Should Ford push XT against Omega

[jpd80]

Now that XT comes with ZF, mags, Bluetooth & iPod integration as standard,
should Ford have a go at pushing the XT against Omega?

Would that be a good move or counterproductive to Ford's efforts?

[snappy]

I think they should drop the xt from the line up personally thet look cheap on the outside and cheapen the brand .Not to mention there not selling well
For there cheapest car is should look the best on the exterior as possible because it a rolling advetisment . If the need to make cut make the cuts on the interior .

[Dave R]

Exactly as snappy put it, get rid of XT and replace it with something that doesn't scream "fleet sweetheart". Really all it needs it a style boost, a new name and it's there. It has the standard features, drivetrain and gearbox going for it - now it just needs to lose the ugliness and fleet car stigma..

I don't understand the logic with XT. Ford are doing their best to avoid fleets by not giving them good fleet deals on XTs - the endgame being to sell to private buyers. Newsflash Ford, NO private buyer is going to touch an XT. So get your act together, either price it right and sell lots of them to fleets, or delete it and replace it with a desirable basemodel that will still appeal to fleets, but also to private buyers.

Why go along with this "we are trying not to sell much to fleets" mantra, when you've devoted your entry model Falcon purely for fleet use. It's a contradiction.

[calais]

Fleets buy Omega's and XT's. Pushing them any harder to private buyers isn't exactly money well spent in today's car buying climate.

If private buyers are looking at falcons or commodores, recent sales figures will tell you its the mid to luxury ranges that pull the buyers in. Falcon XR6 and Commodore SV6 are aimed squarely at the family man, and the G6 and Berlina at the family man with a few more dollars and a luxury car inclination. Look a little higher up the list and the G6ET and Calais V8, and you have cashed up buyers, proud to buy Australian made luxury cars (who wouldn't be looking at the base models to begin with).

Pushing Falcon 500's in the 70's may have worked well back then when competition was slim, it just wouldn't work today.

[Dave R]

^^ G6/XR6/Berlina/SV6 are all the same money wise.

[calais]

Originally Posted by Adrenaline

^^ G6/XR6/Berlina/SV6 are all the same money wise.

Give or take, What I was getting at was the pecking order of the vehicles and potential buyer demographic.

[Dave R]

I think it's more an age thing rather than a pecking order. I tend to look at XR6's and G6's as the same vehicle just aimed at two differently aged buyers - one is younger, the other is a little older or more conservative.

[onfire]

Exactly what Adrenaline said on the demographic thing.

If anything, Ford has created too strong of a brand with it's XR6. For a few dollars more, the XR6 can tick all the boxes. On one hand its a family sized sedan, every thing the XT is. But on the other, it's a vehicle Dad or any car lover can drive without compromising space and the wife and the 2.5 kids.

[mik]

i don`t think it would be a good idea to drop another model from the line up, for obviouse reasons, personally i don`t mind the look of the xt.

[jpd80]

One of the cornerstones of the new Ford philosophy is to first reconnect with private buyers
and establish a strong profitable retail base from which to grow fleet sales - very sound concept.
In the past, you would see Holden and Ford doing the exact opposite and really struggling to
raise the public perception of their cars and the asking price (profit).

I think the time has come for Ford to pursue some fleet sales with its more fuel efficient XT,
Please Ford, redo the nose and turn it into an R6 like the Ute, that would help a lot.

[4Vman]

"Play the ball not the man.."...

If you focus on your competition you take your eye off the ball, sure you need to understand the market and what your competition is but i don't understand the theory of "targeting" your product against your competition.
It make more sense to me to focus on identifying the demographic/market you want to sell to and giving them what they want with a point of difference, create and diffuse comparisons with benefits, this way you take some of the focus off direct price comparisons...

If you're successful at doing that and make a profit the rest will take care of itself.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

"Play the ball not the man.."...

If you focus on your competition you take your eye off the ball, sure you need to understand the market and what your competition is but i don't understand the theory of "targeting" your product against your competition.
It make more sense to me to focus on identifying the demographic/market you want to sell to and giving them what they want with a point of difference, create and diffuse comparisons with benefits, this way you take some of the focus off direct price comparisons...

If you're successful at doing that and make a profit the rest will take care of itself.

Not talking about playing the man as such, I'm think that Ford has been successful
with the retail market, that's fine but there is no rule that says they can't have some
fleet sales and if they are reasonably low it wont affect the overall residual value of
other models, I just wish they would make XT a little more presentable....

There's nothing wrong with fleet sales provided they are kept under control
and add to the image, success and bottom line of the product.

[4Vman]

It depends on your ability to meet demand too...
We will see staggered new model releases because potential demand will outstrip ability to supply.
Its part of the reason i suspect we wont see a G8E till next year...
Id hate to see Fords capacity swamped with demand for fleet XT's which do nothing for brand image or profitability....

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

It depends on your ability to meet demand too...
We will see staggered new model releases because potential demand will outstrip ability to supply.
Its part of the reason i suspect we wont see a G8E till next year...
Id hate to see Fords capacity swamped with demand for fleet XT's which do nothing for brand image or profitability....

Agree, but i doubt that Ford will be swamped with XT orders, maybe 500 or so a month?
Having said that, those orders would be like replacement for wagon volume but
must never prevent Ford from achieving monthy retail customer demand levels...

What an interesting position Ford finds itself in , being capacity limited is refreshing,
it makes Ford focus on what's really important and prioritise profitable builds ahead
of vehicles that help make up numbers. Both are important but profit is king.

[dannyhilton]

If Ford want to push the XT as their fleet car, they are going to need to reduce the price of it, especially compared to an Aurion. For not very much more, you can have an XR6 which looks better, has better seats and 17inch alloys. Our fleet department is not permitted to buy an XT/Omega/AT-X type vehicle anymore, we have to buy the next model up, hence why we have an XR6 Ute and will be getting an XR6 Sedan. While some fleets will continue to buy XT, the amount of fleets with XR6 vehicles is quite large.

I want to see where this data about Ford selling mostly to private buyers is coming from. While their product mix is more inclined to XR6 and G6 type vehicles, I'd go out on a limb and say that most of them could quite possibly be to user-choose fleets and not actually to private buyers.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by dannyhilton

If Ford want to push the XT as their fleet car, they are going to need to reduce the price of it, especially compared to an Aurion. For not very much more, you can have an XR6 which looks better, has better seats and 17inch alloys. Our fleet department is not permitted to buy an XT/Omega/AT-X type vehicle anymore, we have to buy the next model up, hence why we have an XR6 Ute and will be getting an XR6 Sedan. While some fleets will continue to buy XT, the amount of fleets with XR6 vehicles is quite large.

I want to see where this data about Ford selling mostly to private buyers is coming from. While their product mix is more inclined to XR6 and G6 type vehicles, I'd go out on a limb and say that most of them could quite possibly be to user-choose fleets and not actually to private buyers.

Novated lease may be considered fleet purchases by some but if you
lose your job you still have to make the payments, not the company....

[Fairlane]

The Xr6 is the new XT, XR6 resale is crashing like a stone. Personally ive got nothing against the XT, and I think the XR6 is pretty bland. I prefer the G6 and G6 Limited Editions.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Please Ford, redo the nose and turn it into an R6 like the Ute, that would help a lot.

I've read this comment in a few of your posts now, but the R6 front end is identical to XT. Unless you are referring to the R6 model line's namesake. But then in a different post of yours you were talking about putting the front clip or lip of the R6 onto the XT, so you have me a little confused!

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Adrenaline

I've read this comment in a few of your posts now, but the R6 front end is identical to XT.

The R6 Falcon Ute has a different honeycomb grille insert
A smart dealer could change the grille and give it a more "retail" look...

[IMG][/IMG]

[Dave R]

Your hotlinked image is not showing up..

[Dave R]

Here's a quick comparison, they are identical front bars - unless you are talking about the grille insert?



Changing the grille insert on XT would be like putting lipstick on a pig.

[jpd80]

[QUOTE=jpd80]One of the cornerstones of the new Ford philosophy is to first reconnect with private buyers
and establish a strong profitable retail base from which to grow fleet sales - very sound concept.
In the past, you would see Holden and Ford doing the exact opposite and really struggling to
raise the public perception of their cars and the asking price (profit).

I think the time has come for Ford to pursue some fleet sales with its more fuel efficient XT,
Please Ford, redo the nose and turn it into an R6 like the Ute, that would help a lot.

[4Vman]

An XR Grille wont make or break the car.....

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Adrenaline

Changing the grille insert on XT would be like putting lipstick on a pig.

I drive an R Series are you saying I drive a pig?

[GS608]

and get rid of the poxy chrome bonnet and boot strips, they do nothing but look extremely out of place on a base model XT, also the alloys look **********, i'd prefer the hubcaps haha

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

An XR Grille wont make or break the car.....

what's happened is that we all still equate the XT with the steel wheeled 5-speed auto fleet car
lacking any interior graces to woo retail buyers.

Remember it now has alloy wheels, 6-speed auto and Bluetooth/iPod integration.
The car is getting better....

Originally Posted by XR-CHIEF

and get rid of the poxy chrome bonnet and boot strips, they do nothing but look extremely out of place on a base model XT, also the alloys look **********, i'd prefer the hubcaps haha

Agree with both, better alloy wheels would help.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by jpd80

I drive an R Series are you saying I drive a pig?

Haha, no XT is the pig here - fat bland sedan.

Originally Posted by jpd80

what's happened is that we all still equate the XT with the steel wheeled 5-speed auto fleet car
lacking any interior graces to woo retail buyers.

Remember it now has alloy wheels, 6-speed auto and Bluetooth/iPod integration.
The car is getting better....

They still make people's eyes bleed when they drive past though. That's the whole issue alot of people have - the XT is a good car but it lacks alot in the visual department. Like snappy said, they are a rolling advertisement for the brand.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by jpd80

what's happened is that we all still equate the XT with the steel wheeled 5-speed auto fleet car
lacking any interior graces to woo retail buyers.

Remember it now has alloy wheels, 6-speed auto and Bluetooth/iPod integration.
The car is getting better....

So its morphing into the G6..?
Maybe ditch the XT and make the G6 the entry level Falcon..

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

So its morphing into the G6..?
Maybe ditch the XT and make the G6 the entry level Falcon..

It's so tricky hey, whenever you improve the base model it almost becomes the next one.
XT needs its own style, Don't know now whether XR grille and G Series Wheels would work
but it's gotta be better than the original dowdy car that came out...

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by jpd80

It's so tricky hey, whenever you improve the base model it almost becomes the next one.
XT needs its own style, Don't know now whether XR grille and G Series Wheels would work
but it's gotta be better than the original dowdy car that came out...

The problem with doing that is you rob sales from the next up higher spec/priced model, that's bad for Ford, so they need to keep the value in the up spec models and not erode the difference...