So why exactly doesn't Ford have a minivan?

I was looking over numbers today and it looks like Toyota, Honda, Dodge and Chrysler are each gonna sell over 100,000 minivans in 2011.
So minivans are not going anywhere, there is still a market for them. The survived the rise of SUVs in the 1990s and they survived the rise of crossover in the 2000s.

So instead of building a slow seller Flex (only 23,000 were sold so far this year), why doesn't Ford use that platform and engines for a minivan?

And I don't mean importing European S-Max, I think Ford should developed a brand new van just for the USA market.

 

Because Ford split the difference and also made Edge. Add those sales to it. About 100,000 a year. I'd rather have a Flex than an Edge, or any other minivan, if I just *had* to have something like that.

Yeah, I know they're different sizes, but that's the deal. That, and Escapes.

Ford's just different, and if they had a minivan, it'd cut into Edge sales. Can't have that.

 

I would add that Ford thinks the Explorer can scoop up some of the mini van market as well. Ford is in deep with cuv's these days. Front drive unibody ect... Most people dont know the difference or care. But I do. I think every segment is under the microscope for profitability. If they cant make money its gone.

I dont see how the Flex is making them any money though. Terrible design styling wise and the ugliest Ford I have seen in a long time. May as well call it the Ford Cube. Ford continues to pour money into the cuv's and Lincoln though and yet kills the Ranger. For as old as it is it still sells in decent numbers. If they think the small truck buyers are going to the F series they are bad WRONG.

 

But that's what I like about Flex, it's boxiness. It reminds me of a woody station wagon, for some reason, as well as the Gen1 Scion xB, which I liked way better than the current xB.

And it comes in Emberglo... or whatever they call that color. Sweet.

 

Ford does have a new minivan for 2013. It's called the Focus hatchback. The doors just don't slide.

I think Ford made a mistake in not offering a 2 door hatchback for both the Fiesta and Focus.

 

Ford has a Focus-based small minivan in Europe called the C-Max.

 

My wife will not drive a mini-van.