truth about domestics

The chief engineer for the Volt, Andrew Farah has been quoted as saying that  the Volt suspension will be tuned with a sportier edge than that of the Prius and Insight hybrids.  This should give GM a unique advantage because in the eyes of most drivers, hybrids are boring, unexciting vehicles.  More appliances than cars.  For the full story, head on over to Edmunds.

Even though the Ford Fiesta isn’t destined to reach our shores until next year, Autoblog was recently given some time behind the wheel of a Euro-spec model and the bottom line?  From what I gathered, they really liked it!  Here are some quotes from the article:

“Even without its neon green hue, the Fiesta is a head-turner…”

“Entering the Fiesta, the first thing that strikes you is the massive amount of space inside.”

“Comfortable leather seats in a B-segment hatchback? That’s progressive. And Ford has also passed on the standard issue hard plastic dash in favor of rich-feeling, soft-touch materials.”

and finally, my personal favorite,

“The only downside to the Fiesta is the U.S. market model won’t be available for sale here until the spring of 2010.”

For the rest of the review, head on over to Autoblog, it is well worth checking out.

Ford CEO Alan “the Man” Mulally was recently quoted as saying that Ford plans to “[increase] production to support the desirability of Ford products.”  What??  In this economy?  What great news!  Part of the reason for this could be the onslaught of new vehicles being released by Ford this year, including the 2010 Ford Fusion and Fusion Hybrid which both lead their class in fuel economy.  Or the 2010 Mustang which is priced lower than both it’s domestic and foreign competition while still maintaining quality leadership.  Perhaps it’s the new 2010 Taurus, or the EcoBoost SHO version, or the EcoBoost 2010 Lincoln MKT and MKS?  Whatever the reason, I’m glad to hear some more positive news on this last weekend of the first half of the year!

Head over to Autoblog for more details!

Finally some good news for the folks in Michigan!  General Motors is planning to announce today that they have chosen the Orion Township assembly plant over the factories in Tennessee and Wisconsin to build a new small, fuel-efficient car.  This move should save about 1200 jobs in the area.  GM has stated that the plant will be used to build up to 160,000 small vehicles.  For more details, head on over to The Detroit Free Press.

Based on the high number of 2010 MKZ’s being sold as well-equipped models, Ford has decided to offer an interior upgrade package.  Called the “Executive Appearance Package,” this option upgrades items like the seat leather, console inserts, real wood on the instrument panel and premium floor mats.  For the full press release and photos of the 2010 MKZ, head on over to Autoblog.

I don’t even think I know the words to describe such an amazing sound.  The incredible LS9 small block V8 from the Corvette ZR1 has been crammed into the engine bay of the 2010 Camaro by Hennessey and output has been bumped from the stock 638 horsepower to a staggering 700+.  Just watch the video, and make sure you have your speakers on!

The 2010 GMC Terrain is built on the same platform as the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox.  Now before everyone starts crying “badge engineering” take a look at the two vehicles side by side.  The GMC features it’s own distinct sheet metal and interior layout.  However, these two vehicles do share when it comes to powertrains and that is a very good thing.  The reason?  The Equinox and Terrain both come standard with a 2.4L Ecotec 4-cylinder that achieves an EPA estimated 32 mpg on the highway.  That’s a class leading figure, even beating the Ford Escape hybrid by 1 mpg.

For all of the details plus tons of pictures, head on over to Autoblog.

Around 600,000 people are employed by the suppliers to the automakers.  That’s more than three-quarters of the automotive sector as a whole.  Yet another example of how important the Domestic Three are to our economy.  Well, in order to help strengthen their key suppliers, Ford is aiming to cut it’s supply base in half over the next year.  While this sounds bad for the suppliers that Ford will cease business with, it’s better for the suppliers that remain, and in many cases the suppliers retained will hire workers from other suppliers to continue business as usual.  For the full story head over to Reuters.

The Chevrolet Volt development is moving right along, with the program hitting the build phase of it’s IVER prototypes (Integration Vehicle Engineering Release) for more testing.  75 IVER vehicles will be built featuring production-intent hardware in a production body.  The vehicles will be used to continue testing of the Voltec powertrain developed specifically for the Volt.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog.

According to Mike Levine over at Pickuptrucks.com, Ford is receiving interest in a Crew Cab version of the F-150 SVT Raptor.  Demand for the only available configuration, SuperCab, has already been higher than expected, with over 1,000 orders received thus far.  I personally think the truck would look even more aggressive than it already does with an extra 12 inches of wheelbase and another set of full sized doors on the back.  What do you think?  If Ford builds it, will they buy?