Well done FORD!!--Renault Sport, sacre bleu??
Discussion
...the Focus ST apparently accounted for 4 out of 10 hot hatch sales in 2012 and its not hard to see why. A 5 door hatch in the medium family hatch market, keenly priced and supple enough to be comfortable on our crabby knackered roads...
...now they're giving us the Fiesta ST. Ok it may be 3 years late, but its a 3 door car with a manual manual gearbox and again well priced. I think it will be the next cult car in the UK, I really do. UK buyers just love a fast ford and this would seem to tick all the boxes.
On the other hand, Renaultsport are giving us a five door non manual CLIO, in a size of car that is usually more likely to be bought with 3 doors.
Sorry Renaultsport, but I think the Fiesta ST will slaughter your new Clio in terms of UK sales, even if its a second or so slower around a race track. You've also alienated some of your traditional buyers who I can see defecting to Ford, or dare i say it, might even try a 208 GTI?!
...now they're giving us the Fiesta ST. Ok it may be 3 years late, but its a 3 door car with a manual manual gearbox and again well priced. I think it will be the next cult car in the UK, I really do. UK buyers just love a fast ford and this would seem to tick all the boxes.
On the other hand, Renaultsport are giving us a five door non manual CLIO, in a size of car that is usually more likely to be bought with 3 doors.
Sorry Renaultsport, but I think the Fiesta ST will slaughter your new Clio in terms of UK sales, even if its a second or so slower around a race track. You've also alienated some of your traditional buyers who I can see defecting to Ford, or dare i say it, might even try a 208 GTI?!
k.Renault as a thriving brand is spinning downwards toward oblivion in the UK IMO.
The Koreans have taken their core market. The Germans have taken their upmarket sales.
The Clio is nice but not enough people are going to care enough to buy sufficient numbers of them.
Renaults future is selling fixed price Dacias to the value conscious. This is a market being left behind as the Koreans are starting to price their cars higher as their offering gains more credibility
The Koreans have taken their core market. The Germans have taken their upmarket sales.
The Clio is nice but not enough people are going to care enough to buy sufficient numbers of them.
Renaults future is selling fixed price Dacias to the value conscious. This is a market being left behind as the Koreans are starting to price their cars higher as their offering gains more credibility
Tony Starks said:
The front bumper on the new Focus/focus ST is just aweful. It doesn't seem to go with the rest of the car.
at least all the previous incarnations the whole car worked as one in the looks department.
It does make the car look a bit like a flatfish, doesn't it?at least all the previous incarnations the whole car worked as one in the looks department.
I think in blue it looks quite good but in any other colour that grille just takes over the front a bit too much
I seem to have been the only one to have hated the first 2 Focuses as I found them overstyled and they aged badly in a sort of previous generation futuristico crap Civic way.
Now I seem to be the only one to like the conservative looks of the current Focus, particularly the front.
The ST can be bought through brokers at a 20% discount too ! ST-3 with paint and cruise for £21K. Bargain.
Now I seem to be the only one to like the conservative looks of the current Focus, particularly the front.
The ST can be bought through brokers at a 20% discount too ! ST-3 with paint and cruise for £21K. Bargain.
Alucidnation said:
How did the two compare when you took them out for a test drive OP?
Oh... wait....
Read my post again dummy. Where did I comment on how they drove or how I think they will drive? I was merely making an observation on how I think Fords product marketing is far better than Renault at the moment, in that they are delivering cars that cater better to what UK buyers seem to want from a hot hatch. I.e. a 5 door non manual small hot hatch is probably not going to win as many buyers as Fords cheaply priced 3 door manual.Oh... wait....
There, is that clear enough for you?
Edited by Bezza1969 on Sunday 17th March 10:14
Bezza1969 said:
Read my post again dummy. Where did I comment on how they drove or how I think they will drive? I was merely making an observation on how I think Fords product marketing is far better than Renault at the moment, in that they are delivering cars that cater better to what UK buyers seem to want from a hot hatch. I.e. a 5 door non manual small hot hatch is probably not going to win as many buyers as Fords cheaply priced 3 door manual.
There, is that clear enough for you?
Oh the irony...There, is that clear enough for you?
Edited by Bezza1969 on Sunday 17th March 10:14
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