2008 Mazda Tribute

Autoblog.com-Loose lips sink ships, and we discovered that Mazda's got a hole in its boat big enough to drive the next generation Tribute through without being caught. Mazda shouldn't feel bad about these leaked photos and computer renderings of the 2008 Tribute and its interior (follow the jump for those), especially considering the Mercury Mariner has already been unveiled and Ford's done a terrible job so far of keeping the next Escape under wraps. So what do we have here? Pretty much what you'd expect, a virtually identical version of the Escape save for the grille, headlights, taillights, front and rear bumpers and side skirts. Unfortunately it's your basic badge engineering job on a vehicle that doesn't even need to exist in Mazda's lineup. This is the brand that's supposed to be sporty (Zoom Zoom, anyone?), so why does it need a boxy, unathletic SUV that looks like the least soulful of the three versions that will be sold to the public? It's place in the world is even more suspect when you consider that the very well-received CX-7 is a swoopy, athletic CUV with the sould of a sport compact. Common sense tells us that this next-gen Tribute probably cost next to nothing for Mazda to develop since Ford was picking up the tab on the Escape and Mariner. In our eyes, however, there are other costs involved with offering a discordant model in your lineup than the kind emblazoned with dead presidents. -

The second of the three sibilings released is the Tribute. Overall, I like the design, especially the CX-9 style eyelids. No doubt it will be a huge seller. A hybrid version will follow shortly after its debut.
Read Article

mstangpny07 - 11/7/2006 5:46:25 PM

+1 Boost

001 BTW the photo uploader isn't working for me.
---
To see the new Ford Escape, click
http://www.thecarconnection.com/Enthusiasts/Spy_Shots_and_Future_Cars/Spy_Shots_2008_Ford_Escape.S178.A11047.html

For the Mercury Mariner,
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/06/2008-mercury-mariner-revealed/

S4cabriofox - 11/7/2006 11:15:50 PM

+1 Boost

It looks awkward.

S4cabriofox - 11/7/2006 11:21:00 PM

+1 Boost

And it was very stupid of them to put it back in production- what's the point of it, when the five-seat, more stylish, more powerful CX-7 crossover is here?

Homer008 - 11/7/2006 11:46:41 PM

+1 Boost

hmmm, you are correct to a certain point. CX-7 is a crossover..and definitely not in a same category as in Ford Escape/Tribute which are 100% SUV..You have to think for a minute S4...these blunders aren't coming from the Japanese, I could almost guarantee its from the Ford nutjobs. Take a good look at the Isuzu and see what Ford has done on'em. Practically Smeared Hershey all over their faces and they are now faceless in the U.S. Almost non-existance..before Ford took over Isuzu had Impulse, Trooper III, Axiom and Rodeo..what have they now? Thanks ford.

UPshift - 11/8/2006 8:18:19 AM

+1 Boost

Uhhh...wasn't it GM that put the nail in Isuzu's coffin with its North American restrictions? Heck, even the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon is a facelifted Isuzu D-Max with a weirder engine.

Homer008 - 11/8/2006 8:58:51 AM

+1 Boost

Upshift, you stand correct!

It was GM not a Ford. The Isuzu supplied GM's truck engines..Its called "Duramax" series on their heavy duty trucks.

S4cabriofox - 11/7/2006 11:19:10 PM

+1 Boost

The new Escape is weird, too. They all have very ugly interiors.

We've already seen the Mariner.

Homer008 - 11/7/2006 11:49:27 PM

+1 Boost

correct. They are profitless vehicles from the consumers point..Ford's business tactics are pure blunder from the gicko.


sheepdog

Aldairion - 11/7/2006 11:33:04 PM

+1 Boost

Looks good...pretty agressive for a small SUV.

The CX-7 will cannibalize the sales of this though...

kart1 - 11/8/2006 12:32:49 AM

+2 Boost

Ford is a company which had market leaders in Taurus, Explorer and Ranger. Yet they failed to keep them going and thus loosing consumer trust. So these types of decisions are not as major as failing to keep the Ranger going.

UPshift - 11/8/2006 8:13:57 AM

+1 Boost

Looks worse than the vehicle it replaces and I also agre on the consensus that it isn't neeeded with the CX-7 and such in the lineup.