2010 is just around the corner and with it will come the usual sense of freshness that any New Year brings. From a motoring perspective, the question is this : will we see any change to the status quo? Will the big three American manufacturers actually start producing a smaller vehicle? Probably not - well two of them won't. Ford looks like it's going to be the winner to me. If they follow through on the promise of bringing the European Focus and Fiesta to the US in 2010, they could reap huge rewards. I'm not a big fan of Ford - never have been. (Nor GM before that argument starts). But I know a decent car when I drive one and the current European Focus is decent. Not brilliant. Not outstanding. But decent in a way that few American cars can hope to achieve. Good handling, a reasonable interior, frugal with its petrol and a frankly great looking body all tie up to make a good package. Will the Focus be the car to sway the American public? Probably not. There's a hard core of drivers here that believe that size (both physical and engine capacity) is everything when it really isn't. Oversize American vehicles with archaic V8 engines are boorish and outdated. Come on people - grab the future. Move with the times. Embrace forced induction, small-capacity engines with excellent fuel economy. It's not like anyone over here ever drives at even 20% of their vehicle's capacity anyway so why do you need a 12mpg V8?
Happy New Year.
