AutoWeek reports: Smart Sharing. Take a look at that list of cars. Those are the ones that share pieces. What's that you say? The Focus? Oh, ho! No, no parts sharing of the U.S. version of the Focus. And Europe digs the Focus unlike the U.S. where Focuseseses are lit on fire to keep Republicans away. Did you know the Focus comes in a convertible over in Europe? And it's great!
"If you look at C1, it's almost a microcosm of what we're trying to do in the enterprise as a whole," says [Fancy engineer boy Derrick] Kuzak, who has just finished his first year as Ford's North American product chief. "Having a very strong and capable platform -- and on top of that you put very unique products that are unique not just in how they look but are very consistent with the individual brand DNA."The soft-spoken Kuzak has a big role in putting Ford's money-losing North American business on track. But transforming the U.S. product portfolio will take time and money in an environment where time is short and money is tight. The first vehicles fully developed under Kuzak won't reach showrooms until 2008.
We really hope Ford wises up and uses the C1 (read the article) architecture on Ford-branded products that are sold in the U.S. It would really, really help its reputation here in the states.
That's a snap of the 2007 Volvo V50. That should be the Ford Focus wagon 'cause then we'd be able to afford it. $38K?! That's without AWD. And the fancy engine. Man, we gotta get a job.
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