2009 F-150 delayed, loses Boss engine option

With truck and SUV sales down considerably, Ford has announced that the new 2009 F-150 will be delayed, at least until the fall. Ford is already shutting down truck facctories and retooling others to build cars instead. This is no doubt due to the fact that F-150 sales are running 18% down and Focus sales are up around 35%. Apparently the real reason for the delay is the fact that so many 2008's still reside on dealer lots.

Along with this somewhat depressing news comes even more depressing news: the development of a Boss V8 for the F-150 is dead. The powerplant, which was to be a 6.2 liter, was originally designed to be an answer to the larger GM truck powerplants. This is actually the second time this program has been cancelled, last time seeing the axe in 2005.

With all of this bad news coming out of Detroit recently, there are a few good things that have spawned from the latest gas crisis. Ford has recently announced that it will base the next US Focus on the European model. This model has long been revered by American fans and has achieved an almost cult status based on it's legendary handling and solid performance.

Lots of folks have wondered for years why Ford has stuck us with the boring and horrendously ugly version of the Focus. Europe gets to have all the fun with multiple performance packages and a good solid chassis that goes along with the frugal gas mileage. Meanwhile we get by with a reject from the Kia factory.

In other related depressing news, automakers don't forsee a change in the trend toward smaller vehicles any time soon. Ford is talking like their shift towards building more small cars is permanent, as is the focus of American to downsize. They are hoping to top 280,000 in Focus sales, compared to 173,213 in 2007.

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