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2015 Ford F-150 to get up to 26 miles per gallon

The 2015 Ford F-150 is one of the most important US vehicle debuts in years, be it in the pickup segment or the entire marketplace. While we've already known about the truck's engine lineup, its payload ratings and we've even learned a bit about how it drives, the truck's EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings have remained a mystery. The wait is finally over. Ford has announced numbers that put the latest F-150 as the mileage leader among gasoline-powered, full-size pickups in the US, with its new 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 topping the charts. Starting with the entry-level naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6, the rear-wheel-drive F-150 is rated at 18-miles-per-gallon city, 25-mpg highway and 20-mpg combined. Opting for four-wheel drive drops those numbers slightly to 17/23/19. If fuel economy is your absolute priority, then upgrading to the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 is the hot ticket. It improves things further to 19/26/22 in rear-wheel drive trim or 18/23/20 with four-wheel drive. The carryover naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 is rated at 15/22/18 as a 4X2 or 15/21/17 as a 4X4. Finally, the flagship 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 tops the range in available torque and offers buyers 17/24/20 ratings with rear-wheel drive or 17/23/19 with four-wheel drive. "We are delivering with the toughest, smartest and most capable F-150 ever – and now the highest EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings of any full-size gas-powered pickup in America," said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development, in the company's announcement. Depending on engine and drivetrain configuration, Ford contends that the 2.7-liter EcoBoost's top rating puts fuel economy up between 5 and 29 percent over the current generation, thanks in large part to the truck's lighter aluminum construction. Obviously, these are EPA estimates, and your mileage may vary – ours has. Recently, Autoblog team members have had real difficulty even approximating government mpg estimates on many EcoBoost models, including the new F-150. Scroll down to read Ford's full announcement, including comparisons to rival models.

Chinese market Ford Taurus will be unveiled at Shanghai Motor Show

A new Ford Taurus is on the way, at least for some markets. As part of a huge unveiling of seven models for the Asia Pacific market at the Shanghai Motor Show, Ford is announcing the debut of the company's next-gen large sedan on April 18 just before the event in China begins. Unfortunately, the Taurus that we see in Shanghai might not signal too much about the future version in the US. Ford spokesperson Monique Brentley tells Autoblog that this debut is specifically for the Chinese market, and the Blue Oval isn't saying whether any of this updated look will come across the Pacific. We got a tiny preview of the new Taurus earlier this year when one was spotted wearing heavy camouflage while testing in China. That one retained the sedan's hexagonal grille but added more horizontal chrome slats. It also featured reshaped headlights and a broad, lower air dam. Previous reports have indicated the next-gen model might be built around a stretched and widened version of the Fusion platform, and a major goal during development was shedding as many pounds as possible. With little time before the official unveiling, it won't be long until we'll know much of this for sure. Related Video: NEW FORD TAURUS, FORD GT TO LEAD FORD LINEUP AT AUTO CHINA 2015 Ford to unveil seven new vehicles for Asia Pacific at Auto Shanghai 2015, underscoring its commitment to expanding world-class showrooms across the region New Ford Taurus will bring the historic nameplate to China for the first time with sophisticated design, roomy space and advanced technology Ford GT supercar will lead Ford Performance lineup in Asia Pacific debut; Focus RS, Focus ST and Fiesta ST highlight Ford's passion for performance innovation in all forms Full range of Ford vehicles for China and exciting interactive displays will greet visitors to Ford's display SHANGHAI, China, April 2, 2015 – Taking another bold step to fulfill its promise of introducing 15 new vehicles to China by 2015, Ford will unveil the new Ford Taurus at Auto Shanghai 2015, with a special pre-show event on April 18. Ford's new flagship sedan for China will take the stage at the auto show, along with six other new vehicles making their debuts in Asia Pacific. "We are looking forward to taking the wraps off seven new vehicles for our customers in China and continuing our delivery of great products and innovative technologies," said John Lawler, chairman and CEO, Ford China.

Car and Driver lists 10Best for 2013, same as it ever was

Forgive us for having the distinct feeling of déjà vu, but it certainly feels like we've been here before. By that we are referring Car and Driver and the announcement of its annual 10Best vehicles for 2013. To be sure, it's an impressive selection of cars that combine heart-pounding performance and frugal sensibilities, but it also represents something of a broken record on the part of C/D. We're not so sure that's a flaw, though, as the resulting list is tough to argue with.
Vehicles like the Ford Mustang, Porsche Boxster, and BMW 3 Series have maintained their high-horsepower spots on this list for several years now. Even on the more practical and nimble end, the Honda Accord, Honda Fit and Mazda Miata have not budged. These continued spots are even in light of redesigns for some vehicles such as the Accord, Boxster and 3 Series.
In fact, the only newcomer to the 10Best list this year are the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ twins, which knocked out the Cadillac CTS-V. We think it would have been a huge misstep to have excluded the FR-S/BRZ, even in light of the supercharged Caddy's lamentable departure from 10Best.