Oh Hi: 2013 Ford Fusion

Oh hey there, pretty young thang.

Ford has released official images of the new Fusion and stylewise, it’s a winner for sure. Part of the reason might be due to the fact that this is actually the new Mondeo for Europe too and the Europeans, well, they just plain have better taste than us with certain things not least of which is car designs. Ford’s new global car campaign is paying off for us North American’s as a result.

The new Fusion gets a low-slung sleek look that easily rivals that of the Hyundai Sonota. Europeans might see this design as more of an evolution of the Mondeo, but regardless, it’s safe to say that this new design is quite agreeable.

Now for the big news. Ford is ditching its V6 in favour of a 4 cylinder line up. Many criticized Hyundai for doing the same with the Sonata, but there seems to be no indication of backlash in their sales. It’s safe to say the all four lineup won’t hurt Fusion sales either. The base trim level will get a 2.5 litre four that generates 170 horsepower and 170 pound feet of torque. This unit gets paired to a six-speed automatic only. Next option available is actually a 1.6 litre Ecoboost engine that makes 179 horsepower and 172 pound foot torque. This is interesting because it will likely be more efficient and just as powerful as the 2.5. Makes you wonder what the point of the 2.5 litre is altogether, but I digress. The top of the line engine will come in the form of a 2.0 litre turbo which makes 237 horsepower and 250 pound foot of juice. Both the latter engines will get the automatic transmission but the 1.6 can be had with a six-speed manual which should help make the most of power from that unit.

What about the hybrid?

Well it’s sticking around but it will get a 2.0 litre four cylinder Atkinson unit which replaces the 2.5 in the outgoing Fusion Hybrid. The result is 180 horses and 130 pound foot torque estimated. The result? An estimated 5 L/100 kms in the city and 5 L/100 kms on the highway.

But wait, there’s actually another hybrid version of the new Fusion called the Energi. It uses the same engine set up from the regular hybrid, but it’s actually a plug in which helps the Fusion run on pure electric power alone.

No matter what your preference is, chances are there’s a variant of the new Fusion which is at least somewhat appealing to you. Click past the jump for a few more pics.

[Ford]

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All-Electric Mustang In The Works?

Remember when Ford and Chevrolet put a V6 in the engine bay of their respected muscle cars? The consensus of muscle car aficionados was akin to something like Tim Horton’s taking away Boston cream donuts. It apparently was just unthinkable.

Well now there might be something in development for the Mustang which would be akin to hell freezing over for pretty much any ‘Stang fan, or muscle car junkie in general.

Apparently Ford may be looking into making an all-electric Mustang. Impossible you say? Maybe not. Consider this:

1) All-electric vehicles are making a come back in a big way. There are currently at least ten automakers investing heavily in the technology, not least of which is Ford with the preparation of the launch of the all-electric Focus to bow very soon.

2) Automakers like Tesla with their Roadster, Audi’s E-Tron or BMW with their i8 (I know, the latter is not fully electric, but there’s a lot of electric technology in there) are proving that electric vehicles don’t have to be boring. In fact, performance electric vehicles is a new emerging segment. Therefore Ford could easily nab the “cheap” performance electric vehicle title with an all-electric Mustang.

3) This is probably the most important point of all. I have a source that has revealed exclusively to Car Driven that a prototype is already made, in fact it was witnessed in seclusion by said source. It’s possible this was just a regular electric car conversion, however considering the fuss made when a picture was trying to be taken, it’s clear this is something that Ford wants quiet for the time being.

While all of this remains speculation at the moment, you can be sure that Car Driven will do more digging to see what else is out there on the electric ‘Stang.

What do you think of the idea of an all-electric muscle car?

Oh Hi: 2013 Ford Flex

It’s not even 2012 and yet 2013 models are starting to show their faces. Case in point, Ford has released images and new details on the refreshed Ford Flex.

The Flex has always been a bit of a polarizing design with some saying the flat white roof is a rip-off of the Mini Cooper while others say it looks like some sort of stretched hearse. Well, Ford didn’t care to tone down the design, in fact they’ve probably made it even more polarizing. This could be a smart move on Ford’s part as unique designs that push the envelope usually end up being embraced in the end.

The front facia is really where the big changes are. A large brushed aluminum bar across the grille is probably the first thing you notice along with re-worked headlights. You’ll notice there’s no longer a blue oval to be seen anywhere up front as Ford decided to just put the Flex’s name front and centre.

Inside a refreshed dash and console can be found which now includes MyFord Touch (an updated version) along with push-start standard and rain sensing wipers.

There are powertrain updates as well. The base 3.5 litre V6 will get a power boost by 20 horses now making 285 horsepower, all while being 1.6 litres/100 kms more efficient. The V6 Ecoboost engine will cary over unchanged.

What do you think of the Flex’s new schauz? Hit or miss?

[Ford]

Chrysler & Ford’s Patriotic Ads Scrutinized As Misleading

Remember during the superbowl when Chrysler paid millions of dollars to essentially relate their cars to Detroit? They said Detroit used to be a broke down city but hard work and determination prevailed to make Detroit the city it is today- not unlike Chrysler. Supposedly.

The slogan ‘Imported from Detroit’ resinated quite well with everyone as a catchy play on the positive reputation that most imported car companies hold. Turns out, Chrysler really should’ve went with ‘Imported from Canada’.

A U.S consumer group has filed several complaints against Chrysler for using the imported from Detroit tagline in a Chrysler 300 commercial. Why? Well because the 300 is actually built in Brampton, Ontario alongside the Charger and Challenger.

Made in the USA chairman Joel Joeseph said, “the Chrysler 300 is assembled in Brampton, Ontario, Canada and often includes a Mexican-made engine. Last time I checked, Detroit is not in Canada. Chrysler is flat wrong to imply the Chrysler 300 is made in the United States and we have asked the FTC to order corrective advertising.”

Good point.

Chrysler responded by saying that the complaints are “completely without merit” and that they will continue using the tagline on all their products.

Ford was also named in complaints for an ad that claimed the Fusion was American, however it’s built in Mexico. They also take issue with the Edge, Flex and Lincoln MKT which are all built in Oakville.

Ford’s response is that the ad specific to the Fusion was developed by a dealer and that most dealers crate their own content.

What do you think? Is it harmless patriotism or should Chrysler and Ford pull or even correct the ads?

[CTV]

Ultimate Drag Race

Have you ever wondered what would happen if someone pitted a drag race between a BMW 1-Series M, a Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, a Chevy Corvette Z06, a Ferrari 458 Italia, a Nissan GT-R, an Audi R8 GT, a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, a Lexus LFA, a Porsche Cayman R, and a Lotus Evora S? Of course you have. And so apparently has Motor Trend because they actually had the pull to make it happen.

All 11 vehicles are definitely among the best of the best in terms of performance vehicles that are currently made. With that said, they all excel at different things. For instance, there’s no question that the 1-series M is going to lose to the 458 Italia. So, why bother doing it? Because each one of us has a 5 year old boy in us that’s why. Without giving too much away, it’s clear that Motor Trend arranged the obvious front runners to be in the middle of the starting line and then worked backwards. The result is a spectacular flying ‘V’ made up of American, Japanese and European brilliance. The symphonic notes coming from each of the exhausts comes together exquisitely.

Click the above video to see it all unfold.

[Youtube]

Oh Hi: 2012 Ford Focus ST

Volkswagen has the GTI, Mazda has the Mazdaspeed3, Volvo has the C30 T5 and now another hot hatch will be available for us to choose from.

Finally, after what seems like decades of waiting, Ford has decided to let us Canadians in on one of its best kept secrets: the Focus ST. Considering how good the ‘ordinary’ Focus has gotten, it’s safe to say that this new Focus ST will not disappoint in the performance department.

This hot hatch will get a 247 horsepower eco-boost 2.0 litre four cylinder which can divvy up a healthy 265 pound feet of torque. Right now a six-speed manual has been confirmed and also tuned to help reinforce a symphonic engine and exhaust note. No word on if an automatic will be available, but it likely will down the line if not from launch.

The Focus ST will be front-drive only. That means that torque steer was Ford’s worst enemy and to combat it, Ford has developed a torque steer compensation system mated with electronic power steering. When both are working in harmony, Ford says torque steer is virtually non-existent.

The lucky dogs in Europe actually get a wagon version of the Focus ST, but no such luck for us Canucks. I suppose beggers can’t be choosers. Expect the Focus ST to bow next year.

So, if it were your hard earned cash, which hot hatch would you plunk money down for? The GTI, the Mazdaspeed3, the C30 T5, or the Focus ST?

[Ford]

Test Drive: 2011 Ford Focus 5-Door Titanium

By Kevin Harrison

This past weekend I met up with a friend that I hadn’t seen in a while to catch up. I suggested a local pub that he had never been to. Once we arrived, I wasted no time in telling him what to get.

“The steak is unreal here,” I said, salivating at the thought. “The ribs are great too. In fact, everything is pretty good, the only thing I wouldn’t recommend is -“

“I think I’ll give the liver and onions a try,” interrupted Andrew, choosing the one item I tried to warn him about. Now, while I realize liver and onions are an acquired taste, I was not suggesting he avoid them due to some sort of personal disgust. It was more the fact that I had tried them before and nearly vomited on the spot. This joint could not make good liver and onions, no matter how hard they tried.

Stupidly, Andrew brushed off my warnings and went with the liver and onions. Not wishing to concede that his decision was a bad one, Andrew managed to put on a forced smile once it arrived and an “mmm” with every second bite knowing full well he was feeling the exact opposite.

Later that night I sent him a text about an unrelated matter and Andrew replied, “can’t talk now, really not feeling well”. The next day I later found out that Andrew’s stomach had smartly rejected what Andrew was forcing down.

Needless to say, being the good friend that I am, I promptly called him up repeating ‘I told you so’ in between laughs.

I also used to do that with friends that bought a car without first consulting me. Usually they’d come home with everything from a Ford Focus, to a 15 year old Mercedes-Benz S-class because they were cheap. The latter is particularly well known for its reliability (or lack thereof) while the former was best known as the best buy for rental companies only. It wasn’t particularly good at anything other than saving you money in initial cost.

Well now there’s a new version out and Ford promises it won’t disappoint and won’t be anything like Focuses (Foci?) of the past. I tried one out to see if it was true.

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Test Drive: 2011 Ford Edge Limited

By Kevin Harrison

When I was in university I befriended a guy named Matt who was such a political junkie he could have made Rex Murphy sweat. His political enthusiasm wasn’t limited to Canadian politics either, he could have eaten Bill O’Reilly or Keith Olbermann alive on their own shows. Politics is what Matt lived and breathed, and he wanted to be a politician very badly despite the horrible reputation they hold. A recent survey showed that politicians are the second least trusted professions in Canada just beating out used car salesmen.

But there were a lot of people that bet against Matt ever becoming a politician. Despite his obvious passion for the sport, Matt wasn’t exactly the most approachable individual and sometimes having a conversation with him would  be like talking to a gnat. His appearance was a bit menacing for some reason, mostly because he was about 6 foot 5 and weighed about 250 pounds. His resting face was the same face you’d make if you found out your significant other was cheating on you. And on top of it all, his past wasn’t exactly squeaky clean. Let’s just say that Matt was known to the police.

But despite all that, I was one of the few people that believed he would achieve his dream of becoming a politician. That much passion doesn’t just go away because of road blocks. Ford knows this all too well.

While Ford’s reputation may not have quite overcome the days of Explorers rolling over, Windstars blowing their transmissions or Escorts rusting to the frame, Ford recently kept its head high and decided to move forward without the bail out money that was begged from its rivals. The idea was so simple it’s a wonder why they didn’t think of it before: just make better product.

One of the recent models to come of this new found mantra is the Edge. Does it have what it takes to put Ford back in the game?

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Canada’s Top 10 Selling Vehicles So Far in 2011

We’re half way through 2011 so it’s a good time to check in and see which models are most appealing to Canadians so far. Honda’s Civic is holding strong as the number one selling car in Canada, while Ford’s F-150 takes best selling truck and best selling vehicle overall.

Here’s the complete list:

1) Ford F-150 – 46,825 units

2) Ram Pickup – 30,459 units

3) Dodge Caravan – 29,986 units

4) Honda Civic – 26,371 units

5) Hyundai Elantra – 24,283 units

6) Ford Escape – 23,183 units

7) GMC Sierra – 22,225 units

8 ) Chevrolet Silverado – 19,233 units

9) Toyota Corolla -18,853 units

10) Chevrolet Cruze – 18,769 units

No big shockers here. I’m a little surprised that the Ford Focus didn’t make the list considering it’s now a credible contender. But Canadians obviously love their pick-up trucks and compact vehicles. Stay tooned to see where each vehicle places at the end of the year and if there will be any new additions to the list.

[Auto 123]

Civic Regains Canadian Sales Crown

Honda must be happy about this.

After experiencing a sales slump and some tough criticism on new products it must be comforting to know that their most recognizable model, the Civic, is still quite popular with Canadians. It was the best selling car in Canada last month.

It must also be even more comforting to know that, despite being a five year old design, it is beating the newly redesigned Hyundai elantra (which was the best selling car in Canada for the month of January and February) and Mazda3. In fact another stablemate in the compact segment is starting to regain in sales – the Toyota Corolla. It was the second best selling car while Chevrolet’s new Cruze took third place with the Elantra and Mazda3 taking 4th and 5th spots respectively.

Despite all those being compact cars, don’t think for a second that Canadians are off huge pick-ups. The Ford F-150 is still the best selling vehicle in Canada overall. The GMC Sierra is 6th overall and the Chevy Silverado is 9th overall.

[Auto North]

Ford Sues Ferrari over F-150 Name

What a mess this is.

Ford has recently filed a lawsuit against Ferrari after it found out that the Italian brand was planning on naming its upcoming Formula One racer the “F150″. As you probably know, Ford calls its half ton pick-up (which happens to be the best selling pick-up in the world) the F-150. Ford is claiming copywrite infringement since it has patented the name back in 1975.

Ferrari, on the other hand, was planning on using the name to pay homage of  150 years of Italian unity.

So, what was Ferrari’s response? Find out after the jump.

[AutoWeek]

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Bucking the Trend: Canadians Prefer Mustang to Camaro

For the first time in 25 years, the Chevrolet Camaro will outsell the Ford Mustang in the States this year. Ford has even conceded that its stallion will end up in the number 2 spot. In a bit of an odd trend, however, us Canadians apparently prefer the Mustang to the Camaro.

According to the New York Times, the Mustang’s sales is currently sitting at 4,935 units compared to the Camaro’s 3,974 sales.

This is especially odd since the Camaro is home grown, it’s built in Oshawa while the Mustang is built in Michigan.

Ford says it’s because the Mustang is “an icon” and many Canadians consider it to be their “dream car” (I must be in the minority if that’s the case). But really, the Camaro is fairly iconic as well.

GM says it’s because there is a lack of incentives on the Camaro and the convertible model is very limited at the moment.

Whatever the reason, it’s good to hear that Canadians aren’t so wrapped up in buying a product simply because it was made in our own backyard. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for supporting our workers and stimulating our economy, but the fact of the matter is, a car is the second biggest purchase someone will ever make. The decision on what to buy better go to the best car, and not simply because of where it was made.

I’m not suggesting that the Mustang is the better vehicle, however. I’m just saying that I’m glad Canadians are buying with their hearts and not what political figures tell them to do with their hard earned cash.

In any event, congrats to the Mustang. I think a test of both these vehicles are in order, wouldn’t you agree? I’ll get on it. I promise.

[New York Times photo credit: Autoblog]

Car Driven’s 2011 Car of the Year Nominees Are…

For the first time ever, Car Driven will be announcing its Car of the Year (COTY). Mostly because this is the first year for this blog, but also because unfortunately I don’t have the means to test every new vehicle myself this year. But that never stopped me from making my own pics for AJAC’s COTY awards last year, so why not?

So with much thought and deliberation I’ve narrowed down the nominees to five cars overall. Every new 2011 vehicle, no matter what the segment, is considered. However to keep things simple, I’ve opted to not separate them by categories this year. That means the new Honda Odyssey was technically considered alongside the Ferrari 458 Italia. Since both are obviously very different vehicles made for very different purposes, I decided to choose all nominees based on how well each vehicle is suited for Canadians. That means everything from performance, price, quality, safety, fit & finish were considered. However to keep it fair, each of those criterion are relative to the vehicle segment. So for example the Ferrari 458 Italia is compared against other supercars. And the Honda Odyssey against other minivans. The vehicle that presents a clear, absolute best case for itself wins.

I’ll probably do categories next year, but for now we’ll go with this. And I’m working a lot harder to try to test all the new vehicles for next year to make a more informed decision, press vehicles are pretty hard to get your hands on (in the meantime, check out all the vehicles I’ve tested so far). And to keep it simple, I’ve narrowed it down to 5 vehicles.

Find out what they are after the jump.

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Ward’s 2011 Engines of the Year Announced

This year’s engine of the year award winners are full of repeat winners and a few surprises.

The first big surprise is the Nissan LEAF winning this award. Mostly because it doesn’t even have an engine, it’s has an electric motor only. What was Ward’s reasoning? Apparently since the LEAF feels like a regular car (i.e four doors, five seats, an accelerator and brake) it deserves this award. That’s like saying since Stephen Harper has arms, legs and a face he should win a beauty contest.

Another big surprise is the engine/electric motor set up in the Chevy Volt. With the electric motor primarily propelling the car, it’s a wonder why it’s on the list. Ward’s sites reasons similar to the LEAF for its choice.

But despite those odd choices, the one that shocked me the most was Chrysler’s 3.6 litre Pentastar V6 making the list. This has been a traditionally awful engine. Just terrible. However since Fiat has taken the reigns, it appears they have put some work into this engine making it much better. It can be found in the 2011 Dodge Avenger and Chrysler 200.

Volvo also picked up an award for the 3.0 litre inline six that it uses in the redesigned S60. Ward’s says this engine almost rivals BMW’s 3.0 I-6 as it is buttery smooth, has great mid-range pick up and has virtually no turbo lag. Quite the statement, I’ll have to try it out to see if it stacks up.

Speaking of BMW, they unsurpsingly won once again for their N55 3.0 litre twin scrolled turbo engine for the 5th year in a row. I can wholeheartedly agree with this decision after experiencing the 135i (read my test drive in the post below).

BMW also won a second award for the 1.6 litre turbocharged inline 4 that it uses in the Mini Cooper S. With more power, more efficiency and little turbo lag, it helps make the Cooper S quite the little performance machine.

Volkswagen picked up two awards as well. One for the supercharged V6 found in the Audi S4 and one for new Clean Diesel 2.0 litre TDI found in the Golf, Jetta and Audi A3. The former delivers all encompassing performance while the latter does exceptionally well at combining efficiency with performance.

Rounding up the list is the Ford and Hyundai. After reintroducing the 5.0 litre V8 found in the Mustang they were actually able to make a car that could keep up with the BMW M3. Enough said.

Hyundai on the other hand won for its 5.0 V8 as well found in the base Genesis sedan and the upcoming Equus flagship sedan. It won for keeping power plentiful while being even more efficient than the previous engine.

Congrats to all the winners!

[Ward's]

Test Drive: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

By Kevin Harrison

The problem with being good at something is that you likely won’t be good at it forever. And even if you are, there’s always someone who will surpass your greatness. If they’re at the bottom and you’re on top, they’ve got nothing to lose so they’ll take more risks to get to that number one spot. If you’re on top you likely won’t change your game up – just keep doing what you’re doing.

Take the car world for instance. Ford was the number two automaker for a good decade, but I never understood why. Their products were cheap, but you got what you paid for. If it wasn’t Explorers rolling over, it was Windstars stalling on the highway. If it wasn’t the sheer blandness and lack of effort put into the Taurus, it was, well, pretty much the same for the Focus. Yet people readily handed over their cash to Ford for sub-par product, much in the same way people hand over cash to McDonald’s for sub-par food. So Ford really didn’t have to do anything – they were still on top.

Toyota, meanwhile, wasn’t exactly on the bottom, but they were aiming for that top spot. Dedication, quality, fuel efficiency, reliability was Toyota’s plan to lure away loyal Ford customers and it worked. Ford got too comfortable on top and Toyota went in for the kill.

Now Toyota is the number one automaker. But it seems Toyota is now the one feeling a bit too comfy being the number one automaker with recalls on almost every single one of their product and and unwillingness to shake things up.

Ford is vying for the top spot yet again, so they’re taking more risks. And you really gotta take a risk if you’re willing to take on the mid-size sedan market where the Camry is sitting quite comfortably on top of most people’s car shopping lists.

Has Ford built a Camry killer, and is it enough to unseat Toyota’s reign at the top?

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