Opinions were divided when Ford took the wraps off the 2018 Mustang redesign. The biggest refresh to the retro-meets-modern relaunch back in 2015 that the Blue Oval had attempted, the new car proved to be contentious, with not everybody - myself included - convinced by the new front-end particularly. Now, having spent some time up-close with the 2018 Mustang, I'm about ready to change my mind.
The thing about smart cars is that either you have them or you don’t. That is, the model you’re going to buy should offer such features built-in or as a custom option. If you have an older model or a model that doesn’t offer connectivity and smart features, you’re mostly out of luck. Well, not if you own a relatively recent Ford or Lincoln car, in which case you can take advantage of Ford’s SmartLink offer to give your well-used but still great car a stab at modern technology.
We knew the all-new 2017 Ford GT would be fast, but now we know exactly how potent the hotly-anticipated supercar will be. Ford has been keeping us in suspense when it comes to exact details ever since the new coupe made its debut at the start of 2015, telling us only to expect a twin-charged 3.5-liter V6 good for more than 600 horsepower. Now, we have a lot more to go on.
Mid-size SUVs are the 'next step' in almost every family's automotive evolution. With enough room to handle a growing brood - especially when trying to fit lanky teenagers in the back seat - along with the kind of cargo space that lets you haul all of your gear at the same time, mid-size sport-utility vehicles are versatile and in many cases surprisingly affordable additions to any driveway.
The Mustang is one of the most iconic cars in the world and, of course, is Ford's pride and joy. So naturally, when you own one of these prized coupes, you want to really own it and make it yours, leaving your personal mark, so to speak. While we are probably still ages away from mass-produced highly customizable cars, Ford is going to offer Mustang fans a compromise. With the new 2018 Mustang coming out later this year, buyers will be able to choose from a new range of colors, a dozen wheel options and, inside, their own personalized instrument cluster.
Like a phoenix from the ashes, Ford is resurrecting the beloved Bronco nameplate, as well as promising to return the Ranger to the US market. The news, shared at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2017 this morning, was light on details but heavy on promise, with midsize truck and SUV fans finally getting the news they'd been hoping the Blue Oval would give them for some years now. Don't expect instant gratification, mind.
When the best-selling truck gets updated, plenty of people take notice, and so the 2018 Ford F-150 looks set to get attention at the Detroit Auto Show this coming week. Keeping the aluminum-alloy body that proved so controversial - and, indeed, still is fairly divisive among truck fans - the 2018 F-150 gets a revamped front and rear design, in addition to new engine options including a turbo-diesel. Meanwhile, the tech levels have been boosted, too.
Ford is adding gas-paying abilities to its SYNC 3 infotainment system, allowing drivers to pay at the pump without going anywhere near its grubby keys. The technology sees Ford integrate ExxonMobil's Speedpass+ technology in a new SYNC 3 app. It'll be supported at around 9,400 gas stations across the US.
Amazon's voice assistant Alexa is coming to a number of new devices this year — including the smartphone — but Ford will be the first to integrate it into their cars. The two companies announced at CES 2017 that starting later this month vehicles outfitted with Ford's Sync 3 infotainment system will begin working with Alexa from the home, while sometime this summer drivers will be able to speak to Alexa from the road.
Despite what common sense says, people still use their smartphones while driving. It has become so bad that such activities have been made illegal in many jurisdictions. Users will argue, on the other hand, that they're merely using the navigation apps on their phone. To no longer give such users and excuse, Ford is revealing the latest AppLink capability of its new SYNC 3 which practically transfers the display and control of such an app from your smartphone to the convenience and safety of you car's dash screen.
Ford's seven-strong electrified vehicle announcement at CES 2017 this morning is the Detroit automaker's biggest commitment to EVs to-date, and there are no half-measures. On the cards - and, indeed, on the roads within the next few years - will be hybrid versions of some of the blue oval's biggest nameplates. It's a strategy that's markedly different from that taken by many of Ford's rivals, which have focused on a few halo hybrid and EV products amid the rest of their mainstream range. I caught up with Hau Thai-Tang, Ford group vice president of Purchasing and the automaker's "executive electrified vehicle champion" to find out more.
On top of revealing a slew of new electric vehicles today, Ford also made a rather major announcement in that it will be cancelling plans to build a new plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. That planet was expected to cost $1.6 billion, but with that money now freed up, Ford will be investing some of it back here in the US. $700 million of that cash will go toward improving its Flat Rock, Michigan plant over the next four years, which is a significant investment.
