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Ford previews new C-Max ahead of upcoming debut

Looking at a Ford Focus? These days you can get it as a five-door hatch, a four-door sedan, or... that's all. European buyers don't even get our sedan, but they do get a wagon. And while the three-door hatch, two-door coupe and two-door cabrio have long since ended production, buyers around the world can also get the company's larger C-Max. And now, like the Focus upon which it's based, Ford is preparing to roll out a new version.
The tall wagon (or small minivan, depending on your perspective) is being treated to what Ford says is "an extreme makeover." Details to accompany the teaser image above remain few and far between, but following the spy shots we recently posted, it looks destined for some of the same visual updates as Ford rolled out on the 2015 Focus, with "even more refinement, practicality and technology."
Like the Mercedes B-Class, which is only available Stateside as an EV, American buyers can only get the C-Max in electrified form, either as the C-Max Hybrid or C-Max Energi. Overseas buyers, however, will be able to choose from a range of powertrain options and two wheelbase lengths - the longer of which boasts seven seats and the Grand C-Max name. (Remember when Chrysler did the same with its minivans?) Both are set to debut on September 17, so watch this space. After that, we'll expect to see it on display at the Paris Motor Show.

2015 Ford F-150's aluminum body not expected to hurt resale value

A cloud of skepticism has hung over the 2015 Ford F-150 since even before it went on sale. The issue had nothing to do with the truck's capabilities but instead over reservations about the switch to aluminum body panels. The change helped shed about 700 pounds off the scales, but the lighter metal also came with the potential for higher repair costs. Edmunds even recently whacked its pickup with a hammer just to find out how much it would cost. However, this might not be a problem, because the latest calculations indicate resale value for the new F-150 is on the rise. The residual experts at ALG estimate that the 2015 F-150 is going to hold 58 percent of its value over the next three years, versus 52 percent for the 2014 model, according to Bloomberg. That figure also gives the Ford the highest forecasted resale value among American fullsize pickups. The 2015 Toyota Tundra leads the segment by holding 63 percent. Meanwhile, the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra both come in with 51 percent, and the Ram 1500 holds 46 percent. Finally, the 2015 Nissan Titan comes in at 42 percent. The researchers believe that the improvement in fuel economy for the 2015 F-150 at up to 26 miles per gallon highway offsets higher body repair costs. "We are giving credit for the aluminum construction in the fuel efficiency we're seeing," Eric Lyman, ALG vice president of industry insights, said to Bloomberg. "We are not putting in a negative adjustment for concerns around repair costs or durability associated with aluminum." Ford has long-been preparing for the switch to aluminum. The company purposefully designed the body sections to make repairs easier, and it also partially subsidized dealers' investments for new equipment to do the work. Related Video:

Ford wants smart cruise that's speed and grade sensitive

Ford is working to make adaptive cruise control even smarter and more economical for future vehicles. The automaker now has a patent (pdf link) on a system to use information on the grade of the road, traffic data, and a driver's preferences to eke out better fuel mileage over a journey. This solution would essentially put a little hypermiling right into a model's software. The Blue Oval's patent refers to this tech as "route navigation with optimal speed profile," and the system starts by splitting the way to the driver's ultimate destination into many smaller pieces. Each one is analyzed based on GPS data, and traffic info is also constantly updated. Based on the occupants' preferred travel time, all this info is combined to figure out the most efficient speed for each leg of the journey. All of these calculations are actually more than the car's computers can handle, so some of the math is offloaded to a cloud-based network. According to Ford, some of the benefits come when tackling hills while diving. Maintaining a single speed when going up and down steep grades isn't the most efficient method, but current technology can't easily make the necessary adjustments. This system uses the GPS data to adapt the vehicle's speed and leave the situation with better fuel economy. Ford is currently making major investments into autonomous driving technology and has some prestigious partners. While the patent documents don't specifically mention the optimal speed profiles for driverless vehicles, they seem like a natural fit. Over the course of an entire trip, the fuel economy gains would likely be even greater than over a few miles on a relatively flat interstate.