Post by Kasey Kagawa
Ford’s taken a lot of flak recently over their somewhat lack-luster debuts (2008 Ford Focus, anyone?), and rightly so. As we’ve endlessly heard from the various media outlets and the teeming millions of commenters on automotive websites, Ford’s been dropping the ball on their “Bold Moves” theme at a time when they need to be stepping up their game and showing not just US consumers but the rest of the automotive industry what they can really do. The new Ford Flex, however, shows that Ford does have the capability to turn it around.
There’s been one thing that people have been consistently forgetting when they say that Ford hasn’t been following their own principles, and that is the fact that it takes a considerable amount of time to design a new car. Ford’s “Way Forward” and “Bold Moves” initiatives are just over a year old, and it takes at least that amount of time to design and debut a new car. The Ford Edge and new Focus were influenced by these programs, but they didn’t go from greenlit concept to completion under them. The Flex is probably the first car that’s gone from start to finish with these programs, and it shows in the design. The improved interior design from the Edge is present, but the exterior design is much more distinctive than recent efforts, and integrates the Modern Styling or Dave design themes from the 427 concept much better than previous cars, especially the Focus, which looks unbalanced and like it had that three-bar grill slapped on it at the last minute. The exterior design for the Flex is definitely unique for a minivan, which tend to be much more plain and uninteresting in their designs, but the creases, tasteful use of chrome trim, and the distinctive paint scheme makes this a minivan that you won’t lose in a parking lot.
While the interior and exterior designs are right on target and make this car a prime example of Ford of North America’s ability to keep up with the leaders in automotive design, the name is a bit of a puzzle to me. I don’t quite understand what was wrong with Fairlane, to be honest. It’s perfectly representative of the way the car looks and of the images the design is intended to create. Hell, look at their own promotional material. When I look at the photograph at the top of this post, taken from their own press pack, I don’t think of Flex. In fact, the only things that spring to mind when I think of the word Flex are Funkmaster Flex and large, overly-muscled men, neither of which seem to be particularly congruent with the image Ford is trying to create with their new car. I understand how they got to this point, I really do. Ford listened to their marketing department, who then waved around focus group studies that demanded a more “urban,” “hip,” and “edgy” aspect to their cars. The thing is, Ford’s been listening to their marketing department a bit too much as of late, and it’s time that they learned to take a chance and go with what they’re hearts and guts are telling them, not what the focus groups tell them to do. After all, isn’t that what “Bold Moves” are all about?
2008 Ford Flex – Dubspeed Driven Photo Gallery [Dubspeed Driven]
Social Follow