Why did Ford decide to not sell the mk 2 Focus in North America?
Answers:
My neighbour works for Ford UK. She backs up what Car and Driver magazine said...the reason the 2nd Gen Euro Focus drives so well is the quality of the parts used. These parts are neccessarily expensive. Its allright in Europe where these cars are the standard form of personal transportation, but the 2nd gen Focus would be too expensive for the US Subcompact market. It would likely start in the region of $16500 if launched with the same parts, the same as a Malibu. With the kind of image Ford has, it cant do what VW and Toyota do and offer the car at those prices in the US. Nobody would be willing to spend that much on a small Ford.
PS: the next generation European emmisions and safety regs are atleast as stringent as the American ones and the Focus exceeds them, so what the ppl above me have said is Crap.
it probably has parts that are illegal in the us, or it doesn't pass enviromental laws. something like that.
No it's not environmental laws in the us, as they are not as environmentally fiendly in the U.S. is it not because the focus 3 is in the pipeline already, before the mk2 is shipped!
i really wish they did, it might end up in North America eventually. The original Focus hit Europe in 1998, and not til 2000 in the States.
U.S. emissions and safety standards make it
economically unfit to bring a European platform to the U.S.
The differentiation is just too high. You have to look forward
to the coming laws and regulations, not just the ones in place now that is the problem.
I work for a Lincoln dealer, has a lot to do with emissions, but also Ford feels that some European models will not sell in the U.S.
That is a real shame because some of the cars made in Europe are way better looking and get better mpg than U.S. Fords. Also you have to keep in mind that Ford and Gm think that all the public wants are SUV's and they are more than willing to build you an Expedition and re badge it as a Navigator because they make WAYYYYYYY more money on you.
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