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Weekly Recap: Toyota, Mazda team up to 'make cars better'

Toyota and Mazda are teaming for a noble purpose: to "make cars better." That's how the two Japanese automakers termed their partnership, which was announced this week. So what does this actually mean? The companies said they will set up a joint committee to look for areas of cooperation and named safety and the environment as issues they plan to tackle. From a product perspective, it's believed that Toyota is interested in Mazda's Skyactive engine portfolio. In turn, Mazda has its eye on Toyota's fuel-cell and plug-in hybrid technology. While more specifics were not confirmed, the companies said the "agreement will go beyond the traditional framework of cooperation," and it has the potential to be a long-range partnership. "The main purpose of this initiative is to enhance the appeal of our cars," Toyota president Akio Toyoda said at the announcement. Previously, Mazda has licensed Toyota's hybrid tech and assembled compact cars for Toyota in Mexico. Akio Toyoda said these projects "triggered" the automakers to explore further collaboration. Dave Sullivan, product analysis manager for AutoPacific, said the tie-up echoes Daimler's wide-ranging work with the Renault-Nissan alliance. "This could be a well-groomed match due to each having very unique skill sets," he said. OTHER NEWS & NOTES Volvo selects South Carolina for US factory Volvo confirmed this week that it will build its first US factory in South Carolina, with construction set to begin this fall. The company first revealed plans in March, though it didn't announce a site. The plant will have initial annual production of 100,000 units, though the vehicle or vehicles to be assembled were not specified. The factory, located near Charleston, will open in 2018 and ultimately employ 4,000 people. The facility will help Volvo continue its growth strategy, which includes strengthening its presence in the US market, where it wants to sell more than 100,000 cars per year. "Building a plant in the US is a reflection of Volvo Cars' commitment to the US and the key role the US plays in our growth objectives," Lex Kerssemakers, senior vice president, Americas, said in a statement. Ford GT spied on the road The 2017 Ford GT was spotted testing around the Blue Oval's headquarters in Dearborn, MI, this week. The raw body panels were exposed, and they lacked paint or camouflage. It's the first time the GT has been captured on the street after a spring of auto show reveals.

2015 Ford Edge First Drive [w/videos]

We're routinely told that it's not easy being the middle child. The oldest sibling will always outshine the rest, while the youngest is routinely doted upon. The middle child, meanwhile, is seemingly never able to measure up. You know the drill: Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! But that hasn't really been the case for Ford's mid-kid crossover, the Edge. Sandwiched between its highly successful big brother, the Explorer, and the stylish younger brother, the Escape, the Edge has had plenty of its own bragging rights over the years. It's where the Blue Oval chose to first launch MyFord Touch in 2011, and was one of the company's first applications of an EcoBoost engine in a CUV. For 2015, Ford has given the Edge a brand-new outfit, complete with stand-out sheetmetal and a revamped 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine fitted with a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct-injection. The result is a vehicle that truly stands out from its compact and fullsize siblings while promising to retain Ford's edge in the midsize CUV market. Where many of Ford's cars have opted for a slim, Aston Martin-like grille, the new Edge's face is big and bold. It's around back, however, where the Edge really comes up with its own personality. The slimmer D-pillar forms the edges of a more aggressively raked rear window. It's difficult to spot in pictures, but the result is a decidedly more assertive profile than the outgoing CUV. Beyond that, the rear is home to Fusion-inspired taillights, although unlike Ford's popular midsize sedan, they're joined together by a vehicle-spanning lighting element that prominently features a Ford badge at its center. Ford's work on the Edge's interior is less progressive, though. The owner of a 2014 model wouldn't feel the least bit out of place climbing behind the wheel of a 2015, as it features Ford's same reconfigurable instrument cluster, and a center stack that's been crowned by the latest (and final) edition of MyFord Touch. Meanwhile, more JD Power Initial Quality Study-friendly buttons have replaced the obstinate and unintuitive touch-capacitive controls. The conservative take on the interior design belies the big improvements in material quality. The leather inserts in the doors are more heavily padded and the plastics are far softer. It's a similar story throughout the cabin, where owners will notice softer dash plastics and generally richer materials.

Welcome Audi RS6 Avant, goodbye Lincoln Continental | Autoblog Podcast #592

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder and Assistant Editor Zac Palmer. Our editors cover a lot this week, starting with the news. They geek out over the Audi RS6 Avant coming to America, and mourn the loss of the Lincoln Continental. They address rumors of the Toyota Land Cruiser's demise, and analyze spy photos of the Ford Mach E electric crossover. They also honor the memory of the godfather of spy photography, Jim Dunne. Finally, they talk about driving the BMW Z4, Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, and another diesel, the diesel-powered Mazda CX-5 Skyactiv-D. Autoblog Podcast #592 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Audi RS6 Avant headed to U.S. Lincoln Continental discontinued Rumor: Toyota Land Cruiser to be canceled Ford Mach E spied RIP spy photographer Jim Dunne Cars we're driving: 2019 BMW Z4 sDrive30i 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel 2019 Mazda CX-5 Diesel Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: