Automotive Reviews
Posts tagged Ford
North American International Auto Show 2012
Jan 16th
It’s practically a tradition that the North American International Auto Show in Detroit is accompanied by the worst weather of the season. The second week in January in Detroit is rarely a pleasant place, but this year’s show was preceded by unseasonably warm and sunny weather. All thoughts of global warming aside, it seemed to indicate a subtle change in the climate of the automotive industry as well. No-shows included Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Jaguar/Land Rover, but all of the major industry players were present.
Several years of economic hardship (and more than a few casualties) have left the auto industry cautious; the wild abandon that characterized auto shows past is long gone. In its place, there’s a pragmatic realism–but for 2012, that realistic outlook is also optimistic. In addition to the upcoming products that are useful refinements of existing vehicles, Detroit also saw the debut of some honest-to-goodness concept cars, showing that the industry may have scaled back on the wildest flights of fancy, but it hasn’t forgotten how to dream. More >
2011 Ford Focus
Oct 20th
It’s hard to believe it took this long for the Focus to get here. If you’re not a car person, you might not realize that the Europeans have been getting the “good” version of the Ford Focus for many years. The Focus sold here was something of a dinosaur, first developed in 2000 and allowed to soldier along with significant updates but missing out on the whole-car redesigns that the European version benefitted from. There was talk of bringing the “Euro-Focus” to the United States, but it’s been a long time materializing.
For 2012, the Focus finally appears in the same form as overseas, and the result is a significant upgrade. The all-new 2012 Focus spans the range of the compact spectrum, with affordable entry-level versions and enough amenities available to turn it into a premium compact.
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2011 Ford Explorer
Aug 27th
SUVs haven’t been making much news lately. To listen to the marketing, you’d think that the mid- and full-size sport-utes of the world were extinct, owing to how quiet the manufacturers have been regarding their existence this past year. And yet, there is still plenty of action in this market; the revised Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee are ample evidence of that.
Advertising presence or no, with significantly upgraded competitors hitting the streets it was time for the stalwart Ford Explorer to make a serious paradigm shift. Ford didn’t hold back with the latest redesign, and the 2011 model represents the biggest set of changes since the vehicle was introduced in 1990. More >