After almost 20 years of putting Americans into big pickups and SUV’s, Ford is about to dramatically change its lineup.
The automaker has been struggling and is forced to respond to the rapid, and probably permanent shift in consumer choices.
Changes include converting three North American assembly plants from trucks to cars, and shifting production focus to smaller vehicles, such as the Ford Fiesta.
In addition, the company ends speculation about its Mercury division by making the brand an essential part of their new small-car strategy. Ford says it plans to realign factories to manufacture more fuel-efficient engines and produce six of its upcoming European models for the U.S. market.
Vehicles sales in the States have dropped 10 percent so far this year, and Ford sales have declined 14 percent. For at least 10 years, about 60% of Ford’s U.S. sales came from trucks and SUV’s.
“Trucks and S.U.V.’s have been so central to their strategy for so long, but the bottom line is that consumers have moved on,” said David E. Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich.
