Ford, Chrysler an GM all had solid sales gains in June. Here are some highlights:

– The just-redesigned Ford Escape set a record with sales up 28% while the Ford Fusion sedan, which is about to get replaced by a newer version, also set a record. In addition, Ford Explorer sales were up 35% from last year.

– Combined sales of all seven Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac crossovers were up 30% versus a year ago. That’s great news for GM, since they are generally higher profit vehicles than cars.

– The Fiat had its fifth consecutive month of record sales. More Fiat 500 vehicles were sold during the first six months of this year than during all of 2011.

Let’s hope the good news continues.

From AutoNews.com:

DETROIT (Bloomberg) — The black Ford Explorer had a warning for the test driver at the lab in Dearborn, Mich.: “It is important for you to recheck your blood glucose now.”

The driver’s blood-sugar reading was 81 milligrams per deciliter at 6:32 a.m., the robotic female voice said in the prototype demonstration.

When he replied that it has fallen to 71, close to where he can have lightheadedness or blurry vision, the car instructed him to take some glucose tablets and check again after 30 minutes.

Then it signs off: “Have a nice drive.”

For Ford Motor Co., medical monitoring is the next key to a burst of car sales. About 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day and 26 million Americans have diabetes.

Read the full article.

Back in the 90’s the Ford Explorer was king as it kept two auto plants cranking out the best selling SUV in North America. Those days are long gone and they really seem like so long ago. The new 2011 Explorer is making it’s premiere this Monday and so far Ford has only put out sneak peaks. We do know that fuel economy will increase by approx. 30% and that in itself will get Ford plenty of attention. We’ll write more once the cover has been lifted!

From the Detroit Free Press:

When Ford lifts the curtain on its 2011 Ford Explorer — in a multi-city reveal next Monday — it also will kick off an effort to convince would-be drivers that the all-new version of its well-known SUV is a gas guzzler no more.

The public got its first look at the polished, urban Explorer America concept at the 2008 Detroit auto show, but the new Explorer, which is to arrive in dealerships late this year, isn’t expected to look much like that concept. So far, Ford has released only teaser photos of the new Explorer that show small parts of the vehicle or its new car-based silhouette. The outgoing Explorer was built on a truck platform.

Jim Farley, Ford’s group vice president of global marketing, said Tuesday that the company’s marketing team will be aggressive in convincing consumers that the new Explorer is fuel-efficient.

Read the full article here.

On the eve of the auto show it appears some interesting storylines are playing out. How about a four-cylinder Explorer? Never would have believed that just a few short years ago but it looks like it will be a reality and it could be a great move.

From Autoblog.com:

Last summer, during a preview of what was coming from Ford in 2010, the company officially announced that a 2.0-liter inline-four-cylinder Ecoboost engine would debut this year. Unfortunately, that’s about all we were told at that time. Like the 3.5-liter V6 Ecoboost, the four will be direct injected and turbocharged. We expect it will be rated somewhere in the 230-250 horsepower range, similar to a 3.0-liter naturally aspirated V6.

Read the full article here.