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Ford Mondeo classes up with premium Vignale trim

Back in the day, Vignale was a carrozzeria of the highest order, alongside the likes of Pininfarina, Bertone and Zagato. But like Giugiaro-ItalDesign and Ghia, it has since been subsumed into a larger auto group. Ford ended up with it under its umbrella when it took over De Tomaso, and has since used the moniker for a number of concept cars. Now the name is back in the form of a new upscale sub-brand for the European market.
The first new model to receive the Vignale treatment is the Mondeo, which Ford unveiled here at the Frankfurt Motor Show in both sedan and wagon forms. Positioned above the Titanium trim, the Vignale model gets such special touches as chrome trim and a quilted leather interior, Vignale badges replacing any mention of the Mondeo on which it's based. It also gains an ownership experience - including free car washes for life! - to befit the upscale positioning.
Under the bright spotlights above the show floor, the Nocciola metallic brown paint might not be the most photogenic, but will likely give the Vignale edition a more premium look when it hits European dealers and roads in 2015. Whether it'll be worth however much Ford asks for it, however, remains to be seen. Scroll down below for the official press release.

Editors’ Picks October 2022 | Electric trucks and some excellent SUVs

This month sees a bevy of totally new or totally redesigned cars gain Editors’ Pick status. Important EVs like the F-150 Lightning and GMC Hummer EV quickly jump into the list, and they do so with authority, as all our editors love these trucks. The Range Rover is always a superb experience, and this generation proves to be no different. Plus, the new generation of Kia Sportage continues to surprise and impress. In case you missed our previous Editors' Picks posts, hereÂ’s a quick refresher on whatÂ’s going on here. We rate all the new cars we drive with a 1-10 score. Cars that are exemplary in their respective segments get EditorsÂ’ Pick status. Those are the ones weÂ’d recommend to our friends, family and anybody whoÂ’s curious and asks the question. The list that youÂ’ll find below consists of every car we rated in October that earned an EditorsÂ’ Pick. 2022 GMC Hummer EV The Four-Wheel-Steer system lets the 2022 GMC HUMMER EV Pickup m View 17 Photos Quick take: The Hummer amazes as an electric supertruck with its wild acceleration, incredible off-road capability, luxuriousness and epic utility. It's far from a "green" eco-friendly vehicle, but that's not the point of this technological powerhouse. Score: 8.5 What it competes with: Rivian R1T, Ford F-150 Raptor R, Ram 1500 TRX Pros: Stupid quick, tons of tech, off-road capability in spades Cons: Not efficient, annoying in tight spaces, price From the editors: Road Test Editor Zac Palmer — "I don't think I've driven a more ridiculous vehicle this year, but that's sort of the point with the Hummer. There's a great argument against this sort of EV in that it doesn't live up to being an efficient and planet-friendly vehicle, but hey, that's not the point. The Hummer EV is a supertruck and wild technological masterpiece for off-roading in the same way that a mid-engine supercar is to track performance. It's not meant to be the EV everybody drives to work and back (mostly because few can afford it), but it serves as a line in the sand of what can be done with electric off-road trucks. This pickup rules, and if you can afford one, you're going to love it." Senior Editor, Green John Beltz Snyder — "This Hummer revival is a showcase of technology and capability on the part of GM, making it an absolute blast to drive and a joy to use.

Ford, Alcoa announce next generation of aluminum lightweighting for F-150

Ford likes what it has seen with the use of aluminum in its world-beating F-150 pickup trucks. Now, the Blue Oval is working with Alcoa to use that company's Micromill material to increase the amount of aluminum in Ford vehicles. In fact, Ford will start using Micromill on 2016 model-year F-150s later this year, and will double the material's use in 2017. The purpose, as you might suspect, is light weighting, which allows Ford to boost towing capacity while adding as little weight as possible. Ford will be the first automaker to use Micromill, and will use it in both structural components and exterior panels. Micromill's rolling-mill system cuts the time it takes to turn molten metal into coil to 20 minutes from about 20 days. Already, Ford has had positive results by using aluminum on its leading pickup truck model. In April, it was announced that the 2015 Ford F-150 achieved a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's testing. Safety features like inflatable seat belts, adaptive steering columns and a forward collision warning system helped matters. General Motors may have taken note of those results, even after running an ad campaign touting its continued use of steel over aluminum. Last month, GM said it would sink $877 million into its Flint, MI, truck factory. Reuters said much of the expense was to convert many of the bodies for models like the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups into aluminum. You can take a look at Ford's press release below. Ford Motor Company and Alcoa Inc. are collaborating to produce next-generation automotive aluminum alloys that are more formable and design-friendly. Ford will use Alcoa's Micromill® material in multiple components on the 2016 F-150 – becoming the first automaker to use the advanced automotive aluminum commercially. The companies entered into a joint development agreement to collaborate on next-generation aluminum alloys for automotive parts using Micromill™ technology. ''Light-weighting enables us to design vehicles with great customer attributes – like the F-150, which can tow more, haul more, accelerate quicker and stop faster than the previous F-150, and is more fuel-efficient than ever," said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president and chief technical officer, Global Product Development.