Despite a majority of U.S. consumers preferring automatic transmissions over manual offerings, Ford's plan to offer the 1-liter EcoBoost with only a six-speed manual for the 2015 Focus is seen by the automaker as a sensible decision for the home market.
Ward's Auto reports U.S. Focus customers are more likely to choose a manual over an automatic — the lineup as a whole as a take rate of between 12 percent and 13 percent — if not the desire to learn how to shift, according to Focus marketing manager Seema Bardwaj:
We see younger customers who think it's cool and think they are better engaged with the vehicle (with a manual). We see that in that customer that you may not see in other vehicle segments.
In addition, Ford believes U.S. consumers may not find the dual-clutch automatic offered with the engine elsewhere to their liking, citing customer reaction toward the technology — and complaints of abrupt shifting that was later fixed through software updates — behind its reasoning.
However, the take rate for the pairing under the Focus may be lower than hoped, which may lead to an automatic behind the 1-liter down the line. In the meantime, Ford hopes the engine more than makes up for the lowered expectations, thanks in part due to its fuel economy; under the bonnet of the Fiesta with the same transmission, the B-segment car delivers a combined 37 mpg.
from The Truth About Cars http://ift.tt/Jh8LjA
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