Ford had already indicated it will import the Kuga to NA awhile back... now it seems they are designing the replacement for both the Kuga and Escape and it will be the same vehicle. Ford has a lot riding this. Although the Escape is popular, the design is 10 years old! That's an eternity compared to it's competition.kerrton wrote:Very interesting, I'm not sure how I missed this either, all of the info I saw regarding the Escape seemed to indicate a replacement in 2012 based on the European Kuga.
Possibly...Roguemonster wrote:It could be argued that the Escape was the vehicle that started the CUV market to begin with.
Both the Honda CR-V (1995) and Toyota RAV4 (1994) were introduced earlier than the Escape (2000).Roguemonster wrote:It could be argued that the Escape was the vehicle that started the CUV market to begin with.
As was the Subaru Forester. But none were as refined as the Escape was, even in 2000. They later evolved that way.philipa_240sx wrote:Both the Honda CR-V (1995) and Toyota RAV4 (1994) were introduced earlier than the Escape (2000).
Yes, Honda is not doing great these last years, no new models, just some refresh, ... and nor always the best ones.kerrton wrote:I just read the article about the upcoming CRV redesign and I was really not impressed. The powertrain is staying the same with the 2.4 engine and the fuel efficiency numbers are identical to the current model, which are less than Rogue especially in city driving.
What they are doing is adding more standard bells and whistles like Bluetooth and changing exterior styling, nothing too earth shattering, I think the Rogue is safe from this competitor.
Since the Vertrek is based on the chassis of the C-max (= new Focus), it should be able to handle the same types of engines, if they want too: 1.6l with turbo (168 Hp), some other gas engines, an conventional Hybrid, an Chevrolet-Volt-type Hybrid, and a full electric.kerrton wrote:The Escape on the other hand looks to have some serious game-changing plans, including a super efficient next generation powertrain, hopefully with the option of a plug-in hybrid version too (although this has not been specifically mentioned yet to my knowledge).
I have to agree. I've always admired Honda's engineering prowess, but the past several years have seen very little of the innovation they were once known for. If they aren't careful, their complacency could come back to bite them.Pescakl1 wrote:Yes, Honda is not doing great these last years, no new models, just some refresh, ... and nor always the best ones.
The "new" 2012 Civic is another proof of it.
But people in Europe will never agree with us because they don't have the same Honda that we get over here. Just check their Honda Accord (in US - Acura TSX). It is always been expensive car with quality in Europe. Europeans will get an update a lot earlier than US plus to all of that more engine choices. I did some research and found that their Honda Accord gets the 4WD System which is a Dual Pump System that seems very simple, old, and basic design nothing special but I don't think Nissan will invest 4wd to Altima. Of course raising the price of Altima for another $4k will probably kill the sales because the price will reach G25/G35 then what's the point to buy a Nissan when you can buy Infiniti? So Honda doesn't really doing good for US which I can't say about Europe. Still love my car from day one but never had the same feeling about CR-V.philipa_240sx wrote:I've always admired Honda's engineering prowess, but the past several years have seen very little of the innovation they were once known for.
There aren't many mid-sized AWD sedans in North America. The Ford Fusion, and Subaru Legacy come to mind.Leo2005 wrote:I did some research and found that their Honda Accord gets the 4WD System which is a Dual Pump System that seems very simple, old, and basic design nothing special but I don't think Nissan will invest 4wd to Altima.
