Detroit 2009: Ford reveals 2010 Taurus, party like it's 1986

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Ford

Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2010 Ford Taurus

Last month, Ford's President of the Americas Mark Fields remarked that it was going to be like 1986 all over again when the 2010 Ford Taurus arrives. The original Taurus that debuted during the Reagan Era was certainly groundbreaking, not only for its aerodynamic design that was unique in the mid-size sedan segment of the day, but also its tremendous value versus the competition. That car went on to become the best-selling passenger vehicle in the U.S. during the early '90s before a series of successively worse redesigns saw it fall from grace. It was sold uninterrupted for 21 years until late 2006 when the final one rolled off the assembly line at the company's assembly plant in Hapeville, GA. By that time, sales to the public had ceased and Ford was only selling the Taurus to fleets and rental companies, which had become the car's biggest customers as more and more families bought Camrys and Accords.

Then came Alan Mulally. Bill Ford Jr. replaced himself as CEO with Boeing's ex-head honcho and one of this Kansas-bred boy's first actions at the Blue Oval was to resurrect the Taurus name. Ford's new large sedan, the Five Hundred, wasn't selling well, and it was thought that slapping the Taurus name on it would help things. It didn't, and despite some substantive improvements to the car, the newly minted Taurus v2.0 earned a reputation for being a good but not great car that sold just enough to justify its existence.

The new 2010 Taurus has been completely redesigned, and Ford hopes all these changes to the exterior, interior, platform and powertrain will add up to a full-size car worthy of the Taurus name. Will it become the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. again? Not likely, but it will be a new halo car for the Ford brand that's crammed with all the best technology and state-of-the-art engines. Follow the jump to find out more.

Gallery: 2010 Ford Taurus - LIVE

Gallery: 2010 Ford Taurus

Live photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Detroit 2009: Ford reveals 2010 Taurus, party like it's 1986

Detroit 2009: Ford reveals 2010 Taurus, party like it's 1986 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Ford Fusion: First Drive [Jalopnik Reviews]

According to Congress, Detroit doesn’t know how to build cars that the majority of people want to drive. The 2010 Ford Fusion comprehensively proves that it can.

Full Disclosure: Ford wanted me to drive the new Ford Fusion so badly they flew me out and put me up in a nice hotel to make sure I wrote about it. Also, they fed me candy. Sweet, sweet candy.

Like the 2010 Ford Mustang, this new Fusion isn’t an all-new model, but rather a comprehensive update of the old one. Retaining the same basic platform, nearly every mechanical component has been upgraded to function better. The new Fusion is a much quieter, more luxurious place to spend time; it’s more involving to drive; it rides more smoothly; it’s faster and it’s more economical. They’ve even done a good job giving the outside enough curb appeal to set it apart from its main rivals: the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

It’s those two models, particularly the Camry, which are the benchmarks for the mid-size sedan segment; the most popular and the most boring segment in the country. Compared trim level to trim level, engine to engine to those two vehicles the Fusion is faster, more economical, nicer inside and, dare we say, not all that boring. That’s because it drives better than its rivals.

That’s not to say that the Fusion is a sports car. For some bizarre reason Ford insisted that we drive slushbox-equipped, four-cylinder Fusions around an autocross course. Even with the traction control off, the vehicle resisted any attempts to push its performance envelope, literally putting the brakes on things the second it transitioned into inevitable understeer. More frustrating was the gearbox, which spent the majority of the time hunting for gears than it did providing acceleration. The same was true of the 3.5-liter V6-equipped whiz-bang Fusion Sport.

In fact, the only thing more boring than driving the Fusion around the course was driving the Camry. We really fail to see what appeal the Camry holds to anyone, but it’s particularly bad at being driven quickly. In fact, it’s hard to believe that a vehicle that drives so poorly manages to find favor with anyone, let alone its millions of loyal buyers.

Also like the Mustang, the Fusion proves to be all about spec. But in this case it’s not about the stuff you add, but the stuff you leave off. The best Fusion is also the cheapest one. At $19,270, the basic, manual transmission 2.5-liter four-cylinder is the clear leader in terms of driving enjoyment. Not only is it the only model available with the manual transmission (a 6-speed), but it’s noticeably lighter on its feet than the faster V6-equipped versions, delivering more involvement and better steering.

Despite having a much slower 0-to-60 time (9.5 seconds vs. 7.9 for the 3.0-liter and 7.0 for the 3.5), the manual tranny 4-cylinder is more responsive, more rewarding and just plain more fun to drive fast. And you can drive the Fusion fast.

While it is no good on the autocross course, the Fusion is good on the road. Higher speed corners remove its tendency to throw on the stability control at the faintest sign of slip, while the manual transmission allows you to pick the gears yourself instead of relying on a semi-retarded computer to attempt to do so for you.

Through the canyons north of Los Angeles the four-cylinder Fusion proved to be a willing companion to some serious law breaking. It steers quickly, holds its line and isn’t at all reluctant to rotate the rear with a bit of braking or lift-off should that line need to tighten. While the 175 HP engine’s a bit gutless, we like the challenge of passing other auto hacks in supposedly faster models using every last one of the available revs.

All this from a car that competes in the most mundane of segments. The Fusion’s not likely to be the most economical, most luxurious or most fun car you’ll ever drive, but it is likely to satisfy most of those requirements more of the time than any other mid-size sedan on sale in America has before it. It’s product like this that’s going to give the American car industry a future. No matter how much we wish this segment of America's car "needs" would just disappear.

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The 2009 Ford Focus: How You Gonna Play Us Like That?

2009 Ford Focus RS

Perhaps to punish us for all the grief we’ve given them over their small cars, in 2009 Ford will introduce the 295-hp Ford Focus RS pictured above to the European market, while we here stateside get a redesigned, fugly - to be quite frank - Ford Focus, pictured below.

2009 Ford Focus

For the 2009 U.S. model, the thick chrome vents of the 2008 Focus are gone, replaced with more subdued black chrome. Gaining a premium trim level in the form of the Ford Focus SEL, both the SEL and S models will only be offered in 4-dr sedan form [all other trim options, SE and SES, will be offered as either a 4-dr sedan or 2-dr coupe]. Standard on all 2009 Focus models will be a 2.0L 4 cylinder 140-hp engine with a 5-speed manual or optional 4-speed automatic transmission.

In a sort of half-assed attempt at a “sportier” feel, the 2009 Ford Focus will be offered with an optional rear spoiler and heavily-advertised new anti-skid technology - as if a Focus could ever be traveling fast enough to need it. For those who look to the Ford Focus for practicality over looks [which should be just about everyone], the 2009 Focus’ 13 gallon tank features an EPA fuel consumption average of 24mpg city/35hwy for the 5-sp manual transmission, and 24mpg city/33 hwy for the 4-sp automatic. With prices ranging from $14,091 to $16,648, the 2009 Ford Focus is an excellent choice for the fuel efficiency-concerned, looks-don’t-matter crowd…or, hippies.

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Ford planning Fusion GT with 340-hp V6 EcoBoost

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Global Production of The New Ford Fiesta Begins; Only Shriners, Clowns Rejoice

New 2010 Ford Fiesta

On Thursday, Ford Motor Company began global production of the new Ford Fiesta, the B-car intended to serve as the “blueprint” for Ford’s new “Global Ford” program. Ford, publicly struggling to tread water in the midst of rapidly sinking SUV and truck sales, announced months ago plans to condense its global market and shift priority focus to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. 

Launched in 1976, the Ford Fiesta was a hit with the part-time-job-at-The-Gap tax bracket in the United States until production was officially cancelled in the U.S. in 1997. Obviously huge fans of fruity little cars, the European market continued to prove receptive to the Fiesta long after it had run its course in North America. Now, with 2/3 of Detroit looking towards to the fuel-efficient, compact car European market success for financial salvation at home, Ford has decided to bring the whole operation back home to roost with the 2010 Ford Fiesta. 

In December of 2009, Ford will begin reconstructing its truck plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico to prepare for the mass production of the Ford Fiesta in the United States. In early 2010, the newly assembled models are anticipated to hit showroom floors nationwide. According to Ford, the new Ford Fiesta will serve as direct competition to other small cars like the Toyota Yaris and Nissan Versa, and is described as”crucial” to Ford’s competitive edge. Being incredibly optimistic, Ford also revealed that in five years, they plan to build about 1 million vehicles a year globally using the Ford Fiesta platform. Now, if you don’t mind, please excuse us while we go sob quietly into the steering wheel of our F-150.

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The 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor: “We’re Going To Drive This Right Up Toyota’s Ass”

In comeback-kid news, Ford has something up its sleeve for the seemingly ill-fated F-150 in the form of the new 2010 Ford F-150 “Raptor”. Intended to be an extreme, off-road version of the current Ford F-150, Ford has been overheard bragging that the F-150 Raptor will be “The first and only Baja 1000 Trophy Truck you’ll be able to buy from a dealer.”

Spy shots of the new 4×4 desert hauler show an F-150 that does indeed appear to have hit the gym. To view gallery, click “Read More”

Sporting a heftier suspension, the Ford Raptor will feature custom-built Fox Racing long-travel shocks that will have 50% more travel than the 8-inch shocks currently found on the Ford F-150 FX4 off-road package. Further attempting to minimize dune-impact, the F-150 Raptor will also be outfitted with a set of bulky 35-inch all-terrain tires. Expected to be badged as a Ford SVT [Special Vehicle Team] product, the Ford F-150 Raptor will be powered by Ford’s 6.1L BOSS V8 engine and although preliminary output was rated at 380-hp and 400lb-ft of torque, experts expect the F-150’s large displacement engine to ultimately net about 420-hp.

Although we’re a little skeptical of its authenticity, one source quoted a Ford exec. on hand at the Raptor’s desert premier in Las Vegas as saying, “We’re going to drive this right up Toyota’s ass.” Now that’s the attitude we like to hear, Ford.

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ROUSH Propane-Powered F-150: First Drive [Jalopnik Reviews]

Our gratuitous burnout ripping the tires to shreds demonstrates this ROUSH F-150 burns petroleum-based rubber. However, this very special pickup doesn't fuel up with pedestrian dinosaur juices like gas or diesel. Instead, it's powered fully by propane, the same thing powering a backyard grill.

Recently, ROUSH gave us a shot behind the wheel of an F-150 converted with the first ever propane kit system —a new complete plug-and-play propane conversion kit for 2007.5 and 2008 model years equipped with the 5.4-liter V8 engine. The installation kit includes a fuel pump, fuel injectors with matching fuel rail, a reprogrammed ROUSH ECU, all of the proper fluid lines and wiring and either an under-bed 25-gallon tank or the one pictured here that sits in the bed and holds 59-gallons. Installation can be accomplished at home with a reasonable set of tools in about eight hours.

So how does driving the propane-powered F-150 differ from the gasoline or diesel-powered model? It doesn’t. ROUSH's earth-friendly Ford drives, stops and steers exactly like its conventional cousin. Since this truck runs off liquid propane, starting the engine is as simple as turning the key. This is vital, as models from other manufacturers burn gaseous propane, resulting in issues with turning over in the cold; that wouldn't cut it up here in the Dirty Glove (Michigan, for the uninitiated) with our freeze-your-ass-off winters. Horsepower and torque numbers are supposedly identical to the gasoline-fed model, but we noticed a bit more pep. Cargo loading and tow ratings remain unchanged.

Mother Earth is all "Hell Yeah" about this truck as much as Hank Hill would be if he got his hands on one. Propane touts a much lower carbon footprint than gasoline, diesel, heavy fuel oil and even ethanol; the exhaust contains virtually no toxic compounds. Safety actually improves over the gas-fed truck: The propane storage tank is tested at six times the usual pressure to ensure you don't turn into a mushroom cloud on your way back from Best Buy. Try saying that about the fuel tank in your Camry.

All this namby-pamby greenwashing is fine and all, but let's talk economy. With propane producing fewer BTUs per gallon than gasoline, it's only logical to expect a hit in fuel mileage. After 615 miles of mixed driving, our truck returned a calculated 9.6 MPG, albeit with significant and prolonged hoonage practiced. Reports from other drivers agree highway mileage sits around 12-14 MPG when driven gingerly. Fuel is astonishingly easy to come by on the open road as every U-Haul, Airgas and the like all have the proper nozzle to dispense some clean burnin' goodness.

So, if it eats a bit more fuel than its conventional brother per mile, where are they hiding the savings? The cost of the complete kit starts at a suggested retail price of $8,595.00. Obviously, nobody's saving a buck there. Well, propane must be mighty cheap, right? Not quite: We paid $2.11 a gallon from the local U-Haul, which offered the most competitive pricing in the Detroit area. The simple fact is that, just like voting Republican, this truck doesn't make sense for Joe the Plumber and it isn't supposed to. If you take a look at the math from a fleet perspective, the numbers start lining up in attractive little rows. First, propane rings in at about $1.00 a gallon once you start purchasing at the wholesale level. Then, factor in the $0.50 per gallon tax credit offered by the Fed for using propane as a fuel in a road-going vehicle. The cherry on top of that financially-delicious sundae is the whopping $2,500 maximum tax credit allowed for each ROUSH Propane-fueled F-150 purchased. Suddenly, this mathematically-approved messiah brings the promise of flipping your bottom line from red to black while Joe gets to keep his job fixin' the pipes. [viaROUSH]

Photo Credit: Alex C. Conley

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Ford C-Max

The new Ford C-Max is based on the Ford iosis MAX concept which features a range of diesel and gas engines with 1.6-liter EcoBoost motor. It features the Blue Oval’s kinetic design language, Ford’s semi-automatic parallel parking technology, and blind-spot detection. and incorporates a coupe-like roofline. Ford C-Max European release will drop in mid 2010 while US markets will avail the units in the later part of 2011.

Ford C-Max

Ford C-Max

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Ford's new electric van for 2010 will come from Europe

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Minivans/MPVs, Green, Ford

Click above for a gallery of the Ford Transit Connect van

Ford's business plan submitted to Congress a few weeks ago indicated that the Detroit-based automaker would be offering a "full battery electric vehicle in a van-type vehicle for commercial fleet use in 2010." Up until this point, we were left to speculate on the basis for the new EV, but Ford CEO Alan Mulally has now revealed that the new Blue Oval van will be based on the European Ford Transit that's scheduled to hit U.S. shores in the summer of 2009. We expect to hear more about the upcoming electric van over the next few months, possibly at the Detroit Auto Show in January, but the fact that it'll be based on the Transit should come as little surprise. The only other cargo vehicle that the automaker has at its disposal is the full-size, rear-wheel-drive E-Series, and that platform would be much less appropriate for an urban electric vehicle than the lighter, front-wheel-drive Transit van.

Gallery: Ford Transit Connect

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Ford's new electric van for 2010 will come from Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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