Ford Motor Company Chief Operating Officer Nick Scheele and newly appointed Lincoln Mercury President Brian Kelley recently unveiled the 2003 Lincoln Town Car – the first of three all-new or significantly freshened Lincoln models that will debut this summer.

The 2003 Lincoln Town Car Cartier L	2003 Town Car instrument panel

For 2003, the Town Car will be offered in Cartier, Signature, and Executive series, as well as long wheelbase Cartier L and Executive L models.

Improvements in design and functional attributes include:

• More formal exterior, improved trunk stowage, quieter and more refined cabin and new comfort and convenience features.
• A new frame with hydroformed steel front rails and redesigned crossmembers, which contribute to improved safety, ride and handling, durability and NVH. The frame's torsional rigidity has been increased by 24 percent and its resistance to vertical bending has been improved by 20 percent.
• A new variable rate, variable ratio rack and pinion power steering system replaces the previous model's recirculating ball system for improved precision, reduced friction and lower weight.
• New monotube shock absorbers, which are more tunable than conventional shock absorbers because the damping piston has more than twice the effective working area.
• Powerful new four-wheel vented disc brakes with an anti-lock braking system, electronic brakeforce distribution and a dual-rate booster that provides a "panic assist" in emergency situations.
• Lower overall interior sound levels. At idle, the interior sound level is only 36 decibels and road; wind and powertrain sounds are muted even under full-throttle acceleration.
• The return of the stand-up hood ornament (useful as a parking aid)
• A secondary digital speedometer in the instrument cluster that can be programmed for English or metric units (for improved visibility and to help drivers who travel between Canada and the United States)
• A 44 percent increase in total interior stowage, including a larger glove compartment and better cup holders
• Dual-zone climate control, and standard heated seats (certain models)

The GM Commercial Summer Sales Event Van Ordering Incentive program is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2001.

The $500 bonus incentive is available on all 2002 Express, Savana, Astro and Safari vans and is compatible with the National Fleet Incentives.

To receive this special offer, please submit your orders to ARI by no later than December 27, 2001. This will help to ensure that the ARI Order Specialists have sufficient processing time. 

The automaker plans to expand its commercial truck line even further by 2004, using powertrains developed by a joint venture with DaimlerChrysler AG. DaimlerChrysler agreed to become the exclusive distributor of Hyundai trucks in the U.S., after buying an interest in the company in 2000.

However, Hyundai said it would give Bering Truck Corp., a company that had been building and selling vehicles made from Hyundai components, an opportunity to become Hyundai commercial truck dealers.

The Volvo Car Corporation has unveiled the first official photos of its new luxury SUV, the XC90. The passenger car-based, all-wheel-drive XC90 is the top-of-the-line model in the Swedish automakers' new XC-line.

Trademark design elements, such as the V-shaped hood and the pronounced "shoulders", have been combined with a powerful stance and modern design. "We wanted the car to look masculine and confident, but not macho" said Peter Horbury, Volvo Vice President and Chief Designer.

The company said it takes pride in the Volvo reputation for safety, and claims the new model lives up to its standards. A key safety feature includes "technologically advanced" solutions in the area of rollover protection. The automaker also said that another high priority area when developing the new model was vehicle compatibility, or how well another passenger car tolerates impact with the larger XC90 SUV.

The XC90 accommodates seven passengers comfortably and offers a choice of either 5- or 6-cylinder petrol turbocharged engines.

The Volvo XC90 is set to debut at the Detroit Motor Show on January 7, 2002. Production will start at the Torslanda assembly plant in Sweden in 2002.

Chevrolet and GMC are offering a ZR5 Appearance Package on S-10 and Sonoma Crew Cab models. The package is now available for ordering and will be installed at TecStar prior to shipment.

Package content differs slightly between S-10 and Sonoma models. The content is as follows:

Chevrolet S-10 Crew Cab

• Specific aluminum wheels with Spectra Gray accents
• Spectra Gray wheel flares and bumpers
• ZR5 decals
• Black roof rack
• Side steps
• Bed rails *
• Available in the following colors only: 39U, 41U, 50U, 74U and 94U

GMC Sonoma Crew Cab

• Specific aluminum wheels with Sparkle Silver accents
• Body-colored bumpers
• ZR5 Decals
• Brushed aluminum roof rack
• Side steps
• Bed rails *

* A hard Tonneau cover (PDV) may be ordered in place of bed rails at an additional charge.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently released new 5-mph crash test results, which showed an improvement in overall bumper performance for the Chevy Trailblazer SUV and the Dodge Ram 1500 pickup.

Four bumper tests were conducted including front-and rear-into-flat barrier plus two localized impacts, front-into-angle-barrier and rear-into-pole. The Institutes' 5-mph crash tests are designed to assess bumper performance during the types of minor impacts that frequently occur in commuter traffic and parking lots.

The 2002 Chevy Trailblazer, which received an "acceptable" rating, sustained a total of $2,445 in damage during the four crash tests. All of the vehicle damage was confined to the bumper, sparing the body and frame. The results mark an improvement over the vehicles' predecessor - the Chevy Blazer, which received a "poor" rating, the IIHS said.

The 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup sustained $3,843 worth of total damages, which is less than half as much as the 2001 model in the same tests. Damage to the 2002 model was also confined to the bumper system only. The 2002 Ram 1500 is now rated "marginal", improving from the previous model years' "poor" rating.

For more 5-mph crash test results, please visit the IIHS website at http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/low_speed.htm.

Popular Mechanics recently presented DaimlerChrysler Corporation with a Design and Engineering Award recognizing excellence in engineering, design and innovation for the all-new 2002 Jeep Liberty.

The Jeep Liberty features an all-new coil spring independent front suspension combined with link-coil rear suspension to provide off-road capability and a new level of on-road ride and handling. It is the first Jeep vehicle to offer rack and pinion steering, which is tuned to give the driver precise control and positive feedback on-road, with enhanced durability for off-road use. The Jeep Liberty also features a patented single-action swing gate/flipper glass system.

"Our Popular Mechanics Design & Engineering Award winners rank among the greatest innovators of the year, and their winning entries are proof," said Joe Oldham, Editor-In-Chief, Popular Mechanics. "The all-new Jeep Liberty's unique four-wheel drive system makes this vehicle a true Jeep with legendary 4x4 capability for off-road driving and refined on-road handling, which makes it stand apart from the less capable sport-utility vehicles."

The 2002 Jeep Liberty

The prestigious and highly coveted Motor Trend "Car of the Year" award was again given to the Ford Thunderbird, the models' fourth time wearing the crown.  This years' winner was announced at the Motor Trend International Autoshow in Las Vegas on November 21, 2001.

The 2002 Thunderbird faced stiff competition with the largest group of contenders (27) ever to compete for the title. In identifying the winner, Motor Trend's editorial staff considered factors including design, engineering, quality, interior, special features, everyday livability, safety, performance and value.

"Ford can be proud of its modern-day reprise of a powerful American tradition," said Motor Trend Manager of Editorial Development Kevin Smith. "Not only is the Thunderbird handsome to look at, pleasing to drive, and fun to just think about, it's also a milestone development on the automotive landscape. We think it is the most significant new car for 2002 and earns its place as Motor Trend Car of the Year."