is the S80 a sign of Fords to come?
May 16th, 2006...’Four-C’ adaptive dampers with comfort, sport or ‘advanced’ settings [are available] but the differences aren’t huge. You can also have power steering adjustable to three levels of assistance, but the feel is artificial in all of them… In some ways the new in-line six, matched to front-wheel drive, is more pleasing… Furnishings? The matt wood looks either Scandi-cool or plastic according to your viewpoint… The rear doors shut with a surprising clang, the column stalks feel hollow, the climate control makes the cabin too stuffy. It’s a well-made car, and that ‘floating’ centre console adds to the internal airiness, but compared with German rivals the quality is skin-deep. – evo
Commentary: Traditionally when GM buys a brand, it invariably forces engineers to use existing parts and runs the company into the ground. In contrast Ford tends to supply companies it takes over with the money needed for R&D required to improve product dynamics and quality.
The S80’s platform will serve as the basis of a number of new models in Ford’s global line-up… I can’t help but wonder if this car’s lack of attention to detail, like that in the Fustion and the Miata, are a harbinger of the kind of products we’ll be seeing from Ford and its sub-brands until the corporation is less preoccupied with its shaky financial footing…