Ford slashes US car lineup, kills Focus, Fusion, Fiesta
The company is committed to increasing profit margins by focusing on more popular trucks and SUVs going forward.
Ford is pretty serious about trimming its US lineup in the coming years, and that's bad news for anything that isn't a truck or SUV. In fact, it looks as though the Mustang and an upcoming Focus Active crossover are the only cars that will survive the cuts. No Fiesta. No Fusion. No (regular) Focus. Bummer.
This news comes as part of Ford's "fitness" plan, outlined by CEO Jim Hackett last year, in which he said the Blue Oval would cut its operating costs by $14 billion by 2022. Dropping all but two car models will supposedly net another $11.5 billion in savings according to Ford's Chief Financial Officer, Bob Shanks.
We won't be getting any of these in the future, according to Ford.
Despite revenue being up for the company compared to last year, Ford wants to widen its margins on big sellers like trucks, SUVs and crossovers, and drop anything it deems "underperforming."
"Everything is on the table," Shanks said in a statement to The Detroit News. "We can exit products (and) markets. We will do that. That work has really gained traction. We have looked at every single part of the business. It's a very complex endeavor. We are determined to turn this business around right throughout the whole company. There's more work that's underway."
Ford has stated that almost nine out of every 10 vehicles it sells in 2020 will be a truck or SUV, so grab your Focuses, Fusions and Fiestas while you can, ye Ford faithful. They won't be around for long.
