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2010 model year boasts bigger wheels, more power and adjusted suspension
Published on Wednesday, Nov 19, 2008
From Beacon Journal wire services
Ford Motor Co. tries to revive its classic Mustang muscle car with a makeover for the 2010 model year that debuted Tuesday at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Ford sold 83,557 Mustangs in the U.S. in the first 10 months of the year, down 30 percent from 118,959 in the same period of 2007. Overall company sales fell 18 percent in the period to 1.66 million.
The 2010 Mustang has what the company calls a ''new muscular, sculptured exterior,'' along with larger wheels, adjusted suspension and more power. Ford says the V-6 engine has 210 horsepower and the V-8 version has 315 horsepower.
''The best Mustangs have always been the ones that connect young America with the spirit of the times — and the 2010 does exactly that,'' J Mays, Ford's vice president for design, said in a news release.
Ford also plans to use the show to unveil new versions of the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ, including Fusion and Milan models with hybrid gas-electric powertrains.
Chrysler shows its electric vehicle concepts, including a Jeep and a minivan that can go 40 miles on battery power before a small engine extends their range.
Other show highlights will include the North American debut of an updated Mazda 3 sedan, the Japanese automaker's top seller. Nissan Motor Co. will debut three new vehicles, while Toyota Motor Corp., Kia Motors Corp. and others have unveilings of their own.
Separately, Ford expects to raise about $540 million selling part of its stake in Japanese affiliate Mazda Motor Corp. to ease cash concerns.
The automaker will sell 20 percent of Mazda, reducing its holdings to 13 percent, according to a statement.
Mazda said separately that it will buy back up to a 6.9 percent stake for as much as $186 million. The rest of the shares will be purchased by unidentified ''strategic business partners.''
Ford rescued Mazda from bankruptcy 12 years ago.
Mazda named Takashi Yamanouchi as its new president, replacing Hisakazu Imaki. The company cited Ford's stake sale for the change. Chief Financial Officer David Friedman and board member Daniel Morris also will leave the company. Mazda named Kiyoshi Ozaki as the new finance chief.
Ford has owned a stake in Japan's fifth-largest automaker since 1979. The companies jointly own factories and Ford has based midsize models such as the Fusion sedan on the Mazda6. The companies have a joint plant in Flat Rock, Mich., that makes the Mazda6 and the Mustang.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 09:07 AM, 11/19/2008
You can do everything you want to try to make the car more appealing...the fact is the economy sucks and people are opting for used or cheaper cars. Sorry Ford....you failed this class!
