The big guns don’t get any bigger than the F-150. Just consider that it’s been the best selling vehicle in America for decades and represents a majority of Ford’s profits through the years and you’ll understand why it’s absolutely critical that Ford deliver an outstanding lineup that will last 6-8 years against relentless competition. Ford has done just that by pushing the boundaries of manufacturing to make nearly all of the F-150’s body out of aluminum contributing to a massive 700 pound weight reduction compared to the outgoing model. With more high strength steel in the chassis Ford will deliver a more efficient truck that offers even greater capacity for hauling and towing. Powertrain engineers were also hard at work developing a new 2.7-liter Ecoboost V6 to slot in as a mid-range engine above the naturally aspirated base V6. Although power output was not announced, Ford assures us it will compete favorably with competitor’s small V8s while returning far better mileage. The interior hasn’t been overlooked either with improved materials, helpful new apps on the infotainment system to aide in towing and off-roading, and an enormous glass roof to bring an open, airy feel to the crew cab interior. With handsome new looks derived from last year’s Atlas Concept we expect Ford’s big gun to keep firing with all barrels.
The only people not happy to see the C7 ZO6 roll onto the Detroit Auto Show stage today are owners of the once-mighty ZR1. Corvette engineers have forgotten all about model heirachy and brought the new ZO6 model to market with even more power and performance than last year’s $120k range-topper. What makes that news even harder to hear is that the much-improved ZO6 will almost certainly cost tens of thousands less than the previous flagship. Chevrolet expects true supercar performance with regards to road holding, acceleration and braking. All of the aggressive body additions are the result of intensive wind tunnel testing to improve downforce at speed and the car looks downright menacing in person. Oh yeah, one more fact to wrinkle ZR1 drivers’ noses: the ZO6 broke the Milford proving ground track record on the first go-round. You’ve gotta love the march of progress. We do!
Automakers want to keep the momentum they built up in 2013 rolling into the new year so we’re expecting a great show when the doors swing open on the 2014 North American International Auto Show tomorrow. We’ve fueled up with Chex Mix and charged enough electronics to stream, record and tweet our way through the biggest auto show of the year as only Automotive Trends can. You’ll need to watch our Auto Show Eve video preview to learn our predictions for North American Car and Truck of the Year, but since new-daddy Design Editor Gernand is following along at home with all of you, we can share that he believes the Cadillac CTS and Jeep Cherokee will be taking home the hardware. So follow us on Twitter @automotvtrnds for news as it happens and check back Monday evening for our expanded video coverage and photo galleries.
GM’s been enjoying much improved sales results the last few years and a big driver of that has been the newfound competitiveness in its car lineup. Chevrolet now has a strong entry at every level from the ity bity Spark to the downright handsome Impala and it’s been far too long since we’ve been able to declare that. We just got a crack at the 5-door Sonic and while no one will be using phrases like “downright handsome” to describe it, we found a lot to like about the little Michigan-made Chevy. Read more…
Audi seems to be all about choice these days and the flagship A8 range seems to prove that. When only a few years ago a buyer could choose from V8 or W12, with the addition of the 3.0T model buyers can now choose from a V6, two V8s, a W12 and an upcoming diesel. Read more…
Roll the calendar back a handful of years and the Audi S4 used to be a bonafide sport sedan with a boisterous 4.2-liter V8 making 340 hp that put it well above its contemporaries in power and performance. We’re a bit disappointed to report that in 2010 Audi retired the V8 in favor of a mildly tuned 3.0-liter supercharged V6 that achieves only 333 hp. During the same period progress has brought the class average up significantly with today’s competition like the Cadillac ATS offering 321 hp and the Infiniti G37 offering 328 hp from their naturally aspirated V6s. So does the S4 still feel like a special sport sedan? We’d argue that by today’s standards it’d probably take more like 400 hp to achieve that distinction. What it does feel like is a great top trim in the A4 lineup for customers who want a bit more juice than the 2.0-liter turbo four offers. Regardless, we like the S4 because it still offers a pleasing 6-speed manual, supportive sport seats, Audi’s customizable Drive Select system and, of course, all-wheel drive traction for year round fun that makes the S4 a great partner for those of us in the Motor City. And we like the price range of $48k-$54k that keeps the S4 feeling like a bit of a value. What Audi needs to work on is the lifeless steering, bland interior design and getting that supercharger to pay a few more dividends in the power ratings. If they can do that and maintain price the S4 would be back to sport sedan status faster than you can say, “What V8?!”. Read more…
It isn’t everyday that we use the latest out of Toyota to provide a benchmark for a vehicle class, but we’re going to go ahead and say it’s safe to declare that is exactly what we’re doing with the Scion FR-S. The Subaru and Toyota tie-up has yielded a car that far exceeds all expectations. Greater than the sum of its parts you might say, the Scion FR-S (and its sister cars: the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GT86 [not sold in the US]) has stolen the torch away from Mazda and its Miata as the bar to which affordable driving fun is measured. Read more…
The Lexus IS has been languishing for a while and has recently found itself a tad smaller than the class average set by cars like the BMW 3-Series, Cadillac ATS and Mercedes C-Class. Of course the simple fix is to increase the dimensions while improving the packaging, and that’s exactly what Lexus has done with the 2014 IS. A very significant 3 inches of additional rear seat legroom will improve the sedan’s usability while the great 8-speed automatic from the IS F now trickles down to improve the IS’s performance. Both 2.5-liter and 3.5-liter V6 engines will power the IS and the styling will be sure to turn a few heads. We can handle just about everything including the most extreme variation of the new corporate grille we’ve yet seen, but the two piece headlamps are going to take a while to adjust to. At least they look way cool when illuminated. We’ll be lamenting the lack of a manual transmission, but an IS F Sport is now available and places a big emphasis on rewarding handling so we’d be willing to bet a drive of that will help ease the pain. Lexus is prepping the 2014 IS for a summer on-sale date. Read more…
We know that Ford also used its NAIAS spotlight to roll out an all new line of full-size Transit and smaller Transit Connect commercial vans, but believe us, the assembled press was much more excited about the biggest surprise of the show when an early peak at the 2015 F-150 descended from the ceiling of Joe Louis Arena. Called the Atlas Concept, Ford tipped its hand on a few details that could make the next F-150 the pickup to beat. Active wheel shutters, grille shutters and an automatically deploying chin spoiler help improve aerodynamics and a next-generation EcoBoost engine with start-stop technology would return substantial fuel economy improvements over today’s trucks. Unfortunately, no specifics were released about the engine but some other technologies like a 360-degree camera system and LED lighting are sure to make it to production trucks before long. The styling is also an unqualified home run and should allow Ford to steal the truck talk at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. Read more…
Kia unveiled its new large front-wheel drive sedan, called the Cadenza. No, Kia did not name the car after a piece of furniture; that would be a credenza so have no fear of a companion model named the Davenport. Rather, Kia’s newest member of their ever-more-stylish lineup takes a musical theme originally introduced by the small Forte. Now that we’ve gotten the nomenclature out of the way, we can say that this attractive large sedan fills the spot left by the forgettable Amanti sedan that vacated the Kia lineup after 2010. The Cadenza is regarded as Kia’s premium sedan. On sale in other markets since 2009 this updated model debuts in America in the 2nd quarter of 2013 as a 2014 model. As a premium vehicle the Cadenza features standard equipment such as leather seating, dual zone automatic climate control with rear seat ventilation, Smart Key keyless entry, 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat and Bluetooth wireless technology. Available features include a full-length panoramic sunroof with power retractable sunshade, HID headlamps, Nappa leather seats, a memory enabled 12-way ventilated driver’s seat, adaptive cruise control, Blind Spot Detection system and a Lane Departure Warning System. Powered by a 293 hp 3.3-liter V6 with 255 lb-ft of torque mated to a 6 speed automatic, the Cadenza joins a competitive premium sedan segment but doesn’t promise to lead the pack from the stoplight. Regardless, with its successful track record with the Forte and Optima we are eager to get behind the wheel of this stylish sedan and see just how much this car carries on the Kia family heritage. Read more…
