All Cars, All the Time

So This is It? AW Prediction of Ford's Future Lineup




Staring at the future model matrix created by Autoweek, I can't help but be a little depressed. Of course, this is on a "best guess" on the part of AW and hopefully there will be some surprises, but on the main it's probably not that far off. The smaller cars that Ford is in desperate need of are a ways off. The F-150 refresh won't start manufacture until sometime in 2008. The Lincoln and Mercury lineups contain little of interest. If this is all to be believes, then there are very few "outside the box" vehicles headed down the pike.

I'm still holding out for the Piquette Project, a "think tank" for new concepts and principles across Ford's entire lineup of cars and trucks that set them as industry innovation leaders in the areas of environment, safety and design. Supposedly we will see some of the group's ideas in 2008.

With a continuing onslaught of new product and new ideas from competitors, Ford could continue to be behind the eight ball for some time.