Earlier this year Ford announced plans to kill off its entire car lineup in the US, with the exception of the Mustang and the slightly crossover-like Focus Active. While Ford has already stopped production of some models, like the Focus and C-Max, we’re still waiting to see what happens when more popular models, like the Fusion disappear.
Well a recent study from Cox Automotive might give us a preview about how car buyers will react once Ford officially stops production of all its cars. The study only surveyed 2,697 car owners, but of a good number of the current Ford owners surveyed said their next vehicle will likely not be a Ford. Of those surveyed only ten percent said they would buy new Ford crossover or SUV and only five percent said they would get a Ford Mustang and only three percent said they would be interested in a Ford truck.
Most of the individuals in the study also stated that they were surprised by Ford’s decision to kill its cars and were opposed to the idea. While it’s only been a few months since Ford announced its plans, the study highlights that Ford has a lot of work to do to educate buyers about its new strategy.
Michelle Krebs, executive analyst with Autotrader, told Automotive News, “Ford’s got some work to do in terms of clearing up the message to owners of these vehicles if they want any shot of keeping them. They need to do some educating.”
While Ford may lose some new car buyers, several other main gain new buyers. Even now 53 percent of Fusion owners that trade in their sedans make the switch to models, like the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Toyota Camry or Toyota RAV4.
Source: Automotive News
