Quote:
Originally Posted by kaisen
I think the competition for the Mustang is a very small part of it. More if it has to do with US consumers associating small hatchbacks with entry level pricing. I don't think the US market would understand a $40K Focus RS when they can get 300hp in a Mustang for under $25K, and a 400hp GT for about $30K.
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Correct.
Ford here and in Europe knows who its market is.
Sure,
I see a few Ford Focus SVTs running around L.A., but if Ford were to raise production #s of such a car for $30,000+ there's no guarantee they'd sell well in, for example, the Midwest. Not when you can buy a 5.0 Mustang that
will kick Focus SVT butt from streetlight to streetlight for at least $5K less.
This forum, like any good car magazine, is really a microcosm of the buying public at large. I hate to say it, but no matter how loud our voices raise about the Focus RS, the Ford USA marketing and account department will continue to keep its doors shut.
Depending on the buyer, the American public at large will buy a cheap Mercedes C-class, BMW 3-series, a nicely-equipped Audi A3 or some Shelby Mustang variant for $40,000, before they buy a Ford hatchback. It doesn't matter how hot the hatchback is.