The only shared platform I've sampled recently is the current/last-gen Mazda6 and the Fusion, they did not seem all that similar to me. It could be that the things to dislike about the Fusion have more to to with Ford missing the mark than with their shared heritage. I will say that my parents owned Escorts for years and now they and my Sister own Foci, they'll all gladly go on at length about how like the old Escorts they are.

 

Taurus is based on the old Volvo S80 platform.

Next Focus will be based on Mazda3, Fiesta is based on Mazda2, Fusion will still be based on Mazda6 and Taurus will probably be based on some Volvo platform.

 

I'm aware of all this, I was just relating my experience and offering an alternate theory as to why the Fusion doesn't "feel right" to you.

As an aside: the C1 which the 3 and Euro-Focus etc use was designed at Euro-Ford in Germany by all 3 companies, and technically premiered first on a Ford.

 

I read your previous comment too quickly and didn't realize until now what you were saying.

Maybe its gonna take time for me to get used to new Fords, but I wish they improved their lineup instead of making such big changes.

 

If quality, fit and finish are up, it should improve sales, which will increase profitability, and then one day we may get more niche vehicles. Many critics have said the Ford Fusion is the best build North American Ford ever, and sales have been good, so the proof is in the pudding, as it were.

A "real" Ford like the kind I think you're talking about, would've been along the lines of the Interceptor. I loved that thing, but pretty hard to make a business case for it nowadays. In retrospect, it's a good thing Ford didn't bring that car to production.

 

Quality and fit & finish are up, but sales are down.
Old Taurus (2000-2006) was outselling Fusion 2:1. I know that many of Tauruses sales were fleet sales, but I don't think fleet sales contributed that high.
I drove that Taurus and I liked it much more than my Fusion.

 

Neither C1 or that platforms replacement, C2, is Mazda based. The C1 platform which underpins the existing Focus is a Ford of Europe designed evolution of the first gens C170 platform, which was itself a FOE design. C2 is rumored to be a further evolution of C1 with some claiming that the redesign is actually taking place in Dearborn as a joint effort between FOE and FNA, although I have heard nothing firm on that last point.

Also worth mentioning, the replacement for the Taurus will be on the upcoming GRWD platform which we know from info provided by Blue II is under development in Dearborn. However, you will have to wait until the 2013MY to get your hands on that one.

 

Thus far we have no credible info that the GRWD program has even been slowed. In fact, Blue II has recently stated that GRWD is still a go and all rumors regarding that platforms demise are inaccurate. Effectively, the rwd Taurus replacement slated for that platform is the production realization of the Interceptor sedan, although it wont look much if anything like the Interceptor concept according to Blue II.

 

We had this debate before. Neither Ford's fortunes nor those of the world are what they were in 1986 when the Taurus first arrived.

Apples to oranges. Fusion sales may be down a bit, but sales are largely down across the board, and the Fusion has done well for Ford, given the times. And I see TONS of them around.

 

Right, so as I said, no Interceptor...in effect.

 

Yes and no. It wont look like the Interceptor, but size will be similar so the pros and cons of a business case haven't changed. An interesting tidbit, although it looks larger in photos (at least to my eye) the Interceptor is actually a bit smaller than the Taurus overall, although the wheelbase is much longer for obvious reasons.

 

Yeah, we had this discussion before, but you keep mentioning 1980s and I keep mentioning what was happening only few years ago.