Assimilator

But it's also half the size of the best Cybertruck and significantly smaller than the largest battery in the Rivian which does 400 miles.

The Battery pack in the F-150 and Transit BEVs are actually surprisingly small, only 50% larger than the Mach E so I would be a little surprised if they can achieve 300 miles of range. It's also using the same motors last time I heard (same with Transit). That's one of the limits of the Ford approach which is essentially just bolting batteries between the frame rails. I'm completely unsold on the idea of an F-150 BEV at this point, I don't think it's going to be worthwhile and I think we need to see what other companies are going to do with bespoke EV platforms in this space. I'm sure this will be a toe-in-the-water more than anything else. The F-150 Hybrid might make a little more sense however, at least in-terms of using the existing architecture. Ford's battery supply won't be a concern until 2023 however, and even by then they have fairly modest BEV volume so they may be able to work within they supply chain instead of building plants with LG Chem.

It doesn't exist yet, the Tremor does.

I just got a Nautilus BL 2.7L AWD this year and I've been buying the MKX since it debuted in 2007. The way it drives changed quite a bit with the new 8 Speed ATX, it took a moment to get use to it, but now I love the more relaxed Comfort mode. I will say the 6-Speed and AWD system felt more responsive in Comfort mode on the MKX, Comfort mode on Nautilus is less eager at lower speeds so you have to lean on it more to convince it to go, but once you do you quickly get to that awesome torque that just keeps pulling. Sport mode its just night and day, it's insane how differently the car feels in Sport. It's way too twitchy for me, but it turns the car into something totally different.

It's hard to say what is the right thing to do but Ford has extended the warranties to within a reasonable lifespan of the vehicle. That doesn't make it right, but they haven't walked away from it either. It's a bad design that was allowed to continue far too long. It's also a transmission that can be confounded by the different ways people drive which is why experiences can be so varied, which can also effect durability. Essentially it's an easy transmission to break unless you drive it a certain way. For this reason I think Ford can be convinced either way that it's salvageable and didn't act out of malice. But Ford's own internal testing determined the vehicle could not meet the 125,000 mile lifespan goal which is the ideal for this class of car, other Fords are designed to run at least 150,000 miles. Either way, Ford mistreated these customers by selling these cars with these transmissions and it's hard to respect them for it.

I'm so glad I got a Nautilus.

I looks okay in ST trim, but every other grille doesn't work for me, especially the XLT and Limited grilles.

I haven't seen this feature on Lincolns since the 90's with my parents 1998 Mark VIII LSC. None of my Lincolns since 2000 have had them. This was something you could turn off under settings if you didn't want it. This was before the age of backup and 360 cameras. Hyundai does something REALLY interesting with their side mirror cameras, they turn on when you signal so you can see down the side of your car in your IP. I LOVE this idea, I want it so badly because I'm always nervous about curb rash, especially in an SUV where the tall window sill limits visibility. Ford has a very rudimentary 360 camera system in a few cars, but it's really outdated now. Blurry, distorted, poorly stitched together, small display on the screen, vague boundary area between the car and the camera, etc.

This is pretty awesome, how much did she pay for the wrap?

Once you see the 2020 Explorer in-person and in the full 360, you can see the huge differences in proportions. At first glance, and from a distance, it looks like the old car because the style elements are derivatives of it. But the old Explorer looks like a tall boxy SUV compared to the new one which feels longer, lower, and leaner. The new Explorer looks awesome form every angle except head-on which is something they can fix eventually. It's also a design that looks best when fully kitted, otherwise the cheapness of the details on the lower models weakens the overall effect.

It's amazing to me the Keypad has survived even as the PaK (Phone as Key) tech becomes widely available or standard. I think this is a feature people who use it love, but very few people actually use it and Ford could delete. De-contenting is usually not about lowering prices, it has always been about raising margins. This is one of those areas that's hard to compare to the competition because it's so complicated. But you could argue what Hackett wants to do is fairly industry normal. What bugs me about Ford in particular is that they seem to go out of their way to make sure their budget models are as visually unappealing and conspicuously cheap as possible. Prominent Black filler strips in the fascia, black plastic door handles and trim, even unique budget-only fascia designs. Ford isn't the only one that does this, but other manufacturers spend less time on design differentiation to de-incentivize the lower models. Ford has been off and on with this technique, right now it's full-on.

I don't know where the rumors are coming from suggesting the Explorer was delayed or cancelled during development and then restarted under Hackett. Part of the CD6 program was cancelled, but the Explorer and Aviator have been on schedule from the start. It was one of Field's first projects, he wanted a platform for Lincoln and this was it...until it wasn't. I don't think CD6 is well suited for the duty it ended up getting, the priorities are out of step with a family hauler (terrible rear seat and cargo packaging), but I don't mind if Ford takes a different path with an emphasis on excellent driving dynamics and less on family utility.

That Caddy front-end actually looks really good, the body is unsurprisingly shared with the Chevy. I'm not a fan of the Navigator's front or back, but the body and interior is perfect. Escalade has a more casual and modern urban style, Navigator is a little more uptight traditional luxury. The Escalade interior is absolutely bonkers. The dashboard is all screen with a stacked display design. I don't get the hate, I really like the style and substance in these vehicles, they'll be a huge success for them. They still left plenty of room for the updated Expedition however (although Yukon and Escalade may reset that benchmark). 2022 Expedition does get the new F-150 dashboard, which has some great tech like that giant Sync 4 screen (although it's not standard). It's a much better design, not a huge departure however. F-150 toned down the cartoonish blocky oversized vent design and reduced the verticality of the dashboard so it's not quite as massive with less of that flat hard plastic surfacing.

They'll fix it, but this vehicle has spent a great deal of time fixing unexpected problems. It would be one thing if this was an isolated incident, but considering the recalls and manufacturing problems, it really seems to be unusually problematic for a modern vehicle launch. You simply don't see this happening with other cars today. I don't think any of this really harms Explorer longterm, the customers really only care about their personal experience. Do they like how it looks, feels drives, prices, etc. I'm sure negative scuttlebutt and reviews don't help, but it's not quite that bad. Explorer unfortunately isn't going to boost Ford's reputation this time around, but hopefully over time it will prove itself with continued improvements. It's a good foundation anyway. I'll like the Explorer more once they iron out the bugs or give it an update. I was expecting to like the 2020 Explorer since I've always wanted one, but the styling and luxuries weren't quite up to expectations. Updating the front and back would be good enough for me, even the interior is passable despite the dashboard moulds looking like they came out of 2000's GM minivan. Regarding Explorer sales, keep in mind that the units sold being reported here combine the Utility Interceptor, so Explorer retail sales probably have a wider gap than that, but it'll close.

I'm glad they are working to fix it, but Ford keeps looking like the amateur operation out here way too many times. It's exhausting to watch, this vehicle has been unusually troublesome.

I'm a fan, it looks good on close inspection in particular. From a distance it's a yawn. The interior is Okay, still has the typical GM molten look I don't like but it's functional and lighter than the imposing and blocky dashboard of the Expedition. I'm a little bugged by the rear glass shoulder-line not lining up with the rest of the greenhouse, but they offset it with other details. You can see the design of Expediton and Navigator had some influence here, right down to the chamfered wheel arches and tappered wrap-around greenhouse. https://www.autoblog.com/2019/12/10/2021-chevy-suburban-revealed/

Yes, it does get IRS and Air Suspension. The Expedition/Navigator do get an MCA for MY 2022.

I think it's pretty decent looking, somewhat similar to the Expedition/Navigator body styling. The back-end looks like it's from a minivan however, that's really strange at first glance. The Z71 looks pretty bad-ass. The sheetmetal is smoother and more detailed than the Expedition which gives it a higher-end look, IMO anyway. This does get an Air Suspension.

https://jalopnik.com/2021-chevrolet-suburban-and-2021-chevrolet-tahoe-here-1840349873?rev=1576021265188&utm_medium=socialflow&utm_campaign=socialflow_jalopnik_twitter&utm_source=jalopnik_twitter \

New Ranger is MY 2023, 2.7L EcoBoost and Hybrid is also part of that program.

Such an impressive vehicle, good to see Ford back in shape on Hybrids. This along with huge backseats should make this an instant win for cab and Uber duty.

Towing with current battery tech is not very practical because the energy density is WAY too low to overcome the weight and drag inefficiencies. You essentially loose way to much range towing, and it takes a long time to stop and recharge a big battery. And if the F-150 is going with a fairly small battery pack, it's not going to be a great tower until the tech can accommodate the packaging limits of a BOF ICE vehicle. Until then, the F-150 is never going to be an ideal EV truck, but I think Ford largely just wants a zero emission version of F-150 that doesn't cost a fortune to develop or build. The advantages of a frame are mostly lost since it takes up space and towing is limited, it's one of the reasons Tesla Cybertruck and Rivian are using a fundamentally different designs to maintain chassis strength for towing and off-roading. I think Tesla has a better idea, it just has to be executed first and eventually it will influence the competition as they always have. That's what's great about Tesla, it's really the only company that can take these huge innovative risks and there is no segment that needed disruption more than pickups.

Lot of interesting numbers there. The 300 has really fallen off a cliff this year, I hadn't realized. That doesn't seem sustainable, but it's hard to tell with Challenger keeping the flame. Jeep Wrangler sales are pretty stunning, if Bronco can get get half of those it would be great. I wonder how Bronco/Ranger combo will do compared to Wrangler/Gladiator. I assume Ranger is lower margin but higher volume. Bronco vs Wrangler will probably be the same overall in-terms of pricing and profits, although it will be hard for Bronco to match Jeep on sales overnight unless they have a sensation they don't mind making affordable (Ha!).

There seems to be a limit to the number of customers they can sell to if Ranger sales come at the expense of others.

Right now I don't see any evidence of Lincoln developing new sedans for the US, I'm less sure about China which is developing their own products. Ford just talked about their C2 portfolio which does include the profile of a sedan, which very well could be Mondeo or a Lincoln version for China. Mondeo's replacement however is described as a Crossover so I'm not clear yet on what that sole sedan is. I would argue that Lincoln doesn't need a sedan, anymore than Ford needs a sedan. Lincoln has been besting their competition on Crossovers and SUVs and can certainly thrive in those categories which are yielding greater returns and playing to their corporate and customer strengths. Lincoln hasn't been nearly as successful with sedans in recent DECADES. Choosing this point to start that fight again seems dumb, especially with electrification reshaping their future portfolio further. If Lincoln is to make new sedans, an electric platform would be a good place to resume. I would personally like to see a stylish Lincoln sedan like an MKZ replacement, I'm less interested in large sedans with crossovers around.