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Old 09-19-2011, 08:01 AM   #1
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Post Ford: Ahead of the Pack in Tech and Design Features?

This year's Frankfurt Auto Show brought with it a great deal of insight into the directions of many auto makers. Some of the concepts that debuted were expected and unsurprising given history, while others provided an intriguing glimpse of what the future might hold.

Based on one journalist's impressions, the leader in the design and technology is a clear choice.

The story from Forbes:

Quote:
Originally Posted by By Joann Muller - Forbes, 9/12/11


The Ford Evos Concept was a sight to behold at the Frankfurt Auto Show

Ford Is The New Design and Technology Leader

Every so often, one car company’s designs stand out from the pack so much that they set the trend for the rest of the industry. Ford Motor‘s “egg-shaped” Taurus in the mid-1980s led a shift away from boxy sedans to more sculpted family cars. In the early ’90s, Chrysler’s “cab-forward” design drew raves on cars like the Dodge Intrepid. Eventually, though, they all start looking alike until something fresh comes along to shake up the status quo again.

Get ready for the shake-up.

Ford’s stunning new concept car, the Evos, on display this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show, is intended to signal the future design direction for Ford vehicles around the world. More immediately, though, it serves to tweak our interest in the next-generation Fusion family sedan, which will be unveiled in January at the Detroit auto show and go on sale later in the year as a 2013 model. Who knew family cars could be this sexy?

Ford’s design chief, J Mays, has refused to confirm that the Evos is really the next Fusion (sold as the Mondeo in Europe) but he told reporters that 85-90 percent of the Evos’ design DNA will show up in a production car in about four months. You do the math.

Journalists see a bit of Aston Martin in the Evos, which makes sense since designers wanted to show that even a mainstream brand like Ford can have a premium feel. The car was a group project, according to Mays, with input from all eight of Ford’s global design centers and led by Moray Callum, former Mazda design chief and now head of design for Ford Americas, and Martin Smith, who heads design for Ford of Europe and Asia. The styling cues, including the Evos’ prominent grille, will appear on all Fords around the world, in keeping with chief executive Alan Mulally’s “one Ford” mission.

Those who have gotten a peak at the actual 2013 Fusion are blown away. “On a scale of 1-10, it’s a 12,” gushes Mike Jackson, chief executive of mega-dealer group, AutoNation, whose board recently had a private preview of the upcoming lineup for Ford and Lincoln showrooms. Jackson and others who saw the new cars were particularly impressed with the Ford side of the house: vehicles like the next Escape and Edge crossover utilities, coming close on the heels of the redesigned Explorer. The new Fusion, they say, looks a lot like the Evos, only better. If that’s the case, the next-generation Fusion could be the car that finally unseats the Toyota Camry as the longtime king of mid-sized family cars.

The mid-sized market is usually a safe, boring automotive segment, but things will get very interesting over the next 18 months or so. Toyota just introduced its redesigned 2012 Camry (to a lot of yawns in the press) and Volkswagen is rolling out its new 2012 Passat, built in Tennessee. Then there’s the redesigned Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima, all coming as 2013 models. (UPDATE: A sharp reader pointed out that I neglected to mention the Hyundai Sonata in this list, which until the new Fusion comes along, is probably the best-looking in the bunch. Sorry for the oversight.)

I think Ford is the one to beat. With its Sync hands-free entertainment system and MyFordTouch telematics system (which is impressive but needs to be simpler) Ford has already established itself as the mass-market leader for in-car technology. Now, I think it’s well on its way to positioning itself as the design leader, too.

If you’re curious about where Ford is taking in-car technology next, check out this fun video on how the Evos can even snag you an extra hour’s sleep.

[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]

I can agree with this to a point. Over the last several years, Ford has made noticeable advances in the areas of technology and design, attempting to "reinvent" themselves from the company that was considered (at least in my mind) to be drab and unappealing to the younger drivers that seemed to be the target of their advertising.

Now, with the tech they incorporate into their vehicles and the clean and often refined looks they carry with them, Ford is emerging as a favored brand for the likes of families and individuals interested in more than just the typical design. I myself, a long-time Chevy believer, am starting to entertain thought of driving a Ford. Their designs draw you in and, for once, are accompanied by technology that seems to make driving more enjoyable and fresh again.

If the Evos is any indication of the direction Ford is going with their design, I can't help but agree with the assertion that they are the company to beat moving forward, which does not bode well for GM.

What do you think? Is Ford the new leader or are they simply holding the place of another company that has yet to make its own run at the title?
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