Trader 10

The 3.5 NA is the standard engine for the Transit Van. I hope the hybrid F150 is more efficient relative the other engines in the line-up than the Explorer 3.3 hybrid is, otherwise why go to the trouble of engineering it?

Climate change??? Wow! Time to take the tin foil hat off. You want to get aboard the climate change bus? This is the type of thinking you’re signing up for.

Seems to be an excellent power plant. I’m assuming it will be available in the Fusion Sportswagon and possibly the NG Edge.

https://www.autoblog.com/2020/03/27/2020-ford-escape-hybrid-drivers-notes/

Thank God for BLIS.

Re-reading your post akirby, maybe you meant I6 not v6.

I assume you mean V8. The Ranger has an excellent engine. I agree that people complaining about it are just bitching. The 1.5 engine by all accounts isn’t refined enough for the Escape/BS. Making the 2.0 standard with the 2.3 and/or the 2.5 hybrid would seem much better choices, especially if the BS is premium pricing compared to Escape.

Remember that dividends are not guaranteed but can be reduced or eliminated at any time. I’m not suggesting that Ford will do so, but it is often used by companies to conserve cash in hard times.

That is certainly true now, but not in February. JPD mentioned a “rumor” that Escape sales were down 16% in February. That apparently came from a Ford executive’s comments. He also mentioned that Ford’s overall sales were up 2.4% in February and SUV retail sales were up 11%, Lincoln was up 27%, Ford trucks had their best February since 2004 and vans their best Feb. since 1979. Other than cars, everything else saw sales increases except Escape. I don’t see Escape doing as well once Bronco Sport is on dealer lots. Lots of damning with faint praise - “it looks better in person”, it’s not that bad, it’s just not class leading”. I think Ford will struggle keeping two shifts running at Louisville without big rebates.

That’s definitely an issue with the current Edge - it’s a pig. Hopefully the NG model loses 300 or more pounds.

I highly doubt many in the auto industry believe that statement.

Isn’t the electric SUV Rivian is building in 2 years supposedly going to be named Continental?

https://www.autoblog.com/2020/02/04/ford-mustang-next-generation-2023/

0r are they? A Mondeo 5 door will be part of the new model line-up. A sedan could be slotted into North American production fairly quickly and it looks like Ford will have excess capacity to build such a model.

I think it’s wildly optimistic to think EV’s will replace ICE on a widespread basis in ten years. The power grid is nowhere near robust enough for that to happen for one thing. Maybe 20 years.