Bill Ford Admits Passenger Car Lineup Lacking, Promises Fixes

Ford still sells sedans and a number of passenger cars in various global markets today, but in the U.S., only the Mustang has survived after the automaker opted to discontinue the rest of its passenger car lineup in that country years ago amid falling sales and profits. Many have criticized this decision, particularly now that consumers are clamoring for more affordable new vehicle options – something Ford is currently working on creating more of – and those calls may very well wind up being answered, it seems.

In a recent interview with Autocar, Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford revealed that the automaker is now looking at perhaps fixing this particular problem. “On the passenger car side, we realize we’re not as robust as we need to be,” Ford said. “But as Nick [Ford] says, we’re working on our future strategy right now. But I think you’ll be surprised – pleasantly surprised – by what’s coming.”

As Ford Authority previously reported, Ford Germany boss Christoph Herr told dealers earlier this year that The Blue Oval does indeed plan to add new passenger cars to its European lineup, news that came from CEO Jim Farley himself. Such a move would be a big shift for an automaker that has already discontinued the Fiesta, while the Focus is slated to go out of production this November. However, its two best-selling models in Europe are currently the small Puma and Kuga crossovers – its more affordable models – followed by the Focus.

Herr later confirmed that Ford will “invest in several vehicles, some of them together with partners and also with different forms of propulsion, including hybrids and fully electric vehicles,” noting that new models will begin arriving in 2027, though he didn’t disclose what segments these new vehicles will compete in, nor did he discuss details regarding those potential partnerships.

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.

Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.

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  • After over 20 years buying Ford products, I switched brand the day Ford decided not to produce sedans anymore. And besides the mustang and not the abominable Mach-e of course, I will not buy another Ford product until they sell sedans again. Not everybody like SUV´s or crossovers or is willing to buy one no matter what.

    • I personally don’t want or need a truck, SUV or CUV. My son down my lane has a Ford F150 so that negates my need certainly for the three styles. All my kids are grown so I went back to sedans as I always wanted them I recently bought a 2008 Lincoln Town Car with 73,000 miles
      and traded my 2015 Cadillac ATS with 95,000 miles. Went retro as I always wanted a Lincoln. Thrilled to own one! It’s just me as my wife passed away two years ago. Great automobile! May be my last one while I keep it maintained!

  • Wonderful! You need only 3 cars. One would be a modern Focus with 3 styles, a first car stripper with minimum options. One with some luxury options like heated seats, power seats, etc. The last one would be an ST car with a significant increase in power and a suspension to match. The second model would be an extension of the Bronco Sport. After that, the magic begins. Resurrect the Ford Fusion. Call it what you want, but Fusion was a terrific car IMHO. Again, 3 flavors, the first a simple family car, equipped with a competitive option. The second, an entry into max lux, powered by a 2 L, with competitive options, plus a 4WD option. The last would be a straight-out BMW 5 series competitor, maxing out with the 5L V8 from the Mustang GT. That's my dream!

  • Finally! Maybe just import or better yet, share duplicate sheetmetal dues and other components with Ford of Europe, and get them online! As mentioned above, three is all you need.

    This way you’ll stop loosing both folks who prefer the above to SUV’s to Asian competitors, plus you’ll re-establish that young, first time buyer relationship

  • I wish I could make sense of their decisions anymore. My wife wanted another Fusion, but they got rid of that. She ended up liking the current Escape, which we got, but they're getting rid of that. Now Bill Ford realizes they have a car problem? With the Edge gone and the Escape on the chopping block, I think they have an SUV problem, too.

    • Your story is a duplicate of mine. Without a Fusion to buy, I opted for an Edge, but the Ford dealer in 2024 would not take any more orders for an Edge - you had to buy what they could get, no more special orders.

      Wound up with an Escape Platinum, and I really like the vehicle; it does what I want and the quality is very, very high. But the irritant is that they so badly misread the customers' choices with the attitude of Farley saying "Ford customers are buying the wrong vehicles" last year. No, Jim, Ford is producing the wrong vehicles. The customer is still King.

  • How many customers (past, current, and future) has Ford lost? Hopefully they will have something worth buying before I need to buy my next sedan.

  • As stated, bring the Fusion back and develop a nice Lincoln sedan to compete with Cadillac and everyone else in that market. And maybe "Americanize" one or more of those popular European offerings.

  • Its amazing how I read these comments week after week and they echo the same thing.
    Ford made a mistake dropping sedans and the Ford Edge.

    I've yet to read a comment saying "good job Ford ! you got rid of the cars !"
    Am I missing something or does this point to a flaw in the master plan?