Ford to offer fewer options and more standard features

FoMoCo will be cutting back on the number of available equipment combinations on its 2009 models. Jim Farley, Ford’s marketing chief, told Automotive News that Ford will reduce its vehicle order combinations by more than 50 percent. That means all of Ford’s nameplates will have fewer options and more standard features and you can’t customize your Ford the way you want it.

Ford will be using sales data to determine the most popular configurations. CEO Mulally hopes that the move will help dealers keep less inventory and will make ordering a vehicle easier for dealers and customers.

“I like it,” said Clark Spikes, a Ford dealer in Mission, Texas. “You’ll sell more cars, and you’ll have the car in stock that the customer wants.”

The Lincoln MKS, which goes on sale this summer, will be offered with three options packages and half a dozen stand-alone options, the MKS will be offered in about 300 combinations.

Cutting back on vehicle combinations has previously hurt other auto makers. Chrysler’s inventory increased in 2006 as dealers struggled to sell cars that had undesirable equipment combinations.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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