Recently, Ford announced it was turning its back on automobiles in North America to focus on trucks, crossovers, and SUVs. The Mustang soldiers on, accompanied by the new, built-in-China Focus Active, Ford’s answer to the wildly successful Subaru Crosstrek. Aside from that, it appears as if the Taurus is dead, the Fusion is dead, and the rest of the Focus line (including the enthusiast-oriented Focus RS and Focus ST) is – you guessed it – dead.

In exchange for its actions, Ford’s stock price has been rebounding from its recent low of $10.24 per share on February 6, to a recent high of $12.11, hit on June 10. Clearly investors think this is the right move, and now there’s talk of Chrysler following suit. Soon, the family sedan (or at least the domestic family sedan) may be an endangered species, sacrificed at the altar of changing consumer whims – and higher corporate profits.

Is the car dead? Are trucks, SUVs and crossovers all that consumers want?