Fords take on the ASPEN

[NC-SXT]

I thought I would share this little tidbit from BlueOvalNews about the new Aspen. Funny this comes from Someone who brings back the ZEPHER name and has lost tons of bucks on SUV's and doesnt have a V8 with some sort of MDS like DC and GM.


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Published in Dearborn, MI.

How Not To Sell A Luxury SUV In Ten Easy Steps
By Jensen, Richard
Published: September 29, 2006



How not to sell a luxury SUV, in ten easy steps

1) Give it a ‘heritage’ name, but not from one of your better cars:

2) Use an embarassingly bad catch phrase on your website:

3) Air an advertisement with urban scenes and ethnic participants that ends up (essentially) at a country club, indicating that the Aspen is the ideal vehicle for the sell-out. For an extra touch, add a voiceover that makes it clear that the Aspen is the ideal vehicle for the sell-out in denial.
4) Price your offering above the competition, but include no luxury extras (compare the Aspen with either the Expedition or the Explorer/Mountaineer — take your pick)
The Aspen “Limited” has cloth seats, manual air conditioning, no MP3 CD support on the base stereo, and the wheezy 4.7L V8 which motivates a lumbering 2-1/2 ton vehicle with all of 235 horses. Yet it starts at $1,500 over the larger Expedition.
5) Remind everyone that it may be had with a HEMI engine, because that’s such a strong selling point these days.
6) Further drive home that you are not a company to be taken seriously by anyone with class, by sponsoring a humiliating contest on your website:

7) Insist that this is one of ‘ten products’ that will lead to better times at Chrysler, which will, with the launch of three SUVs, this fall, reduce its dependence on SUVs. Somehow
8) Make sure your dealers DO NOT want to order them:
Auto News
9) Make it look like a Durango, except with Chrysler design touches. Like headlights from the 300, the grille from the Town & Country, and the hood creases from the Crossfire:

10) Sell it in a showroom next to this:

[Evil95GT]

The author of that piece is actually *not* an affiliate of Ford Motor Company, but seems to be very biased against both GM and DCX. I read the article, had a nice long reply all ready to go, and I got the error message........BON ate my post.

FWIW, I happen to like the Aspen. Also, although I like the Fords I own, they currently don't make a single vehicle I'd buy right now. I agree on the Zephyr ordeal............worst resurrection EVER!

[DMAG]

I actually have tried to clue Richard in about his bias MANY times.

In response to his postings regarding the Aspen and how it's advertisements cater to the "urban" folks...I simply pointed him to this Ford Fusion website:

http://www.grownandsexy.com/fusion/

[crhemi]

I drove a fully loaded Aspen and liked it.

[Slick Magnum]

I'm not a fan of the Aspen. It's not the greatest looking car. (suv)

[da BoMM]

Saw one at the dealer -- really not bad, and I'd probably choose over Durango (it's twin)

[FloridaRT]

I understand that the Aspen will be sold by Chrysler dealers?

Not Dodge?

Bob

[formerice]

A friend of mine bought his wife a new Durango and its quite a nice vehicle, quiet fast with hemi and gets good mileage. Anyway Fords will be around as long as 85 year old grandmothers need to drive. Take away the Mustang and what do you have? ZZZZZZ-ZZZZZ BORING

[MomsR/T]

A Anyway Fords will be around as long as 85 year old grandmothers need to drive. Take away the Mustang and what do you have?

A 500hp Supercar called a Ford GT..........

The rebirth of a the Shelby........

Waiting for a re-release of the Lightning........

And anything else SVT gets thier hands on...............

You can talk bad about Ford if you want, but I know that when Chevy refused to back an SCCA team and Dodge quit, Ford was right there the whole time. (yet Pontiac bought the Trans Am name without supporting a factory team )

Ford owned NASCAR for years and years and years even though NASCAR tried their best to create biased rules that continued to hold Ford and Dodge back. (outlawing the HEMI designs - 426 and 429 , Cleveland head, and body designs - areo cars)

Ford was the first and for a long time the ONLY factory sponsored SCORE Team.........same for the Pikes Peak Challenge.

Ford is the only US presence in World Ralley..........

Only presence in F1.............

First Monster Truck which started the whole rage.........factory sponc.

IHRA factory sponc.....

I can go on and on and on...........I love Ford and respect their history. We (wife and I) drive Dodges, but we enjoy these cars and aren't appologetic. If someone else makes a car we prefer more.....we'll start driving it.

[Evil95GT]

Moms,
You make *alot* of good points. I do respect Ford Motor Company for their history. I'm not too fond of where they're at right at the moment, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I'm very happy with the ones we own.

I just feel that at critical times, Ford missed the boat. I don't know whether to blame the designers, the engineers, or the individual they had at the helm on any given week.

In all honesty, I'm not brand loyal. At one time, I thought Mustangs were greater than all. Then I grew up, and broadened my horizons. I find that I like each of the big three (and no, Toyota doesn't count) for unique reasons and offerings. Each one has something exclusive to offer me. You're exactly right about "if I find something I like, that's what I'll buy". The LX bodies really opened my eyes to DCX. I liked DCX prior to that, but when those cars came out, for the first time in a LONG time, it left me saying "I have to have one of those".

[formerice]

A 500hp Supercar called a Ford GT..........

The rebirth of a the Shelby........

Waiting for a re-release of the Lightning........

And anything else SVT gets thier hands on...............

You can talk bad about Ford if you want, but I know that when Chevy refused to back an SCCA team and Dodge quit, Ford was right there the whole time. (yet Pontiac bought the Trans Am name without supporting a factory team )

Ford owned NASCAR for years and years and years even though NASCAR tried their best to create biased rules that continued to hold Ford and Dodge back. (outlawing the HEMI designs - 426 and 429 , Cleveland head, and body designs - areo cars)

Ford was the first and for a long time the ONLY factory sponsored SCORE Team.........same for the Pikes Peak Challenge.

Ford is the only US presence in World Ralley..........

Only presence in F1.............

First Monster Truck which started the whole rage.........factory sponc.

IHRA factory sponc.....

I can go on and on and on...........I love Ford and respect their history. We (wife and I) drive Dodges, but we enjoy these cars and aren't appologetic. If someone else makes a car we prefer more.....we'll start driving it.

Point taken, in fact I have 2 427 side oilers and a 90 Mustang GT that I using as a donor for a Willys Street Rod. But the Ford GT is going out of production, and I'm a bit dissapointed in their line up. BTW I saw a black Aspen at the dealer today and it's sharp.

[pablo]

Hard to belive Chrysler wants to bring back this nameplate. I bought a new Aspen in 1976, a 360 R/T, black on black with red graphics.This model replaced the old Dodge dart sport. I sold the 1973 Challenger 340 Rallye to buy it. Cost was $5,700 new, 1 year , 12,000 mile waranty. This car was a real piece of S***, it broke down so many times and needed so many main items replaced like engine, trans, rearend, ect. And no lemon laws back then. This was my last Mopar until our new 06 magnum, and I'll try out the new Challenger or 'Cuda (if we're lucky). Anyway, all that nameplate does for me is to bring back a hell of a lot of bad memories. Pablo P.S I traded the Aspen in on a 1978 Z28 and have been a GM fan ever more but love to remember my old Mopar 'Cudas and Challengers