If there's one thing America loves, it's a comeback. When you add in an industrial success story, American laborers working with their hands, and some good ol' fashioned 'merican flag waiving, it's a recipe for marketing gold.
After ceding their strongholds on the auto market to Japanese competitors, America's two largest auto companies have roared back in segments they hadn't contended in for years. After Ford set the world on fire (theres a cruise control switch joke in there somewhere) with the revolutionary Taurus sedan in the mid-80s, it didn't take long for Toyota and Honda to begin nipping at their heels. A disasterous mid-90s redesign and falling public perception began to push people into Camrys and Accords at record pace. GM, similarly, let their sedan range slip and trail the class just as the imports were making all the right moves with theirs.
In the last few years, however, Ford and General Motors have brought themselves back to relevancy in the hotly contested mid- and full-sized sedan segment. Ford started this trend with their 2006 Fusion sedan; a car that was very good, though a little rough around the edges. GM quickly followed with a very well executed Malibu sedan for 2008, and both brands have built from there. For the 2010 model year, the boys in Dearborn updated the Fusion with a new look, new engines, and an all-new Hybrid powerpack delivering an impressive 40mpg city.They also launched a nearly all new Taurus sedan slotting above the Fusion, including a rebirth of the famed SHO moniker packing 365hp from a direct injected, twin turbo 3.5L "EcoBoost" mill.
Today, as vehicles lifecyces seem to be getting shorter and shorter, GM and Ford are poised to deliver a one-two punch to their import rivals; unveiling outstanding new sedans at this week's New York International Auto Show.
After ceding their strongholds on the auto market to Japanese competitors, America's two largest auto companies have roared back in segments they hadn't contended in for years. After Ford set the world on fire (theres a cruise control switch joke in there somewhere) with the revolutionary Taurus sedan in the mid-80s, it didn't take long for Toyota and Honda to begin nipping at their heels. A disasterous mid-90s redesign and falling public perception began to push people into Camrys and Accords at record pace. GM, similarly, let their sedan range slip and trail the class just as the imports were making all the right moves with theirs.
In the last few years, however, Ford and General Motors have brought themselves back to relevancy in the hotly contested mid- and full-sized sedan segment. Ford started this trend with their 2006 Fusion sedan; a car that was very good, though a little rough around the edges. GM quickly followed with a very well executed Malibu sedan for 2008, and both brands have built from there. For the 2010 model year, the boys in Dearborn updated the Fusion with a new look, new engines, and an all-new Hybrid powerpack delivering an impressive 40mpg city.They also launched a nearly all new Taurus sedan slotting above the Fusion, including a rebirth of the famed SHO moniker packing 365hp from a direct injected, twin turbo 3.5L "EcoBoost" mill.
Today, as vehicles lifecyces seem to be getting shorter and shorter, GM and Ford are poised to deliver a one-two punch to their import rivals; unveiling outstanding new sedans at this week's New York International Auto Show.
2013 Chevrolet Malibu
The bowtie brand made a big splash this week by unveiling their new Malibu midsize sedan in both Shanghai and New York. This new Malibu has matured the look of the already handsome outgoing model, managing to look a bit more muscular and refined. The 'bu also comes to the table with only 4-cylinder engine options, which is almost certainly the future direction of the segment as a whole. The surprise for many with this introduction comes with the announcement of the new Malibu ECO, using the newly rebranded "eAssist" technology, which was formerly known as the BAS "mild" Hybrid system. The technology allows the specially equipped Malibu to achieve an impressive 38mpg city.
2013 Ford Taurus & SHO
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