Automotive News - July 14, 2008 - (Page 32)

32 • JULY 14, 2008 FORD FUTURE PRODUCT FORD North American fleet to get global feel continued from Page 30 OVERSIZED MAILERS /pc Need Salespeople, Tech’s, Managers & Other Employees? The Auto Industry’s #1 Recruiting, Training & Marketing Company Salespeople~BDC~Detailer~Porter~Technician Body Tech~Service Advisor~Service Manager Parts Counter~Parts Manager~Sales Manager Finance Manager~Office Staff~GSM~GM 800-421-4550 www.clickhereforadvice.com Brian C. Hall, President & CEO likely will include a restyled hatch, fascia and taillights. The long-term future of the Edge is unclear. Like the Fusion, it could migrate from its existing Mazda6-derived platform to Ford of Europe’s fwd EUCD platform around 2013. But sources say Ford also is considering whether to do a single replacement for the Edge and the larger Explorer SUV. Taurus X: With the three-row Ford Flex in the lineup for the 2009 model year, the business case for the Taurus X crossover weakens. Several sources expect Ford to drop the nameplate in early 2009. Explorer: Once a cash-producing machine for Ford Motor when gasoline prices were lower, the Explorer is expected to get a new lease on life by moving from a truck frame to a unibody fwd car platform. The Explorer’s styling will be based on the Explorer America concept shown at the 2008 Detroit auto show, and it will be developed on Ford’s reengineered D3 vehicle platform. The Taurus and Mercury Sable are built on the current D3. A turbocharged four-cylinder engine is likely to boost fuel economy. Timing for the redesigned Explorer is fluid. Production originally was expected for the 2011 model year at Ford’s Chicago assembly plant. Several sources say Ford has put the project on hold as it rethinks what crossovers and SUVs to drop. At one point, it looked as if the redesigned Explorer could be pushed back to 2012, the sources said. But Ford told one source close to the project last month that the timing was back on for the 2011 model year. Explorer Sport Trac: The future of the Sport Trac, an Explorer-based pickup, is unclear. Ford has considered doing a unibody pickup when the Explorer moves to a car platform, but the pickup version also could be dropped when the Explorer becomes a crossover. The 2009 Flex crossover, Ford’s seven-passenger people mover, went on sale in June. The European Transit van, left, will be the basis for a global full-sized van Ford is planning. The Explorer America concept, right, will provide styling cues for the next Explorer, which will move to a unibody fwd car platform. Flex: The new 2009 Flex is Ford’s seven-passenger people mover. Sales began in June. Ford expects to sell 75,000 to 100,000 units annually of the boxy, three-row crossover. The fwd Flex is built on Ford’s D4 platform, which was created by stretching the D3 platform’s wheelbase 5 inches and reducing the front and rear overhangs. All-wheel drive is available. The Flex is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 combined with a sixspeed automatic transmission. A restyling is planned for the 2012 model year. Expedition: Ford may freshen the large SUV for the 2010 model year. Before gasoline prices spiked, Ford’s plan called for a redesigned Expedition to go into production for the 2012 model year. The weight of the nextgeneration Expedition was expected to be a little lighter than today’s. If higher gasoline prices don’t persuade Ford to drop large SUVs, the next Expedition will be produced alongside the new F-100 mid-sized pickup at Ford’s truck plant in Wayne, Mich. Ford’s plan calls for the SUV and pickup to share underpinnings and some front-end exterior styling. Ranger: The small pickup had been scheduled to die, but now Ford is considering extending Ranger output by as much as two years. The automaker had been expected to end Ranger production in fall 2009 when it planned to close its assembly plant in St. Paul, Minn. What may give the Ranger new life is the relatively high mpg capability stemming from the standard fourcylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission. Ford may keep making the aging Ranger into the 2011 calendar year. While it’s unlikely that Ford would invest in any significant update in the truck, changes may be made to comply with federal rollover mandates. Ford eventually could replace the Ranger with a small pickup developed on a new global architecture Ford of Australia is developing, called T6. F-100: Ford is developing a smaller version of its flagship F-series pickup. The new pickup, code-named P525, could be called F-100; it is scheduled to go into production in mid-2011 for the 2012 model year. The pickup is based on a lighter version of the F-150 chassis and would share front-end sheet metal with the next-generation Expedition, if that vehicle is produced. The F-100 would be offered in a crew-cab model only. The trade-off for the lighter frame is reduced capability. The F-100 is aimed at buyers who want a pickup but do not need to tow 10,000-plus pounds or carry 3,000-pound loads. A performance version of the F-100 that tops 400 hp is a possibility. F-150: Talk about bad timing. Ford is launching the 2009 re-engineered, restyled F-150 in a terrible market for pickups.The 2008 models stacked up at dealerships as gasoline prices rose. The inventory overload and drop in demand caused Ford to push back the on-sale date of the 2009 truck by two months and eliminate two shifts of production. The 2009 F-150 now is expected to go on sale in late fall. Ford plans to build more basic work trucks and fewer high-end models. The 2009 F-150 has an all-V-8 engine strategy. Ford has dropped a base V-6 for now. Executives say a turbocharged V-6, part of Ford’s 3.5liter EcoBoost engine family, will be added in 2010. The three engines for the 2009 model are a 5.4-liter, threevalve V-8; a 4.6-liter, three-valve V-8; and a 4.6-liter, two-valve V-8. They are paired with a four-speed automatic or a new six-speed automatic transmission. F-series Super Duty: A freshened Super Duty is expected for the 2011 model year. Transit Connect: Ford will import the 2010 Transit Connect, a small delivery van sold in Europe. The fwd van is assembled in Turkey on a reinforced version of C1, the European Ford Focus platform. Ford is expected to build the Transit Connect in North America for the 2013 model year. Assembly location likely will be in Louisville, Ky. With higher gasoline prices, Ford anticipates demand for a four-cylinder, fuel-efficient van that can be used for small-item delivery or by some tradespeople. Econoline, Transit: After decades of flirting with the idea, Ford plans to move to a single global full-sized van platform. The van, code-named V363, will be based on the Transit van now sold in Europe. The Transit is available in a variety of sizes and configurations, including fwd and rwd. The North American Transit is expected to go into production for the 2012 model year at Ford’s assembly plant in Avon Lake, Ohio, which now produces the E-series van. The E series, also called the Econoline, is expected to be discontinued when U.S. production of the Transit begins. Sources said Ford expects global Transit volume of between 400,000 and 500,000 units annually.c Rick Kranz contributed to this report DO NOT BUY A NITROGEN SYSTEM… until you've talked to NitroFill. NitroFill combines high purity nitrogen with a customer retention and benefit program that's unsurpassed. Take a moment and call the company that started it all. Over 1,200 NitroFill dealers nationwide share our enthusiasm. 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Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - July 14, 2008

Small-car boom misses Chrysler Ford's large rwd car plan is iffy Suppliers: Inflation is looming Hummer H3T price: $31,495 VW may build next Passat in U.S. plant Glut of trucks pulls Prius to U.S. Ford sues U.S. over taxes Restyled Ridgeline Volvo will tighten U.S. dealer network As BMW's chief in N.A., Purves got biggest thrill out of Mini Despite pricey fuel, Jetta diesel in demand Everybody's a critic: How dealers cope with online reviews Hyundai goes big on Genesis lease The shift to automatic: A transmission transition Jaguar-Land Rover dealer: Stand-alone would bankrupt me Chevy christens compact Cruze Fiat, BMW will team up on platforms, parts Revision: Bosch still tops Auto News supplier list GM to build Volts in U.S. for Europe GM ads will push mpg for 90 days A missed opportunity 2008 sales forecast? 14,652,757 Suzuki cuts U.S. work force 8% CAFE standards: Stop whining and get to work Uncertainty is the name of the game Honda dealer rubs salt in a wound Careless driver was to blame for crash Unsafe driving wasn't Ford's fault For doomsayers, business is booming again Best ad slogans have staying power Bird Dog Club creator hunts dealer poachers Dealers How to design a Lamborghini? Passion for speed certainly helps Dressed to kill Check for children Delinquency rate on indirect loans skyrockets Group promotes payment assurance Ford has big plans for small vehicles in North America Mulally pushes Ford toward fuel efficiency Ford brand will draw on European lineup With no new vehicles planned, Mercury's future is bleak Engines promise power plus fuel economy Horbury: We'll keep our vehicle designs fresh Ford aims to move Lincoln upscale Toyota's Lentz: Don't panic over collapse; market will stabilize Personnel Chrysler's car sales sag in June — even more than trucks PG sells majority of auto glass business to private-equity firm Chrysler's Campi makes nice Suit against Ford is reinstated BMW reassesses Mini demand JCI plant cuts shift, work force CAW board endorses local president Purves: Thumbs-up for BMW innovations Current trend in Europe: Electric cars Solid reviews for Ford's new Flex Philosopher has insight for ailing U.S. auto industry The 'B' word brings media deathwatch at GM Chrysler to dealers: Don't panic

Automotive News - July 14, 2008

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