rmc523

yeah the spinoff of Ram from Dodge was always strange to me. I guess the idea was that Dodge could focus on being more sporty without the trucks in the lineup, but it just seemed like an exercises of more work

About time they added Sport mode.....never made sense why they'd "lock out" something like that when they already had it for other trims. Interesting regarding the pricing.....unless it does offer the unique color interior (though I'd be surprised if they did that, as that's another color combo they'd have to offer).

Ford CEO Suddenly Reopens The Door To A New Falcon Ute | Carscoops Ford has done rather well for itself with pickups like the Maverick, Ranger, and F-Series. Yet in Australia, plenty of fans still look back fondly on the days of Falcon-based utes, the car-based pickups that once defined the local market. That lingering nostalgia might not remain nostalgia for long, because Ford’s CEO has hinted that a modern car-based unibody pickup could be on the table. Jim Farley, currently visiting Australia, spoke to local outlet CarExpert, revealing his interest in a vehicle that captures the spirit of the Falcon ute. “I think this country gave the globe the ute,” the Ford CEO said, adding that he is “pretty serious” about bringing something like it back. Farley was careful not to reveal much else. “I’m not saying anything about where it’s from or what it looks like,” he said, noting that the idea is still under internal discussion at Ford. What he did confirm is that a decision on the unibody ute project could come very soon. The final call is expected this week, before he leaves Australia.

This is random....Wildtrak is coming back, sort of.......as a bundled package on Badlands. 2026 Ford Bronco Revives Wildtrak Via New Badlands Package Ford recently revealed that it was bringing the Wildtrak back due to "customer demand," but didn't provide us with any additional details about that revival. However, Bronco Nation is here with that critical info, noting that even thought the Wildtrak isn't coming back as its own trim, it will now be offered as a separate package for the Badlands in the 2026 model year. For 2025, one could spec the Badlands with the same goodies as the Wildtrak, but now, it's making that combination more official. The 2026 Ford Bronco Badlands Wildtrak Package comes with the Sasquatch Package, Black Appearance Package, HOSS 3.0 suspension system, twin-turbocharged 2.7L V6 EcoBoost engine, and 10-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment, basically recreating the old Wildtrak trim. It's only available on four-door SUVs, however, though one can add these features a la carte to the two-door if they wish, save for the V6 powerplant. As for pricing, the new Wildtrak Package retails for $11,945. I had noticed when they announced Wildtrak was going away that the options they added to Badlands essentially recreated it. The only things that will be missing now are Sport mode (I still don't understand why they can't just add another drive mode to Badlands and friends), and I'm sure the interior will keep the Badlands colors (no tan/black interior from the standalone Wildtrak, though that's a guess).

Chrysler And Alfa N.A. CEO Abruptly Exits Stellantis As Dodge Boss Takes Over Both | Carscoops Feuell joined Stellantis in 2021 to lead Chrysler during a precarious moment for the brand. The Chrysler 200 had already died, the aging 300 sedan was nearing retirement, and the brand’s future lineup consisted almost entirely of the Pacifica minivan. In the years that followed, not much changed. ... Her departure now hands Chrysler to Matt McAlear, a 13-year Stellantis veteran who has been running Dodge since 2024. During his time leading the brand, he oversaw the launch of the new Charger muscle car. He previously worked in marketing and brand management roles across Dodge, Maserati, and Chrysler, including helping oversee the launch of the Pacifica in 2016. Can't really blame her for much if she's not given anything to work with (platforms, etc).

Fiesta did well at first and then fell off.

Ford Recalls 1.7 Million Vehicles Because Drivers Are Flying Blind | Carscoops The first recall covers roughly 889,950 vehicles, including the 2020-22 Ford Escape and 2020-24 Explorer, and 2020-22 Lincoln Corsair and 2020-24 Aviator. On those models the issue is oddly disorienting. The second recall is nearly as large, affecting about 849,310 vehicles, including the 2021-26 Ford Bronco and 2021-24 Edge. Here the issue is heat. Under certain conditions the infotainment system’s APIM module can overheat, in part due to its proximity to the HVAC ducts and audio head unit, and temporarily shut down to protect itself. I guess if there's a positive, it's this: The fix for both recalls will ultimately come via software updates, though Ford says those updates aren’t ready yet. Once they’re finalized, owners will be notified and repairs will be performed free of charge. It doesn't specify if it'll be an over the air update or if you have to actually go in to the dealer.

Ford Recalls 605,000 SUVs Nearly Five Years After Wiper Problem First Appeared - Autoblog 2026-2027 Ford E-Series Vehicles Recalled Over Backup Alarm Issue

Well, rumors of Dakar-style Mustang would push back on that lol.

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 Is Mostly Dead In America Hyundai is planning to discontinue its Ioniq 6 electric sedan from its U.S. lineup. The svelte sedan was a hit among electric vehicle enthusiasts and design aficionados, but it never sold as well as its crossover sibling, the Ioniq 5. The announcement, which Edmunds first reported on Wednesday, comes with one important note: Hyundai is still planning to sell the high-performance Ioniq 6 N in limited numbers. Model year 2025 Ioniq 6 will continue to be available, but Hyundai will no longer ship the MY2026 versions to the U.S. If you really want an Ioniq 6, you still have some time until the MY2025 inventory runs out. Hyundai will also sell the Ioniq 6 N at some point this year, but don’t expect it to be easily available or cheap. It’s expected to cost around $70,000.

Flex was way ahead of any Ford product at the time, and I'd argue ahead of a lot of the competition at the time too. I've advocated bringing it over, but I always figured it'd be in the price range you mentioned - $20-25k. At the $35k direct exchange rate, it would've been dead on arrival.

I know we never will, but it would be pretty cool to see all these stillborn projects over the years.

I HATE the event tickets thing. Just advertise the "all in" price from the get-go. Don't tell me the seat is $50, get me thinking ok that's not bad, I can do that, and then by the time you're checking out, the seat is actually $150 with the BS fees. I'd rather know that $150 price up front because I'll look in another section that I'm more willing to pay for.

Really, for the most part, the red cells are where we already anticipated them being (Escape, EVs, even F-series with the plant fire), though obviously there are exceptions. Yeah, it'll be interesting to see how the numbers play out as the year goes on for F-series as they move past the plant fire issue.

Yeah, that's the calculation I did. Not a chance they'd have been able to price it anywhere near that figure here. Yeah, they launched it and forgot it. I know its styling was polarizing, but it really was a great car.