Better 20 years late than never: According to Reuters, Ford is planning its first dedicated gas-electric hybrid model for the 2019 model year, to compete directly against the Toyota Prius. (The C-Max doesn't count, since it was initially sold in Europe as a regular MPV.)
Since Toyota's reigning hybrid champ hit Japan in 1997 and made a beachhead on our shores for 2001, more than 3 million copies have been sold, including more than 800,000 from all four model variants last year. The unnamed sources say that Ford plans to produce about 120,000 of its hybrid every year. Those same sources say the hybrid will be based on a new "C2 global compact architecture" that Ford will also use for the next Focus and Escape. Reuters was less certain on powertrains, only to say they'll be "adapted from Ford's current hybrid models."
If this all shapes up as reported, it will mark a major departure from the standard Ford practice of modifying gasoline-powered cars to accommodate hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or full-electric powertrains on the same assembly line. It would also mark a shift from the philosophy of offering green-leaning vehicles that don't make its drivers look like revolutionaries; aside from battery packs intruding into cargo space, Ford's hybrids and electrics are typically demure. Of course, the Prius's egg-shaped aesthetic—not to mention two decades' worth of proven efficiency—have made it the go-to hybrid for most shoppers, and Ford wants to get itself a piece of that.
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The Blue Oval, however, will have to be careful that it doesn't follow the path of Honda and its Insight; the Insight featured a dedicated, semifuturistic body and was the first mainstream hybrid on the American market, but the nameplate was steamrolled—twice—by the Prius juggernaut. And now that even nonhybrid mid-size sedans are achieving 40 mpg, Ford marketers have quite the challenge. Whatever happens, it's about to get real again in the Whole Foods parking lot.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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