Why We Need Ford's SVT

To many car buyers, the letters “SVT” don’t mean much. But like Chrysler’s SRT and GM’s SS badges, the SVT means high performance when associated with the blue oval. Or at least it used to. Ford has let the SVT badge, and the vehicles it adorned, fall to the wayside in recent years — a tell-tale sign to enthusiasts that maybe Ford really had lost its way.

But it seems Ford is slowly getting back on track by naming Hau Thai-Tang chief of the SVT operation. Who’s Hau? Just the guy behind the new Mustang and the upcoming Shelby GT500. Besides that high-powered pony car, SVT also plans a truck that most likely will be based on the recent Sport Trac Adrenaline concept.

But of vastly greater importance is the fact that the SVT treatment might filter to other vehicles in smaller ways. While we may not see another SVT Focus — a very well executed compact racer — there may be slight tweaks and new performance trims to vehicles like the popular Fusion. Perhaps Ford will even remember its past good deeds, like the Taurus SHO, and repeat the process with the good-looking Fusion. And don’t forget the Edge SUV.

With these two all-new models and their angular looks, Ford has an opportunity to make a splash via the SVT team. Thai-Tang has a good deal of leeway with the Mustang under his belt; let’s hope he does something with it.

[SVT’s Renewed Focus, AutoWeek]