| Ford
Newly-revitalized Ford is well positioned to pour in plenty of cars with the blue oval. Its luxury brands Jaguar and recently-acquired Volvo are perceived as much more desirable than traditional brands Lincoln and Mercury. Of course Mazda is now considered a Ford marque as well. Currently producing 7.5 million units per year to GM's 7.75 million, Ford aims to overtake GM as the number one car company in a few years, and it will not be able to do so unless it captures a large chunk of the Asian market. We believe that it already has the cars that to do so. The core of the passenger car market here is the 1.3-1.6 liter range, and Ford has several challengers we'd love to see here. The Ford Focus is currently battling the Volkswagen Golf and Opel Vectra in Europe. Here, it should give the Honda Civic a run for its money. It features outstanding handling, thanks in part to independent rear suspension. It's also quite roomy inside, particularly in the back. The focus of this car is its styling. Sharp angles are combined with curves to come up with Ford's New-Edge look that might not please everybody, but one that surely stands out from the rest. We'll take a hatchback, please. Ford's answer to the Beetle is the compact Ka. Actually, it came out even before the New Beetle, and it looks more radical and eye-catching. Check out those gray fenders. Driving refinement and handling prowess are the Ka's strong points. Its 1.3 engine manages only 58 bhp, sufficient but not outstanding. The interior is similarly radical but still roomy. This one can easily gobble up the sales of the Honda City and Kia Pride. The Puma is another strange-looking beast. Responsive steering and neutral-handling chassis make this delightful to drive. It also looks the part of a coupe, with very short overhangs and sharp creases in the bodywork. 1.7 liter engine dishes up around 125 bhp. We'd love to see this car tearing down Philippine roads. Scale up a Puma to 6/5 and you'd very nearly get a Cougar. It packs a 2.0 liter but because of its larger size is just that much slower-reacting than its little brother. Of course, interior room has grown too. Styling is as catlike as the Puma's, but this time Ford may have gone too far and overstyled the interior. May be the perfect car for young families. Mondeo is Ford's challenger in the midsize sedan battle. It's already four years old, and a little on the small side compared to the Camry and Accord, but again it's the handling that stands out. Price it well below the Japanese, and it shouldn't do too badly. Please offer the image-boosting 200-bhp version too! Kick out the Lincoln Town Car, and bring in the LS instead! Ford unabashedly compares this to the BMW 5-series, and indeed it accelerates and turns corners with a vengeance. It's offered with a manual too! Can't sell the house to buy an S-type? With the same platform as the Jag, the LS might be the one for you. Ford, please ease up on the gigantic gas-guzzling F-150s and Expeditions. We want something good-looking and fun to drive!
 |
|
