The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has just released crash test results for the new Ford Edge crossover and for the updated Ford Fusion midsize sedan, and the results are good for Ford.
The Edge (and the mechanically identical Lincoln MKX) join five other SUVs as IIHS “Top Safety Picks”, which signify top performance in frontal, side, and rear crash testing in conjunction with vehicle stability control.
The Ford Fusion was rated Acceptable in frontal and side performance, the third highest of four ratings, when it came out for the 2006 model year. For 2007, it strengthened the floorpan and redesigned the door panels, and it is now rated Good, the highest rating, for frontal and side protection. Unlike the Edge, it is not a “Top Safety Pick” because of marginal rear-impact performance and no stability control. Also, Ford only changed the door panels on the Fusion and its twin the Mercury Milan, while the pair’s pricier derivative, the Lincoln MKZ, still has the lower side-impact rating.
To compare these results to those of other cars, please visit the IIHS website. You can also see the IIHS crash test results listed alongside those conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at the IFCAR auto safety page.
Please join us in discussing these results in the CarSPIN forums.
The Associated Press reports that Honda is recalling 81,000 2004 and 2005 Accord sedans for a potential defect in the airbag sensors, and that Toyota is recalling 533,000 2004-2006 Tundras and 2004-2007 Sequoias for a steering flaw.
The Honda recall concerns the housing for the sensor wires that determine the force at which the frontal airbags should deploy. The housing was installed in a way that the sensor wire may break. Without the sensor information, the airbags deploy at full force, which can injure smaller occupants. No injuries have been reported, however.
The Toyota recall concerns a ball joint on the front suspension of the Tundra pickup truck and mechanically related Sequoia SUV. Toyota is concerned that excessive wear on the joint is likely, and that the issue would make the vehicles difficult to steer. Eleven accidents and six injuries have been attributed to the defect, Toyota’s second for front suspension issues on its full-size trucks. The redesigned 2007 Tundra is not affected.
The Toyota recall seems to affect all Tundra and Sequoia models within the stated year range, but the Honda recall does not affect every 2004 and 2005 Accord sedan.
Discuss these recalls at the CarSPIN forums.
The 2008 Buick Enclave, the third of the GM Lambda crossovers, will go on sale in the early summer of 2007 with a base price of $32,790 including destination charge.
The Enclave joins the Saturn Outlook, which starts at $27,990, and the GMC Acadia, which starts at $29,990. To compensate for the higher price, GM promises that the Enclave will be more refined, have more luxurious interior, and include more standard features than its cousins.
The base CX model starts at $32,790, and the uplevel CXL begins at $34,990. All-wheel-drive adds $2,000 to the price of each Enclave.
In case you missed it earlier this week, Honda gave NAIAS visitors a sneak peak at the 2008 Accord Coupe. But, to many enthusiasts, the new Honda flagship was lost in the shuffle of more exciting vehicles, such as the Mazda Ryuga and the new BMW 3-Series convertible.
Surprisingly (or not) the new Accord Coupe does not seem to be vastly different from the current model, which was introduced in 2003. Major stylistic changes include a longer hood and quad-exhaust pipes.
John Mendel, Chief of Operations for American Honda, called the Accord model range the “”the single-most important product in Honda North America’s lineup.” Last year, it ranked third in sales in the U.S. market to the Toyota Camry and Toyota Corolla, respectively.
There aren’t many folks who would describe Porsche as a “thrifty” marque, but as soccer moms, hockey dads, and boaters looking for something nice to lug around their vessel with discover the brand by way of the Cayenne, fuel consumption and engine efficiency have become an issue for the sports car maker.
Along with interior and exterior changes (which we’ll get to in a second), the engine choices are what’s causing a stir in Detroit this week. The Cayenne’s V6 now puts out 290HP, and the Turbo engine now offers a massive 500HP V8, rocketing the Cayenne from 0-60 in just 4.9 seconds (it’s never 5, is it?). Amazingly, Porsche’s new high-tech injection system lowers fuel consumption by 10% or more, even with the boost in horsepower!
TheCarConnection examined the car up close, and reported on the updated sheetmetal:
The new version boasts significant revisions to the exterior designed to smooth out some of the more criticized design features. That includes more widely-set headlights, as well as the addition of a new LED light bar, mounted in the grille below the main lamps. That will become a standard feature on future Porsche products, company officials noted during the unveiling, at the North American International Auto Show. The rear spoiler on the Cayenne Turbo has been lengthened for further aerodynamic stability, and new, rear LED taillights have been added. The subtle changes reduce Cayenne’s wind drag markedly.
The final verdict? The new features are important in the growth of the vehicle. Sales are good, and this may make them great, as folks who read up on the changes may consider the Porsche over bulkier, boxier American large SUVs that don’t handle as well and VW’s Cayenne-cousin Touareg.