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Friday, April 22, 2005

More Zephyr Details

My previous comments on the Zephyer are here.

I have heard that the Zephyr will get the new 3.5L Duratec 35 engine, after it is introduced with the 3.0L. The HP numbers on the 3.5L aren't out, but they should be about 250HP, based on displacement. The Zephyr will also get AWD. Ford's strategy, apparently was to get the car out soon, and improve it later. Still no plans for a manual transmission, from what I have heard.

The larger engine and AWD will really help the car, I think. I hope that people aren't turned off by the weak first model.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I agree. It has to be a great deal, or it will lose out to the BMW, Acuras, and Infinitis.

Jonathan said...

Aren't lots of temporary 'strategies' why our domestic manufacturers are in such a sorry state? On WDET this morning they were talking about Alex Trotman's "Ford 2000" cost-cutting plan, which was of course just another short-term fix. You cannot cost cut you way to profitability, and you cannot cost cut your way to good products. When your business is always about getting another nickel out of the cars, I am not sure how selling them on value will equate to future successes. People will pay more for genuine value (ie Camry, et al) but they will not pay unsubsidized prices for cars that do not meet the value equation - which is of course totally subjective. I guess the irony is Toyotas get decontented over time too, but in places you cannot see. Like Like Potter Stewart and obscenity, you just know value when you see it, and until people see it at sticker price on Chevy's, they're not there. Without product, I do not think that there is hope for value.

Unknown said...

I see your point, however, it is not easy to deliver a car with multiple variations all at once, so automakers like to phase in new models. For example, GM rolls out the G6 base V6 sedan first model year, and then will release the coupe, upgrade V6, and I4 versions.

Unknown said...

I see your point, however, it is not easy to deliver a car with multiple variations all at once, so automakers like to phase in new models. For example, GM rolls out the G6 base V6 sedan first model year, and then will release the coupe, upgrade V6, and I4 versions.