Ford has barely been moving half of what it predicted at the low end of annual Flex sales. However, since its platform is so spread out through the FoMoCo portfolio, the Flex helps spread some costs around while giving Ford a big people-mover. But there's more to the Flex than just being a box on wheels, and not enough people get it yet.
With the new Explorer "SUV" coming out, people are insinuating that the Flex could be put down if it can't start pulling more of its weight. Some argue that the two vehicles are much too similar, both seating seven, offering AWD, and being "aimed squarely at families".
Yes, they are family cars, but for different kinds of families. Two related products with two unique customers? My goodness, good thing Ford has a marketing division.
What the naysayers don't seem to understand is that the Flex was never meant to be anything even close to Explorer competition. Those are two entirely different stories, different books, different genres. While the Explorer is still being pimped as an SUV, the Flex is Ford's answer to "What comes after the minivan?" (There's your marketing campaign, Ford). It's a stylish, premium successor to a class of vehicle that embarrassed a generation and created the dreaded Aerostar/Windstar/Freestar lineup.
In terms of character, the Flex has a lot things going for it. It is instantly recognizable, shrugged off its class's lame-o stigma, and it isn't called a minivan. Those three "bonuses" may also be its biggest problems, making it too different from its competition.
Minivan buyers, in my experience, don't seem to be interested in much more than basic functionality with some bells and whistles thrown in; that's fine. The minivan is a great tool for getting the kids to school, the dog to the groomer, and grandma over for Sunday dinners.
These are people who - no matter what the commercials push on you - usually don't need to stand out too much. Cool parents in a Toyota Sienna? Yeah, right. Ford wanted to change all that, and therein lies the problem. It scared people away by taking that big step away from friendly territory. Now they're paying for it, with Honda and Dodge slaughtering the Flex in sales.
Personal opinion: to make the transition a little easier while retaining its heritage and remaining familiar to consumers, Ford should have kept the sliding doors. They were never the problem with the minivan: everything else was.
There's no doubt the Flex will survive in the short term; as Mark Fields says, "[The Flex] is bringing in some very, very unique customers to our brand," making it significant for the time being. But can Ford's premium tourer stick around for dessert? It's up to marketing to find and convince those minivan owners or family types who are ready to take a step beyond minivan and try something different. For the sake of automotive funk, they better.
By Phil Alex
Source: Freep
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