CONFIRMED:
EDGE: 2009 will see the addition of the Edge Sport model, which gets a sporty body kit, improved interior trim, and standard 20" wheels, with 22" wheels offered as an option. Suspension and engine are unchanged from the regular Edge.
E-SERIES: Ford's venerable full-size van, which received a Super Duty-like nose job in 2008, will get an all-new interior for 2009, plus a mess o' high-tech wizardry: An in-dash personal computer with mobile broadband Internet connectivity; a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) asset tracking system that allows instant inventory of tools and equipment stored in the van; and a GPS navigation with SIRIUS Travel Link, which provides real-time traffic, weather and fuel price info. Talk about your office on wheels!
F150: Ford's smallest full-size pickup gets a thorough makeover for 2009, with new styling, a lighter and stronger chassis, and a new top-of-the-line Platinum trim level.
F-SERIES SUPER DUTY: Ford's big pickups will offer a factory-installed spray-in bedliner.
FIESTA: Ford will go head-to-head with subcompacts like the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit with their new Fiesta. Actually, the Fiesta is only new to us; it's been a staple of Ford's European lineup for decades. The newest version of the Fiesta hatchback will make its debut in Europe as a 2009 model, while a sedan version, developed specifically for the North American market, will go on sale as a 2010 model. (Ford is reportedly considering selling the hatchback here as well.)
FLEX: This bold, boxy seven-seat crossover will arrive in dealer showrooms as a 2009 model.
FUSION HYBRID: The hybrid version of Ford's Fusion sedan is expected to premiere some time in 2008 as a 2009 model. It will use the same four-cylinder hybrid powertrain found in the 2008 Ford Escape hybrid SUV.
MUSTANG: The 2009 Mustang will offer an optional glass roof.
TRANSIT CONNECT: The Transit Connect is typical of the car-based vans that crawl the streets of Europe; indeed, the Transit Connect is being pulled directly from Ford of Europe's lineup. The US version will be powered by a 2.0 liter four-cylinder gasoline engine coupled to an automatic transmission. Though the Transit Connect was designed as a delivery van, Ford showed a concept version done up as a New York taxicab at the 2008 New York Auto Show.
RUMORED:
FOCUS: The original Focus was designed to be sold on both sides of the Atlantic, but the two versions went their separate ways when Europe got an all-new Focus for 2005 and North America got a completely different Focus for 2008. Ford plans to re-unite the two when the third-generation Focus is introduced, though that probably won't happen until early next decade.
MUSTANG: Rumors of a mid-cycle refresh for the 2010 Mustang abound. Those rumors include updated front and rear styling, a bigger (5.0 liter) V8, and the addition of Ford's upcoming EcoBoost turbo V6.
TAURUS: An all-new version of the Taurus is expected for 2010. Spy photos leaked onto the Internet showed a car with radical lines similar to those seen on the Ford Mondeo.
Next: Honda
