Phil Proctor at Planet Proctor has revealed that Ford Motors and French auto giant Renault are planning to produce a new mini-car for the American market to compete with the Cooper Mini and other small cars. The ultra-compact vehicle, which will target American women, will be an engineering merger of the reliable Renault Clio and Ford’s popular Taurus brand.
The Ford ‘Clio-Taurus,’ as it’s slated to be called, will initially only be available in pink with a soft top.
A spokeswoman for the new car said Ford is confident the Clio-Taurus will be practically theft-proof, as the average male car thief won’t be able to locate it, much less turn it on.
There have been complaints, however, based on prototype test drives, that the mini regularly leaks transmission fluid monthly, and, as Phil Proctor notes, “can be a real bitch to start in the morning.” Often, you can’t even get it to turn over at all on cold mornings.
Despite those concerns, Ford and Renault expect bang-up sales when the vehicle is released in North America and plan a saturation ad campaign centered around the slogan, “The Clio-Taurus: Once You’ve Handled It, You’ll Never Let Go!”
The Clio-Taurus should be available to the American market in 2013.
