Does Mercury matter anymore?

Image via Wikipedia's Mercury brand, long the lucky recipient of models identical to Ford with a different grille, has been rumored to be on it's way to the Oldsmobile/Plymouth graveyard. It's been a very long time since the brand had anything that caused any kind of excitement (with the possible exception of the Marauder). Mercury was originally designed by Ford to compete with Buick and Cadillac. But since Ford already has Lincoln, is this really a necessity? And competing with Buick is pretty pointless anyway unless you want to get in good with Grandma. The whole purpose of the brand seems to have lost it's way. What's the point of buying a Mariner when you can get an Escape? To have an Escape with fake wood accents? In spite of all of this, Ford announced last week that it would have new product for Mercury, including a small car in 2010. It appears that they finally have a goal in mind for the brand, which is to become a destination for importing European Ford models. Ford says it will build the European Mondeo sedan in North America beginning in 2010. The Mondeo is slightly smaller than the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan/Lincoln MKZ. Ford has also said that it will build an all new Taurus in 2010, but has not made any mention of a new Sable. In Europe, the Ford Mondeo is a relatively upscale small-midsize sedan designed for a market that will pay a premium price for such a car. Giving it a Mercury badge gives Ford room to charge a bit more for it than Fusion sticker prices, and of course North American production will be much cheaper than European production. The other new Mercury will a version of the crossover of the Ford Kuga. The Kuga is a small Escape-ish style SUV that looks distinctly different from the current Mariner. This is all well and good, I suppose. But if you want to get people more excited in the Mercury brand, why not bring back the Cougar? I'm not talking about the Probe like previous model either. I'm talking about the late 60's/early 70's one. With the current retro styling of the Mustang, it would make perfect sense. I think it would be a great shot in the arm for the brand and would bring people into the showrooms. But please Mercury, no more fake wood grain dashes.

Ford to continue building small cars, announces new models

Image by Getty Images via Daylife
In spite of potentially dropping gas prices, Ford CEO Alan Mullaly recently told FOX Business Network that Ford will not shift it's focus away from increasing production on small cars. Mullaly said that Ford's previous plan to focus on large vehicles was not the right business plan. "No, I think the dye is cast," Mullaly said. "It really starts with a point of view about the future and a couple of points of view for Ford. We clearly focused on big SUVs and trucks in the United States and we focused on dynamite cars and smaller vehicles around the world. That's not a balanced plan."
Despite rumors to the contrary, Ford will not abandon it large car and truck division altogether. "We've been the preferred industry leader in trucks and SUVs for 33 years," he said. "These are wonderful vehicles. Even though the market is down substantially, there's going to be a market for large trucks and SUVs. We're going to continue to invest the appropriate amount and maintain our leadership." Having said this, Ford won't ignore the trends altogether. It is already planning on retooling two of it's U.S. plants and one Mexico plant to build small cars instead of trucks and SUV's.
Ford also recently dropped some information on some of it's future product. They weren't kidding about a total overhaul in the next couple of years...
2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ Refreshed versions of these midsize sedans are expected to launch in early 2009. Fusion and Milan will also be offered as hybrids, with fuel economy that's promised to top that of the Toyota Camry hybrid. 2010 Ford Mustang A revised form of the pony car, already being previewed to enthusiasts across the country, will hit dealers in early 2009. We're expecting a debut at the 2008 Los Angeles auto show. 2010 Ford Taurus A thoroughly restyled Taurus sedan will launch in the middle of 2009. Ford plans on offering its EcoBoost technology (turbocharged engines with direct-injection) in the new car. 2010 European Ford Fiesta and Focus We knew the cars would (finally) make their way to the U.S. for 2010, and Ford has now revealed they'll arrive in both four- and five-door models. There's no word on whether a three-door Focus, especially in RS trim, would make its way stateside. 2010 Lincoln crossover Ford claims its luxury division will receive a seven-passenger crossover halfway through 2009. Given the vehicle's description and the hint that it'll receive the EcoBoost powertrain, we're expecting a Lincoln version of the Ford Flex. Time will tell if styling from the MKT concept transitions into production. 2010 "Small Cars" We've precious little detail on what Ford is planning here, but the company claims it will launch a new small car as a Mercury in 2010, alongside another small vehicle with roots in Europe. The latter is described as a "whitespace" entry, suggesting it may be a unique offering in our market. 2010 Ford Explorer The ubiquitous Explorer will abandon the traditional body-on-frame structure for unibody construction in 2010. Given that, and the promise of an EcoBoost motor and a six-speed automatic, we're expecting it to be similar in concept to the Explorer America concept shown at the 2008 Detroit show. Ford claims the changes will help the model return a 25 percent improvement in fuel economy. Along with the new products come a number of changes to Ford's assembly plants. The automaker already revealed its intention to switch factories from building slow-selling full-size trucks to small cars, so these revelations aren't earth shattering. Ford's Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, Michigan, may have to revise its name. Presently home to the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs, the factory will be retooled starting in December of 2008 to build the 2010 European Focus for the North American market. Production for both the Expedition and Navigator will move to the truck plant in Louisville, Kentucky, although a line in the same facility will also be responsible for assembling the 2010 Focus. Ford's factory in Cuautitlan, Mexico, will build the 2010 Fiesta for North America instead of its present product, the F-Series trucks. Expecting further declines in the full-size truck segment, Ford has extended the life of the Ford Ranger by two years, giving the plant in St. Paul, Minnesota, an extra two years of work.

Honda FCX fuel cell car hits the road, but it is really good for the environment?

The very first Honda FCX fuel cell car has been delivered to it's very first owner, Ron Yerxa. Ron is best known as the producer of recent movies like Election, Cold Mountain, and Little Miss Sunshine. Sounds like a typical happy story about a Hollywood persona doing their part to set an example and save the environment in their own special way? Sorry, Hollywood. I'm all for alternate technology and doing what's right for the environment. I don't want my country to be dependent on foreign oil forever. But the point that everyone always seems to forget is that the electrical power for the fuel cell has to come from somewhere, right? Well, it comes from coal or natural gas burning power plants. You may feel all warm and fuzzy when you plug your eco car in at night, but think about all of the coal you're polluting the environment with. You may not live in a big city or anywhere near the power plant supplying your electricity, but it's still out there. For the record, the FCX emits nothing more than water vapor from it's happy little tailpipes. Originally introduced at the Tokyo auto show in 2005, it was one of the first concept vehicles to integrate an advanced fuel-cell power train into a traditional sedan setup. Sporting 136 horsepower and a 280 mile range, it's also the most practical such vehicle so far. Since it has not been extensively tested for road worthiness, the FCX is being leased to five lucky buyers in California. Three dealerships are currently certified to lease the car. Executive vice president of American Honda John Mendel calls the move a "key step" toward "the goal of broader commercialization" of fuel cell vehicles. Honda plans to eventually lease up to 200 of the FCX's to mostly Southern California residents in the near future. The FCX Clarity does boast a 74mpg rating, which is a 25 percent increase over the previous model, as well as 30 percent better range and a 40 percent smaller battery pack. The lease price is expected to be around $600 per month, which wouldn't exactly save you a lot of money on gas unless you're currently leasing a Lexus. I may be in the minority, but I just don't see much benefit from fuel cell cars. Look at it however you want to, but the energy has to come from somewhere. Whether it's direct pollution, or in this case upstream pollution. Until we start developing technologies that don't rely on coal, we're really not making any progress. Could it be that automotive companies are exploring this technology because it's an easy way to sell cars or meet CAFE fuel economy standards? Until we start figuring out ways to get clean energy from sources like solar, wind, or water, it's the same old song to me. Just with different lyrics.