Ford's Better Idea: Keep An Eye on the Italians
October 15, 2009
Caught recently at Ford Motor Co. headquarters in Dearborn, Mich.: a Fiat Bravo 5-door in 
the employee parking area.
But not just any employee - the small sign at the right reads "Vice President."
If Ford's crosstown rival Chrysler Group LLC - now managed by partial owner Fiat S.p.A. - gets its way, there are going to be Chrysler -- and probably Fiat-badged subcompacts sold in the U.S. within two years that could rely on some variant of the Bravo underpinnings.
Although the platform is not one of Fiat's freshest, Ford higher-ups likely are logging some seat time in the Bravo to get an idea of what their upcoming Fiesta (launching next year in the U.S.) could be up against if Chrysler executes its plan to repurpose Fiat small-car platforms and technology in the U.S.
It's probably Chrysler that should worry. In addition to having a complex small-car transplant plan to execute and not enough time to do it, Ford's Fiesta, if recent sales are any guide, is a well-developed package. Ford sold a scandalous 51,400 Fiestas in Europe last month alone - more than half again as many Dodge Caliber small cars as Chrysler's sold in the U.S. all year.
Fiat-led Chrysler also will have to watch another a new high-volume compact car launch in the U.S. next year, General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet Cruze. The Cruze and Fiesta will be on sale for what is likely to be at least a year before any new Fiat-engineered Chrysler small car can be in showrooms. A new Honda Civic is around the corner, too. - Bill Visnic, Senior Contributing Editor
Photo by Bill Visnic
Posted by Michelle Krebs at 3:59 AM under Business , Chrysler , Companies , Ford | Comments (5) | digg this | Seed Newsvine
And the Mazda2 is coming quickly to our shores as well.
Posted by: thejohnp | October 15, 2009 at 8:39 AM
That's one hot market.
Posted by: estreka | October 15, 2009 at 3:56 PM
"the small sign at the right reads Vice President..."
Of what? Perhaps if he/she started driving Fords to work they'd be allowed to park Indoors with the other Veeps.
Thats should prove to be an understatement, estreka
Posted by: fulcrumb | October 15, 2009 at 7:53 PM
I'm more exited about future Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep models than I am GM.
Why?
GM certainly builds better cars, unfortunately they are better BORING cars. Camaro, CTS and Corvette exluded of course.
GM's new Cruze is boring, Regal is boring, LaCrosse is boring. Malibu and Impala are about as exciting as a can of white paint.
If I were Ford I'd be watching the Italians too.
Fiat/Chrysler is the wildcard that may surprise everyone, there will be no middle ground as they will either fail big or succeed big.
Posted by: moparbad | October 15, 2009 at 9:41 PM
The Fiesta is not a Cruze competitor. The Cruze is a compact car like a civic or golf.
The fiesta is a subcompact like the fit and Yaris.
In Europe the FIesta is in a class called superminis - including the Opel Corsa, Yaris, Fit, Peugeot 207/8. So don`t mix up classes please.
Posted by: guy1974 | October 19, 2009 at 11:22 AM