Ford Plans New Mid-size Sedan - Will It Boomer Or Bust?

NEW YORK, March 28 Reuters reported that the Ford Motor Co.unveiled plans on Thursday to build a new mid-size sedan, a bread-and-butter segment of the U.S. vehicle market that may see a surge in sales as aging baby-boomers drive off into retirement.

The world's No. 2 automaker announced its plans to produce the roomy four-door passenger car on the sidelines of the New York Auto Show.

Dubbed the Ford Five Hundred, and set to be built alongside the new CrossTrainer car-based sport utility vehicle at Ford's Chicago assembly plant, it will go on sale in 2004, company officials said.

``While it has the traditional design cues of of a conservative, upscale sedan, the package is quite innovative,'' said J. Mays, Ford's chief designer.

``It's got what I really consider a world-beating package in terms of the space utilization,'' Mays told Reuters, adding that the Five Hundred would boast ``significantly more interior room'' than other vehicles in its class, including Toyota Motor Co.'s Avalon or the Chevy Impala.

With its ``command driving position'' -- front seats that are two-to-four inches (five-to-ten centimeters) higher than in traditional cars and but not quite as tall as those found in minivans or sport utility vehicles -- Mays said a major selling-point for the sedan would also be ``extremely good visibility.''

Otherwise, from Ford's own sketches of the vehicle's exterior, it looks similar in design to a sedan from its Volvo unit or the Ford Mondeo sold in Europe.

With front-wheel drive, and a 3.0-liter V-6 engine, the Five Hundred will feature either a six-speed automatic transmission or a fuel-saving continually variable automatic transmission, an optional feature intended to provide seamless gear shifts.

Ford is committed to spending $7 billion a year on product as part of a turnaround plan aimed at restoring profits after last year's loss of more than $5 billion.

THE BOOMER CAR?

Ford's Taurus sedan, which it introduced in 1985 as a 1986 model, has been ousted from its longstanding position as America's best-selling mid-size car by Honda Motor Co.'s Accord and Toyota's Camry.

But coupled with the Taurus' structurally identical twin, the Mercury Sable, Ford still outsells the Japanese ``best sellers'' in mid-size cars in the U.S. market.

It remains to be seen if the Five Hundred will have the same popular appeal. But George Pipas, Ford's chief sales analyst, said mid-size cars will remain a key segment, especially if older Americans start ending their love affair with SUVs and set them aside for something a bit more comfortable.

``Next generation mid-size cars are an area where boomers will be looking very closely,'' said Pipas.

``I think that we might see some boomers leaping from the traditional truck-based sport utility vehicles, both mid-sized and full-sized, into something that's a little more, how shall we say it, posterior-friendly,'' he added.

``When you get to 60 or 65, it takes a little more effort to get into the front seat of a sport utility vehicle. And, even though they are very comfortable ... there's no confusing a comfortable mid-size car ride with a sport utility vehicle ride.''