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Autoblog Technology of the Year Award Special | Autoblog Podcast #758

This episode of the Autoblog Podcast features Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore, Road Test Editor Zac Palmer and Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. The trio begin by discussing the 2022 Technology of the Year award. Ford's Onboard Scales and Smart Hitch hauling/towing tech as tested in the F-150 Lightning won this year. Why the Ford won, how testing went down and Ford's competition — including the GMC Hummer EV and Genesis GV60 — are discussed. After diving through the Technology of the Year award testing, the three take on this week's news. A mysterious vehicle based on the Corvette (that isn't a Corvette) is supposedly on its way. Audi is giving us "Performance" versions of the RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback. Plus, we discuss a recent study that provides data for the 10 longest lasting vehicles on the road today. After the news, the crew dive into the cars they've been driving this week. Greg's been behind the wheel of a Nissan Pathfinder, while Jeremy and Zac have been driving some plug-in hybrids, including the Lexus NX 450h+ and Autoblog's long-term BMW 330e xDrive. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #758 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown 2022 Autoblog Technology of the Year finalists and winner News Mysterious Corvette Audi RS 6 Avant Performance and RS 7 Sportback Performance revealed 10 longest lasting vehicles on the road today Cars we're driving 2022 Nissan Pathfinder SV 2022 Lexus NX 450h+ 2022 BMW 330e xDrive Long-Term tester Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Green Podcasts Ford Genesis GM GMC Technology Technology of the Year Truck Crossover SUV Electric Hybrid Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance Sedan

Ford to rebrand SVT as 999?

Ford operates a number of performance divisions around the world. There's SVT in the US, Team RS in Europe and Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) in Australia. But the Blue Oval has been steadily integrating its performance operations into one unit, and here we might have our first indication of what it will be called.
A reader at Jalopnik sent in a survey in which respondents were asked to gauge the name for a new performance brand from a "major automotive manufacturer," and while the identity of that automaker was not disclosed, according to the survey, the automaker is considering the name 999 for its new go-fast unit.
As our compatriots point out, the 999 was Ford's first racecar, a rudimentary chassis with a 19-liter inline-four campaigned by Henry Ford around the turn of the 20th century. (Ford also used the number to designate a Fusion fuel-cell racer a few years back.) That could prove the tie-in Dearborn is looking for in rebranding its performance operations worldwide, replacing the letters SVT, RS and FPV globally under one name.

Ford Escort Concept goes back to basics

Here's the thing about China: The folks buying cars there have a very different set of standards than shoppers in many other markets around the globe. While we all drool over hot metal with bold designs, and while we appreciate automakers going an extra step to inject even their cheapest offerings with aggressive and interesting cues, that sort of sheetmetal sex appeal doesn't always sell in the People's Republic. Case in point is Jaguar, which may be designing a more traditional-looking version of its XJ for the Chinese market, or more to the point of this story, Ford currently sells the less-exciting, last-generation Focus compact in China right alongside the new one.
So consider this new Shanghai-bound C-segment concept a preview of what's to come for that more traditional, budget-minded, less-sexy market. More proof of this pudding: Ford's even calling this concept the Escort - a nod to the Blue Oval's compact car days of yore, and a name that stirs up thoughts of basic, affordable transportation rather than great driving dynamics or bold design. "Customers in China described seeking a vehicle that is stylish - but not one that is arrogant or pretentious," Ford states. And this new Escort concept previews a possibility of providing exactly that for this rapidly expanding automotive market.
What you're looking at, then, is one of the most simple Ford designs we've seen of late, though it still incorporates all of the automaker's latest DNA. The signature hexagonal grille is front and center, flanked by attractive LED headlamps and chrome-rimmed foglamp housings. The entire car's design focuses on clean, smooth surfaces, with one strong character line flowing from front to back just below the beltline. We will say that the car looks decidedly more premium from the rear view, where narrow, horizontal taillamps with an LED accent give the car added visual width. Bland as it may be, it's a handsome little concept, though fear what would likely happen if all of the conceptual details get dumbed down for a production model.