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Post by ChrisM on Nov 27, 2023 22:16:23 GMT
Test "poke" and sit, on my way home from work this evening (27th) courtesy of an invitation from Ford to attend an event at my local dealer (one of Ford's publicity photos too);  For an electric car I suppose it's OK. It looks vast but no dimensions were available. It was a right-hand-drive version so there must be some pre-production models available in advance of launch although no launch date has apparently been scheduled yet. Touch controls for everything, including radio volume and HVAC. It also has just 2 buttons for electric windows on the driver's door with a toggle touchswitch to change from front to rear. It had a massive centre "console" running down the car making it impossible to slide across thre front seats, like so many modern cars. No spare wheel and apprently you cannot even have one as an option "to save weight". For an invitation-only event there was just me there, so it looks like car sales are definitely down, and although there were a number of Ford staff on hand it seems they had been told numerous times during the day that cars are simply getting too wide to put into private garages, and I'm not the only person who still uses a garage to keep a car in. How I hate modern car design! |
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Post by Tim on Nov 28, 2023 8:41:41 GMT
Wow, take the badges off and that could be absolutely anything.
Is there too much legislation to allow individuality?
2 buttons for 4 windows sounds like a solution to a problem that doesn't exist (along with touchscreens too).
If you were the only one there Chris did you feast on the canapes?
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Post by PG on Nov 28, 2023 16:10:30 GMT
I though we were getting the Capri instead? Or is that going to be the coupe-SUV to the Explorer's SUV-SUV?
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Post by Grampa on Nov 28, 2023 18:11:10 GMT
Wow, take the badges off and that could be absolutely anything. I think even with the badges removed I'd be pretty certain it was a car  |
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Post by johnc on Nov 28, 2023 18:13:59 GMT
Wow, take the badges off and that could be absolutely anything. Is there too much legislation to allow individuality? I think a square box and a big one at that, is the best shape for fitting the batteries in. This probably restricts the designers to tinkering with the corners. |
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Post by Roadrunner on Nov 28, 2023 18:38:25 GMT
We can console ourselves with the fact that the best cars have already been made and are available on used forecourts all over the UK.
No hurry to replace any of the Chez Roadrunner fleet. If an addition were to be made, it would be another vintage/classic.
Edit to add: the Ford window switch nonsense is an act of breathtaking stupidity and I expect it to be quietly reverted to normality at the first face-lift.
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Post by Martin on Nov 28, 2023 19:00:04 GMT
Didn’t VW introduce the window switch cost saving on the ID3.
Despite the list of cars I like getting ever shorter, I’m not convinced the best cars have already been made. Maybe it’s just optimism…hopefully it isn’t.
Back to the OP, it’s a very generic looking thing and very different to what I think a Ford Explorer is.
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Post by ChrisM on Nov 28, 2023 22:49:38 GMT
There was areasonable amount of food and drink but I didn't touch any of it. As for the 2 switches for 4 windows and it being a VW thing, I saw an article after I got home that mentioned something about the Explorer being linked with VW design so maybe there are a number of VW bits on it?
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Post by cbeaks1 on Nov 29, 2023 13:26:00 GMT
It uses the ID4 platform so lots of the bits (like the window switches and the haptic stuff) are VW. The climate control stuff is always available at the bottom of the screen.
Not as big as it looks - smaller than a Kuga.
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Post by ChrisM on Nov 30, 2023 7:12:23 GMT
There was no information available even from the Ford reps about pricing, dimensions or weights
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Post by johnc on Nov 30, 2023 9:06:40 GMT
Didn’t VW introduce the window switch cost saving on the ID3. How much exactly does it save per car to do this - £1? I'd rather the manufacturers added £50 to the cost of the car and gave us the things we want. How much does having the cheap scratchy plastic save instead of some quality feeling items? Somebody probably justifies it by saying they saved £50 x say 300,000 cars so they are a hero when from my perspective if it didn't have scratchy plastic and idiot window switches then I might consider it instead of dismiss it. Their sales might have been 320,000 if they had thought about the customer. |
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Post by Tim on Dec 1, 2023 8:39:07 GMT
Didn’t VW introduce the window switch cost saving on the ID3. How much exactly does it save per car to do this - £1? I'd rather the manufacturers added £50 to the cost of the car and gave us the things we want. How much does having the cheap scratchy plastic save instead of some quality feeling items? Somebody probably justifies it by saying they saved £50 x say 300,000 cars so they are a hero when from my perspective if it didn't have scratchy plastic and idiot window switches then I might consider it instead of dismiss it. Their sales might have been 320,000 if they had thought about the customer. Yes but remember John its always blamed on the 'bean counters'  |
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Post by johnc on Dec 1, 2023 9:14:10 GMT
Yes but remember John its always blamed on the 'bean counters' Unfortunately there are always idiots in every profession - quite how they rise to the top on many occasions is beyond me. |
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Post by bryan on Dec 2, 2023 7:55:35 GMT
Yes but remember John its always blamed on the 'bean counters' Unfortunately there are always idiots in every profession - quite how they rise to the top on many occasions is beyond me. Usually shit sinks to the bottom but occasionally you get a floater! |
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Post by PG on Dec 4, 2023 12:27:51 GMT
Unfortunately there are always idiots in every profession - quite how they rise to the top on many occasions is beyond me. ROFL!  |
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Post by PG on Dec 4, 2023 12:30:43 GMT
So how come the Explorer is smaller than a Kuga now? It's supposed to be the big SUV. That's going to completely fuck with US customer minds, or will they call it something else outside Europe?
I think a lot of futurer Ford EV's are using VW chassis and kit.
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