US DoT makes rear-view cameras compulsory

The US Department of Transportation (DoT) has issued a new safety standard for rear visibility that requires mandatory fitment of rear-view cameras. The ruling applies to all new vehicles, excluding motorcycles, weighing under 10,000 pounds (4,536kg) sold from 2018. The ruling has been introduced to cut backover crashes, caused when the victim strays into the blind zone 10-40 feet (3-12m) behind the vehicle that the driver can't see using their mirrors alone.

Walking on the Edge: Ford blings out 2011 Sport crossover with 22s, blacked-out grille

“Dude, that is sick,” a rival designer gushed to Ford's Doyle Letson when the 2011 Edge Sport was revealed at the Chicago auto show last winter. “What does it look like with the real wheels on?” Letson replied, “Those are the real wheels.” The rollers in question are 22-inch forged aluminum wheels with tuxedo-black spoke accents wrapped in Pirelli tires. They look like they're stolen from a SEMA concept, and they're perhaps the single most distinguishing feature on the Sport model, which launches with the rest of the redone Edge lineup later this summer.

2014 Ford Transit Connect Wagon announced

Ford has introduced the 2014 Transit Connect Wagon, a vehicle the automaker is calling “so unique it is a revolution in seven-passenger transportation.” We won't know whether or not it is truly revolutionary until we can get behind the wheel, but at first glance, the new vehicle appears to be a very tall wagon or a small minivan, or a Transit Connect with larger windows. The Transit Connect Wagon is tied to Ford's current car lineup aesthetically via the characteristic Blue Oval hexagonal grille, but it's the van/wagon's utility that will likely become its biggest selling point. Ford claims the Transit Connect Wagon will be able to swallow a 1,200 lb.