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Generation Z prefers Ford, wants better fuel efficiency

Fear not the future, dear green-car enthusiast. For the youngest drivers like good gas mileage. And they don't really like SUVs or trucks. Breathe easier. About 80 percent of drivers ages 16 to 21, part of what's known as 'Generation Z,' prefer cars more than any other type of larger light-duty vehicle, with about half of that group preferring compact cars, The Detroit News says, citing data company MaritzCX. That company polled about 1,100 prospective young car buyers and found them to put a priority on fuel economy because that group is... well, cheap. To put that demographic's vehicle choice into perspective, just a third of light-duty vehicles sold in the US last year were cars, while the rest were SUVs and trucks. So the future is bright, and possibly devoid of some of the smog we're now seeing. Meanwhile, Ford is the most popular brand among younger drivers, again reflecting that company's more recent emphasis on hybrids, plug-ins and high-fuel-economy gas-burning engines. Ford's US green car sales fell 1.4 percent last year to about 86,500 units (falling C-Max Hybrid demand pulled the American automaker's numbers down), so we'd think that this is very welcome news for the Blue Oval. Featured Gallery 2013 Ford C-Max Energi: First Drive View 20 Photos News Source: The Detroit News Green Ford Fuel Efficiency

Inside the 2016 Ford Focus RS at the New York Auto Show

The Ford Focus RS made its US debut Wednesday at the New York Auto Show, offering Americans their first chance to experience the hot hatch live and in the flesh. Naturally, we wanted to know more, especially about what the Focus RS will mean to US buyers. We caught up with John Wicks with Ford Performance program management and Omar Odeh, a Focus product marketing manager, on the show floor of the Javits Center in New York, where they explained the ins- and outs of all-things Focus RS. The car was first revealed in Germany in February, and then traveled to the the Geneva Motor Show in March. It will employ a modified version of the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder used in the 2015 Mustang tuned to make more than 315 horsepower. It also received upgraded brakes, suspension components and aerodynamic pieces compared with more sedate Focus models. Underscoring its sporting credentials, Ken Block helped Ford engineers during the hatch's development, and the Focus RS showcases a new all-wheel-drive system with torque-vectoring. The New York show debuted two colors that will be worn on the production Focus RS: a light, bright shade called Nitrous Blue and a more sinister hue named Stealth Gray. The Focus RS enters production late this year at a factory in Germany. New York Auto Show Ford Hatchback Performance Videos 2015 ny auto show

Trump tells Detroit 3 CEOs he wants more US jobs, calls environmentalists 'out of control'

As expected, President Donald J. Trump met with top executives from FCA, Ford, and General Motors this morning as part of a larger push to generate jobs in America. "I want new plants to be built here for cars sold here!", Trump said in a tweet ahead of the meeting. Not everything said in the meeting was made public, but the President later tweeted that he had a "Great meeting with automobile industry leaders." FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne, Ford chief Mark Fields, and GM's Mary Barra all echoed the positive vibes after the meeting. In a statement, Barra called the discussion "very constructive and wide-ranging," adding that it focused on "policies that support a strong and competitive economy and auto industry," and "that supports the environment and safety." That's noteworthy, because Trump is reported to have said "I am to a large extent an environmentalist. I believe in it, but it's out of control." Fields, speaking to reporters after the meeting, said, "We're excited about working together with the president and his administration on tax policies, on regulation and on trade to really create a renaissance in American manufacturing." The Ford CEO was specifically talking about Trump's withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. "We've repeatedly said that the mother of all trade barriers is currency manipulation, and TPP failed in meaningfully dealing with that, and we appreciate the president's courage to walk away from a bad trade deal," he said. Marchionne focused on American manufacturing in his statement after the meeting. "I appreciate the President's focus on making the US a great place to do business. We look forward to working with President Trump and members of Congress to strengthen American manufacturing." Perhaps equally as interesting as what was said and who was invited are what wasn't said and who wasn't invited. Trump has been very vocal about his distaste for US automakers' plants in Mexico, but no mention was made of the North American Free Trade Agreement by Trump or any of the Detroit CEOs after the meeting. We also have to wonder if Trump plans to meet with representatives from German, Japanese, and Korean automakers that have made massive investments into American plants and produce a large number of cars in this country. Related Video: News Source: Reuters, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automotive, Donald J.