The last generation of the Thunderbird was made between 2002 and 2005 and it was not as successful as Ford hoped. This is mostly because the personal luxury car market was in the bring of extinction. Currently, there are not that many cars to fit this market but it seems some manufacturers are looking to get back. One of them may be Ford which has been rumored to release a new car. The Ford Thunderbird 2018 has been rumored ever since the late 2015 and it is expected to be based on the same platform as the Fusion. This also means that the car may be a front wheel drive luxury coupe which would be quite problematic for Ford. Competitors would include the C-Class coupe and the 4 Series BMW which are both well-established cars.
In detail
Throughout the years, the Thunderbird was one of Ford’s highest end models in terms of personal vehicles. This may be the case in the future as well. Ford’s top-end model in the present is the Taurus which may be discontinued at the end of the year. In its place, Ford may start to import a Chinese-made car. The Thunderbird is expected to be the two-door version of that car. Unlike the Taurus though, the Thunderbird should get more features, better engines, and more customization options. This will give Ford an edge over its rivals and it will allow them to be the first to release a new personal luxury coupe on the US market.
Source:carsintrend.com
Ford Thunderbird 2018 Release Date and Price
The car’s release date is unknown but we may see a production-ready model in early 2018. The price may be closer to $40,000 which is quite a bit more than a Taurus. However, it should also offer more so the value for money will likely be similar.
New 2018 Thunderbird Design
Since it was released the car’s looks varied dramatically over the years. It was available as a coupe or as a convertible and at one time it was basically just a Mustang with a different front end. The upcoming Ford Thunderbird 2018 is expected to be nothing like its predecessor. The car may receive a new design with cues taken from both the Mustang and the Taurus. The end result should be the perfect blend of aggressive traits and class. If Ford manages to get this right then they should have no problem at getting on the market a successful car. The interior of the Thunderbird is more than likely going to boast four seats with plenty of room for four adults. The materials, and likely the design, should be similar to what Lincoln has to offer in their higher end models.
Source:caranddriver.com
Under the hood
We do hope the 2018 Ford Thunderbird is going to feature a rather exotic powertrain. Unfortunately, though, in this price range, the car is more than likely going to get the already proven engines found in the Fusion. Expect the base model to receive a 2 or 2.3 liter EcoBoost with over 250 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. Further up the range, we may see either a 2.7 or 3 liter EcoBoost with north of 300 horsepower. In both cases, Ford’s new 9-speed automatic should be offered as standard. While the base model will likely get front wheel drive, an all-wheel drive system should be available in most other versions. Some also suggested that a hybrid powertrain could be offered. With the exception of the one found in the Fusion, they don’t really have another offering. This is unlikely to be used because it is not as powerful or as efficient as it should, especially for a car in this class.
