After nearly 25 years, the iconic Ford Bronco is getting revamped and making a comeback with two new additions to the series' family, Dave Pericak, global director of icons at Ford, told Cheddar.
"If you look at SUVs, they're more popular now than they've ever been. In 2019, SUVs had their most sales ever. So, now is the time," he said.
The iconic off-roader's sport model is set to hit the sales floor in the U.S. later this year, according to Pericak, with the two-door and first-ever four-door versions to hit the market next year. Even as the fully gas-powered SUVs draw anticipation, they're not currently part of Ford's push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Pericak said the company will be spending more than $11.5 billion in electrification over the next several years, but noted the initial focus will be on the F-150, Mustang, and Transit.
The coronavirus pandemic has hit U.S. automakers, including Ford, where deliveries reportedly dropped by a third year-over-year in Q2. Still, Pericak is optimistic that an uptick is coming as economies reopen.
"I hope that we're going to be coming out of this coronavirus pretty soon. I think we're going to be hitting it at the right time when people have a lot of the pent up demand," he said.
Ford is set to debut the new line of vehicles on July 13.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
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