Quote of the week: Ford EcoSport brand marketing manager says Generation Z consumers view their cars as an extension of their phones.

Ford EcoSport. Photo: Ford Media Center.

If feeling over-targeted by marketers is a pain-point for Millennials, just wait and see what could be in store for the next generation in line: Generation Z, a cohort that includes many who have not yet even reached the tender age of 18.

Now, as the Millennial-marketing juggernaut continues apace, Ford Motor Company showed a card or two in their demographic Texas Hold 'Em hand yesterday with a news release positioning Generation Z as the ideal consumer for the subcompact SUV segment, which the automaker exemplifies with their Ford EcoSport model.

Mazda's Updated CX-3: An Example of What Tasteful Design Can Do for a Generally Boring Category—the Crossover

The crossover, or CUV, is not an automotive category that we're crazy about. We don't try to make that a secret around here. That said, it's also no secret that, at least relatively speaking, we are crazy about what Mazda has been doing design-wise recently. And the updated 2019 Mazda CX-3, which, interestingly, Mazda positions as a movement toward its next generation of vehicles, is a nice, if not earth-shattering, of what tasteful design can do for a category that, overall, is, well, shall we say somewhat lacking in the excitement department?

Porsche Unveils Refreshing New Twist on the Crossover: Meet the Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo Concept

Our first reaction? To tell the truth, we were a little perplexed.

Hmm... well, it looks a little like a Veloster from the back... doesn't it?

Then, we took a closer look. And our verdict? This, dear readers, is definitely a twist on the crossover concept that we can applaud—as ambivalent as we have been, in general, about Porsche's moves beyond the traditional sports car category.

And, to add another layer of interest, it's an electric. An electric that makes 600 horsepower.

We'll forgive the floating roof. It's still a concept, and mistakes are correctable.