Autoblog

REPORT: Ford Kuga could come in Lincoln, Mercury flavors, replace Escape, be built in USA

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Ford

Ford Kuga - Click above for high-res image gallery

How's this for an odd twist - Ford essentially kicked off the SUV craze with its Explorer, an embiggened four-door Ranger. And man, did we go crazy. Before the cheap-gas bubble burst, slightly more than half of all passenger vehicles sold here in America were SUVs. Just below the Explorer was and is Ford's little truck (which is no longer little) the Escape. And almost ten years later, the Escape pretty much looks like a body-on-frame SUV, even though people stopped associating SUVs with mud during George W Bush's first term.

So what if the next Escape looked more like the CUV that it actually is, and less like the SUV it isn't? And what if Lincoln got a version? Mercury too, though they already have the Mariner, a rebadged Escape. Also, what if the next escape was built here, but then badged as a Kuga and sold in Europe? According to CEO Alan Mulally and some other, more chatty Ford folks, it's all more than possible.

The latter is really interesting, and shows you just how far the dollar has fallen against the Euro. And it also shows you Ford's One Ford strategy at work - wherein starting very soon, most Ford cars are going to be global in nature. Aside from essential legal parts (like standard stability control in U.S. vehicles) the cars can be sold wherever. Built wherever, too. For instance, the Ford Fiesta, which will be coming to our shores next year, is Ford's best selling car in Europe and will soon be built only in Mexico and shipped both across the border and across the Atlantic.

Back to the Kuga, the plan is to begin building the Kuga in Louisville, Kentucky in late 2011 for export to Europe. Sometime after that, the Kuga will replace the Escape and the Lincoln/Mercury editions. Moreover, this could be the start of a trend - Fords being built in the U.S. for export across the pond.

Gallery: First Drive: 2008 Ford Kuga

[Source: Automotive News sub-req]

REPORT: Ford Kuga could come in Lincoln, Mercury flavors, replace Escape, be built in USA originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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STUDY: Ford owns brand loyalty in 2009; Scorned Saturn, Pontiac buyers will look outside of GM

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Pontiac, Saturn, Toyota

Ford buyers appear to love their cars more than customers of any other automotive brand, returning back to the American automaker when it comes time to purchase their next vehicle. According to a study by Experian Automotive, six of the top 10 vehicles for customer brand loyalty wear badges from the Blue Oval. That includes the Ford Fusion (62.4 percent), Ford Edge (57.9 percent), Ford Five Hundred/Taurus (56 percent), Ford Freestyle (51.9 percent), Ford Escape (49.4 percent) and the Ford Focus (47.57 percent).

Other vehicles making up the top 10 include the Toyota Prius (52 percent), Chevy Impala (51.7 percent), Toyota Camry (47.8 percent) and Toyota Corolla (47.56 percent). This brings up an interesting question: With the closing of automotive brands like Saturn and Pontiac, where are those buyers to turn for their next automotive purchase?

Apparently, not back to General Motors. According to Experian, Pontiac owners are most likely to look to the Ford lineup for their next car or truck and Saturn shoppers will switch to Toyota or Honda - not particularly surprising given that Saturn was meant to compete with import brands. Experian predicts that GM's overall market share will fall from 20 percent to about 17.5 percent, with most of the slack being picked up by Ford, Honda and Toyota.

[Source: Experian Automotive, USA Today]

Continue reading STUDY: Ford owns brand loyalty in 2009; Scorned Saturn, Pontiac buyers will look outside of GM

STUDY: Ford owns brand loyalty in 2009; Scorned Saturn, Pontiac buyers will look outside of GM originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford boosts production (slightly) of F-150, Escape

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Plants/Manufacturing, Ford

Two of Ford's vehicles are moving well enough that the automaker is adding production to its plants in Missouri and Michigan. Ford says its F-150 and Ford Escape are looking to earn their highest sales of the year in August, with the F-Series truck line looking good for its first year-on-year sales jump since October 2006 and the Escape knocking on the door of its own sales record. Of course, August sales number are expected to be wildly inflated by the success of the government's Cash for Clunkers program, so Ford is also taking into account the sales rates of these two vehicles before August and only boosting production by a smidge in response.

Thus, 2,800 workers at Ford's Dearborn Truck Plant will go back to full-time work at the end of September, which will raise production of F-150s by 10,000 units through the end of the year. A third shift added to the Kansas City plant in October will raise production of Ford Escapes and Mercury Mariners by 2,400 through year-end. If production details are your cup of tea, you can read all of Ford's good news in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Ford | Image: Scott Olson/Getty]

Continue reading Ford boosts production (slightly) of F-150, Escape

Ford boosts production (slightly) of F-150, Escape originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Escape puts Ford back atop Cash For Clunkers sales pileup

Chris Shunk — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Chevrolet, Ford

2009 Ford Escape Hybrid - Click above for a high-res image gallery

In America, we like our sports and love to keep score. Even when it comes to car-buying subsidies, we want to know which model is selling best. The government says the Ford Focus is the top seller under Cash for Clunkers, but Edmunds has a different winner: the Ford Escape. The discrepancy stems from the government's old-school way of counting model sales. The feds consider each model variant a separate vehicle, while Edmunds counts vehicle sales as a whole. In the case of the Escape, the Environmental Protection Agency counts the crossover as six separate models; including FWD, AWD and Hybrid versions.

While the government's list of C4C top sellers contains mainly small cars, the Edmunds list tells a different story. Since the feds count each truck configuration (GM and Ford trucks each have five) as a different model, no pickups made the cut. That was a surprise to many, considering the fact that 83% of the vehicles turned in were trucks, and large pickups have lower fuel economy requirements to work under C4C. On the Edmunds list, the Ford F-150 comes in at number five, while the Silverado sits at seven.

There's been plenty of healthy discussion regarding C4C, and it appears even counting methods are up for debate. With a fresh $2 billion getting dumped into the program's coffers, it looks like we'll be able to keep talking straight through Labor Day. Hit the jump to look over Edmunds' Top Clunker Buys, and chime in with your comments after the fold.

[Source: CNN Money]

Continue reading REPORT: Escape puts Ford back atop Cash For Clunkers sales pileup

REPORT: Escape puts Ford back atop Cash For Clunkers sales pileup originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford celebrates production of 100,000th hybrid SUV

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:27:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, SUV, Plants/Manufacturing, Ford

Click above for a high-res image gallery of the Ford Escape Hybrid

Today, Ford celebrates a new milestone in the life of its hybrid SUV platform as the 100,000th vehicle rolls down the assembly line at the Blue Oval's Assembly Plant in Kansas City. This production total includes all Ford Escape Hybrids, Mercury Mariner Hybrids and Mazda Tribute Hybrids produced since 2004, the year that Ford launched its first-ever fuel-saving gas/electric model.

Perhaps now would be a good time to remind our readers that Ford hit the 60,000 hybrid mark in the 4th quarter of 2008, meaning that the automaker's federal hybrid tax credit will be cut in half beginning in April of this year. Buyers wanting to capitalize on the full rebate will need to make their purchase before the end of this month.

Despite being on the market now for the last five years or so, Ford's hybrid SUVs continue to be the most fuel efficient 'utes on the market with an EPA estimated rating of 34 city, 31 highway. Feel like reminiscing? Click past the break for Ford's teary-eyed tribute to the Escape Hybrid.

Gallery: ABG Garage: 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Limited

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford celebrates production of 100,000th hybrid SUV

Ford celebrates production of 100,000th hybrid SUV originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hybrid sales slide 9.9% in 2008

Dan Roth — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:37:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GM, GMC, Honda, Nissan, Toyota

Despite all the clamor about how hybrids are going to save the planet, cure cancer, facilitate the second coming, etc., sales of battery-pack-mobiles are down nearly ten percent for 2008. At the beginning of 2008, it looked like hybrids were going to have their best year ever, driven by high fuel prices and a recessive economy. That recession, however,has caused consumers to cut way back, leading to dramatic drop in fuel prices, killing much of the argument for a hybrid's price premium. Consumers shy away from hybrids when fuel dips below $3.50 per gallon, and the incessant clang of news stories about expensive fuel also dries up, causing the issue of fuel efficiency to fall from consciousness.

Toyota is still the hybrid sales king, with 241,000 units shifted in 2008. Honda managed to ring up 31,000 sales, and Ford came in third with nearly 20,000 vehicles sold. While nearly every automaker offering hybrids is down (Nissan actually saw a 5 percent increase, and General Motors garnered a whopping 179 percent jump thanks to its 2008 introductions), Ford was hardest hit, with a 22 percent drop. Some might say "we told you so" about the way things have played out - by the time everyone got on board with more efficient offerings, the bottom has fallen out of the price of fuel - and others might use the sales figures to agitate for a gas tax to stimulate the purchase of fuel efficient vehicles.

[Source: Auto News - sub req]

Hybrid sales slide 9.9% in 2008 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEMA 2008: Ford stacks the ballot with concepts for election day

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Tuners, Coupe, Hybrid, Sedan, Wagon, Crossover, Ford, Celebrities

Click above for massive gallery of Fords from SEMA

What recession? Perhaps anticipating the euphoria that will follow the end to the seemingly decades-long Presidential race today, Ford decided to throw a huge tuner party at SEMA this year, and they invited ALL of their friends. The Ford booth always houses a bunch of tuned blue ovals, but they generally tend to be grouped around a central vehicle. Last year it was the Mustang. And the year before. And probably the year before that, too. But this year they gave the ol' spit shine to virtually every model in the lineup. Ford even threw in a Lincoln or two for good measure (above).

In the gallery below you'll see the Lincoln MKS and MKX, as well as Ford Focus Coupe, Escape, Escape Hybrid, Transit Connect, and Edge. Tuners include 3dCarbon, Custom Creations, RKSport, Stout Performance, Barber Driving Experience, FSWerks, Street Concepts, EcoTrek, HPA Motorsports, H&R, and Steeda. For more info on each one, check out the press release after the jump. There are actually quite a few interesting concepts in the bunch.

Gallery: SEMA 2008: Ford Booth

Continue reading SEMA 2008: Ford stacks the ballot with concepts for election day

SEMA 2008: Ford stacks the ballot with concepts for election day originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: Ford Kuga (Euro-spec)

Noah Joseph — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Europe, Crossover, Ford, First Drive

Click above for high-res gallery of the Euro-spec Ford Kuga

The grass, they say, is always greener on the other side of the fence. Though that often appears to be the case, most of the time it isn't. Dearborn's new "One Ford" initiative promises that we'll soon be able to stop gazing longingly across the ocean at what the company offers overseas buyers, as Ford endeavors to integrate its global product line-up into one cohesive range for every market around the world. In the case of the new Fiesta, that's a good thing. Less so with regards to the Kuga. Follow the jump to read why.

Gallery: First Drive: 2008 Ford Kuga

Continue reading First Drive: Ford Kuga (Euro-spec)

First Drive: Ford Kuga (Euro-spec) originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Milking a Bull: Automakers eek out extra fuel economy on older models

Chris Shunk — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:28:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Green, Hatchback

Conspiracy theorists have long insisted that automakers could push their vehicles to achieve better fuel economy, and as it turns out, they were right. Of course, it isn't as easy as flipping a magic MPG switch, but automakers are making incremental gains on vehicles even between redesigns. Techniques like changing gear ratios, lowering revs at highway speed and using lower rolling resistance tires are helping drive up efficiency a few percentage points at a time.

For example, the 2009 Cobalt XFE (above) achieves 37 mpg on the highway compared to 36 mpg for the 2008 model with minimal aero and mechanical changes. Ford made similar changes to the 2009 Escape, enabling the Blue Oval's smallest crossover to hit 28 mpg in 2WD four-banger guise. Honda achieved similar incremental improvements when it introduced cylinder deactivation on the 2008 Odyssey. Chrysler will show 1 mpg improvement on the 2009 Avenger and Sebring four-cylinder model, which will bring the Pentastar's midsize sedans to 31 mpg.

Continue reading Milking a Bull: Automakers eek out extra fuel economy on older models

Milking a Bull: Automakers eek out extra fuel economy on older models originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Low-rolling resistance tires going mainstream

Chris Shunk — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:34:00 EST

Filed under: Green, Safety, Technology

The car-buying public has put its collective foot down and demanded fuel-efficient vehicles, and automakers are likely to do anything to answer customer demand. That may include reinventing the wheel, as more automakers look into incorporating low rolling resistance tires into non-hybrid vehicles. The high-pressure rubber can return fuel economy improvements of 1-2 mpg in most instances, giving automakers that use them a leg up on the competition when comparing EPA data. The new four-cylinder 2009 Ford Escape eked out an additional 1 mpg with the new tires, giving the CUV 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. Michelin estimates that low rolling resistance tires can save $300 in fuel costs at $4 per gallon over the life of tire, which is fairly substantial.

There are drawbacks to low-rolling resistance tires, too. They're more expensive than standard rubber, the ride isn't quite as comfortable, and the tires cause longer braking distances. In fact, Consumer Reports gave the Escape a lower rating because it had such poor stop times. The bottom line is that customers are looking for improved economy at all costs. Since low rolling resistance tires improve fuel economy, the cars that have them and achieve superior fuel economy as a result will be more attractive to mpg-conscious buyers.

[Source: Detroit News]

Low-rolling resistance tires going mainstream originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2009 Ford Escape, more of almost everything

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:59:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Crossover, Ford, First Drive

2009 Ford Escape - Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2008 redesign of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner wasn't the clean-sheet redesign Ford would like people to believe. In fact, only the parts visible to the naked eye were "all new." Aside from the body and interior, the working bits that make the badge-engineered duo go were almost entirely carried over from the 2007 models. Fortunately for Ford, that oversight didn't seem to hurt sales, which increased by about ten-percent over their predecessors in a market that's down overall. For 2009, all the hardware under the skin has been either replaced or significantly refreshed. And that's a good thing.

The old 2.3-liter four-pot has been superseded by a 2.5-liter unit, while the classic 3.0-liter Duratec V6 gets a major overhaul. Both engines receive a substantial boost in power and an all new six-speed gearbox to transmit it to the wheels. The driver's working environment also becomes a more pleasant place thanks to structural improvements to the body and Ford's next-generation navigation system with Sirius Travel Link. We got a chance to play with all of the 2009 Escape variants on a rainy spring morning, so read on after the jump for our impressions.

Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Ford Escape

Continue reading First Drive: 2009 Ford Escape, more of almost everything

First Drive: 2009 Ford Escape, more of almost everything originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 May 2008 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Ford demonstrates new nav system with Sirius Travel

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: I.C.E., Technology, Ford

Click above to view videos after the jump

One of the cool features that Ford is introducing for the 2009 model year is its updated navigation system with Sirius Travel Link. When we went out to drive the updated 2009 Ford Escape this week, Ford's chief technology spokes-model Alan Hall gave us a guided tour of the system. The next generation nav unit takes the traditional touch screen GPS unit and integrates it with the popular SYNC system that debuted last year, while adding real time downloadable information from Sirius and a 10GB jukebox. The Sirius system provides information such as live weather maps overlaid on the navigation data, current fuel prices, movie listings and more.

With the jukebox, you can insert an audio CD and automatically rip it to the internal hard drive like you can in the Cadillac CTS. The full Gracenote CDDB database is incorporated so that the meta-data can be automatically added. The screen can even display the album artwork. The system can even play DVDs with the video only being visible on the front seat screen when the car is in park. As soon as the transmission is shifted into gear, it only plays the audio track. If you pull up a restaurant listing, it can automatically dial your bluetooth phone through the SYNC system. Like SYNC, the whole system can be controlled by voice commands so you don't have to take your hands off the wheel. The new setup will be on most 2009 Fords, with bigger vehicles like the new Flex and the MKS getting an 8-inch touch screen while the smaller Escape makes do with a 6.5" inch screen. Ford will be charging $1,995 for the full system including SYNC, the nav system, Travel Link and the jukebox. Check out a pair of video run-throughs of the system after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading VIDEO: Ford demonstrates new nav system with Sirius Travel

VIDEO: Ford demonstrates new nav system with Sirius Travel originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 May 2008 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford fun in I Am Legend

Alex Nunez — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:33:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Ford, Celebrities

Click image for more Fords in I Am Legend

Product placements in films get a lot of virtual ink here at Autoblog, probably because we all like cars (obviously) and are, for the most part, movie buffs. The carmaker placement king over the last year was unquestionably Transformers, which did more to expose (and evangelize) the new Camaro to the masses than GM's marketing department could ever have hoped. The Bond films are always good for some car-related water-cooler discussion, and last year also saw VW use The Bourne Ultimatum to shill for the Touareg 2. Ford's been kind of off the blockbuster radar since Casino Royale, but makes a tidy comeback in the new Will Smith thriller, I Am Legend.

Over the holidays, I managed to slink away from the wife and kids for a couple of hours to catch the film with some friends. As a movie it's imperfect but very entertaining, with a nice performance by Will Smith. The Ford stuff is very noticeable if you're aware of this sort of thing, and for the most part the cars are used well.

NOTE: Since I'm going to reference some scenes and elements that are spoilerish in nature, including the film's ending, I'll give the rundown after the jump.

Continue reading Ford fun in I Am Legend

Ford fun in I Am Legend originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda ramping up CR-V production in Mexico

Chris Shunk — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:57:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Honda

The small utility vehicle market is booming right now, and there may be none better in the non-luxury space than the fuel-sipping Honda CR-V. Honda has to be thrilled with their little 'ute, mostly because customers are snatching up the vehicle with little or no incentives, and it's far and away the best-selling CUV in the US. The CR-V has been so successful that Honda has increased production in Mexico by 20,000 units annually to expand sales into Brazil and Argentina. Honda is hiring an additional 600 employees to its El Salto plant in Mexico to account for growing production. The move is part of Honda's plan to double North American production of the CR-V.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Honda ramping up CR-V production in Mexico originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford recalls 500,000 Escapes after engine fires reported

Chris Tutor — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 10:33:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Ford

Ford is recalling more than 500,000 Escapes after receiving reports from 50 owners of engine fires from 50 owners. Ford says the fires were caused by improperly installed ABS units on 2001-2004 models, and did not result in any accidents or injuries. Missing or improperly installed seals could allow water or other liquids could get into the units' wiring harnesses, causing a short, and possibly, underhood fires.

Ford dealers will inspect each of the recalled SUVs and repair or replace faulty ABS modules. The recall potentially affects 488,480 Escapes sold in the U.S. and about 75,000 sold in Canada, Mexico and Europe. Hybrid Escapes are not included in the recall.

Read the NHTSA investigation summary on the jump.

[Source: AP via Yahoo]

Continue reading Ford recalls 500,000 Escapes after engine fires reported

Ford recalls 500,000 Escapes after engine fires reported originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Apr 2007 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hydrogen fuel cells are the wave of the future - just not the near future

Stuart Waterman — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 12:05:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Hybrid, I.C.E.

Senior researchers from automakers around the world agree that internal combustion engines will dominate the automotive market for decades to come, even though hydrogen fuel cells are becoming an attractive replacement technology.

Volkswagen's Wolfgang Steiger predicted that fuel cell cars will not reach 1 percent of new car sales before 2030, growing to a 50 percent market share 20 years later. A DaimlerChrysler researcher was slightly more optimistic, forecasting a single-digit share of the new-car market as early as 2020. Ford Motor's Gerhard Schmidt swung the other way, saying a 50 percent market share by 2050 seemed optimistic.

Filling the gap? Hybrids. Toyota expects its hybrid sales to blow through the 1 million units a year milestone early next decade, with auto parts supplier Bosch forecasting hybrid sales of 2.4 million units a year by 2015.

Meanwhile, dramatic improvement in the efficiency of gasoline engines, together with the development of clean diesels, is giving the internal combustion engine a new lease on life.

With U.S. automakers well behind the power curve of hybrid technology development and product rollout (Ford's hybrids notwithstanding), basing their strategies on an ethanol-based transition to a hydrogen future could leave them on the outside looking in, provided hybrids gain the hearts and minds of car buyers in the next decade.

[Source: Reuters]

Hydrogen fuel cells are the wave of the future - just not the near future originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Jun 2006 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4 in the Autoblog Garage Day 1-2

Chris Paukert — Mon, 29 May 2006 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Trends, SUV, Crossover, Suzuki

Suffice it to say that Suzuki has never stunned North American consumers with beautiful automotive designs. In point of fact, reviewing their history reveals a certain manic quality, little of it pretty. Oddball propositions like the toy-like X-90 and character-free Esteem have given way to the likes of Suzuki's ill-proportioned Aerio and milquetoast non-statements on the order of the Verona and Forenza. But there are tangible signs that the automaker is finally finding the plot- the inexpensive Italdesign-penned Reno and the tweener SX4 crossover are both attractive propositions. But the offering most likely to become the company's poster child is the all-new-for 2006 Grand Vitara.

A direct replacement for its tired, boxy predecessor that reigned from 1999-2004, the new Grand Vitara is infinitely more compelling with even just a cursory glance. By comparison, yuppies ought to be clamoring for the reborn GV like it's next year's Ikea catalog. Simply put, it's a looker. The strong lines of its clamshell-style hood set the tone, creating a defining ridge across the top of the rectilinear grille, lending the clear-lensed headlamps a bit of edge. The former element is of the blacked-out cross-hatch variety, with a thin, u-shaped chrome lip adding definition and a bit of class. Even when viewed from the dead-on, the GV's meaty fender flares lend it a properly butch stance, particularly as they mold so nicely into the bumper, itself augmented by a pair of blisters housing auxiliary driving lamps. Complaints? Well, the chrome 'S' badge on the nose is a bit outsized, coming across like a Superman logo reinterpreted by an anime artist. But it's hard to blame Suzuki's designers for wanting to get the message out that they're finally in the business of making attractively styled vehicles.

(Click here for the full walk-around, along with more commentary)

Continue reading 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4 in the Autoblog Garage Day 1-2

2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4 in the Autoblog Garage Day 1-2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 May 2006 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mazda names Laurens Van den Acker new design chief

Chris Paukert — Tue, 02 May 2006 11:05:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford, Mazda, Mercury

Mazda has a new styling chief. Dutchman Laurens Van den Acker will be putting the rather cumbersome appliqué "General Manager of the Design Division of Mazda Motor Corporation" on his office door, replacing Moray Callum (design head since 2001) who has been appointed to Ford's automotive design director post.

Van den Acker comes to Mazda from parent company Ford, where he was the automaker's Dearborn-resident Chief Designer, Strategic Design. The gifted multilingual designer has had a hand in a number of Blue Oval concepts from the last few years, including the Bronco, 427, 24/7 and Model U. Production-wise, some of his influence can be seen on the Escape and Mercury Mariner.

In light of Callum's move, Patrick Schiavone will be Ford's Design director for trucks.

The promotions are effective immediately.

[Sources: Mazdanews.com; Ford; Mazda]

(Tip nod: Igor)

Mazda names Laurens Van den Acker new design chief originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 May 2006 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford's April hybrid sales surge on strong incentives

Chris Paukert — Tue, 02 May 2006 10:03:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Hybrid, SUV, Government/Legal, Green, Marketing/Advertising, Ford, Mercury, Earnings/Financials

Ford Motor Company announced yesterday that sales of its hybrid SUVs rose 50 percent year-over-year in April to 2,800 units, largely on the backs of sizeable incentive initiatives.

The numbers indicate a 75 percent increase over March, which would appear to indicate that Ford is gaining some traction thanks to the zero-percent 60-month loans on its Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids, as well as the ramping up the 'Kermit Factor' (read: spending more $$$ on advertising).

Ford also attributes government tax benefits and increasing gas prices for the demand uptick.

[Source: Reuters via Planet Ark; Autos.163]

Ford's April hybrid sales surge on strong incentives originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 May 2006 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spied! The next USDM Ford Escape

Chris Paukert — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Ford

Not much is known about the next Ford Escape, other than the fact that the U.S. version is becoming more distinct from its foreign-market counterparts, like the re-nosed model set to run Down Under for 2007. Of course, as can be plainly seen here, the American version of the popular small SUV will get a new look as well, though markedly more aggressive than its Australian counterpart. With a bolder chrome grille and bumper inlet and headlamps similar to that of the 2007 Expedition, the look is definitely more grown up and aggressive, with designers having exorcised the overly prominent front bumper fascia of the current iteration.

No word yet on powertrain or interior refinements, though the Aussie Escape gained variable valve timing on its 2.3-liter four-cylinder model, and all models received an upgraded interior. From the looks of things, it would appear that the domestic Escape will receive a more thorough going-over than that of other markets, which should keep it in the hunt against vehicles like the new Toyota RAV-4 and Hyundai Tucson, along with upcoming competitors like the Mitsubishi Outlander.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Spied! The next USDM Ford Escape originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Apr 2006 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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