Spokesperson Sara Tatchio confirmed last week that Ford Motor Co. will be pulling out of the minivan segment.According to Tatchio, the automaker has discontinued the Mercury Monterey minivan. The Ford Freestar, sibling to the Monterey, will continue into 2007 but its ultimately fate is unknown with some insiders saying it will be discontinued as early as next spring.
While there has been no official word of what will replace the two venerable minivans, most analysts point to the Fairlane CUV concept (pictured) as their most likely successor. States analyst Erich Merkle of IRN Inc., “They (Ford) are rethinking the minivan. It makes sense. The minivan segment has become far too competitive. Putting those resources into a full-size crossover is a more prudent choice for Ford.”
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Via Detroit News
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