Warning: unreliable CGI of next Focus III

Although a Huckfeldt job, the image below is an unreliable CGI of the next Ford Focus. As usual, photoshop images of Ford models by the CGI-master Huckfeldt are ugly and unrealistic. So why is he the master?...

The CGI is presented at German magazine Auto-Bild where Huckfeldt jobs are presented in first hand. Usually CGIs related to other brands, mainly from VW-Audi-owned-by-Porsche-group, are reliable but not this one. So we assume that the master does not have good sources at Ford, right?

The CGI is presented by Auto-Bild just a couple of weeks after the new Golf VI is on sale. The CGI shows a very ugly front-design for the next Ford Focus. So we assume that the master does not have good sources at Ford, right?

Is my writing sounding strange? No it's not.

Future crossovers/stations from Volvo

A recent article from Autocar discusses a change of design language at Volvo, focusing less on traditional stations and more on soft-crossovers: something like future BMW PAS; Mercedes R-class, that sort of things. There’s a distinct smell of public relations/marketing spin in the article but anyway, what do we know, right?

The new higher-stations are still a couple of years away so we wonder if this effort is too late. Actually, there is plenty of stuff to criticise in the recent strategy of Volvo. But it is worth pointing those mistakes and establishing ideas for the future because if Ford can keep this brand it has a lot of potential. Much more than Jaguar or Land Rover or Aston Martin. The great thing about Volvo is that you can make Volvos out of Fords without too much hassle or investment. Jaguar needed dedicated RWD platforms, Aston Martin means exotic jewellery and Range Rover also needed huge investments in luxury platforms. It’s much easier with Volvo, the brand is not quite luxury like BMW or Mercedes but it’s closer to smart premium like Audi. Most high volume Audis are simply VWs (and that includes Skoda and Seat), sharing most of the engines and bits. Ford can do the same with Volvo, easily, without much hassle and with adequate marketing investment. But it needs to be properly done and planed within the brands demographics.

Starting with an important mistake that is the size of Volvo cars. Check the S40, it uses the Focus platform but it was meant to fight the 3-series. It’s too small. Just like the S60 is too big to fight the 3-series and the S80 is too small to fight the S-class. You see, Volvo cars are in the middle of size classes. So Volvo needs to adjust sizes: the C30/V50 fights the Audi A3, a new Mondeo-based should fight the Audi A4 (although it could be a bit smaller than the Mondeo and use some Haldex system for AWD versions), and so on. Volvo cars should be of the same size of their competitors, not sit in the middle of size classes.

On SUVs and crossovers: Volvo had a great hit with the XC90. But then it took ages to make a smaller competitor to the X3. Only now the XC60 is arriving to the market, with lots of competition and a questionable front-end design. Next year BMW will have this SUV range: X6, X5, X3, X1, plus MINI-SUV…

The new higher-stations can be related to people-carrier platforms. Which bring us to the following: the major Volvo keywords are safety and family. Safety and family… so why is it that we never had a Volvo version of the C-Mar or S-Max Fords? We understand that this type of vehicles is not very important in the American market and/or associated to premium image but still… they can be easily transformed to sophisticated people-carriers with adequate design and marketing… just like the next BMW PAS and the R-class Mercedes. Volvo has available platforms to do this type of vehicles fast and cheap, so do it fast, cleverly designed and with the adequate marketing investment.

How about an European Mustang?

This gorgeous thing in this wonderfull video is the Giugiaro designed Mustang concept. We know of future Ford models that will travel from Europe to the USA (Fiesta, Focus III). That is, being developed here for the global markets. Why not ford giving us, europeans, a new Mustang?

The car in the video is just the perfect design: notice how the proportions make it look more compact, just how we like those coupes in Europe. Ford could also make it with a diesel (shock!) besides the V8 and V6. Just check the Audi TT TDI: 2.0liter and 170hp. The 2.2 diesel from PSA would the the job fine and its ready for lenghtwise positioning in the engine bay. Please Ford, Europe will give you great cars in the future... give something back to us.

Peugeot 408 update

The image below shows one of the CGI presented by French magazine L'Autojournal for the next Peugeot 408. Please check their site for more info. The rear design is much better than the front but still... it doesn't change our previous post!

The front end and design identity are the second most important feature that manufacturers should look after in design (after overall proportions). The front design of recent and near-future Peugeots is wrong. Please Peugeot, look at Renault for what might happen with a damaged front identity...

Peugeot: you need help, lots of it!

I love Peugeots, had one for 5 or 6 years. But lately I think Peugeot is loosing the plot on the design of its cars. Let's clarify what's wrong: detailing. Namely the identity of the front design. It's wrong in the current 407, passable in the 308, and completely wrong in the Peugeot 408 preview below and the 3008 that follows. By the way, the 408 image is from Autojournal and it's credible and it signals that the final design might be frozen by now.

There are also a couple of things wrong in the technical department: the huge front overhang in most recent Peugeots, and the lack of multilink in the Peugeot 308 range: remember when the 306 was clearly superior to the Golf III in handling?... Oh, and about that 3008 Prologue thing below, is that some sort of SUV-thing?... cuz Peugeot lacks AWD in that range of cars. Just don't try pulling a FWD-SUV, ok?

There are many things done right in recent Peugeots too: interior design and perceived quality, diesels, diesels, diesel engines, diesel engine technology...

So not everything is wrong, the overall design proportions are ok, the detailing and front end is really the worst part... but it's a very important one. But I can help you. For free, just cuz I like you people and the cars you made for so many years. Don't be afraid of sending an email, I won't share your secrets in the blog since I respect your work and the work from other manufacturers. I can help you make it work in the future.

Toyota's future AE86

Toyota is working on a new AE86, you know, the classic affordable RWD coupe from the late 80s, made famous in drifting movies and Japanese manga. This is great news. With all this crisis going on manufacturers are droping plans for affordable RWD platforms. Of course, I love RWD cars, the more the better and preferably from mainstream manufacturers. BMWs are nice but are expensive...

The new car will share bits with Subaru since both brands (Toyota owns part of Subaru) are collaborating on the new platform and engines. This includes a new 2.0 boxer engine and that is even sweeter: RWD+boxer equals love!

Reportedly Nissan is also working on a compact mainstream RWD coupe. So more choice other than Subaru and Toyota. Brilliant stuff.

2009 Alfa 149

The (great) photoshop below is from AutoExpress magazine and shows how the new Alfa 149 will look like. It's gorgeous and it seems that spreading design cues from the Alfa Romeo 8C across the range is a good idea.

The car itself is not really new since it borrows everyhing that is out of sight from the Fiat Bravo. Apart from the cheap rear suspension that is not a bad proposition. But then, this new Alfa is supposed to go against the BMW 1-series and Audi A3 so it looks to me that fighting those cars without a multilink at the rear is not a good thing... Anyway, the A3 fights the 1-series without having RWD so maybe with great design and marketing Alfa manages to improve its sales performance.

Focus RS in blue

The other day I was looking for a photo of the uber-Focus to illustrate the revoknuckle article but could only find hideous green units. But thanks to fordeurope.net found this one of a blue car. Looks massive, a true predator!

We can't wait for it to arrive and check how the numbers translate in real-world performance. Will it be much heavier than a ST? Anyway, for now it looks ready to destroy the competition (and its own front tyres too).

New Toyota Prius leak

Some images of generation 3 Prius leaked today. Shock!... the car looks like the new Honda Insight...

The design looks safe and unsurprising but the real interest point of this car is plug-in availability: when and how?

EV Future: Pininfarina B-zero

One of several electric concepts shown at Paris auto-show, the Pininfarina B-zero hints at a close market availability.

Not sure if we believe in that, the cooperation with Bolloré for the batteries is a plus point, but bringing a new car to market is a huge investment.

2009 VW Polo

Now that the Ford Fiesta is arriving to market it should be time for VW to remind us about their new Polo that will be on sale next year. Hence some night shots of the Polo appeared in Autobild magazine.

The new car is closely related to the new Seat Ibiza except that it will not look like crap. One can expect a modern and mature design, pretty much a small-Golf look with the new VW face, a much better design proposition than the chromed atrocity of some recent VW designs. Some very upscale rear light cluster is apparent in the images and we can also expect a very good photo-perceived quality inside. VW recently went back to what it knows best in the new Golf VI: simple interiors dressed in black with touches of chrome. Simple and effective in providing a quality appearance.

Not much technical novelties will differ from what is currently available in the Ibiza and Fabia. The biggest new arrival is a new 1.6 common rail diesel engine and maybe some gadgets like park assistance to differentiate a bit from the cheaper brothers.

Meet the Revoknuckle

We are not used to pure mechanical advances lately but this one is interesting and promising. The revoknuckle concept is used in the new Ford Focus RS in order to deal with the small problem of delivering 300hp to the front wheels. Now an image of the Focus RS could be illustrating this entry but I could only find pictures of some hideous-green coloured unit with lots of wing on it. So let’s keep this more technical hence the revoknuckle bits below.

The problem with all that power in a FWD car is wheelspin and understeer. Those effects can be overcome greatly with the use of limited-slip differential coupled with some good coding of the traction control software. The problem is that the use of the limited-slip differential does not solve the torque steer effect, that is, the influence of the engine torque on the steering on front-wheel drive vehicles. For example, during full acceleration the steering may pull to one side, which may be disturbing to the driver. Ford says it addresses that with geometry changes, new bearings and parts keeping the simplicity of a traditional McPherson strut arrangement, but minimizing steering disturbances and torque steer, mainly due to a reduction in steering offset.

Minimizing is a key word here. Ford does not claim to completely eliminate torque steer so I wonder what effect they have managed. The first test drives should be an interesting read.

New Skoda Octavia for Chinese market

We just got this image of a new skoda Octavia modified for the tastes of the Chinese market. Oh wait, breaking news, it's actually a restyling of the current Octavia for the European market. Well then, what a pathetic joke! The current Octavia doesn't even need a restyling.

It's funny how VW group has been changing Skoda away from mainstream design. Skodas used to be slightly more conservative and cheaper VWs. Now each new model is more polarized and moving away from the "mainstream centre". Want to know why? Because folks in most eastern Europe countries can now afford VWs... and even Audis. And VW wants them to buy more VWs and even Audis... cuz they want more profit. So there it is, carefull and clever brand management!

BMW X1

The picture below shows a reliable interpretation of the new BMW X1. The car should be presented as a concept car in the next few days and should have a mini-X5 overall design theme. That is good, actually, it looks great.

The new small-SUV is actually almost the size of the X3 (the next X3 will grow a bit) and will bring family credentials to the einser lineup with a base price cheaper than the X3 (but not much).

This is not good news for the good people at Ford, Renault or VW that lately brought new mini-SUVs to the market (Kuga, Koleos and Tiguan). Those new car are not selling very well because of oil prices and the new X1 will not help their cause.

Update: concept car images arrived. Here's the rear, not that similar after all. And I'm not showing the front of the car...

Ford Taurus

The Taurus name is an important one in American automobile landscape. A name that is currently associated to a failed car that started as the Ford five-hundred and later changed to Taurus seeking more success. Anyway, the impression below shows a reliable interpretation of the future Taurus. It doesn't look very exciting, but it doesn't need to be.

This is not the car that will save Ford of North-America. It doesn't neet to be. This car needs to look big but inoffensive, like a bigger Camry with interiors like a Camry or Accord. Just that, keeping it simple and adopting tried and tested tactics from Toyota and Honda. And that is what Ford will deliver, and with some new more fuel-efficient engines. It might not be the sales leader but it will improve sales greatly from the current model. And if every new model from NA-Ford delivers just that a safe path for the future will follow. We know this new Taurus is an improvement in the right direction, as well as the future Fusion, and the new Fiesta and the next Euro-Focus...

VW Robust

The image below shows a VW Robust prototype doing its thing, being a VW it probably had some electric malfunction.

I don't remember bothering too much about this new pick-up. But it does have some interesting points. First is the timing. Maybe VW knows something we don't but in a period where pick-up sales are going downhill it seems strange to make all this effort to enter a declining market. Hopefully VW knows that very soon oil prices will fall, ... hopefully.

Then there's the name, a VW Robust? If I well remember last time VW models had some kind of robustness was in the 80s. Maybe they are in for some comic attibutes when the new pick-up arrives in the market and starts displaying the behaviour shown below.

2010 Audi A8

There's some photoshop job in the image below but still, we have reliable sources indicating that it's very close to the final version. It's that a Bangle-butt?... well it sure looks like one but it will arrive 8 years late... Will the new A8 finally end Mercedes S-Class/BMW 7-series dominance?... We can all claim that possibility and for sure Audi will bullish a lot when the A8 arrives but.... folks that can actually buy such cars will probably shrug their shoulders at these claims.

Renault Megane break

This is a good-looking CGI predicting the future Megane station. The new Megane is a nice design if only a bit inofensive. Still, much better that the previous one.

The only problem with the new Megane is the same as the Astra (if the Astra indeed gets the Chevrolet Cruze platform): no multilink at the rear! It has been 10 years since Ford introduced it at first generation Focus. Since then the Ford family got it (Mazda 3, volvo S40) as well as the Golf family (Golf, Audi A3, several Seat and Skodas) and even Hyundai/Kia have a multilink at the rear.

EV Future: Chevrolet Volt Design Inspirations and Designers

A great video on the volt. Several more are available at GMnext channel on youtube.

I have such a good feeling about this car, maybe it's because of the music in the video. Enjoy it, you can see many details of the new car in these videos.

Inside the Chevrolet Volt

I'm not a big fan of the ipod white. But probably that can be customized. Like the instrument display that can be personalized and show the information a particular driver wants. The design really touches important points: it is different from other cars to suit the green image and associated individuality. But still manages to look different from the Prius. You know, the Prius will change but the exterior of the Volt will still look more sporty.

Of course, the important bits are related to the electric drivetrain and onboard generator. But still it's good that it doesn't look like crap right?

2011 Chevrolet Volt

Finally it's here. It looks great. Our concept car of the year 2007 will arrive in 2010, hopefully. The picture below shows a really nice design, clearly individual to reflect a new powertrain paradigm but still different from the Priusinsights.

I really hope that this is for real, it must be or else GM wouldn't make this the most important presentation of the Centennial party. Anyway, if this is not for real, other cars from Nissan, toyota or BMW will be. The EV future starts in the next decade.

This car is also a giant middle finger to some folks around globe. Right Mr. Chavez?

2009 Opel Astra

Opel is on our radar! We don't usually follow Opel future cars a lot because we don't care about the brand. But lately Opel presented some cool stuff: mainly the new Insignia that is a great effort. Very good design, wonderfull station version and availability of 4WD are strong points of the Insignia. So maybe we should care more about Opel.

The new Astra could be an interesting vehicle, it seems to get some cool headlights with leds and the design in the CGI below looks ok. The car needs to have more road presence than the current version, particularly it needs to look wider than the Focus or the Golf. We are interested! Of course, we can quickly loose interest if the new car doesn't have a multilink in the rear...

Mini crossover: a future mega hit

Sometimes is fun to make predictions. Will a new car be a hit or a flop? We could bet on that... Sometimes it's easy, the new Renault Laguna is a flop and just looking at the front of the car we can see why, but the new Citroen C5 doesn't help Renault either...

The new Mini crossover, small-SAV or SUV or whatever, looks like a safe bet. Of course, it's easy to forecast succes since it's a Mini, but remember the new Clubman sort of van thing is not doing really well.

The key feature for this new Mini-SUV is the proportions, there is something about the Infiniti FX there that screams mega-hit. On top of that this could be a proper practical car with some luggage space. Maybe BMW can even achieve sub-120g/km in the 1.6 diesel version. Looking beyond the concept-car detailing this is a great car in the making.

EV Future: another Prius CGI

This one doesn't look really good, as many recent Toyotas. Just check how boring the new Avensis design is. But the next Volt doesn't look very special either. However, it doesn't matter, the real joy in the new Prius is when it arrives plug-in enabled ant what is the range in full electric mode.

Renault Megane sedan

This is just a CGI of a possible design for the sedan version. This type of car does not sell a lot in Europe so this is more interesting for other markets like Brasil.

EV Future: VW Golf Twin Drive

Got to love the first sentence: "The future is electric".

EV Future: Nissan prototype

Testing for the future Electric Nissan Note introduction.

EV Future: Volvo series hybrid concept

Just a concept, it seems Ford is way behind GM in the development of Plug-in hybrids for series production.

Ford Fusion

A much needed update to the American Fusion will arrive at the end of the year. The image below shows a notable improvement of the front design while at the rear the modified car is set to loose the "rice" lights. Interior will be even more mature with some subtle chrome detailing added. Great emphasis will be placed in engines also: a new inline-4 is expected to have class-leading mpg numbers and the hybrid version will finally arrive. Ford really needed this car, now!... Anyway, looking at the image below I prefer the new American Fusion to the European Mondeo...

2009 Mazda 3

A new CGI shows a wonderfull design for the next Mazda 3. Too good to be true? Probably!

Spyshot scandal: French magazine Auto-Plus under investigation...

... and our view on the subject one year ago!

The offices of French magazine Auto-Plus were raided by officials, accusing the magazine of industrial espionage against auto maker Renault. Auto Plus published pictures and details of new models not due to launch for two to three years and Renault retaliated with a complaint to authorities resulting in an investigation being launched since last August. So far this has resulted in the confiscation of computers, documents and the detainment of Auto Plus journalist, Bruno Thomas. Renault said the complaint was intended to protect its intellectual property: "It kills creativity, you may as well just give our models to the newspapers and our competitors. What's the point of doing any research?" a spokesman said.

The interesting bit of this newstory is that the complaint originated from the publication of detailed images of the Megane III by Auto-Plus that we at Auto-Future decided not to show at the time, anticipating that these would hurt Renault's business really hard. The original post in Auto-Future is from July 2007 and you can read all of it here, or an excerpt below... our opinion on the subject one year ago!

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"Finally, what’s with the “not presented below” picture? Some stolen images of what looks like a final design and unmasked version of the car were presented by a French magazine and could be illustrating this entry. Auto-Future reports on a lot of these scoops (and other stuff like technical information, EV future series, inside tips, etc), but we believe that showing those images means bad business to Renault. We are still more than one year before introduction of the model so this leak is much more serious than photographing masked prototypes or uncovered vehicles a couple of months before presentation. The interested reader can find those images very quickly on the internet so we are doing this as an editorial statement. We love all car brands and wish no harm to the folks that design and build cars all over the world. So if we feel that we could be hurting their business with a scoop image we don’t present it. And in this case Renault had a very serious security problem with this leak, such thing can not happen more than one year before the presentation of the car!"

EV Future: new picture of 2009 Toyota Prius

A new picture of the highly awaited next generation Prius with Plug-In capability. It actually looks a bit like a photoshop image presented in this blog sime time ago. Anyway it does not have to look spectacular, it will carry the Prius design theme but more modern and a bit bigger. The important stuff is the Plug-In availability.

EV future: Fisker Karma is for real?

Really we never bothered about the fisker Karma because it looked like the series-hibrid was not for real... but now we know that Fisker Automotive has signed a letter of intent with Valmet Automotive to assemble its Karma plug-in hybrid sports sedan in Finland beginning in late 2009. So is this for real after all?... Plug-In series hybrid and 4-door coupe?...Loving it!

EV Future: Comparison of electric cars

A nice video from WhatCar showing a comparison between 4 electric cars. Some of these are not real cars (the Nice and the Reva) but neverthless an interesting review and without some of the prejudice that I've noticed lately of motor-journalists against electric cars.

EV Future: Mitsubishi i-MiEV in 2009?

According to Greencarcongress news the Mitsubishi i-MiEV could be made available for retail sales in mid-2009 in Japan, one year ahead of previous schedule. This is could have been triggered by good results in the current test program although we suspect that since Nissan has been very vocal about its EV plans for 2010 Mitsubishi might want to establish a lead.

Even better than the public availability such news shows how alternatives can be available very soon and is a sign to speculators already buying oil for 2015 futures market: chill down because you could end up loosing money!

EV future: a Mercedes story

So here is an interesting Mercedes and EV-related story. Recently Mercedes decided to bring diesels to the US market. For that purpose the company invested millions in the Bluetec systems to comply with strict emissions regulations. Eventually, while arriving the US market, the diesel fuel prices in the USA miraculously rised well above gasoline... Mercedes was not happy and bitched against Big Oil.

Well everyone bitches against big oil, but Mercedes is a special company, the next time one notices they are sort of announcing that future A-Class, B-Class and Smart models will have electric versions available. That is Mercedes way of answering the tricks that were played in the US fuel market... One day, sooner than later, we consumers will also be able to give appropriate answers to the current energy market domination.

EV future: New Toyota Prius CGI

Looking good as it should. Slightly weird to please the green crowd. More important, the specs: plug-in availability (later); option of roof-mounted solar panels to power AC and other equipment. Check the full details here.

Focus III: the global platform and more

One of the most important features of the next Focus iteration is that it will become a global platform developed taking into account both European and North-American markets. Other than the necessary provision for really big cupholders (a feature that can be easily differentiated between EU and NA versions), different engine ranges (the new Ford turbo gasoline engines will arrive in great timing) one should be worried that some of the great Focus features could be lost due to market constraints. For example, check the doors of any Euro Focus II: these are exquisite pieces with plenty of rubber lines for isolation and even plastic covers in the top framing for better sound isolation and allowing no visible sheetmetal. Americans are just not used to this level of detail, in this particular the Focus is actually class leading in Europe, better than what you can find in a Toyota Auris or VW Golf. Please Ford, keep those nice doors.

Attention to detail must also be found in the 3rd generation Focus interiors. In this particular Ford must be careful in order to avoid some minor mistakes in the Mondeo, notably the inadequate use of fake wood and the too large surfacing of metal-imitating plastic applications. These kind of features tend to look cheap so it will be better to use smaller and more uniform surfaces for metal-like or wood-like appliqués. Other than that the Mondeo is a good inspiration for interior design, as well as the Peugeot 308 or Audi A3. The key theme should be: all black with accents of chrome. And please loose the oval vents, circular or rectangular shaped will be much classier.

The development of a global platform for the Focus class brings some grey areas (will the NA market adopt the car?...; will it change too much for EU tastes?...). However, it can have huge economical advantages namely in the “buying power”, that is, the ability to get better pricing with component manufacturers due to much higher volume levels. Hopefully this could also allow the introduction of higher technological features such as AWD option. Availability of AWD option is a premium factor in some European markets but it could also allow a future RS version with more than 300hp and AWD as it should be… instead of the 280hp FWD(!!!) thing that Ford is about to show us in a few weeks.

More Focus III...

The image below shows a possible interpretation of the rear design of the Ford Focus III. I don't know how much of it is based in real information but let me make this clear right now: it looks fantastic!... better yet, it's fucking great! Perfect! Please notice the evolution of the rear lights keeping the Focus high-mount signature but with a more upscale look. Also have a look at the huge wrap-around bumper, a feature that is now feasible and looks great. If this is the real deal then Ford has a home-run in its hands.

Another thing in the "wishlist" that is visible in the CGI is a "more compact" visual. This means that some of the car proportions, particularly in the rear section are a bit closer to the first generation Focus than the current model that is a bit more elongated with a higher slope in the C-pillar/3rd window area. So please bring more compactness to the car, a feature that favours a more robust perception in the design.

One of the things Ford must be targeting is a more upscale design that can allow high sales volumes with more margin per car. Such objective can be achieved with a more emotional design but also with some clever detailing. Some little touches that can make a difference are a particular headlamp design (wonderfully executed in the current C-Max in xenon versions but also in the rear light cluster with LEDs). But it would also be nice to see in the new Focus the kind of door framing present in the S-Max and Mondeo with a nice glow finish. This type of element was actually present in the Focus I so it's time to bring it back in place of the vulgar plastics of the Focus II.

Ford Focus III

The CGI presented below is recent although it is based on an older CGI from a Greek magazine. The more recent interpretation incorporates design elements from the new Fiesta. We can confirm that some of the elements in the image are real, namely the overall shape and proportions of the car... or maybe we can't but we really want the final version to look like that. The thing is, in this piece of writing some stuff might be real and some will just be our wishes for the new Focus, hoping someone listens...

So starting on the front design please do keep the lower trapezoidal grille. This is a design element very well resolved in recent Euro-Fords and one that establishes a clear and dynamic front identity. If Ford does not change its mind in future car generations with new languages different from current "Kinetic Design" I could see this trapezoidal element to achieve the same importance as the twin kidneys in BMW or Audi's singleframe. Such strong and time-lasting front identity would be important to improve image for the brand.

The reader will notice in the image below that the shoulder line is higher than in the current version. This is a typical element of CGIs and design sketches (just as the huge wheels) but it is one that I would like to see implemented. More metal, less glass... as if it would move to a "5-door coupe" language or if you prefer a bit more Audi-influenced side profile. The reader will also notice the character line running in the sides, this must-have feature in current automobile design is already present in the current Focus II.5 and will be carried on to version III. Actually, inside information has already confirmed that the new car will look a lot like the current Focus restyled but with a more cohesive design. I like those words, "cohesive design", I think it's just what Ford needs for generation III Focus: a more cohesive design, even stronger proportions (a Martin Smith specialty) and a time-lasting surface language. Well, this is so easy to write and ask for these things, it all makes sense but in reality it's very difficult to achieve... however, congratulations to Ford for the restyled European Focus, it really is a strong base to build the 3rd generation.

More on Focus III in the next days, the rear design, the interior wish-list, the "global platform" thing, will it have huge cupholders because of the Americans?...

News on Ford... and on Focus III next week

First things first: next week you will be able to read some stuff about the 3rd generation Ford Focus here at auto-future. Because we have new info?... no, simply because I noticed in our statcounter software some suspicious IP addresses that suggest important people from an important manufacturer read this joint. Oh yes, or maybe we got it totally wrong who knows... but some of that IP information doesn't show only numbers... also cities and even companies... great thing that statcounter software. So I will take this opportunity to write about the Focus III, more precisely on how I think the new car should be!

Other Ford bits are extremely amusing: this week a rumour spread that North-American Ford was about to retool some of its factories from trucks and big SUVs to compact cars. It's not just a rumour, it's true. And those compact cars are no other than the Euro Focus and related family such as the C-Max and Kuga. This reminded us of our April's fool joke when we came up with the "news" that Ford of Europe was declaring independence!... it seems after all that Ford of Europe is taking over global Ford in the development of new products (future Fusion/Mondeo, new global Fiesta) and now bringing some Euro models to America. That Ford badge with the yellow stars is starting to make sense after all...

Peugeot 608

The image below is from AutoExpress but its origins are French magazine AutoPlus. I have information that the image is reliable so be shocked... a reliable AutoExpress CGI! Regarding the new car, it seems Peugeot stoped bothering about the regular version and went straight to the 4-door coupe derivative... frequent readers will remember the love of auto-future for 4-door coupes so yes, this is great news. So the 608 is a 4-door coupe based on the Citroen C6 platform, with pneumatic suspension available as an option and a great range of diesel engines. The most interesting feature about the car is the possibility of a diesel-hybrid version with unbeatable CO2 emissions in that class. French ministers will be travelling in class.

EV future: Details on Mitsubishi offer

I think I should link the interested reader to a EV World article with details about the future of Mitsubishi i-MiEV. Please read it, it's great news and of course, EV World is a great site following EVs for many years now. Also worth noticing recent news that PSA and Mitsubishi will study further cooperation extending to electric vehicles. It seems PSA does not want to loose this new trend, now that executives from VW and Mercedes finally assumed that EVs will play an important rule in the sustainable future of automobile...

EV future: some Nissan numbers

Mitsuhiko Yamashita, Nissan's executive vice president for research and development, said advances in lithium-ion battery technology will dramatically boost the operating range of electric vehicles, potentially broadening their appeal. Some numbers:

- 400km range for the 4th (!!) generation lithium-ion batteries that will be ready by 2015;

- 2nd generation available in 2010 with 170km range, presumably the first EV to be globaly sold by Nissan

- 3rd generation lithium-ion technology (2012) good for 300km;
- mass production of batteries by Nissan and NEC starts in 2009 (13000 units) and could reach 65000 units per year.

I assume the range numbers are for a small city car such as the Mixim concept and 65000 batteries per year doesn´t sound like much but considering the rate that things will be changing this can certainly improve.

Peugeot 3008

The Peugeot 3008, a couple of pics. A new car in the competitive compact monospace segment, as such, a late arrival in the Scenic/Picasso/C-Max party. I wonder why Peugeot took so long... The new car might also spin-off a small off-roader version although in that segment Peugeot would be so late that might as well not bother at all. From the pictures there are several Peugeot clues: the black plastic bags camouflage and the lack of rubber in the doors! But the images also show a sporty appearance with a smalish greenhouse than the usual in this kind of vehicles.

Ford Fusion

The European Fusion, that is. Based on the new global Fiesta, so this one might also turn out as a global car and end up in the USA and other markets. Anyway it won't probably look like the CGI below, although the idea of a small-SUV with emissions under 120g/km would be nice. Ford could use as inspiration the Suzuki SX4, a well resolved small-SUV. And put some Euro-Fordness in the handling, great diesels and refinement of the car.

EV future: Nissan Cube

The image below shows a glimpse of the production version of the Nissan Cube, a car that Nissan has promised to be one of the first real-life series-production Electric Vehicles. Momentum is certainly building as Nissan establishes a joint-venture with NEC to manufacture Li-ion batteries for the car. Those batteries had their last appearance in a forklift concept vehicle. Between today and 2012 the keyword for Nissan and other manufacturers that are promising EVs is "to deliver".

BMW F3/V3 (NOT!)

According to Motor "Authority" and Worldcarfans the image below shows the next BMW V3/F3 lifestyle 3 series version. Or if you prefer, another niche-filling super-profit generating thing from BMW. I know that in reality the car is actually a E91 touring mule performing cooling testing for the new X1 small SUV. This is what I know, the interested reader can believe it or not, after all they are the "authority". Maybe I should rename this blog to Auto-future-authority. Maybe I will do that when restyling the blog, it has the same design for about two years, the orange header and everything... but probably will not restyle the blog anyway cuz I'm like super-lazy.

The F3/V3 will arrive later in the program, so no mules for now. First we will meet the next X3 and X4 and X1, just to mention niche vehicles related to the 3-series platform. I'm much too bored about these BMW vehicles and all the market niches they find. I care much more about their future EV offer under the 4th brand (named iSetta or some othe cool name they find).

EV Future: iMiEV hill-climbing test run

Mitsubishi is showing lots of videos of the i-EV. They are really showing commitment. And they really need to make it happen and make it right. We all need!

BMW 5er

The image below shows a great-looking photoshop of the next 5-series, in this case, the M5 version. I can't add much more information than on a previous post so here it is, just an updated image.

A warning to frequent readers: this joint will not be updated during the rest of the week. Probably you wouldn't notice anyway... in any case, during the next week or so, I am Niko Bellic.

Toyota iQ features video (our Car of The Year 2008)

A great video showing technical features of the Toyota iQ. You can see why it is a great car and brings real innovation and quality to this segment. I just don't like the final motto: "The ultimate refined urban mode of transportation". How much is this thing going to cost, more than a Yaris?

Ferrari Dino

A gorgeous looking CGI. The "new Dino" is not very close to the original, for example, it will have a V8 instead of the V6 of the original. But then, with anything less than a V8 the new car would not be a proper Ferrari, right?... just like the original Dino... For now this new car will be a great opportunity to further share costs and components with Maserati and thus increase profits.

Peugeot 408: design frozen

Still about two years for the official presentation of the next mid-size Peugeot but we have credible information that the design is frozen and can be adequately previewed in the image below. First mules are running under Citroen C5 sheetmetal but anyway the car will share a lot with its chevron brother. Hopefully Peugeot will make the design more mature and less cartoonish than the current car ensuring long-term profitability.

EV future: Brammo Enertia motorcycle

As expected, electric drives should become afailable first in lighter motorcycles before cars. The Vectrix scooter is on sale and the Brammo Enertia is almost ready for the public. This is a great video from Autobloggreen on the Enertia motorcycle.

Citroen C4 II

What if Citroen came up with a new kind of market research? What if the manufacturer made public a mock up of a design proposal of next generation C4 in order to check public reaction? If, and I mean, only if it would be like that, I would for sure approve the version presented in the picture below... but I'm not sure if it is to everybody's taste. Anyway, figure this: the final design of the C4 is not yet frozen.

The image below, but particularly the new Citroen C5, follow a trend that I believe suits Citroen and other French brands well: to use unmistakable German proportions for the general design but keeping some French weirdness in a couple of details. Like the C5: it does look very German but then it has the weird concave rear window and the different wheel steering with all the buttons. Remember: German proportions, French detailing. A bit like the politics of some left-wing governments in Europe: they basically act like a right-wing government but then have a few left-wing actions as an adornment. It works!

EV Future: Mitsubishi iMIEV

Mitsubishi is showing more and more information about this car. Will this be the first real-life widely available EV?

Audi Q5, almost for real

It seems some magazines already have official images of the new small SUV from Audi and found a way of dealing with the embargo by presenting photoshop images that are clearly based on the real thing. The new Audi Q5 will be super cool and good looking plus featuring practicality and some off-road manners. This image is from CAR magazine. This car would be a sure hit but now I'm not so sure because in several European countries new car tax systems are favouring lower-emission cars and sales of SUVs are decreasing. But still, this car will look really nice so maybe...

Toyota's next Supra?

What do you think? Not bad, but there is not many information about it. Japanese manufacturers have a bad habit of forgeting about developing their iconic models. Like the NSX that Honda left untouched for ages and now is taking too much time to develop a new model. Or the Skyline that Nissan took a lot of time to develop into a new model that is the current GT-R. But a f#cking amazing car it is now! Will the next Supra be as good? Don't think so, but then we already miss a new Supra, right? Bring it on, in preference as RWD and with a V6 turbo! And for all Japanese brands out there: think 911. When you have an iconic hit you stick to the design and main architecture and continuously develop it in successive models. This is a sure profit-recipy.

Audi A6

Pictured below is a nice CGI showing a possible interpretation of the next Audi A6. The new car is related to the A4 model because Audi is using a new Modular Longitudinal Platform for the two cars. This means the next A6 will have a shorter front overhang and improved weight distribution. The rear lights in the illustration are clearly based on the available information on the Q5. Not sure if it will turn out like that but they do look very good.