As Edmunds Inside Line correctly points out, Ford looks to be readying more facelifts for next
year than a Los Angeles plastic surgeon. The latest to get the Norelco flat-bar grille treatment would appear to be the
2008 Five Hundred sedan, whose value and interior volumes have come in for praise, but whose milquetoast styling and
underwhelming drivetrain and handling have been derided.
The Blue Oval hopes to rectify both issues by early next year, so we're eager to see how they manage.
[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]
(Great tip, Brian!)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
The Dude @ Apr 6th 2006 2:14PM
Its a Gillette front you tool.
GILLETTE FUSION
And Ford must be getting paid from Gillette to make their grills like that. There is something they are not saying becasue it is too similar. Ford is definitely getting some sort of compensation.
GUARANTEED
Chris @ Apr 6th 2006 2:21PM
No way, the Ford grille is only three bars. The Gillete razors are what now, like nine blades or something.
Seriously though, this will along with the new 3.5 litre V-6 will help this car. Even though it is selling at a nice pace these improvments will welcomed.
Nate Wesley @ Apr 6th 2006 2:35PM
Looks like a good freshening.
Ford should consider a sport or high-output version a la the Taurus SHO or the new Impala SS...oh wait, those were/are practical, performance focused front-wheel drive cars, and all front wheel drive cars are automatically crap, at least to Autoblog commentators. Never mind.
Lithous @ Apr 6th 2006 2:47PM
Then this must be the Schick twin blade: http://www.toyota.com/tundra/ext_large.html?page=page1
Joel A @ Apr 6th 2006 2:53PM
Huh. Now you've wet our appetites. Will be interesting to see the interior when this comes out.
Chris @ Apr 6th 2006 3:25PM
Yes, all front wheel drive cars are crap! They handle like crap, their weight distrobution is crap and their overly complex front-ends are crap too.
Don't start with the FWD safety/control nonsense either! Stability control is cheap and has proven to save more lives than ABS alone. You can't beat a RWD vehicle with stability control.
DJ @ Apr 6th 2006 3:27PM
Here's the front end without the mask.
http://www.maximum-cars.com/Cars/Car.php?carnumber=437
The side sheetmetal will remain pretty much as is, but this is definitely the front. Even the headlights behind the mask have the same shape.
Besides, Ford already said the restyle would take on the look of the 427 concept.
RossL @ Apr 6th 2006 3:43PM
#7 - The 427 concept was the inspiration for the Fusion, and by extension the Ford "look" going forward. So it stands to reason that the tweaked Five Hundred will sport a three-bar grill and those square/circle headlights. But that doesn't mean the Five Hundred is undergoing a total redesign. We're talking front-end here.
RossL @ Apr 6th 2006 3:52PM
By the way, is there an automaker anywhere that is more inconsistent than Ford when it comes to styling? They seem to hop from one design trend to another every few years. What exactly *is* a Ford grill? Wasn't it obvious a few years ago that the current Five Hundred/Focus grill is milquetoast? I hope they can make the new look stick, because they desperately need some consistency.
Cervus @ Apr 6th 2006 5:16PM
The current Five Hundred looks like a warmed-over '94 Accord, especially from the rear.
SamSam @ Apr 6th 2006 5:35PM
What Ford should be doing is trying to fit that new 4.4 V8 or the 3V V8 Engine from the Mustang in there as an option.
Noah @ Apr 6th 2006 5:40PM
I like the 3 slat grille look.
I don't like that theres a big gap under the 3 slats on the Fusion tho.
I really like the value of the 500, it's a lot of car for a good price, but I never liked the front end. I hope their about to fix that.
I also hope that they offer a version to fight with the Chrysler 300C. Sure not everyone is going to buy a 500 with 300hp+ but not everyone buys the 300c either. The 300C has a halo effect on every one 300 sold, Even if they have a V6 because the casual observer doesn't really know.
Think, an AWD 500 with 300hp and a CVT and sport suspension? It'd be mad fast and people would love it.
--Noah
The Dude @ Apr 6th 2006 6:18PM
The Fusion has a 5 bar grill. Look at the front. Its three bars on top, two on bottom.
JUST LIKE THE FUSION RAZOR.
That One Person @ Apr 6th 2006 10:25PM
Saw three of those the other day running around. It looks better than the current model. But yea, putting the Volvo V8 in it would be sweet. An AWD model with that engine would be even sweeter.
I like the three bar theme. It should help people recognize Ford products better.
Nate Wesley @ Apr 6th 2006 11:34PM
"Yes, all front wheel drive cars are crap! They handle like crap, their weight distrobution is crap and their overly complex front-ends are crap too.
Don't start with the FWD safety/control nonsense either! Stability control is cheap and has proven to save more lives than ABS alone. You can't beat a RWD vehicle with stability control."
----------------------------
Then buy a Crown Vic and shut up, gramps.
cowboy bob @ Apr 7th 2006 7:02AM
Chris does have a point Nate. Although both front and rear wheel drives have their advocates, and I would hesitate to label them either way, I prefer rear wheel as well. The front wheel cars offer better traction in snow, but are not as controlable in slippery conditions. Automakers pushed front wheel drives simply because they were/are cheaper to manufacture. Arguments aplenty abound as to preference, but bottom line, automakers will present what they can make money on. I have had many front and rear wheel vehicles, and have found that front wheelers tend to be more money to repair, and more difficult to control in any real "edgy" situations. Others will argue, but as for me, I prefer my steering wheels, and my drive wheels, to be independent of each other. Most police agencies, race drivers, auto enthusiasts, local governments,and the military agree. We can't all be wrong.
MikeW @ Apr 7th 2006 1:25PM
Seeing as the gearing is 10% too tall and the car is something like 16.5@85 in the quarter. The 3.5 should take 1 second off that and raise the trap speed to 90mph.
For will NOT put a transverse 90 degree V engine in front wheel drive cars. So stop asking for the V8.
Nate Wesley @ Apr 7th 2006 1:35PM
Now see cowboy bob, why couldn't your friend have put things like you just did?
Nate Wesley @ Apr 7th 2006 1:42PM
Now cowboy bob, why couldn't your friend have simply eloquated his preferences as well as you did? RWD/FWD just isn't a deal breaker for most car buyers...and it isn't for me.
PBCrunch @ Apr 7th 2006 5:39PM
Don't be super surprised to see the Yamaha/Volvo 60-degree V-8 in the 500. It is an evolution of the old 3.4L V-8 in the 97+ Taurus SHO.