Category: Ford

Ford just officially announced what the industry has known for years.  The Ford Flex has been discontinued following its eleven year run.  2019 is its last model year.  I owned two Flex models.  A 2009 Flex Limited and a 2011 Flex Limited with EcoBoost.  While the 2009 was an outstanding vehicle, the EcoBoost powertrain in the 2011 transformed the product.  It was extremely fun to drive.  It was one of those vehicles that you could just think of where you wanted to be on the freeway and, voila, you were there.

They used to call them "ASAP Running Changes". That is what the all new 2020 Ford Explorer needs in relation to its high volume base 2.3L EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine. While the powertrain, mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, feels pretty good. All of the goodness is dampened by engine noise. This needs to get handled before word gets out that the high volume XLT is a noisy alternative in the competitive SUV wars.

Cadillac enters the 7-passenger premium brand crossover SUV market with the 2020 Cadillac XT6. With a distinctive Cadillac front end, but otherwise conventional styling, XT6 will not offend anyone. The interior package is generous and comfortable. Finally, Cadillac gets a 7-passenger SUV with a fold-flat 3rd row seat. That is a big, big deal.

Chevrolet revealed its all new 2020 C8 Chevrolet Corvette at a live-streamed event in Tustin, CA. The mid-engined sports car is an impressive engineering achievement available at an affordable price.

The Ram HD lineup includes six price classes (starting at $33,395 plus $1,695 delivery). The Ram Power Wagon package can be added to any one of them. Ram contends the Ram Power Wagon is the "Most Off-Road Capable Pickup" available.

2020 Ford Super Duty gets a mid-cycle freshening that is intended to keep the product ahead of heavy duty competition from GM and FCA's Ram. GM and Ram products launch early in 2019 with Ford launching later in the year.

Passport Fills Excess Capacity at Honda’s Lincoln Alabama Plant  Honda realized it had a gap in its crossover SUV lineup. They were losing customers who wanted mid-size XSUVs (crossover sport utility vehicles) but did not want seven passenger capacity.They estimate they have lost at least 35,000 sales to competitors every year they did not have a competitive 5-passenger, two-row crossover SUV in their product mix.  Hence the all new 2019 Honda Passport.

Derivative of Popular Pilot Crossover SUV  Honda’s usual methodological approach led to the development of the all new Passport – a five-passenger derivative of the popular Pilot 7-passenger XSUV.

In terms of big SUV programs, Honda has taken a very efficient approach. Think of the 2019 Honda Passport as a Pilot from the C-Pillar forward. Passport’s wheelbase is equal to the Pilot’s. [...]

Ford SUVs are the key to future success in Ford’s business.  As Ford leaves the sedan (not car) business, they have given the first glimpse of their all new 2020 Explorer Crossover SUV (XSUV). The new Explorer replaces the fifth generation D4 platform Explorer with a totally modern platform. The all new body is unitized just like its predecessor but it is now rear wheel drive giving up its previous front wheel drive architecture. Explorer looks much like its predecessors with evolutionary, but modern, styling. Rear wheel drive lets its proportions be much more contemporary.

Features will be a major part of the Explorer story going forward.  The new Explorer XSUV gains the Ford CoPilot 360+ suite of safety and driver assistance features. When launched, Explorer arguably will be the most feature laden vehicle offered [...]

The all new 2018 Hyundai Kona small crossover SUV (XSUV) has just been shown to the press in an event held, wait for it, on the Kona Coast of The Big Island of Hawaii.  There were 23 or 24 Konas on hand for the journalists to drive around the island.  So, this was a pretty big event for Hyundai Motor America (HMA).

In AutoPacific’s 2017 Small XSUV Consultancy, 38 XSUVs with a wheelbase of 110-inches or less are included.  There were enough data to do complete analyses on that many individual vehicles.  There are an additional seven all new small XSUVs on sale now but too new to have been included in the AutoPacific database.  That makes 45 entries in the small XSUV category.  Now comes the 2018 Hyundai Kona wading into the fray.