Vaguely on topic: Regarding the Cruz and Volt (and every car that Ford is discontinuing), does anyone else wonder whether the executives who make the call to discontinue these vehicles ever consider that the reason they are performing so poorly is that they are so ass-ugly and/or ancient, rather than a general lack of interest in the segment? Another good example of this is the 2018 Accord vs the 2017 Accord. The 2017 actually sold better, despite being the older and less well regarded model. But the 2018 is hideous (I get cold shivers every time I see that brutish disjointed mess in person). Fading segment or is the design putting people off? I keep hearing nonstop how nobody wants cars, but I see few manufacturers actually trying to make good looking cars.
Or, from a more Machiavellian/cynical perspective, are these same executives deliberately sabotaging the cars in this segment with bad design so they can discontinue them in favor of higher-margin offerings? It's a lot easier to convince a board to axe a product that isn't selling well, after all.
