Ford motor company has been in deep thought and must decide soon whether or not they will be making a next generation Ranger. The Ranger and other compact pick-up trucks are made at the Twin Cities plant located in Minnesota, which is planning to close late next year. Ford has decided to close the plant in order to follow with the Way Forward North America restructuring plan.
Ford could design a new Ranger and build it at another of its flexible manufacturing plants. Or the automaker could take advantage of its pickup plant in Thailand, the second-biggest pickup market in the world, after the U.S. The problem is that, in the absence of a free trade agreement between the two countries, high tariffs on trucks exported from Thailand to the U.S. essentially wipe out potential profits.
The Ford Focus remains the most entertaining regular family hatch to drive but recent arrivals from VW, Vauxhall and Honda have run it increasingly close. The ST battles for fast hatch class honours in a segment full of talent. Hot hatches now pack 200 plus bhp in their pseudo shopping-car body shells and levels of performance have never been higher in this price bracket.
With the 2007 Car of the Year, the Ford S-MAX taking all the headlines and new, it’s easy to fbypass that Ford also makes a more conventional people-car, the Ford Galaxy. Where the S-MAX is low, sporty and stylish, the Galaxy is tall and conventional, an old-school MPV.
With its inspired rear wing, fancy stick-on graphics, and a means-business exhaust note, the King of All Mustangs does not just show up it sort of presents itself. Its appearance should be accompanied by a drum roll. Ford would love to sell you one and say thanks for your $225,000!. Please enjoy your new full-race, 550-hp Mustang.”
The Ford Expedition is ready once again for 2006 with only minor changes and the same choice of rear- or four-wheel-drive versions in no less than six trim levels topped by the King Ranch model.