If you’ve been following the auto industry in the US or have just been out on the roads of America lately, you’ve no doubt noticed the ever increasing number of trucks and SUVs on the road.
Whether they are full size models or compact crossovers, American buyers have an insatiable appetite for vehicles that ride higher and have an abundance of cargo space—and sales of traditional sedans and compact cars have fallen off with the shift in consumer tastes.
Some brands like FCA have already stopped making cars in these segments, and yesterday Ford announced it too will be heavily trimming its lineup of of sedans and compact cars and replacing them with SUVs and crossovers.
In fact, Ford will be phasing out several models from the American market, including the Fiesta, most Focus models, the Fusion and the Taurus. In the coming years, the only “cars” in Ford’s U.S. lineup will be the Mustang and the Focus Active (basically a Ford version of the Subaru Crosstrek).
It is certainly a drastic step, and will likely come as shock to many who grew up in times when midsize and compact sedans were the defacto vehicles for most Americans. Not surprisingly, this news has generated a lot of negative response—particularly among the enthusiast set that has enjoyed recent Ford offerings like the Fiesta ST, Focus ST and Focus RS.
Time will tell how the move pays off, and it will be interesting to see whether other carmakers follow suit in trimming non-SUV and truck models from their lineups in coming years. In the meantime, if you were thinking about picking up a twin turbo Fusion Sport, a Focus RS or any other of Ford's sedan or hatchback models, now would probably be a good time to do so.