New car sales May 2015

[Kieron]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Edit: more seriously, I think you've nailed it. Poor sales of Focus and Fiesta have nothing do to with Falcon, and more to do with this. Its a shame as their design (save: gearbox) is brilliant and the Euro built ones really were competitive with the 'semi premium' image VW have captured. Additionally they have a great ride/handling balance, as does Territory and Mondeo in their segments. At least the petrol Mondeo and Territory have a 6 speed torque converter auto.

Why is the Focus a massive seller in other parts of the world though? Surely if the transmission issues led to poor sales here it would have done so elsewhere?

I would again say the market perception of the Ford brand has been hugely shaped by 50 odd years of the Falcon being the core product. The same applies to Holden with 36 odd years of the Commodore.

[russellw]

Originally Posted by Kieron

Why is the Focus a massive seller in other parts of the world though? Surely if the transmission issues led to poor sales here it would have done so elsewhere?

I would again say the market perception of the Ford brand has been hugely shaped by 50 odd years of the Falcon being the core product. The same applies to Holden with 36 odd years of the Commodore.

It's a valid point. The Focus Euro sales in 2014 (222,297) was 2nd in the compact segment behind the dominant Golf (523,729) but comfortably ahead of the 3rd place Octavia (205,071).

Likewise, Fiesta 2014 Euro sales (308,345) made it the class leader ahead of the Renault Clio (299,623) and the VW Polo (279,463) and both models have been near (or at) the top for the best part of the last decade.

Cheers
Russ

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by russellw

It's a valid point. The Focus Euro sales in 2014 (222,297) was 2nd in the compact segment behind the dominant Golf (523,729) but comfortably ahead of the 3rd place Octavia (205,071).

Dual-clutch transmissions obviously don't hurt sales of any brand!

I wouldn't say Focus is comfortably ahead of Octavia. The latter has been chewing upwards through the European charts like an automotive munching machine, with no signs of slowing down. You understand why when you've experienced one.

Yet Focus and Octavia are only small sellers in Australia but Golf isn't. And Ford (Europe) and Skoda top the reliability surveys, while VW has a dubious record. Nothing rational in the world of car sales.

[new2ford]

Correction: I should have said that dual clutch may not be such an issue in Europe as most cars are manual.

I note from the same stats that Octavia has overtaken Focus in its segment in the first two months 2015.

[simon varley]

Originally Posted by Kieron

Why is the Focus a massive seller in other parts of the world though? Surely if the transmission issues led to poor sales here it would have done so elsewhere?
.

because in other parts of the world they offer the manual transmission option

from ford.co.uk I'd buy this.

Low emission diesel power
The 2.0-litre diesel engine is also new and is available in 150PS with either a manual 6-speed or PowerShift automatic transmission and a 185PS with a manual 6-speed transmission. This new diesel engine delivers a significant reduction in emissions over the 2.0-litre diesel it replaces.

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by Kieron

Why is the Focus a massive seller in other parts of the world though? Surely if the transmission issues led to poor sales here it would have done so elsewhere?

I would again say the market perception of the Ford brand has been hugely shaped by 50 odd years of the Falcon being the core product. The same applies to Holden with 36 odd years of the Commodore.

Focus is a massive seller in Europe because they drive manual transmission models which are quite reliable.

Attachment 88020

[XR Martin]

Ford doesnt have an image problem in Europe like it does here.

More and more Australians see themselves, or want to appear to others as upper class. Driving a Ford isnt conducive to that.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Ford doesnt have an image problem in Europe like it does here.

More and more Australians see themselves, or want to appear to others as upper class. Driving a Ford isnt conducive to that.

How does that explain Mazda, Toyota and Hyundai's sales? Not known for prestige or upper class driving.

Ford have a service issue here.

• Finding a decent service department is a more difficult task than it should be. My family have moved from Ford to VW because the local dealer service team went to VW. They had excellent service and with my family had a good relationship (2 polos and a MKVII R, to date no dramas, just scheduled servicing). What was left at Ford was substandard. I have gone through 4 service departments to find one I am comfortable with.
• Ford's dealer network, like its service departments are not a pleasant experience unless you find the rare decent one. They lack the knowledge of the product
• Ford AU have screwed the consumer too many times. For local products the quality, innovation and general value for $$ hasn't been there and they had done nothing to fix that over time, even when sales were dropping. With the imported range they pick and choose what should and shouldn't be brought in, including combinations in models. That's fine, like any other make, problem is they've no idea what they're doing.
  

There is no one fix to the issues at Ford, the product is good but the whole range needs a revamp. Features vs models and price. To be honest I'd only go a Focus (not including ST or RS) over an equivalent Mazda 3 because of the dynamic ability.

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by Wretched

How does that explain Mazda, Toyota and Hyundai's sales?

Perceived Japanese/Korean better build quality/longevity? Actual resale to back this up?

If you look at Russell's chart Focus sold quite solidly here until 2013, at which point it falls off a cliff. Falcon was on the nose long before this time, but did not seem to affect Focus sales. What happened to Focus in 2013?

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by Wretched

How does that explain Mazda, Toyota and Hyundai's sales? Not known for prestige or upper class driving.

Hyundai are a first time buyers car (they are actually having trouble getting repeat buyers)
Mazda are the #1 choice for women buyers (who are the majority decision makers when it comes to cars)
Toyota is the dependable/reliable choice, fleets and for people who dont like making decisions ("yeah Toyota make good cars let just get one of them...")

Ford and Holden?

As I said before, Ford really need to push the Ecoboost side of things, its a unique selling point in its market.

[Kieron]

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

Focus is a massive seller in Europe because they drive manual transmission models which are quite reliable.

Attachment 88020

And the US market which is traditionally auto and the Focus is a top 10 seller?

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Hyundai are a first time buyers car (they are actually having trouble getting repeat buyers)
Mazda are the #1 choice for women buyers (who are the majority decision makers when it comes to cars)
Toyota is the dependable/reliable choice, and for people who dont like making decisions ("yeah Toyota make good cars let just get one of them...")

Ford and Holden?

Precisely, like I said nothing to do with prestige.
Like Ford, they are just A to B cars.
Yes, prestige car sales are on the rise but that doesn't mean all Australians are moving to them.

Ford and Holden are a jumbled mess. Focus and Fiesta are good cars but the combinations sent here are decided by a raffle more than a skilled marketing team.

[DFB FGXR6]

Like most of the Ford range, there seems to be many reasons why they don't sell in the numbers they deserve. Poor dealership experience (sales and service), powershift worries, supply issues (which is apparently the cause at the moment as they transition to the face lifted model).

One thing that I think is overlooked is how the Focus has been dicked around over the years (2002 to present). There has been very little consistency to the model range and model names.Pricing has gone up and down far too much, one minute its a premium priced model then a few months later its on sale at $19,990. The powertrain line up has been all over the shop (manual only diesel then auto only diesel for example). The model mix of sedan hatch availability has not been consistent. German made then Thai made, back to German made then back to Thai made.

So buyers, and more specifically repeat buyers, don't know what the Focus stands for in the Australian market. If you look how consitant the Mazda 3 or Corolla have been over the same period, with model structure to pricing to powertrain, you really see how badly managed the Focus has been in Australia.

Ford need to pick a strategy with the Focus and stick to it. Not this knee-jerk panic that has been going on for over 13 years now.

[DFB FGXR6]

Like most of the Ford range, there seems to be many reasons why they don't sell in the numbers they deserve. Poor dealership experience (sales and service), powershift worries, supply issues (which is apparently the cause at the moment as they transition to the face lifted model).

One thing that I think is overlooked is how the Focus has been dicked around over the years (2002 to present). There has been very little consistency to the model range and model names.Pricing has gone up and down far too much, one minute its a premium priced model then a few months later its on sale at $19,990. The powertrain line up has been all over the shop (manual only diesel then auto only diesel for example). The model mix of sedan hatch availability has not been consistent. German made then Thai made, back to German made then back to Thai made.

So buyers, and more specifically repeat buyers, don't know what the Focus stands for in the Australian market. If you look how consistent the Mazda 3 or Corolla have been over the same period, with model structure to pricing to powertrain, you really see how badly managed the Focus has been in Australia.

Ford need to pick a strategy with the Focus and stick to it. Not this knee-jerk panic of changes trying to find success that has been going on for over 13 years now.

[Sprintey]

That's a really good post DFB FGXR6.
While Corolla interiors and exteriors seem to follow no particular path, the way they bolt them together and market them is very, very consistent.

[Express]

Ford Focus Sales in the USA.


It’s currently 18th with 95,028 sales at YTD end of May.

In 2014 it ranked 16th with 219,634 sales.

In 2013 it ranked 15th with 234,570 sales.

In 2012 it ranked 11th with 245,922 sales.

In 2011 it ranked 18th with 175,717 sales.



It has a good consistent sales record considering the strong competition it has there.

[simon varley]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

If you look at Russell's chart Focus sold quite solidly here until 2013, at which point it falls off a cliff.

that's when LW II from Thailand replaced LW from Germany. Perceived quality anyone?

[Sprintey]

Wow. Cheers for pointing that out. Smoking gun...?

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by simon varley

that's when LW II from Thailand replaced LW from Germany. Perceived quality anyone?

Probably real rather than just perceived. But would the average Australian buyer who wasn't a car enthusiast really be aware of where it came from and would they care? I'd be looking for some other reason.

[csv8]

Originally Posted by simon varley

that's when LW II from Thailand replaced LW from Germany. Perceived quality anyone?

This could also apply to the Fiesta????

[furiousgibbon]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Ford need to pick a strategy with the Focus and stick to it. Not this knee-jerk panic that has been going on for over 13 years now.

Here's a strategy, just make it better. I drove a loaner LW II the other day when my F6 was in for a service and I don't think I've ever been so unimpressed by a car. There was not a single redeeming feature. Dead steering, hideous plastic interior, cramped. The gear selector and rear door hinges were so stiff they felt like they'd been in stasis for centuries. If I owned a car like that, I'd take the bus. I'm surprised they sell any! I thought the LS/LT/LV series was great, what the hell happened?

[LeadFoot81]

Originally Posted by simon varley

that's when LW II from Thailand replaced LW from Germany. Perceived quality anyone?

A couple of years back I compared my German WS Fiesta to a work mate's WT from Thailand and IMO there was no discernable difference in quality of materials (other than the soft touch dash) While I think the WS looks classier (due to choice of colours, wheel options, judiciously applied chrome accents) there is nothing inherently wrong with the Thai Fiesta.

[Windsor220]

People dont even know where cars are built. Its purely a brand thing. Ford has a poor image here and I'm not sure if its because of the Falcon or other reasons. As for the service side of things people that haven't owned a Ford wouldn't have experienced it so doubt that's a main reason.

[Kieron]

Originally Posted by simon varley

that's when LW II from Thailand replaced LW from Germany. Perceived quality anyone?

I don't think the average punter would know or care where a vehicle was made. For instance, the Ranger is Thai made but is Ford AU's best selling vehicle. In fact a quick google imag search produced this -

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by furiousgibbon

Here's a strategy, just make it better. I drove a loaner LW II the other day when my F6 was in for a service and I don't think I've ever been so unimpressed by a car. There was not a single redeeming feature. Dead steering, hideous plastic interior, cramped. The gear selector and rear door hinges were so stiff they felt like they'd been in stasis for centuries. If I owned a car like that, I'd take the bus. I'm surprised they sell any! I thought the LS/LT/LV series was great, what the hell happened?

I too had a LW II Focus whilst my XR8 was serviced and was also a little underwhelmed. However, we both have just stepped out of two quite eventful cars (F6 / XR8) so of course a 2.0lt Focus is going to feel unimpressive. I wouldn't call the Focus any worse than most of its competitors, they are all pretty uneventful, run around cars.

[prydey]

sales have absolutely zero bearing on whether or not they are a success to the manufacturer.

popular doesn't automatically equal successful.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by new2ford

Probably real rather than just perceived. But would the average Australian buyer who wasn't a car enthusiast really be aware of where it came from and would they care? I'd be looking for some other reason.

Focus falling off a cliff coincided with the competition getting fierce, new, completely redesigned competitors were landing regularly, loaded with features, at pricing that was compelling.
The class below was moving ahead too, downsizers looking toward the euros, golf, polo, etc.
Then this small SUV wave hit, which took sales from sedans and hatches as buyers cross shopped the segments. Go to a ford dealer now, its not outside the realm of possibility that you may look at Focus, Ecosport and Kuga and choose between them. Same for all the other brands.

[Brazen]

People are reading a bit too much into possible reasons for lacklustre sales.

I think Fords styling doesn't resonate in Australia.

Also I think the smaller Fords simply arnt as good as they used to be compared to the competition.

[new2ford]

Here's one owner's "satisfied" review of Focus on Drive:

http://www.drive.com.au/owner-review...417-3u9rp.html

Even I'm a bit shocked at whatever is going on. They had such a good reputation in Europe.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by new2ford

Here's one owner's "satisfied" review of Focus on Drive:

http://www.drive.com.au/owner-review...417-3u9rp.html

Even I'm a bit shocked at whatever is going on. They had such a good reputation in Europe.

Have I missed something? What are the "known serious faults in them" that Ford knowingly sold these cars with? If it was an auto, I could probably understand that view point, but I wasn't aware of any significant issues with the manual?

That review certainly doesn't align with my experiences of my car (granted, different engine, gearbox, equipment level, price!)

Craig H