Hey, Your Top Automobile News for January 02, 2021

Your Daily Automobile updates From Around The World [img]  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [img]( [The Automobile News]( [Ford’s All-Electric Mach-E: A ‘Mustang’ in Name Only]( Ford’s engineering execs have been on teleconference press tours this fall in support of the company’s first mass-market EV, to be built in Mexico, with global sales expected to be around 50,000 in the first year. They have explained how, late in the design phase, vice president Jim Farley (now CEO) sent the team back to the drawing boards with orders to make the then-unnamed project more Mustang-ish—more raked windshield, faster hatch, blacked-out C-pillar—until finally someone suggested they just call it a Mustang. Really? This high-sitting four-door hatchback with the dad bod screamed Mustang to management? That’s… surprising. Ford execs repeat this story as if it weren’t a parable of creative laziness.Not to be a killjoy. Some of the Mustang-themed features are charming: the three-bar taillights; the illuminated galloping mustang logo in the nose (GT trim and above). The three drive modes are “Whisper,” “Engage” and “Unbridled.” Oh, honey! The latter mode corresponds to a typical sport mode, putting a sharper edge on the throttle response and adding heft to the steering feel. The Unbridled mode also permits a certain value of wheel spin, at both front and rear axles. Crammed under the floorboards are blocks of pouch-style lithium-ion batteries, arrayed in either 68 or 88 kWh packs (standard and extended range), for which LG Chem must charge a pretty penny. The base MSRP comes in at $42,895 (RWD, 230 miles) before any federal, state or local incentives. Our two-motor, all-wheel drive version with the larger battery (270 miles range) came in at a solidly premium $56,200. That’s $6,300 more than the Model Y Long Range AWD. Talk about nostalgia. The Mach-E’s steep price reflects Ford management’s oft-repeated insistence that, among its other miracles, the program has to generate a profit out of the gate. Why? It took years of investment and rivers of red ink before Tesla turned the corner of profitability. Ford’s freshman effort, though worthy in many respects, falls short of the Teslas in range, fast-charge support, sophistication, brand value, and driver assistance. So where does Ford get off charging more? This thing needs a $10,000 haircut. Monthly payments notwithstanding, the Mach-E feels great. The cabin is bright and airy (thanks to a full-length panoramic roof), buttoned up, and smartly appointed. The interior’s centerpiece, the 15.5-inch vertical touch screen, is a thing to behold, like a Big Print edition of infotainment. It’s loaded up with the latest version of Ford’s SYNC 4A interface, which works quite well. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging…you know the drill. The EV mechanism is serene and refined, slow or fast. Yet against the acoustical backdrop of a missing engine and drivetrain, remaining sources of cabin noise—tire howl, wind around the outside mirrors—can worm their way through the well-ordered hum. If the quiet gets to be too much, drivers may turn on a synthesized performance sound that swells in the cabin, rising and falling in pitch with torque output. Some people call me the Space Cowboy, yeah… The Mach-E also offers the selectable option of one-pedal driving, which increases the car’s regen drag/slowing under coasting to the point where drivers rarely need to engage the brake pedal. Works great. The only quibble I had with driving was the brake pedal’s slight touchiness in two-pedal mode.Ford can be rightly chinned for exploiting the Mustang brand, but is also gambling with it, betting that the new car is charismatic enough to change the generational conversation, from track bars and Tremec five-speeders to amps and watts. [Read More]( The post [Ford’s All-Electric Mach-E: A ‘Mustang’ in Name Only]( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( [Maruti Super Carry Records 260% Sales Growth In Dec 2020]( Maruti Super Carry mini-truck is quite a popular commercial vehicle in India, and is available in petrol and CNG variants Maruti Suzuki has posted quite impressive sales figures in December 2020, with a total dispatch of 1,60,226 units, resulting in a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 20.2 per cent. The company also enjoyed a lot of success with its commercial vehicles, with the Super Carry LCV (Light Commercial Vehicle) posting a massive sales growth of 259.9 per cent on a YoY basis. In December 2020, the Super Carry managed to retail a total of 5,726 units, while the sales figure stood at 1,591 units in December 2019. On a month-on-month basis, the Maruti mini-truck has recorded a growth of 80 per cent, with 3,181 units sold in November 2020. Year-end sales have been strong for Maruti Suzuki, and it is indeed quite interesting to see the company’s LCV post such an impressive sales growth. The Maruti Suzuki Super Carry was launched back in September 2016, and last month, the vehicle crossed the 70,000 sales milestone. According to the manufacturer, the Super Carry held almost 15 per cent share in the mini-truck segment in 2019-2020, which has increased to 20 per cent in 2020-2021. The Maruti Super Carry is quite a compact vehicle, with a length of 3,800mm, a width of 1,562mm, and a height of 1,883mm, along with a 2,110mm long wheelbase, The vehicle has an extremely basic interior, and can only seat two people. A 12V charging socket is available as standard, but AC is not. The Maruti Suzuki Super Carry is available in three variants – Standard, S-CNG, and Cab Chassis. The standard variant comes with a 1.2-litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine, which can generate 74 PS and 98 Nm of peak power and torque, respectively. The Cab Chassis variant is the same as the standard trim, but doesn’t get a loading bed as standard. The S-CNG variant uses the same 1.2L petrol engine, but throws a CNG kit into the mix, and develops a lower output of 65 PS and 85 Nm. Transmission duties are handled exclusively by a 5-speed manual gearbox. The mini-truck has a kerb weight of around 860 kg (975 kg for the S-CNG), and can carry a payload of up to 740 kg. [Read More]( The post [Maruti Super Carry Records 260% Sales Growth In Dec 2020]( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( [This Is What Makes Ford Skyranger The Rarest Ford Truck]( The Ford Skyranger is arguably the rarest of them all, with less than 20 made in the world. Since Ford began in 1903, it has made vehicles for speed, versatility, and comfort. From supercars to pickup trucks, the car manufacturer has covered it all. Among its best and rarest models are its trucks. The Ford Skyranger is arguably the rarest of them all, with less than 20 made in the world. This extended-cab convertible ranger is a four-wheel-drive that boasts a 4-liter engine. The History Of The Ford Skyranger During the 1980s, Ford produced several pickup trucks. The collection was known as the F-series. Upgrades and features were new body designs and chassis’. This series of pickup trucks from Ford were easy to distinguish due to their square appearance and loud engines. They were mass-produced and extremely popular for those who loved pickup trucks.In the late ’80s, Ford turned its ideas to rare and more premium designs. New features included improved trims, headlights, and grilles. During this decade, Ford offered over 150 pickup truck models. Of which, none were very unique. Then, in the very early ’90s, the team decided to pass over an extended-cab pickup truck design for an outside team to build. In this production, only 17 models were produced for the first sale, which was the Ford SkyRanger.At the time, the SkyRanger was not a huge success, for several reasons we will share later. This meant that Ford did not produce any more SkyRanger’s. Hence, why they are so rare now because only 17 were made. However, this small production birthed the rarest Ford pickup truck ever made. More on its features and facts to follow. Ford Skyranger’s Features The custom-built 1991 SkyRanger comes equipped with an impressive engine for its time. Inside, the Ford pickup truck boasts a 4L 155 horsepower V6 Cologne. This produces a five-speed transmission and beautiful sound. Due to it being a convertible extended cab, the roof is a soft top and suitable for all weathers. When the roof is down, there is a tonneau cover to use as a second option, which gives the car a fun yet sleek look. Like most pickup trucks, especially Ford’s, the SkyRanger is an all-wheel-drive to suit all terrains and inclines. The five-speed manual transmission also improves the performance and capabilities of the pickup truck. Varying speeds allow the car to slowly build horsepower, to give it the resistance it needs to drive over rocky terrains. As it is an old model, the car may not be quite as smooth as today’s pickup truck. But, the transmission will allow it to do the job that pickup trucks are designed to do. More Unknown Facts About The Ford Skyranger There are several SkyRanger’s on the market today with very low mileage, which makes the price even higher. Some are even as low as 7,000 on the odometer. The most famous model of the SkyRanger was sold to Marc Perry, a Shelby Town resident. In 2008, Perry purchased the lowest mileage SkyRanger due to its huge popularity and his love for unique cars. This model has custom wheels and driving lights, which made the car even rarer. The most surprising piece of information released to the world was that Ford did not actually build this car. Ford produced sample models by paying a private company. From there, these models and ideas were reportedly sold onto Clark Kaiser Customs and Professional Auto Crafters. Here, the SkyRanger was finalized and produced into the rare 17 models. During manufacturing, the team decided on using a borrowed engine from a Mazda. This trial succeeded and was then a key part of the car’s design. [Read More]( The post [This Is What Makes Ford Skyranger The Rarest Ford Truck]( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. 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