It’s not secret that the U.S. minivan market is on the decline. Ford and General Motors have already abandoned the segment altogether and minivan sales were down 23 percent through the first two months of this year when compared to the same time period in 2007. Ford is preparing to launch its all-new minivan-esque Flex crossover this summer, but the Blue Oval thinks it has come up with a plan to distance the Flex from the negative minivan image — tell people that it’s actually a cool vehicle for people that don’t have kids.
Instead of going down the family hauler road, Ford will position the Flex as a hip vehicle for people that want to make a stylish statement. “There’s much more to this vehicle when you look at it rather than just narrowly defining it as a family crossover,” Kate Pearce, Flex marketing manager, told Automotive News. “It is the style that draws people to this vehicle. Good or bad, it evokes an emotion.”
Although the Flex’s largest customer base will likely be those with a family, Ford’s new marketing chief, Jim Farley, made the decision to shift the Flex’s position from a family hauler to a chic mode of transportation for trend-setters.
According to Automotive News, Ford engineers also changed the Flex’s design to make it less reminiscent of a minivan. The Flex was originally designed to use rear sliding doors, but the decision was made to use conventional hinged doors to make it less like a minivan. The decision also freed up some cash that was used to spruce up the Flex’s interior.
It remains to be seen if Ford’s positioning of the Flex will convince buyers that it isn’t a minivan, but we’ll soon know as the Flex is slated to hits dealer showrooms in June.
03/31, 2:51 PM
posted by:
RSPINAJR
Oh the dealers will love that! Great concept Mr. Farley. Lets see you work some of that Toyota magic!
03/31, 3:12 PM
posted by:
edgeguy
LOL
03/31, 3:18 PM
posted by:
howsmydriving
It’s going to be hard to sell cool when it’s so undepowered.
03/31, 3:25 PM
posted by:
lyndon_h
its a good looking vehicle, especially for the price.
03/31, 3:28 PM
posted by:
RSPINAJR
Put the eco-boost motor in it and you’ve got something to talk about
03/31, 3:59 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
People who don’t have kids are very unlikely to be in the market for a 7 seater. The Edge would more likely fit their needs. And if you’ve ever watched kids pile out of a minivan there’s a good reason why they have sliding doors. Future Flex owners with children beware: before long you’re going to have many more indentations on your doors than those provided by the factory. As for the rest of us, if you see an open parking space at the mall next to one of these- keep looking.
03/31, 4:14 PM
posted by:
manhertm
Hey, how bout Ford just start selling the damn thing already! It feels like 5 years since they first showed the Flex. I haven’t seen on the road and its already getting old.
03/31, 4:18 PM
posted by:
maximus
i always park next to minivans for that reason! hahaha!
03/31, 4:31 PM
posted by:
LaCaLover
Conceptually and in execution, i loathe this vehicle.
03/31, 4:33 PM
posted by:
seanm415
The fact that, at the last minute, they are trying to change the positioning and purpose of this vehicle surely cannot be a good sign….
03/31, 4:43 PM
posted by:
Ward Cleaver
I thought the Edge was the “Stylish Crossover”. Now I’m really confused.
03/31, 4:46 PM
posted by:
LaCaLover
^^^^I loathe the Edge’s styling also
03/31, 4:55 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
They should position it as a Stylish Hearseover.
03/31, 5:07 PM
posted by:
frankhoffy
I’m going to paint mine white, put emergency lights on the top, and paint the Ghostbusters logo on the side.
03/31, 5:15 PM
posted by:
richt62167
For the first and last time!!!! Listen up Ford, Dodge Chrysler, and GM. The only reason your “mini van’s” are down in sales or nonexistent is because you all suck on designing a mini van. So PLEASE stop preaching to us the dame bull crap that all your mini vans sales are down because people are not interested in them. Here’s a thought build something that people will want and want to drive! Hmmmmmmmm that might boost sales.
Oh and Ford that Ford Flex piece of crap is the ugliest thing. So is the Flex the new Pinto?!?!
03/31, 5:16 PM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
“Ford will position the Flex as a hip vehicle for people that want to make a stylish statement”
And that statement is, “I’m a total ****ing loser. Look at how stupid I am, I actually had 100s of choices but ultimately bought the Flex. Kill me now.”
03/31, 5:21 PM
posted by:
richt62167
Oh and also Kate Prarce, YOUR AN IDOIT
03/31, 5:22 PM
posted by:
LaCaLover
This thing will bomb and ford will be forced to import the S Max and Galaxy (like they should have done all along)
03/31, 5:23 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
Doesn’t work for me
03/31, 5:52 PM
posted by:
tzu13
Heh, you guys put “Ford” and “stylish” in the same sentence. Good one.
03/31, 5:57 PM
posted by:
Brendino
You can’t say this is all that bad of a move. I mean, look at the first xB. The only thing that made it moderately interesting to young people was the marketing, but in reality it was old people who bought it for what it was – a functional, economical box.
@manhertm – The Fairlane concept debuted in 2005. To go from concept to production in three years is actually pretty darned good for anyone, but particularly for Ford.
03/31, 6:14 PM
posted by:
MikeFX
Brendino – So what do you think of the CTS coupe coming to market in less than a year – it’s a miracle! The point is they have been showing production versions for what seems like over a year, and we’re still months away from being able to buy one.
The only buyer for these will be Range Rover wannabes, and even that list is short!
03/31, 6:43 PM
posted by:
jayjc08
Ford once again makes a product, places it and then replaces it and redefines what it was meant to be. Way to go.
richt62167- Once again making really stupid comments on this vehicle.
Originally it was about this thing being a load of crap because of it riding on the Taurus frame, and then you pretty much backed up and said something completely different, and now your criticizing it for styling.
Ask how many minivan buyers consider looks before their kids safety or flexibility. Their styled to be somewhat feminine in the first place, most drivers of minivans are females and that’s perfectly fine with me. Is it fine with you?
MikeFX- It’s been less than a year since they began showing production versions of it. It takes a lot of time to design a vehicle, and even if they’ve been showcasing one for only a year, that’s very, very fast.
03/31, 7:19 PM
posted by:
MikeFX
jayjc08 – Yes, you’re right. The Flex debuted in production form on April 4, 2007 at the NY Auto Show. I apologize for being off by 4 days.
03/31, 7:59 PM
posted by:
tripleonefive
This thing is actually a decent looking vehicle so it may sell to current Ford owners but anyone that drives an import isnt buying this **** just like every other american car
03/31, 7:59 PM
posted by:
jdasch1
Its a 100k vehicle at best anyway. Barely will make Ford any money…so its not really the answer to their problems of share, just a piece of the puzzle. Now how many vehicles can they make off of the same platform is the real money maker.
03/31, 8:02 PM
posted by:
tripleonefive
…and shouldnt until the american prove they can hang with the Japanese
03/31, 8:19 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
1115: You’re boring.
03/31, 9:06 PM
posted by:
tripleonefive
JJT: Your a janitor
At least Ford knows its place unlike GM having the balls to actually think they have a shot against Honda (my Fav ) and Toyota
03/31, 9:08 PM
posted by:
tripleonefive
JJT: You are a janitor
At least Ford knows its place unlike GM having the balls to actually think they have a shot against Honda (my Fav ) and Toyota
03/31, 9:41 PM
posted by:
autonut
This one just like predecessor(s) is DOA. Ford makes good truck with 1-2 V8’s. With price of gas through the roof and recession coupled with construction bust there are no available customers. Unless Ford negotiates buyout by Renault-Nissan, which wasn’t even contemplated by Ghosn, they are doomed. Ford’s hand picked management does not have wisdom to import cars from another parts of conglomerate just like GM does and they don’t have expertise to design and build vehicles in US. Honda does not have to twist their commercials to sell Odyssey and it is sold as minivan.
03/31, 11:58 PM
posted by:
hateful83
Autonut, that’s my thing too. Seems like Ford refuses to believe that people have brains. “We’ll market it to them as this” Truth is, if we think it’s a minivan, than it’s a minivan. What matters at the end of the day is if it’s a good product or not. A newly thought up automobile should sell itself, at least when you develope it correctly.
04/01, 5:54 AM
posted by:
jayjc08
mikefx- lol, no need to get nit picky, I just remember seeing the first pictures around May and most of the hype around now. My point is, it’s not a very long time, it’s still very fast from production concept to actual production.
04/01, 8:37 AM
posted by:
frylock350
@richt62167,
Chrysler is the biggest player in the minivan market (a market they invented) and offers the most innovative product.
@hateful83,
They did a damn good job of selling offroading SUVs to people who never go offroad didn’t they? Ford just wants to market this as a vehicle that’s ‘cool’ so that hopefully it won’t be immediately labeled as a mommywagon.
@1115,
).
GM doesn’t think it has a shot against the Toyonda, they know they’re better. Once the next gen Cobalt and Equinox show up, there’s not a weak vehicle in the Chevy lineup. Even now Cobalt’s fine, its just as efficient as the slower Honda/Toyota and the SS/TC embarrasses the Si (if i can stay in gear
04/01, 12:19 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
hateful: good point.
frylock: You’re right.
04/01, 6:37 PM
posted by:
richt62167
FIRST THING jayjc08 YOU CANT CALL MY COMMENTS STUPID JUST BECAUSE YOU DISAGREE WITH THEM. THAT’S LIKE ME CALLING YOU AN A-HOLE AND WHO KNOWS YOUR PROBALLY NOT. SECOND YOU NEED TO GET YOUR FACTS CORRECT. I DIDN’T SAY IT A PICE OF CRAP BECAUSE IT WAS ON A TAURUS FRAME I SAID IT’S A PIECE OF CRAP AND IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE ON A TAURUS FRAME HELL IT COULD BE ON A BICYCLE FRAME FOR ALL I CARE IT’S STILL A PIECE OF CRAP AND UGLY! AS FOR YOU COMMENT ABOUT STYLING/SAFETY WHY CANT FORD AND OTHER CAR COMPANYS DESIGN SOMETHING WITH BOTH STYLE/SAFETY. LASTLY TALK TO ME WHEN THIS BECOMES “CAR OF THE YEAR” OR WHEN IT BECOMES FORDS BEST SELLING CAR. THEN I WILL TAKE BACK MY STUPID COMMENTS