Automotive Trends

The Ford Mustang is an icon like no other so when a new one debuts the world pays attention. We were able to lay eyes on the new ponys at the NAIAS and came away pleased with the significant update that arrives just in time for the model’s 50th Anniversary. Gone is the solid rear axle so we expect a new level of handling finesse without the side skip you used to get on broken pavement. We’re also fans of the revised profile and sportier greenhouse with cleaner lines and a dramatically sloped rear fastback shape. Up front the wide grille remains tough looking and instantly recognizable. The rear end is visually reduced from the last generation and sportier looking as a result. The 5.0 V8 remains the top engine and the 3.7-liter V6 serves as the base motor but a new 2.3-liter Ecoboost four-cylinder will slot in the middle as an efficient option with more than 300 horsepower. The interior remains mostly retro inspired but with improved materials and easier to use controls to access the latest connectivity and infotainment options. Of course the usual bevy of special editions will start debuting before long but for now we’re happy to report the world can breathe easy because the Mustang GT lives up to its iconic status.

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.

     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…

     One vehicle that we have been anticipating for months is the all-new 2013 Ford Fusion. We spotted several heavily disguised mules around Detroit that made us anxious to see just what Ford had up its sleeve. When the fresh sheetmetal was rolled onto the turntables today we were far from disappointed. As contemporary as Ford has kept the Fusion, the new model leaps forward with an attractive 6-window greenhouse complemented by a low Aston Martin-like grille rather than the chrome 3-bar piece formerly decorating the car’s nose.  Read more…

     Ford is stretching its C-Platform for all it’s worth by introducing a new derivative to the extended Focus family called C-Max. Europe has enjoyed the people moving capabilities of the various C-Max offerings for years, but Americans would never have warmed to the small people mover when gas was only a couple bucks a gallon. Ford thinks the time is right to make a move and will do its best to convince us of the C-Max’s benefits later this year when the 7-passenger mini-minivan hits US showrooms. Read more…

     Unlike the upset in 2010 when the rudimentary Ford Transit Connect was named North American Truck of the Year, the selection of the 2011 Ford Explorer as this year’s winner came as a surprise to almost no one. The ‘is it an SUV or is it a crossover’ three-row family hauler proves to be a game changer for Ford’s once best-selling model. With votes divided between the corporate twins Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango it rightly seemed that the Explorer was a shoe in for the Truck of the Year honors. Read more…

      Quick on the draw this afternoon Design Editor Gernand nabbed this shot of what looks like a prototype mule of the Ford Mondeo. What is a Mondeo doing on this side of the pond you may ask? Well, and this is all speculation, but this may just happen to be an early drive mule of what will become the 2014 Ford Fusion / Mondeo. Ford has already stated that the next Fusion / Mondeo will extensively share components in all areas except where specific market regulations demand otherwise. And while Gernand was unable to snap a front end shot, he did say that the front camo seemed to be hiding a Taurus-like nose. Hard to speculate from this angle, and odds are the actual styling for the 2014 model isn’t even close to set. It’s also hard to say what will be under that hood of this car once it comes to fruition in a few model years, but if our money was on the line it would be a pair of 4-cylinders with at least one being an EcoBoost. Ford has already promised to proliferate the EcoBoost tech throughout the line and it makes sense that they would save development dollars and only set up the car for 4-cylinders like what Chevrolet will most likely do with the next Malibu and what Hyundai has already done with the Sonata. Keep your eyes on Automotive Trends and we’ll keep our eyes on the road so you’re up to date on Everything Automotive!

Eat My Soot-Free Ammonia-Treated Exhaust!

       Talk about your one-up! Starting this week Ford will step out from behind that shadow the General was casting with its 6.6L Duramax V8. Ford’s new 6.7L V8 PowerStroke turbodiesel says I’ll see your 397-hp and 765 lb-ft of torque, and raise you to 400-hp and 800 lb-ft of torque. Ah, horsepower wars at their finest! Read more…

      As the Ford Explorer enters into its 21st model year, the vehicle itself attempts to redefine a segment which it led through years of prosperity. Once referred to as the ‘compact SUV,’ the genre has changed in recent years. The original Explorer was little more than a lightly re-skinned Bronco II offered in 2-door and stretched 4-door form. Eventually the 2-door would vanish and the 4-door would add a third row of seats, but one thing stayed constant all those years: body-on-frame construction. For 2011 Ford is taking a small gamble that SUV buyers don’t really care about what type of platform their vehicle is based on. Read more…