I recently attended a car show and came a cross a 50′s Ford Pickup and while looking at the front end it hit me – It’s the new Ford Edge. Many people are on the fence with this extravagant front end. But you can see here that there is a history for it and it does look great on the road. The new Edge just began arriving on Michigan lots last week. Now you can tell people why the grill looks the way it does.
At this years Ward’s Auto Interior Conference held in Dearborn the other day J Mays was the key note speaker and brought a little something special to our shores. The Ford Start Concept was on hand for the first time in the states after its debut at the Beijing Auto Show a few weeks ago. This concept would definitely give Mini and the Fiat 500 a run for their money. Look past the fuzzy cell phone pics and hit the jump for some fetish thoughts.
The Volt is getting ever so close to the real thing. Here it is parked at a GM engineers house waiting to be plugged in. I must say the car is starting to grow on me. The styling is nothing ground breaking but it does have a fresh proportion on the road. It is also quite refreshing to see it in a different color. Only a few more months to go until the GM “Savior” is released…..
Kelley Blue Book (KBB) is usually known for ruining your day after you see what your car is worth, but shown in the video below is a lighter side of KBB. They had the awesome chance to push the new Baja ready truck to its limits. There are few, well probably no vehicles promoted to go balls to the wall and become airborn like the new Ford F-150 Raptor. This truck is a great example of letting an OEM go and build what they want. It is quickly becoming clear that customers want it too. The Raptor is flying off dealer lots and Ford is even adding a new body style to the line with an extra set of doors.
With the lifestyle truck image fading away this is exactly the kind of product needed to remind people what a blast and how capable a truck can be. My only hope is that the Raptor’s success will spur a few other new entries to the market, such as….
Dodge Ram Power Wagon (redo please)
Chevrolet Z71 (for real)
Hummer H3T
Jeep Gladiator Concept
Thank you Ford for creating new and exciting products. So what’s next?
[video via Autoblog, Kelley Blue Book]
There has been a long debate about what constitutes an American made car. Is it the fact that the headquarters is based in the U.S., or that the vehicle is built in the U.S.? Most people say it is where the profits go in the end. Others say it is the plant that matters. The plant workers put the money back into the economy sustaining employment. This can be argued for hours with a loyal “American” buyer. Honestly I am not sure what to believe. For Ford and GM this debate will remain forever, but Chrysler is now owned by an Italian company Fiat. So have the headquarters moved to there as well?
Could this have a negative impact on Chrysler or will the general public not even realize that Chrysler is technically not a domestic brand anymore? I am just curious because I have not really seen any statements on the matter. The truth is that the auto world is global and nothing is made 100% anywhere. Most of our “domestics” are made in Canada and Mexico. You don’t see those countries having the same unemployment issues as us. Maybe we Americans should build our American cars.
So what do you think, does it matter that Chrysler is now Italian?
With all of the industry events during the preview of NAIAS you get to hear a lot of rumors from a variety of people. Some true and some not but all interesting. Here is our run down of some interesting tid bits picked up off the floor when the drinks ran out.
Buick Regal GS – High potential of making it to production. Really no reason not to since it is made as an Opel.
Chevrolet Aveo RS – Looked great at the show, but production form changes the front clip, lighting details, and the size wheels. I saw this version at GM’s Technology Event in the fall and it needs help. No RS version is going to create a lot of bad press for the new Aveo.
GMC Granite – This was an actual real concept car created in just 7 months. Many GM designers were not a fan of a small GMC and are not supporting it to well. GM employees seem to be split 50/50 on whether this concept will make it into production. Personally I thought this was Best of Show and would bring many new buyers (myself included) to the brand. This vehicle was a gerat interpretation of a small GMC.
Chrysler / Dodge / Jeep – Busy , busy , busy is all that can be said for team Pentastar. No vehicles at Detroit but 16 new vehicles coming through next year. 11 refreshed and 5 all new. There are 9 new interiors coming out by next year and some have not even been designed yet. Most exciting to me is a new Jeep Wrangler interior coming after next years subtle refresh. I was told I will love it. We will wait and see.
Supposedly Mr. Sergio Marchionne does not like showing vehicles far ahead of actual production. Hence why there were no vehicles in Detroit, nothing is ready to come out. We will not even see the upcoming Jeep Grand Cherokee until spring when it goes on sale. Could he be bringing the suspense of the old days when you would actually go to the dealership just to watch the cover come off the new car? That would be great and really stick it to us bloggers (not us) who break embargoes early.
Ford – The new Fusion / Mondeo is said to be amazing and will blow away everything out there. Hopefully they grew out of the global growing pains had by the new Focus.
Audi E-Tron – This version of the E-Tron will be the next R4. It has the same proportion of last years VW roadster.
VW New Compact Coupe (NCC)- This will most likely be the new Jetta Coupe, assuming they stick with the Jetta name.
What did you here? If you have any other rumors you heard be sure to add them into the comments section.
Well the long awaited Ford Focus is here and is going to make an impression. There is definitely a lot to take in with this global (80% common parts) Focus. I think everyone will find areas they like and some they don’t. This design was collaborated on between Europe, United States and Asia and I find myself trying to find who had influence on what part. Overall the one thing I feel is missing on the exterior is “refinement.” There is so much going on and there doesn’t need to be.
Read on for more……
For our last podcast of the year Dali, Arvind and I set out to enjoy some beverages to celebrate the upcoming holiday. While we were at it the discussion of a holiday wish list from the Big 3 came up. Have a listen to hear what our thoughts are. We also reveal some details on our 4 year Anniversary celebration following the NAIAS Design Forum. Check it out!
The Fiesta has arrived wearing exactly what we wanted it to. Many were worried that the Fiesta would “lose” something after its long swim from Europe. The U.S. Fiesta has sustained a minor face lift to fit in all the necessary requirements, but it is nothing that consumers will even notice.
Exterior Design
The Kinetic Design Language has survived since it was first introduced on the Iosis concept. The highly energetic surfaces create a fabulous sense of style while never allowing the thought of a small econo box from entering your mind.
Sure we all know what it will look like but it is still exciting to see the Ford Fiesta getting closer to stripping off its clothes. This car will succeed with its high style and affordable price. The forms and surface detail are well resolved and will set a new standard for compact cars. Putting this car on the road to start the next decade will be a great way to start this new era of car design.
What new era is this I speak of? An era of successful car design. I hope.
More pics after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
