Monthly Archives: April 2015

The dark knight

The full-size Chevrolet Impala will gain some attitude this summer with the addition of a Midnight Edition package (Image: General Motors)

The full-size Chevrolet Impala will gain some attitude this summer with the addition of a Midnight Edition package (Image: General Motors)

If everyday Impalas aren’t enough to lure you into a Chevy dealership, GM’s planning on adding extra bait to the line.

This summer, a Midnight Edition of the full-size sedan will appear on dealers lots (under the cover of darkness, no doubt), offering shimmering Jet Black paint and blacked out 19-inch wheels, grille, and Chevy bow ties both front and back.

The sinister sedan also receives sport pedals and a low-profile deck lid spoiler.

If big and black is your style, the Midnight Edition package can be added to all Impalas, minus the base LS trim level. That means the sensibly spacious four-cylinder Impala of your dreams doesn’t have to be so… unintimidating.

Available in all trim levels except the base LS, the new package is clearly designed to lure in new buyers. Will it succeed?

The Midnight Edition package targets all trim levels except the base LS. Will it boost slagging sales? (Image: General Motors)

Midnight Edition Impalas will retail as 2016 models, though GM says a small number of 2015 four-banger versions will find their way off the line.

Reading between the lines, Chevrolet is obviously brainstorming ways to get more buyers into a new Impala, which has been falling steadily in sales since the model’s  lofty peak in the mid-2000s.

Fleet sales accounted for a large number of those earlier sales, but even with a consumer-oriented redesign for 2014 (a quite attractive one, in my opinion), sales are a fraction of what they were a decade ago.

In the U.S., 140,280 Impalas were sold in 2014, down from over 311,000 in 2007. In Canada, just 3,406 Impalas rolled off dealers lots in 2014, compared to over 21,000 in 2006.

Chevy is clearly hoping new buyers will follow this tricked-out Impala into the dark, before the model fades to black.

 

Links:

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2011/01/chevrolet-impala-sales-figures.html

Join the club

"Look over here!" screams the Lexus RX 350 F-Sport (Image: Toyota Motor Corporation)

“Look over here!” screams the Lexus RX 350 F Sport (Image: Toyota Motor Corporation)

“Everyone’s doing it.”

That statement can serve proudly as the reason why fads become as widespread and prolific as they do, and why it takes so long for the hip-to-passé cycle to play itself out.

Hell, I’m still waiting for the neck beard/tattoo/slob look to die out, and that look is just ugly and stupid.

It’s no different with cars. In fact, it’s rampant in the auto industry.

The other day I found myself in a discussion with two fellow car buffs and this very subject came up.

Grilles, as you may have realized, are the new tailfins or decklid spoiler. Across the automotive landscape, cars – even stodgy low-end luxury sedans – are adopting gaping, wide, aggressive mouths. Think anything new from Lexus, the Toyota Camry/Avalon, or the new Mitsubishi Outlander (whose only change is a BIG NEW GRILLE).

"You think yours is big? Getta load of this!" - 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander (Image: Mitsubishi Motors North America)

“You think yours is big? Getta load of this!” – 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander (Image: Mitsubishi Motors North America)

My friend denounced the newly ubiquitous grille treatment he saw sweeping the world, but I just saw it a part of the inevitable evolution of design.

Throughout history, when one company makes a splash by going heavily in one direction, others often drop everything to hastily emulate the next big thing.

“Stop what you’re doing, Bob – we’re going in a new direction.”

“But we’re almost finished the project! We’ll be read to roll out in a few weeks!”

“Forget it, Bob. Big grilles went out with powdered wigs and smoking in elevators. They’re yesterday’s news. We’re hearing that fender skirts are coming back. It’s gonna be big, so get cracking. We want ours to be the biggest – don’t stop till they hit the ground.”

Design and styling conventions can define an era, especially in the auto world.

High-flying tailfins in the ’50s, ‘pony’ and muscle cars in the ’60s, baroque, vinyl-clad faux luxury in the ’70s, minivans and hatchbacks in the ’80s, SUVs in the ’90s – the list goes on.

Changes in actual styling are often quicker to be adopted, and dumped, simply because no company wants their products looking old. Think of the elimination of running boards (circa 1940-42), the proliferation of pillarless hardtops (c. 1955), the raised tailfin (c. 1957), quad headlights (c. 1958), compact car offerings (c. 1960) and the ditching of raised tailfins (c. 1960-62).

With all of these styling fads, however, there have been holdouts.

The 1959 Chevrolet design: on a gull wing and a prayer (Image via)

The 1959 Chevrolets: on a gull wing and a prayer (Image via)

Ford really didn’t go all-in for the tailfin thing, leaving that party for GM and Chrysler. The stacked headlight motif of the mid-to-late 1960s (favoured by Plymouth and Ford) saw the last member of the Low-Priced Three (Chevy) call in sick.

This me-too phenomenon has its own dangers, though. Follow too close in the wake of the Next Big Thing, and you could find yourself pulled down when it all sinks.

Ford found that out when, after discovering the plans for the radically styled 1959 Chevrolet, it scrapped its planned 1960 models in favour of a production version of its Quicksilver design concept car (which contained elements similar to the Chevy).

Ford learned its lesson with its 1960 models, which were meant to emulate '59 Chevys.

Ford learned its lesson with its 1960 models, which were meant to emulate ’59 Chevys.

The radical Chevy turned off many traditional buyers, while the boxy and conservative ’59 Ford sold well. The next year Ford was forced to roll out its new take on the ’59 Chevy even as Chevy was planning a return to ‘safe’ styling.

As soon as it became possible, Ford corrected its mistake and went the conservative route as well. Buyers returned.

Maybe one day we’ll see a backlash to big grilles, forcing automakers to revert back to their early ’90s designs (Front air slit? Check). Until then, open wide and enjoy the ride.

 

Reclaiming the mojo

The 2016Malibu appears ready to make up lost ground (Image: General Motors)

The 2016 Malibu appears ready to make up lost ground (Image: General Motors)

Having seen 37 years of American history pass through its rear-view mirror, you’d think Chevrolet’s experienced Malibu would find luring new buyers to be a breeze.

But the most recent generation of the bread-and-butter sedan failed to dominate the midsize market, and struggled to arrest declining sales amid strong competition from the likes of Fusion, Sonata, Camry, and Accord.

Well, Chevy clearly doesn’t like the idea of the Malibu becoming an overlooked wallflower at the school dance. Their response to the problem is the 2016 Malibu, which will arrive – dressed to impress – in the fourth quarter of this year.

Bigger, roomier, and more efficient, the 2016 Malibu promises to remedy the criticisms levelled against its predecessor – mainly, that legroom was lacking, the styling too lacklustre, and the mild hybrid too mild.

The best view of the 2016 Malibu, IMHO. Can you tell it's longer? (Image: General Motors)

The best view of the 2016 Malibu, IMHO. Can you tell it’s longer? (Image: General Motors)

As the photos here show, the new Malibu has borrowed some duds from the Impala’s closet. Elements of the design language of its bigger stable mate can be seen in its creased, flowing flanks – especially towards the rear.

With a wheelbase nearly four inches longer, the 2016 ‘Bu will allow occupants to stretch their legs a little.

A new 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder will make 160 horsepower and 184 foot-pounds of torque, and is supposedly good for about 37 mpg (U.S.) highway, or 6.4 litres/100 km. Optional is GM’s well-known turbo 2.0-litre four, making 250 hp.

Helping the newly lengthened Malibu roll along efficiently are grille shutters, a nearly 300 pound weight loss, and (in 2.0-litre guise) a new 8-speed automatic transmission.

To wring maximum efficiency out of the Malibu, buyers can opt for a ‘heavy hybrid’ version that uses a modified version of the new Chevy Volt’s drivetrain and can travel up to 88 km/h in EV mode.

A 1.8-litre direct injection engine and two electric motors return an estimated 48 mpg (U.S.) in the city and 45 mpg on the highway, for a combined rating of 47 mpg (5.0 litres/100km).

Some angles have the front end appearing awkward; head-on, it's not so pronounced (Image: General Motors)

Some angles have the front end appearing awkward; head-on, it’s not so pronounced (Image: General Motors)

Numbers like these, coupled with a new skin, should help the Malibu do battle with its competitors.

On a personal note, I can’t give the design an A+, though it is a definite improvement.

The 2016 Malibu does a good job in keeping visual interest (and I do find its design muse, the Impala, to be attractive), but the front end seems awkward to me – too many diverging angles, and a catfish mouth.

Viewed side-on or from the rear, well, different story.

 

Hero of the Republic

Late 1980s Peugeot 505 V6, spotted in Ottawa, Ontario.

Late 1980s Peugeot 505 V6, spotted in Ottawa, Ontario.

Though a mountain bike was attached to the rear bumper, the driver of this rare French beast slid behind the wheel with a bag from a nearby McDonalds.

Drivers need fuel too.

Looking stylish in silver, this Peugeot 505 V6 was France’s answer to low-end BMWs and Mercedes-Benz’s of the circa 1980s. Produced in massive quantities between 1979 and 1999 and marketed worldwide, it was the last rear-wheel-drive passenger car produced by the storied company.

Meow! Can you sense the animosity being hurled over the Maginot Line?

Meow! Can you sense the animosity being hurled over the Maginot Line?

Respected for its comfort, handling, and relative toughness, the 505 was just at home on the rutted roads of Nigeria as it was cruising along the highways of Paris.

The V6 designation helps narrow down the age of this particular vehicle.

Between 1987 to 1990, the Peugeot 505 came with an optional 2.8-litre SOHC V6 making 168 horsepower and 174 foot-pounds of torque. The 90-degree engine was mated to either a 3-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission.

(A long list of gas and diesel inline fours ranging from 1.8 to 2.5 litres were offered during the model’s lifespan, in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged form)

The last 505 sedans reached markets in 1990, with the wagon version soldering on longer.

During the model’s run, the 505 was manufactured in every continent except North America. Production of the 505 for the European market ceased in 1992, though production continued in Argentina, China and Nigeria well into the mid-to-late ’90s.

The 505 stands out amongst 1980s/90s vehicles due to its low beltline, forward facing grille and ever-so-slightly sloping trunk lid. Though it can happily inhabit the term ‘boxy’, the 505’s shape offers hints of upper class design – think a muted Audi 5000 or BMW 530i.

2015 Ford Focus: new face, familiar ride

Ford wasn't prepared to let the Focus fade from the compact car scene. For 2015 it receives a major refresh.

Ford wasn’t prepared to let the Focus fade from the compact car scene. For 2015, it receives a significant refresh.

Subtle improvements keep restyled compact in the game

No car model wants to end up going the Marlon Brando route, lamenting “I coulda been a contender” to their friends over a beer.

That can happen when models are left to wither on the vine by an uncaring parent company. Like a retiree passed by a teenager on the highway, the model with the oldest hardware and least attention can soon find themselves in last place.

Ford’s perennially popular Focus has been a reliable seller for the company since its introduction in the late 1990s.

The current generation debuted for the 2012 model year, arriving in sedan and 5-door hatch form with an edgy European design that highlighted its global architecture, and packed with the latest technology aimed at safety and comfort.

However, the recent increase of standout compact offerings – including those from resurgent North American brands – saw the Focus run the risk of being overlooked in a crowded marketplace.

New year, new face: The Focus now shares front-end traits with its bigger brother Fusion.

About face: the Focus now shares front-end traits with its big brother, Fusion.

Equipment

The refreshed 2015 Focus arrives with a new face and a longer list of available equipment. Incremental improvements have been made throughout the vehicle to keep the model fresh, but nothing radical simply for change’s sake.

Up front, a wide, horizontal slat grille with chrome accents brings the Focus’ design more in line with the larger Fusion.

Unlike some mid-cycle design tweaks, this significant makeover (which also includes the lower fascia, hood, taillights and trunklid) represents an improvement, not just a change. The cleaner lines and chrome, plus the new LED accent strips above the headlights (which double as daytime running lights), adds an upscale element to the Focus.

The Focus Titanium comes with an 8-inch screen to display SYNC information and the standard back-up camera.

The Focus Titanium comes with an 8-inch screen to display SYNC information and the standard back-up camera.

The standard engine remains a 2.0-litre direct injection four-cylinder, generating 160 horsepower and 146 foot-pounds of torque. A five-speed manual transmission comes standard, with Ford’s six-speed dual clutch PowerShift automatic optional on lower end models and standard on the top-line Titanium.

For 2015, economy-minded buyers can option their Focus with a 1.0-litre EcoBoost three-cylinder previously found only in the subcompact Fiesta. That tiny engine makes a respectable 123 horsepower and 125 foot-pounds of torque, and comes mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

Also available in the Focus lineup is the hot ST hatch, with a 2.0-litre EcoBoost making 252 horsepower, and the Focus Electric, an all-EV model. Diversity of options seems to be Ford’s game for its volume compact.

Inside the vehicle, minor but meaningful changes have been made to the dash layout and steering wheel to reduce the sense of clutter and enhance user friendliness. The parking brake has also been moved further aft, now located discreetly between the seats.

On the tech front, Ford offers a host of standard equipment in the Focus, including its SYNC infotainment system (featuring voice activation, hands-free calling, and USB and mobile device connectivity), and a rear-view camera. A number of additional high-tech features can be optioned.

A little more black, a little less busy. That's what Ford accomplished with the dash of the Focus during its makeover.

A little more black, a little less busy. That’s what Ford accomplished with the dash of the Focus during its makeover.

 

Driving impressions

Our Focus tester was a top-line Titanium model decked out with all the options Ford could muster.

Inside, the leather-trimmed seating looked stylish and matched the soft plastics of the dash. Though flat in appearance, the 8-way power driver’s seat (with lumbar support) proved extremely comfortable.

A nice touch in the cabin is the ambient nighttime lighting, which bathes door handles, map pockets, cup holders and foot wells in a soft, cool blue. Outside, parking lamps mounted in the side mirrors illuminate the ground beneath the front doors for entry and egress.

The 6-speed dual-clutch automatic unfortunately doesn't have its own gate for manual shifting. A shallow, thumb-actuated shifter is offered, but is easily ignored.

The 6-speed dual-clutch automatic unfortunately doesn’t have its own gate for manual shifting. A shallow, thumb-actuated shifter is offered, and is easily ignored.

Though it’s a feature that few buyers would demand in a compact, domestic sedan, it’s nevertheless a classy touch.

Our tester’s PowerShift automatic made good use of the standard 2.0-litre engine’s power, but the drivetrain was sometimes ‘buzzy’ at low speeds, as the tranny would hold on to lower gears in preparation for acceleration. Under normal or vigorous acceleration, shifts were quick and smooth – hallmarks of a dual clutch transmission.

Geared for economy (upshifts are enthusiastic, downshifts hesitant), the transmission, teamed with the high-compression engine, makes for great fuel economy.

The 2.0-litre/PowerShift combination is rated at 8.9 litres/100km in the city and 6.2 litres/100km on the highway, which translates into 31.7 mpg (Imp.) city and 45.6 mpg highway. The city numbers were easy to match in real life, and one two-hour drive on rural secondary highways returned a figure of 5.3 litres/100km (53.3 mpg).

Models with the five-speed manual are a little thirstier, going by factory mileage numbers, but would deliver a livelier driving experience.

In rural and urban driving, the Focus shone in the handling department. The optional 18-inch painted aluminum wheels on our tester (17-inchers come standard on Titanium models) came wrapped in low-profile rubber, which allowed the Focus to hold the road with authority.

Heavily weighted steering with no hint of play added to the sporty feel of the car.

Low profile tires can sometimes deliver a jarring ride in areas prone to road cracks and frost heaves, but the pliable suspension of the Focus soaked up the imperfections surprisingly well. A lack of body or suspension rattles made the Focus feel taught and put-together.

Active Park Assist and BLIS with cross-traffic alert are two two options you won't want to be without.

Active Park Assist and BLIS with cross-traffic alert are two two options you won’t want to be without.

Open roads are fun, but eventually everyone has to navigate a parking lot. The available safety features in the Focus helped tame parking paranoia, thanks to a rear-view camera (displayed on the Titanium’s 8-inch monitor) and Ford’s BLIS system.

The system alerts the driver to fixed obstacles around the vehicle, and monitors for approaching vehicles when the driver is backing out of a spot. This electronic nanny takes a car with already good rearward visibility and makes it almost clairvoyant.

If your parking spot of choice is of the parallel variety, available Active Park Assist allows the driver press a button and follow directions, as the Focus eventually takes over and parks itself (with some driver inputs). It works, but it’s creepy at first.

Other high-tech safety aids included blind spot warnings (via an amber LED light in the side mirrors), and lane departure warnings. Drift too close to the centre line or adjacent lane and the Focus will shake the steering wheel to grab your attention. Drift too close to the shoulder, and you could get a fatigue warning, complete with a chime and an illuminated warning in the gauge cluster.

Yes, the Ford Focus is spying on you, but it’s for your own good. And, presumably, you paid for it.

While the loaded Titanium model came in over $31,000 with all options and fees factored, a base S sedan begins at $16,799. Sure, you won’t be able to wow your friends with Knight Rider-like levels of gizmos, but the body and engine will be the same.

With the 2015 Focus, Ford has made meaningful improvements to an already competent vehicle. There are newer ‘all new’ compacts out there, but the Focus shouldn’t be overlooked just for that – especially when you consider the sum of its contents.

A comfortable yet sporty ride, laundry list of high-tech features and new face makes the Focus a worthy compact to consider.

A comfortable yet sporty ride, laundry list of high-tech features and new face makes the Focus a worthy compact to consider.

Torch bearer

This is it: the Lincoln Continental. And yes, it will be built (Image: Ford Motor Company)

This is it: the Lincoln Continental. And yes, it will be built (Image: Ford Motor Company)

As predicted (and anticipated), Lincoln took the wraps off a resurrected Continental at the New York International Auto Show this week, a few days after an eager Ford Motor Company introduced the model online.

Described as a concept, the new Lincoln flagship is apparently very close to what buyers can expect when it goes into production next year.

Big, stalely and modern, the new Continental made a big impression, garnering accolades from journos and the public alike, though Bentley insists the sedan is a rip-off of its own Flying Spur (an accusation made on Facebook, no less. How catty.)

Attractive lower-body chrome trim accentuates the Continental's lines, length, and perceived luxury (Image: Ford Motor Company)

Attractive lower-body chrome trim accentuates the Continental’s lines, length, and perceived luxury (Image: Ford Motor Company)

Mechanical details are fairly scarce, as Ford choose to talk about luxury, history and the design process during and after the introduction. We do know that the Continental will be powered by a Lincoln-exclusive 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, but what wheels will do the driving is still a mystery. Many have speculated that it will be an all-wheel-drive vehicle.

Ford president and CEO Mark Fields said work on the new model began in 2013, while design teams were working on a replacement for the MKS. The proposed designs were lacklustre, so they decided to start fresh by introducing the Continental name into the process.

Cocoon yourself in luxury, says Lincoln. I wouldn't be calling shotgun with this ride (Image: Ford Motor Company)

Cocoon yourself in luxury, says Lincoln. I wouldn’t be calling shotgun with this ride (Image: Ford Motor Company)

Unlike ‘MKS’, the word ‘Continental’ does stir something inside people, and it helped nudge the designers in the direction of ‘classic, full-figured American luxury’.

Overall, the concept is very good.

Clean lines, the right proportions, nothing too busy, gaudy or chintzy.

Maybe this humble blogger is asking for too much, but I can’t help but wish for more when it comes to the front. There’s nothing wrong with the front facia and grille – they’re as clean and understated as the rest of the vehicle – but I was hoping for something that cried ‘Lincoln!’ a little louder.

Not necessarily a knock-off of classic Lincoln grilles from the 60s and 70s, but a stronger design statement. I’m not even sure what that would look like.

As it is right now, I see more Ford in that front than Lincoln. Minus the rest of the vehicle, I can see the front end belonging to a modern-day Ford Galaxie or LTD.

But, this is hardly important given the overall impressiveness of the effort, and the earth-shaking realization that Lincoln Is Bringing Back The Continental!

Plenty of glass above the driver; plenty of steel below (Image: Ford Motor Company)

Plenty of glass above the driver; plenty of steel below (Image: Ford Motor Company)