Ford Attacks Holden Over Its Korean Built Cars

[JoeT]

Ford Attacks Holden Over Korean Cars

Australian Car Advice
14 August 2007
www.caradvice.com.au

Holden has so far escaped media outrage over importing cheap Korean cars, with the company’s small, medium and SUV vehicles directly sourced from GM Daewoo in Korea, Holden has managed to maintain their “Holden means a lot to Australia” image.

Being arch rivals, Ford Australia isn’t all too happy about this, having stayed true to their promise of well built and safe cars, Ford has refused to go down the Korean path.

Ford Australia president Tom Gorman recently spoke out against Holden over the company’s Korean sourced vehicles.

“In a year that they have a whole new product and a bunch of Daewoos to push, their share is down by almost a full percentage point,” Mr Gorman said.

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Ford Attacks Holden's Korean Strategy
Holden & Ford Change Tactics - Starting With Epica & Mondeo

Daewoo Korean built Holden Epica and Captiva

[cedarman24]

Ford have been down the Korean path with the old feistiva. When the going gets tough bag the opposition, with Ford getting closer to dropping out of double digit market share, i can see why he is bagging Holden. I believe in the Korean cars, not the current crop(apart from the captiva) but the next series of cars like the epica etc..

[TDi]

[quote=cedarman24]Ford have been down the Korean path with the old feistiva.[quote]

That's right!! Ford went down that path a few years back and learnt their lesson with the Kia built Ford Festiva. They now have better options and are using them.

[RedVee8]

[quote=TDi][quote=cedarman24]Ford have been down the Korean path with the old feistiva.

That's right!! Ford went down that path a few years back and learnt their lesson with the Kia built Ford Festiva. They now have better options and are using them.

Except...... Ford didn't stop the Festiva, Kia stopped supplying them.

[Stormin]

Exactly, Ford was desperate for the Festiva but Kia wanted to market their cars themselves.

[TDi]

Originally Posted by RedVee8

Except...... Ford didn't stop the Festiva, Kia stopped supplying them.

Exactly. Kia did Ford Australia a favour.

[TKR]

So Mr Gorman, how many of the 'superior' Fiesta's did Ford Aust sell last month? I can't find it on the sales results we recieved this month so it falls out of the top 30. BTW - the 'crapy Korean' Barina comes in at 18 and I bet Holden make money on it.

[TDi]

Originally Posted by TKR

So Mr Gorman, how many of the 'superior' Fiesta's did Ford Aust sell last month? I can't find it on the sales results we recieved this month so it falls out of the top 30. BTW - the 'crapy Korean' Barina comes in at 18 and I bet Holden make money on it.

Your right, the 'crapy Korean' Barina outsold the 'superior' Fiesta last month by a large margin, but guess which one will continune to be held in high praise and not damage the brands image come trade in time??

Ford Australia has supply issues with getting enough 5dr hatchback into the country, which shows people are willing to pay more for the 5dr option Fiesta.

Ford Australia doesn't make the same amount of money on the Fiesta than what Holden does on the Barina, but from a companies point of view, I'd much rather have a quality product sell in good numbers and still earn money on it, then saturate the market with a below average product.

[TKR]

Originally Posted by TDi

Your right, the 'crapy Korean' Barina outsold the 'superior' Fiesta last month by a large margin, but guess which one will continune to be held in high praise and not damage the brands image come trade in time??

Ford Australia has supply issues with getting enough 5dr hatchback into the country, which shows people are willing to pay more for the 5dr option Fiesta.

Ford Australia doesn't make the same amount of money on the Fiesta than what Holden does on the Barina, but from a companies point of view, I'd much rather have a quality product sell in good numbers and still earn money on it, then saturate the market with a below average product.

Yes, the 'old' Opel sourced Barina got great reviews but failed to sell in great numbers and Holden struggled to make money (if any at all) on it. Besides which the 'new' Barina is destined for a reasonably substantial update next year with improved safety and updated styling. This will be followed by an all new vehicle (based on the new Corsa platform) in the next 3 to 4 years.
When you consider what GM have managed to do in a short space of time with the Captiva and the Epica I genuinely believe the GM DAT sourced product will improve at a very rapid rate. By 2010 I think most people will not even remember this company was ever Daewoo. It's amazing how Tom Gorman will say "Daewoo" in an interview (when it is no longer the same company) but would he call the 'old' Festiva a Kia?

[mikmak]

Oh dear, here we go again.
It starts at around post 83

As for gorman and the Festiva, he probably doesn't remember it.

[TDi]

Originally Posted by TKR

Yes, the 'old' Opel sourced Barina got great reviews but failed to sell in great numbers and Holden struggled to make money (if any at all) on it. Besides which the 'new' Barina is destined for a reasonably substantial update next year with improved safety and updated styling. This will be followed by an all new vehicle (based on the new Corsa platform) in the next 3 to 4 years.
When you consider what GM have managed to do in a short space of time with the Captiva and the Epica I genuinely believe the GM DAT sourced product will improve at a very rapid rate. By 2010 I think most people will not even remember this company was ever Daewoo. It's amazing how Tom Gorman will say "Daewoo" in an interview (when it is no longer the same company) but would he call the 'old' Festiva a Kia?

If Holden continued on the with all new Opel Corsa, then we wouldn't even be having this conversation. I hated the fact that Holden did what they did and replaced it's Opel products with Daewoos. Let me tell you, if Opel started selling it's own products in Australia as Opel's, then I'd seriously consider the brand.

Ford had never hid the fact that the Festiva was from Kia and most reports from Australian car magazines from that time like WHEELS, MODERN MOTOR, CAR AUSTRALIA, etc, alwasy made refrence to the Festiva being a Kia.

Ford got a lot of crap for selling the Kia Pride/Avella as the Festiva, but now it's Holden's turn with the Barina.

[TDi]

Originally Posted by mikmak

Oh dear, here we go again.
It starts at around post 83

As for gorman and the Festiva, he probably doesn't remember it.

I'm sure he does, but like most Ford fans, like myself, we try to forget it!!

At least I can say I'm a Ford fan, but not a one eyed Ford fan like some. I'm more into the small Euro's more than anything, which is why I like Opel.

The Opel/Holden Calibra is still one of my favourite all time cars!!

[hq308]

Originally Posted by TKR

I genuinely believe the GM DAT sourced product will improve at a very rapid rate. By 2010 I think most people will not even remember this company was ever Daewoo.

I agree and I thinks it's started to happen already.

Who says the current Korean product is that bad anyway? They're selling enough of them for me to think that they obviously drive O.K and the perceived value is obviously there and they haven't really been badged as Holdens for long enough to know how the long term reliabilty is going to be. Sure they made the same cars previously as Daewoos but does anyone seriously think Holden wouldn't have done anything to improve them? At the very least they would have had a good long look at improving the quality control, design changes aren't the only way to improve a product. I'm sure there are people out there that aren't happy with them but I also know of people who are happy with them. My cousin bought a Viva a little while back and loves it, she rave's on so much about it that my parents are considering test driving one to replace their Astra. I can see where the bad rap comes from though, I think of the old Daewoos and cringe but I really wonder how much is relevant to the current crop.

[mikmak]

At least Holden is maintaining the Astra in the lineup. Why keep selling things that make poor business sense. They weren't doing much for reputation among ordinary motorists: over priced, underpowered and poor equipment levels. To be onest, the Euros were also plagued by little electronic gremlins. My vectra has them but I enjoy its light weight *ahem* agility (for its age). Most automaton commuters want pretty lights and a machine that goes ping when they forget to put their seatbelt on. Consumers have already voted with their wallets. Holden can only take so much responsibility for the dumb ass public.

Just a quick note: I didn't direct my post at HQ308. I was typing it as you were posting.

[TDi]

Originally Posted by mikmak

At least Holden is maintaining the Astra in the lineup. Why keep selling things that make poor business sense. They weren't doing much for reputation among ordinary motorists: over priced, underpowered and poor equipment levels. To be onest, the Euros were also plagued by little electronic gremlins. My vectra has them but I enjoy its light weight *ahem* agility (for its age). Most automaton commuters want pretty lights and a machine that goes ping when they forget to put their seatbelt on. Consumers have already voted with their wallets. Holden can only take so much responsibility for the dumb ass public.

Just a quick note: I didn't direct my post at HQ308. I was typing it as you were posting.

And thankgod Holden still has the Astra in it's lineup!!

A mate of mine has a Astra CDX wagon, looks sweet too!!