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Ford Flex
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Comments
Whered this redesign idea come from? Was just redesigned. TX will definitely go away. But seeing the Flex, i don't know if I like that idea as much.
So you have proof of this? There's a new CEO now in case you haven't heard and he's bringing things back from the past. I don't imagine ideas are off limits if nameplates weren't.
Oh it works- or else Impala and Grand Prix and LaCrosse wouldn't exist. Not to mention Camry and ES350- and countless other examples.
FS/Taurus X is not one of Ford's better ideas, but it is a decent vehicle that can address a niche, so Ford will continue to sell it awhile, and get some more sales back in relation to its tooling costs. After all, it's not a total bomb like the Aztec.
But at the same time, the only way the Taurus X could make a splash in the marketplace is by being redesigned. The new grill and better engine will help, but it remains the old Freestyle with a better or at least more recognizable name.
The Flex is aimed at the minivan crowd, and who knows? It could have appeal way beyond that. Ford doesn't have a direct competitor with the GM CUVs, Veracruz, Tribeca, etc., since the Edge is a five seater and the X will be seen as too station-wagon-y. However, the Taurus X architecture (same as Flex) would provide a fine basis for a well-styled 3 row CUV, if Ford wanted to cover that base too. Taurus X is an obvious stop-gap. The question remains, will it go away in a couple years or morph into something more saleable? It may depend on how well the Flex goes over.
I think the CEO could decide to do that but I'm not ever going to say he will. It's a possibility that I feel can't be ruled out. A lot of that feeling comes from the statement above that I quoted from you. It could very well be redesigned as a very attractive Mercury that does not share a Ford or Lincoln badge with the same sheet metal.
One thing I think we can all agree on is that the Taurus X needs a final home, or resting place , at some point in the next few years. It will be interesting to see where it ends up and as what.
It's called the FLEX!!!
I'm getting the impression you really like to pick nits and arguments. Whatever floats yer boat, doll.
It's far from the first instance of a good vehicle not selling very well. When that happens, no amount of pointing out its attributes is going to solve the problem.
A combination of things came together: a lot of people might have been put off by how the CVT sounded in that class of car. The styling is innocuous to the point of being boring and old school station-wagony, when everyone else is going for a more current CUV look. AND it looks too much like the Explorer, another great vehicle that unfortunately was redesigned to keep looking like its old self...until it almost passe-ed itself out of existence.
The Taurus X will pick up sales now that the Explorer front end is gone, and the dumb name (easily confused with the mediocre Freestar) and CVT are gone. But it still looks like a station wagon...or a Freestyle with a different grill.
But in this case- why would Ford try to spend even more money to upgrade and replace an upgraded replacement. I highly doubt they will make another SUV off this architecture. This is already number 2- with another 1 or 2 on the way. My comment was that the Flex doesn't seem to be a huge improvement over the Taurus X. The new TX is a good vehicle. Why not copy Dodge and the Avenger and slap styling cues form the Fairlane concept on it? i haven't seen a lot of advantage from Flex-yet. As for Flex restyle- yes- if sales are a flop, then an update will help and not be hard to do.
Argument Picking? Didn't mean to hurt anyones feelings. :P I just want people to think.
This doesn't make sense? Pontac had the large Bonneville and Grand Prix for years. THis helps give some diversity. At least they don't look the same.
I bet Ford has made the Flex able to hold a V8...
The latest Lincoln concept, named the MKR, has the "Twinforce" twin turboed Duratec35 in it. According to the link I provided it is going to be in a Lincoln someday soon. It is direct injected and makes 415 HP and 400 ft-lbs of torque.
If you read Ford's press release on the Duratec35 they state that it was developed with turbocharging in mind as well as other technologies like hybrid and so on. It is a very versatile engine, according to them, and capable of much more than 265 HP which is what you're seeing in their vehicles now to start off with.
There is also rumor of a bored out Duratec37 to be available in the Lincoln version of the Flex, yet to be named, which we should see at an auto show next year I guess. I would guess that one will deliver roughly 300 HP out of the box. A simple google search for the Flex at the auto show will likely take you to an article describing both future models.
More power than a V8 with better fuel mileage.
Seeing that the as yet to be named or seen Lincoln version of the Flex will be roughly the same size as the Enclave, have a larger engine, and more luxury features (most likely) I'd say yes. The design has been said to be more "curvy" than the Flex according to articles I've read so we'll just have to wait and see.
One person commented that it would be "dead on arrival", I thought they were going to kill the Ford Flex off, and take it off the market.
So other than the exterior styling...what does the Flex have over the current Taurus X aka Freestyle.
Seems like Ford is just rebadging the same car...Freestyle-TaurusX-Flex. Sort of like the Windstar to Freestar minivan naming.
The Flex is actually longer in the wheelbase than the FS/TX. Thus, it has significantly more second row legroom. It is also wider, so interior width is a bit more as well. Overall volume will be up.
The other way it is not a rebadge is the body itself. The TX is an anonymous-to-blah design, whereas the Flex is polarizing (love it or hate it). That by itself will get the Flex more sales than the FS ever saw. And with the Taurus X as likely to fall flat as the Freestyle (free of style), I doubt Ford will keep it on the market a long time. But it is ready now, and the Flex isn't.
It's true the styling is different, although I don't know if the shoebox styling is any "better" than the "boring" style of the TaurusX/FS.
The Flex is considerably larger than the Taurus X AND will have many more features not available on the Taurus X.
I don't know if there is anybody else like her out there, but this, I know....