We recently spent a couple of days in the Detroit area to peek at what Ford and Chrysler have got lined up for 2007.
Ford F-150 FX2 Street pac...
Ford F-150 FX2 Street package.
Peek-A-Boo: Ford and Chrysler Previews
Chrysler
Chrysler hosted journalists at the company's Chelsea Proving Grounds for a freewheeling day of driving Chrysler Group's full line of vehicles. We bet you'd like to hear about the Viper. But let's talk trucks and SUVs instead. The most interesting driving experience in the truck and SUV world came from the Jeep Grand Cherokee powered by a 3.0L common-rail diesel. The QuadraTrac II harnesses the powerplant's inherent torque-iness, offering maximum traction and low-end grunt at rock-crawling speeds. This model is already sold in Europe, where fuel-efficient diesel automobiles dominate the roads, and will appear in U.S. showrooms in 2007. Unfortunately, this motor will not be able to meet stricter emissions standards that come into place in 2009, which is when DaimlerChrysler's Bluetec diesel may make the jump from Mercedes-Benz. The new Durango showed off its facelift. It was redesigned a few years ago but retained its older styling cues. Now its look is more in line with the rest of its hipper Dodge siblings. Two vehicles we didn't drive but got to gander were the boxy Nitro (Dodge's newest, Ram-styled, midsized SUV) and Chrysler brand's first SUV, the Aspen, which will be targeting well-to-do customers beginning in the fall.
Ford Explorer Ironman edi...
Ford Explorer Ironman edition.
Ford
Ford invited us and other journalists to the company's new proving grounds in Dearborn, Michigan, called the Dearborn Development Center. Vehicle dynamics, wet vehicle dynamics, steering and handling, and high- and low-speed performance are evaluated here. The facility replicates some of the track conditions and elevations that exist in Ford's test tracks in Arizona and Belgium, eliminating the road as a variable. Road surfaces typical of locales all over the world (cobblestone streets in Europe, roads in Florida, potholes in Dearborn, and more) are also simulated. In an effort to be green, the company used leftovers from local freeway projects as building materials at the center. Storm water is collected in a huge detention pond and then gradually released into the environment to reduce the strain on the local sewers. The centrally located Product Review Center uses recycled water to cool heat pumps and irrigate the surrounding landscape; and large windows and an open floor plan reduce the need for artificial lighting during the workday.
The redesigned Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, and their stretched versions, hit the streets in September. Two crossovers, the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX (the latter powered by Ford's new 265hp 3.5L V-6), follow in November. We took a spin in the Explorer Ironman edition - a package inspired by Ford's status as the title sponsor for the Ironman competitions. Apparently, there are quite a few triathletes out there who prefer to haul their bikes and other gear in the cover of an SUV (rather than in an open truck bed); hence the Ford Explorer Ironman edition, Ford's top-selling SUV repackaged to appeal to the determined and adventurous tastes of a significant and targeted market segment. (Approximately 50,000 athletic enthusiasts was a number we heard.) We took a look and drove a lap in the Ford F-150 FX2 Sport package, a 4x2 XLT SuperCab or SuperCrew with a Styleside bed.
Chevrolet HHR SS
Chevy is still hush-hush on the subject, but these pictures show that Chevrolet is working on an SS version of its retro-styled HHR. The housing under the front bumper is attempting to hide the intercooler, but some things just aren't too easy to conceal. We can't tell you what body changes are in store in the coming years for the HHR, but we're expecting this powertrain mule to evolve into the HHR SS (powered by the Solstice's 260-hp turbo). - Words and photos by Brenda Priddy & company.
2007 Honda Element SC
Almost an exact clone to the NYAS Concept, Honda will be coming out with a production version of its sportier SC Element this coming fall. Compared to the current Element, the SC package hosts many new styling features, including Ridgeline-inspired projection-beam headlamps, fully painted exterior panels, and - in Honda's words - an "aero-enhanced grille." A new front bumper and an appearance of a lowered roofline (made possible by a unique SC trim package) will make the SC stand apart from the other versions of the Element.
The SC will also be riding on a lowered suspension and will have a slight increase in horsepower with its 166-hp 2.4-liter DOHC i-VTEC engine. And although we couldn't get a good peek inside, we're anticipating copper-colored trim and copper backlit gauges (which may be unique to the SC model). A carpeted interior will also be one of the SC's many features. Honda has also confirmed (as seen here) larger wheels and tires, and a new integrated seatbelt system, which will allow the rear passengers to exit without first having the front-seat occupants disconnect their seatbelts.
The all new Element SC will reach dealer showrooms this coming fall as a 2007 model, and we're expecting the line to start forming shortly. - Words and photos by Brenda Priddy & company.