Achieving Singularity: One Ford on Display in Frankfurt

On December 2, 2008, at the height of intense government scrutiny, Ford submitted a business plan to the Senate Banking Committee in charge of investigating the troubled financial situation surrounding the Big Three domestic auto manufacturers.

The plan was called “One Ford – One Team, One Plan, One Goal.” And that goal was “an exciting viable Ford Motor Company delivering profitable growth for all.”

To get there, One Ford was supported by four key pillars:

-       Aggressively restructure to operate profitably at the current demand and changing model mix

-       Accelerate development of new products our customers want and value

-       Finance our plan and improve our balance sheet

-       Work together effectively as one team, leveraging our global assets

So, what does One Ford have to do with Frankfurt? Well, it’s been just shy of three years since Ford boss Alan Mullaly presented that plan to Congress, and these days, three years is about the time it takes for a new car to come to market. Since auto shows are all about the new cars, trucks, and sport utilities covered in point number 2, now is a good time to check on this crucial part of the One Ford plan. Is the Blue Oval designing the kinds of vehicles it promised?

The short answer: Yes. Ford’s Frankfurt offerings are but a European-flavored slice of Ford’s global pie, but one look at what the company is doing with the Focus range is heartening.

Remember just a couple of years back when Ford released the 2008 Ford Focus? At our Car of the Year program that year, my boss, Angus MacKenzie, singled it out as “the most cynical car here,” citing the recycled C170 platform (while the rest of the world got the new C1-based Focus), heavy-handed styling, and a cheap, but not particularly cheerful, feel.

More insulting was to look across the pond at the European-spec Ford Focus, particularly in 300-hp RS trim, and closer to home at Mazda. That small division of Ford somehow managed to utilize the C1 platform in the Mazda3 and the category-killing Mazdaspeed3. Ford’s excuses for the home market not getting its very best Focus? Supposedly that it would be too expensive. Yet Mazda managed to sell the Mazda3 at a competitive price in the U.S.

Three years on, all that has changed. Ford rolled out the new Focus in global fashion, unifying the range around the world. While we won’t get the wagon body style and a few of the new engines (though the 1.0-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost is still under study), the “leveraging global assets” and “accelerate development of new products our customers want…” parts of the One Ford plan means America will get what matters. No more lukewarm leftovers. We’re slated to get a Focus Electric and now the hot hatch Focus ST. (If anything, the Europeans may have reason to moan about Ford replacing that 300-hp RS with 250-horse ST – but hey, that’s their problem.)

A Ford rep assured us that America will not only get the ST, but it will be a well-equipped version. Too often, manufacturers (looking at you, VW and Audi) bring over hotted-up versions of the cars we love, but remove content such as racy bucket seats and slick steering wheels for cost reasons. Ford says no, we will get Focus ST nearly identical to what the Brits, Germans, and more than 40 other countries will get.

And this type of attitude may extend to the Fiesta ST. After all, if the One Ford plan means a Focus ST makes sense for the U.S., shouldn’t Fiesta ST as well ? We think so.

We also think Ford is on to something with its renewed commitment to racing.

With the Focus ST-R, a race car designed specifically for series such as Grand Am ST, World Challenge TC, and the Canadian Touring Car Series, and EcoBoost-powered Formula Ford, the company is showing serious support of a core market – one that normally is cut, not promoted, during times of financial distress. In fact, it appears that Ford grasps the concept that, beyond the NASCAR glitz and glamour, grassroots racing is a valuable way to build and sustain long-lasting relationships with some of its strongest brand champions – racers from trackday weekend warriors all the way up to the pros.

[Digression: Perhaps this is something Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, picked up while running Mazda? Mazda has been and continues to be a strong supporter of grassroots racing, offering a ladder system for weekend racers and serious amateurs who progress their spec Miata racers into the Star Mazda series, Mazda’s formula race car program.]

Of course not all of the pieces of the One Ford plan make sense. Tucked away in the back of the Ford booth, looking very smart in its silvery gray paint and chromed roll bar, is Ford’s new Ranger compact truck. The same gorgeous compact truck that will be going everywhere but the U.S. To add insult to injury, the Ranger has the 3.2-liter TDCi DuarTorq turbodiesel engine, a combination we both “want and value.” Ford claims it could not bring the Ranger to the U.S. at a price consumers would accept, and thus has taken steps to tailor the F-150 (which is surprisingly similar in size) to cover the Ranger market. Sounds like more global assets need leveraging…

But from the perspective of Frankfurt and the U.S., the One Ford plan appears solid and is showing results. Though we’ve knocked Ford a bit for vehicles like the Ecoboost Explorer,  consumers seem content. Sales across the board are up 18 percent through August; in fact, Ford sold more Explorers last month than in all three previous model years. Although we generally prefer the edgier-styled Flex, based on sales, consumers have voted overwhelmingly for the more conventionally-packaged Explorer.

So what is next step for Ford? Well, we can look forward to the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, when the Focus ST makes its North American debut. By then, details on what spec ST we will be getting should be more clear. We may even have an update on the status of Fiesta ST.

Then, at the Detroit show in January, we will see the Evos Concept design language on a production vehicle. All signs indicate it will be applied to the next-generation Fusion/Mondeo, which is due for a major overhaul.

Three years on, it appears One Ford is fully underway. And that is good news.

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’13 Chevy Malibu to gain innovative fold-up audio display [Plus video!]

Thursday, Apr 14th, 2011 @ 12:01 a.m.

Chevrolet is slowly letting loose details on its upcoming 2013 Malibu sedan, including its latest tidbit – a radio face that articulates up and out of the way to reveal a six-inch-deep illuminated storage compartment.

The innovative feature is a midsize sedan first, GM says. The one small teaser photo GM has released also gives us a quick glimpse into the Malibu’s new infotainment system, but we’ll have to wait for more details.

The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu will make its global debut at the Shanghai Motor Show about 48 hours before its bows on U.S. soil at the New York International Auto Show.

New video gives us best look yet
GM teamed up with the dark side – veteran spy photographer Jim Dunne – to talk about what it takes to “outsmart a spy.”

The video gives few unknown hints into the process of new car spying, but it does give us by far our best look at the new 2013 Malibu. Clearly, the Malibu follows many of the styling themes of the current model, but the look will be considerably more bold than before.

We also get a quick glance of the Malibu with its trunk open, which shows that GM has skipped the space-saving (and costly) struts for gooseneck hinges.

Designer video
GM released a short video with some reasonably detailed illustrations of the new car that give us some other hints about its design. Narrated by designer Dan Gifford, the video shows us that GM drew heavily on its heritage for the new four-door sedan.

We were treated to a sneak peak of Chevrolet’s upcoming 2013 Malibu more than a year ago, but GM has remained mum about its plans for the next generation of its bread-and butter sedan. Now, however, a report suggests that Chevrolet will drop the low-volume V6 currently offered in the Malibu in favor of a Hyundai Sonata-inspired four-cylinder-only lineup.

Hyundai became the first mainstream automaker to drop V6 power from its midsize sedan lineup when it launched the 2011 Sonata earlier this year. The midsize family sedan market has seen V6s go from being the default choice for most buyers to an “extravagant” extra rarely selected by consumers.

The 2013 Malibu will drop its V6 in favor of at least two four-cylinders – one naturally aspirated unit and one turbocharged offering. GM is developing a new family of four-cylinder engines, although it’s unclear if the 2.5-liter variant will be ready in time for the Malibu’s late 2011 release.

Judging from the latest spy shots and the videos, the 2013 Malibu will retain many of the design cues of the current car, although it will be moving to GM’s Epsilon II platform. The front headlights appear to have a jeweled look, not unlike the treatment seen on the 2011 Buick Regal. Chevrolet’s signature cross-bar grille, however, remains front and center.

The rear of the Malibu also appears to be in line for an update, with the taillights receiving a Camaro-like treatment.

It’s been reported that the Malibu will shrink a bit in its next iteration, but the extent of that downsizing remains unknown. The current Malibu rides on a 112.3 inch wheelbase and it seems likely that the Malibu will adopt either the Buick LaCrosse’s 111.7 inch wheelbase or the Regal’s shorter 107.8 inch wheelbase, although the former seems more likely. Both the LaCrosse and Regal ride on versions of GM’s Epsilon II platform.

GM will also likely continue to offer a larger midsize sedan to replace the aging Impala.

We’ll have more details on April 18, when GM officially unveils the new Malibu.

Look for sales to begin late this summer in North America – and China, where the Malibu will displace the Chevrolet Cruze as Chevy’s biggest offering.

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