecoboost Fastback, it was going to be my next car (highly underrated in current S550 HP 2.3) but I refuse to buy auto in a performance car. I'm not about 0-100 times, more the feel and enjoyment of holding gears the traditional way.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by barra240t

The only reason I am going to keep my Mk8 Fiesta ST is because Ford have cut manual from upcoming S650 Ecoboost Fastback, it was going to be my next car (highly underrated in current S550 HP 2.3) but I refuse to buy auto in a performance car. I'm not about 0-100 times, more the feel and enjoyment of holding gears the traditional way.

Then save up a bit more and buy a Mustang GT

I'd wager a guess and say not many ecoboost manuals were sold here. Would be pretty rare.

[barra240t]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Then save up a bit more and buy a Mustang GT

I'd wager a guess and say not many ecoboost manuals were sold here. Would be pretty rare.

I've owned both and dare I say, the Ecoboost was a better daily. GT, fantastic, great noise, sounds way better than the 4 banger but the power delivery of the ecoboost was there for daily driving every time, the GT had to be wound up to ridiculous speeds to get what you wanted out of it, both pretty damn fast cars from stock.