Ford has recently made a lot of headlines after taking the decision — radical but not unprecedented in the industry — to eliminate, by the end of the decade, virtually all of its conventional automobiles in the US. With the exception of Mustang and the Active variant of the new Focus, everything else will disappear, leaving only the crossover, SUV and pickup truck in the brand's portfolio in the US.
In Europe, the measures will not be so radical. The Ford Fiesta and the new Focus have met new generations recently, so they won't disappear overnight. The Ford Mondeo — in the US it is called Fusion, and is one of the models to be eliminated —, produced in Spain and Russia, should remain in the catalog for a few more years.
The end of all these models in the US means a substantial loss of sales volume — but not profits — so, as might be expected, a plan is in place for others to take its place and, predictably, the choice will fall on plus crossover and SUV.
The Ford Mach 1
The first one is already confirmed and it even has a name: Ford Mach 1 . This crossover — codename CX430 — stands out, first, as being 100% electric; second, for using the C2 platform, debuted in the new Focus; and finally, by Mustang inspiration.
Mach 1, the original
Mach 1 was the designation originally used to identify one of the Ford Mustang's many "performance package" that focused on performance and style. The first Mustang Mach 1 was released in 1968, with several V8s to choose from, with powers ranging from 253 to 340 hp. The name would remain until 1978, with the forgotten Mustang II, and would be recovered again in 2003, with the fourth generation Mustang. The choice of this designation — which identifies the speed of sound, or 1235 km/h — for an electric crossover is intriguing.
In other words, its look will be heavily inspired by the “pony-car” — even its name, Mach 1, lets you understand. But when sharing the base with the Focus, expect a front-wheel-drive crossover — no rear-wheel action like the Mustang offers.
Specifications on batteries or autonomy were not released, so we will have to wait.
The Ford Mach 1 will be a global model, so it will be available not only in the US, but also in Europe, with presentation scheduled for 2019. It is the first of several crossovers that will be in the brand's plans — closer to conventional cars of the that pure SUV — and that will take the place of hatchbacks and hatchbacks.
At the moment, it is not known whether they will all be global models, such as Mach 1, or if they will target specific markets, such as the North American.
The decision to eliminate hatchbacks and hatchbacks from the North American market is justified by the declining sales and poor profitability of these products. Crossovers and SUVs are much more desirable: higher purchase prices ensure higher margins for the manufacturer, and volumes continue to grow.
It was a difficult but necessary decision, with Jim Hackett, Ford's new CEO, announcing it during the group's US financial conference:
We are committed to taking the appropriate steps to drive profitable growth and maximize the long-term return on our business.