Autoblog

Ford Bold Moves - Episode 15: Pitching the Fairlane Concept

John Neff — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 14:24:00 EST

Ford Bold Moves, Episode 15 has hit the internets and is available for viewing. This week's episode focuses on the concept car and its perilous path to production, specifically the journey made by the Fairlane Concept that debuted at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show. The Fairlane Concept is scheduled to debut as a production vehicle in 2008 under a new name, and the episode shows us why the Fairlane was given the go ahead and other concepts passed over. Of particular interest are some scenes from a boardroom meeting with Mark Fields, Ford's President of the Americas and the guy in charge of implementing the Way Forward turnaround plan. Fields says in the meeting, "We all know how hard and desperately we need this product." Really? Really, Mark? We're not suggesting that the Fairlane doesn't have the chops to make it in the market. In fact, we think it does thanks to its fresh take on the modern minivan. However, even though the Fairlane will be significantly larger than the Freestyle CUV already on sale by the company, doesn't anyone notice a little overlap? Ford should move the Freestyle over to Mercury as the Meta One and give the Fairlane and Edge some room to breathe. It seems Ford's product portfolio just keeps getting fatter and fatter at a time when the company needs fewer products that hit their intended targets better. The inside of a Ford showroom is going to become a crowded place in the coming years, at least with cars. For Ford's sake, let's hope with customers, too.

BTW: Look closely during the video and you'll see some great sneak peeks. At the beginning we see a clay model of the production Fairlane's front end, and it's sitting next to a concept that's blurred out. Later on we also see a Fairlane with four doors that open forward instead of the suicide doors found on the concept. We also get a glimpse of the Fairlane's production dash from a picture hanging on a board in the background. (Thanks for the eagle eyes, Jeff!)

[Source: Ford Bold Moves]

Ford Bold Moves - Episode 15: Pitching the Fairlane Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Oct 2006 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford exec confirms Fairlane production for 2008

Stuart Waterman — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 17:03:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Crossover, Ford, Lincoln

With the clock winding down on its slow-selling minivans, a Ford Motor executive has finally confirmed that a production version of the Ford Fairlane concept car is planned for 2008, after months of rumors and reports. According to suppliers, Lincoln will also get a version of the new crossover. This news comes after The Detroit News cited "insiders" within the company last month who claimed the Fairlane had gotten the go-ahead. AutoWeek's source is a company executive who didn't want to be identified.

The new vehicle will replace the Monterey and Freestar minivans in the three-rows-of-seats market segment, but at this stage little else is known about the final form of the car. As we reported back in February, both the Ford and Lincoln models will be built at Ford's Oakville, Ontario plant.

As we reported earlier, the Ford production version of the concept car is unlikely to carry the Fairlane badge. No word on the hybrid version, also rumored in February, but with Ford backing off on its hybrid promises of late, that's not surprising.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Ford exec confirms Fairlane production for 2008 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Jul 2006 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit cutting back on light trucks

Stuart Waterman — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, SUV, Crossover, Ford, GM, GMC

General Motors and Ford have announced plans to cut some of their light truck models to focus on new crossovers. Automotive News reported that GM's TrailBlazer (right) and Envoy SUVs are on the way out, with a scheduled 2009 restyling cancelled. The Blue Oval boys are cutting the Monterey minivan in the very near future, with the Ford Freestar retiring soon.

GM plans to concentrate on its new-generation crossovers - the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave, while Ford plans to develop a production version of the Ford Fairlane concept for both the Ford and Lincoln brands.

[Source: Autoweek]

Detroit cutting back on light trucks originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Jul 2006 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Fairlane greenlighted for production

Alex Nunez — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 16:07:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Wagon, Etc., Crossover, Ford

Say goodbye to the Ford minivans.The Detroit News is reporting that the Fairlane concept has been green lighted and will debut in production form during next year's auto show circuit. With its minivan sales in steady decline since 2000, FoMoCo has apparently decided to face the problem head-on by attacking that market segment with the new vehicle.

The Fairlane (in concept form, at least) is an attractive take on the current crossover segment, offering minivan-like carrying capacity without the frumpy stigma those vehicles carry in tow. Its large, wagon-like profile evokes SUVs while its low step-in height is more carlike. Sliding doors are ditched in favor of full-sized, rear-hinged "suicide" doors that provide easy access to the passenger cabin when fully opened. Outside, crisp lines and Ford's three-bar corporate face set the tone stylewise.

The interior offers flexible seating that can be reconfigured to accommodate different types of cargo. Fairlane's dashboard and many of the other cabin materials are pure concept car stuff, but given that Ford has done nice work with the cabins of the Five Hundred, Freestyle, and Edge, there's no reason to believe that the interior of the production Fairlane won't be up to snuff.

Now, the paper also reports that there are several aspects of the car that are still up in the air, such as the name (note to Ford: "Fairlane" is just fine) and the final styling direction. Still, news of its approval is an important development. A well-executed Fairlane should easily surpass the numbers being put up by the current minivans, and could help alleviate the pain caused by slower-selling SUVs, especially if it takes an extended period of time for those numbers to start ticking back upward.

Most importantly, this decision demonstrates that the Way Forward plan is not just empty corporate rhetoric and that "Bold Moves" is more than a throwaway tagline. If these are the kinds of maneuvers -- leaving stagnant market segments, approving compelling new products -- that can expect to see from Ford from now on, then there is reason to believe that good things are in store.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Ford Fairlane greenlighted for production originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jun 2006 16:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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