Ford Verve production likely headed to Mexico
Ford's European-developed Verve will go on sale in the States sometime in 2010, aimed to capture some of the burgeoning small car market. Making money on small cars is always the sticking point when talk turns to subcompacts, and Ford's eyeing Mexico as the production location for the Verve. The Detroit Free Press has spoken with insiders who concur that while it'd be tough to build the Verve in the United States, Cuautitlan, Mexico makes more sense.
US automakers have been building cars in Mexico for years. The wages are lower, OEM suppliers are following the car companies across the border, and the government is happy to deal. Mexico is also ideally positioned to send cars north to the US and Canada, or move vehicles down to South American markets. Brazil has also been mentioned as a potential production location, but that doesn't seem as practical as Mexico, according to the Freep's moles. One thing is for sure, when the Verve arrives, there'll finally be some stylish Ford cars to buy here in the U.S.
[Source: Freep]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Peter L 10:05AM (2/07/2008)
Since when has a Ford been stylish? Practical, inexpensive, yes. name the most stylish Ford made since WWII ,the original, Mustang, !949 Coupe are the 2 that come to my mind and that was a long time ago.
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Polly Prissy Pants 11:58AM (2/07/2008)
The original Taurus's (Taurii?) were definitely considered stylish, Ford just really screwed up the design towards the end (and today) so no one really remembers what cool cars they used to be. Nowadays everyone see's Taurus and thinks rental car crap which is why renaming the 500 was so misguided. Of course that was also a tip-off that Ford is still not being run by car folks but that's a rant for another day.
The Verve is a great looking car and should sell like gangbusters for Ford, the only problem is they need it on the dealer lots yesterday, not in 2010. In many ways I see Ford taking the same path as GM, the only difference is that Ford is about 5 years behind.
Peter L 12:59PM (2/07/2008)
To Polly Prissy Pants; You are correct in saying the Taurus was stylish for a North American car but Audi had been there first.
epilonious 10:08AM (2/07/2008)
http://www.ford.co.uk/
Oh look, it's a car company with "Ford" in it making stylish cars.
And guess where the Verve comes from?
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DCragtop 10:11AM (2/07/2008)
Who cares where it comes from, gets built or is being sold. Ford US needs this car right now. Or give us the dang Euro Focus. Why should Spain have all the great Fords?
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psarhjinian 10:14AM (2/07/2008)
You don't have to make money on small cars.
Read it again. You don't have to make money on small cars. Small cars are loss-leaders to hook first-time buyers. You build a good small car that guarantees the buyer will be back in the showroom when their needs grow, at which point you move them into something with fatter margins.
Do you think someone buying a Fit or Versa stands a good chance of going back into a Honda/Nissan showroom? Do you think someone buying an Aveo is going to do the same with with regularity at Chevy?
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Rocketboy 4:01PM (2/07/2008)
No kidding, BMW's taking a loss on every MINI, err.. wait...
Counter #2:
Yes, you can create brand loyalty, but only if the car's worthy of it. Must budget small cars (which is the majority of small cars out there) don't inspire confidence in the brand.
Gstill 10:19AM (2/07/2008)
I can get behind that. Young single female buys a Corolla, then gets married and has kids then buys a Camry, Highlander, RAV4 etc. Before you know it she's dropping $45K on a Sequoia.
Ford needs to make money though. They gotta try to make some money on whatever they can. I think if they build this it'll start out being demanded ahead of supply like the Honda Fit was at first.
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mike 10:26AM (2/07/2008)
Great, but First of all it will not look like this when it is finally build. Also by the time this comes out Honda will have all new Civic out by then.
Say what you want but when it comes to small cars most people will chose Civic over anything named ford or Chevy.
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Andrew L 10:39AM (2/07/2008)
Probably not it will probably have a 3 bar chrome grill
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Nick 10:36AM (2/07/2008)
How is it that Toyota and Honda can build in the US and Ford can't? I understand that the union is a killer, but is it really that bad?
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Billy C. 10:37AM (2/07/2008)
Ford will probably need to drop most US production in order to succeed with small cars, so this is a step in the right direction. I see Ford becoming a car company that is based in the US and does a lot of design, marketing and sales here, but, in the long term, not much engineering or manufacturing. Kind of like Nike.
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Shawn 10:37AM (2/07/2008)
mike...this is Ford's entry into the b car market...Not meant to compete with the Civic at all
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Koko 10:38AM (2/07/2008)
I think this is a great step for Ford, but 2010? Seems far away and runs the chance of a day late and dollar short.
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Mr.Source 10:45AM (2/07/2008)
Cuautitlan is empty at the moment, bare land, and it is for sale by Jones Lang LaSalle, which makes me think it won't be made there.
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Jon 11:01AM (2/07/2008)
I agree with mike. I don't particularly like Civics but Honda has had the formula right for a while now.
That being said. I love this design. I hate to ape for the euro fords like we all do, but those designs are great looking. I would like a crack at something this good looking sometime soon. I'm sure Ford wouldn't try to change this too much for production. Although they did make the new US Focus....
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Jim in Tampa 10:59AM (2/07/2008)
As I get older, I find my cars are getting smaller! From the F250 to an Expedition down to the Zephyr and now an Escape . . . I may end up in a Verve!
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gotsmart 11:05AM (2/07/2008)
This is a VERY good point. Toyota, Honda and Nissan have all been building vehicles successfully (and profitably!) in the USA and Canada for years, but it seems that GM and Ford continue to struggle.
In GM's case, i'm convinced that if they consolidated their brands and vehicles into one best-of-class model in each product category, they'd be making significantly better cars and significantly stronger profits.
How much money is wasted badge-engineering (and badge-manufacturing and badge-marketing) multiple vehicles that compete with each other for the same customer?
Honda and Toyota have it right. They make one vehicle in each segment, with only minor overlap at the top end where their more profitable larger vehicles cross over into even-more-profitable Acura/Lexus territory.
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calebe 12:40PM (2/07/2008)
Unfortunately US teams rarely can leave a design alone when it comes from somewhere else. For some reason, maybe ego, they have to change things, usually the lights and front and rear facia. The car Could come in just as it is but i'm sure it will get cheaper headlights, bland red tail/turn lamps, a chrome grill and "american" interior appointments.
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glasshousemole 12:57PM (2/07/2008)
Picture of production version:
http://bp3.blogger.com/_FmJ3CipQNPw/R0Q6ar3nzNI/AAAAAAAAADM/rDz-3uLkEvo/s1600-h/Spied.jpg
Coming 03/06/08 Geneva IMS
EuropeUK sales 10/01/08
US 08/09
Assembly NA - Camaçari, Bahia, Brazil
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