William Maley

Yesterday, Ford released the first teaser shot of their upcoming electric crossover with a Mustang-inspired design. The picture shows a dark silhouette of the vehicle with the iconic three-bar taillights of the Mustang. It appears that the roofline is sharply raked, something akin to a BMW X4/X6. Ford is promising a 300 mile range when the model is introduced in 2020. As we reported last month, the crossover will not be wearing the Mach 1 nameplate. One interesting tidbit about the upcoming electric crossover. Forbes reports that the original version of the electric crossover was scrapped after CEO Jim Hackett thought it looked to generic. The Mustang-inspired design took about six weeks to finish. Source: Ford, Forbes View full article

That would be the optional snorkel.

Some concept cars are just flights of fancy. Take for example the Genesis Essentia that bowed at the New York Auto Show earlier this year. This low-slung coupe boasted a transparent hood, set of butterfly doors, copper wheels, and electric powertrain. The concept proved to be quite popular, prompting Genesis to make a production version. Erwin Raphael, executive director of Genesis North America told reporters at a gathering that the automaker is planning to bring the Essentia as a production model. It would be built in limited numbers and carry a hefty price tag. "We are very committed to the Essentia. We love the car. We think the car will do very well," said Raphael. Raphael didn't give a possible timeframe, but Manfred Fitzgerald, global head of Genesis told Motor Trend the production Essentia could arrive in 2021 or 2022. The ability to bring the car out so soon is due to almost all of the design elements on the concepts being feasible for production - the butterfly doors are one of the exceptions. Raphael mentioned the Essentia could be the sports car that Genesis has promised or a new seventh model in their growing lineup. No mention of a powertrain for the production version. The Essentia rides on a electric architecture that Genesis is experimenting with as works to try and get an electric vehicle launched by 2021. Source: Motor Trend View full article

With Ford planning on dropping most of its cars except for one, the automaker is making changes to its advertising strategy, Automotive News is reporting that Ford has ended nationwide marking for the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, and Taurus. The company is also dialing back spending in certain regions. Mark LaNeve, Ford's vice president of U.S. marketing, sales, and service tells AN that the money will be used on the Mustang, EcoSport, and new models coming in the pipeline. "It allows us to focus our resources. If we can take that money from sedans, where we have a middle-of-the-road position, to be the leading brand in SUVs, that'd be a really good position," said LaNeve. According to executives, deciding to end sales of most their car lineup was the right move, sighting August sales numbers as an example. Sales of Ford cars dropped 21 percent last month. Meanwhile, pickup and van sales rose 5.9 percent, and utilities increased 20 percent. Ford has already stopped production of the North American Focus, and will end Fiesta and Taurus production by the middle of next year. The Fusion will have a slow death as executives say the model will stick around for a couple more years. The lack of national ads will likely hurt sales, LaNeve said the company would support dealers by offering various incentives on the model. "Obviously, we can't let the dealers just sit on the inventory. We'll keep them competitive on incentives, but we're certainly not spending money there in a way where we'd be driving the market. We're accepting the share we've got." Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

Back in the spring, we reported that Chevrolet and American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) would taking the Colorado ZR2 AEV concept shown at SEMA last November into production. It would be named Bison. Today, Chevrolet and AEV have unveiled the production Bison. Beginning with a base ZR2, the Bison swaps the front grille, adds a tougher front bumper with integrated winch, a rear bumper with recovery hook-ups, and a set of 17 x 8-inch aluminum wheels wrapped in Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac off-road tires. Underneath, AEV designed five skid plates made out of Boron steel to protect various mechanical bits. The snorkel seen in the photos is available as an option. “As this is the first Chevrolet vehicle we’ve given the AEV treatment to, we wanted to do something special with the industry’s first use of hot-stamped Boron steel. We also expect that Colorado drivers will love the added ruggedness of our front and rear bumpers on ZR2 Bison,” said Dave Harriton, founder and president of AEV. Buyers will be able to choose between the 3.6L V6 or 2.8L Duramax turbodiesel; extended and crew cab; and sort and long beds. The Bison will be arriving at dealers in January. Pricing will be announced close to the on sale date. Source: Chevrolet Chevrolet Unveils the Colorado ZR2 Bison Factory steel bumpers, Boron-steel skid plates make Bison ready for off-the-grid adventures DETROIT — The Colorado ZR2 Bison joins Chevrolet’s midsize truck lineup as an all-new performance variant. Bison is Chevy’s first collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), a premium off-road aftermarket manufacturer. Through constant innovation, Chevy has gained more than a quarter of all midsize truck sales in less than four years in the marketplace. In consecutive years, Colorado introduced the segment’s first diesel engine (excludes other GM vehicles), an all-new V-6 gas engine/eight-speed transmission combo, the ZR2 “segment of one” off-roader and now the Bison. For maximum protection of key undercarriage elements while driving over rocky, jagged terrain, Bison features five skid plates covering the engine oil pan, fuel tank, transfer case and front and rear locking differentials. Designed by AEV, these skid plates are constructed of hard, durable hot-stamped Boron steel. AEV-designed stamped steel front and rear bumpers further shield the truck from obstacles. The front bumper contains winch provisions and standard fog lights, with recovery points integrated into the rear bumper. “More and more enthusiasts are discovering that Colorado is ideal for off-roading, especially overland travel,” said Sandor Piszar, director of Marketing, Chevrolet Truck. “The Colorado Z71 offers a full suite of off-road equipment, the maneuverability of a midsize truck and the driving range of a class-exclusive diesel engine. The Colorado ZR2 offers even greater off-road capability with class-exclusive front and rear locking differentials and Multimatic DSSVTM dampers. And now, Bison offers customers an even more extreme turnkey off-road truck ready to tackle your next adventure.” An exclusive, flow-through “CHEVROLET” lettered grille replaces the traditional bowtie on Bison’s front end. The 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac off-road tires sit beneath larger fender flares and wrap all-new, ZR2 Bison-specific 17 x 8-inch aluminum wheels. This new Colorado variant also features “Bison” decals on the bed sides, an “AEV Bison” logo on the tailgate and embroidered AEV logo floor liners and front head restraints. “We’ve been following Colorado since its introduction, and the ZR2 really captured our attention,” said Dave Harriton, founder and president of AEV. “As this is the first Chevrolet vehicle we’ve given the AEV treatment to, we wanted to do something special with the industry’s first use of hot-stamped Boron steel. We also expect that Colorado drivers will love the added ruggedness of our front and rear bumpers on ZR2 Bison.” The ZR2 Bison also duplicates the full equipment list of the Colorado ZR2, including, but not limited to: Class-exclusive front and rear locking electronic differentials. Revolutionary, segment-exclusive Multimatic DSSVTM dampers. Off-road rocker protection. Cast-iron control arms. Autotrac transfer case. Like ZR2, Bison also features a modified rear axle with a 3.42 ratio, front and rear tracks widened by 3.5 inches and a factory suspension lifted 2 inches over a Colorado Z71. Available options on Bison include: 2.8L Duramax Turbo-Diesel engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, capable of 186 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. Choice of crew- or extended cab configurations (including short and long beds, respectively). Customers will also be able to purchase an available third-party accessory snorkel for ZR2 Bison from AEV, ideal for air filtration while driving on dusty trails. This feature is compatible with all Colorado pickup variants. The 2019 Colorado ZR2 Bison goes on sale in January 2019, modified for extreme off-road use and backed by a full factory limited warranty. View full article

Nope, the 2.0T was introduced in 2018 as a replacement for the 1.8T. Specs are 174 horsepower and 184 pound-feet.