Filed under: Performance, Truck, Ford, First Drives, Off-Road

Exhilaration At 1 MPH

When thinking about the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, one tends to picture an orange meteor barreling across the desert at absurd velocities, flying through the air, long-travel suspension dangling its dirty bits below. That’s partially because desert storming and bombing down muddy, root-strewn fire roads was the Special Vehicle Team’s design brief, and partially because those environs have dominated Ford’s advertising efforts. Marketing shtick aside, there’s little doubt that the Raptor has that Kool-Aid Man “Oooh, Yeah!” wall-crashing thing going on better than any other vehicle on sale today.

In fact, if you tend to picture the Raptor exclusively in terms of yumps and dry creekbeds, you’re not alone. Ford and SVT kind of admit they did, too. But in building this street-legal trophy truck, they’ve come to realize that they unwittingly created a vehicle that’s far more versatile than originally envisioned. Case in point: Back in 2009, a massive snowstorm crippled the ability of Ford staffers and media members trying to reach the Chicago Auto Show. In particular, Mark Fields and other key execs had to journey from Dearborn to the Windy City, and company pilots refused to take off in the horrible weather. Fields and some other executives settled on boarding the train, arriving haggard eight hours later and barely making their press conference. SVT boss Jamal Hameedi and his crew elected to travel by Raptor. Driving their trucks through inches of thick slush and ice in the fast lane at more-or-less normal highway speeds (while what little traffic was sharing the road crawled along with hazard lights aglow) was a revelation. Despite building the thing, Team SVT simply didn’t expect something with wide, knobby tires and a higher center of gravity to cut through the frigid slurry like that.

It’s exactly this sort of discovery process that led us to the foot of the smoothly picturesque red rocks seen here. We had arrived in a convoy of eight 2012 Raptors, having taken the easy hour’s drive from Grand Junction, Colorado to Moab, Utah to tackle Hell’s Revenge, a well-known 4×4 trail over this otherworldly terrain that doesn’t take kindly to larger vehicles like our full-size SuperCab pickups. Solid bets for tackling Hell’s Revenge include Jeep CJs and Wranglers, Toyota FJ Cruiser 4x4s and so on – vehicles with exceptional approach, departure and breakover angles. Even with its raised suspension and ground clearance of 11.2 inches front and 12.1 rear, we couldn’t help but feel a bit sheepish about the Raptor’s chances.

Continue reading 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Crossover, Ford, New Automobile Evaluations

EcoBoost Finds Right Mix Of Power, Efficiency

The sport utility automobile became an endangered species not lengthy following fuel prices began to skyrocket. But while automobile buyers changed their shopping habits, they didn’t actually stray that far from the SUV formula. Several of today’s hottest-promoting vehicles are crossovers essentially the very same tall wagons as the SUV, but with a lighter unibody chassis.

Among other items, the CUV promised to deliver superior efficiency, and although some improvement has been evident, in a lot of circumstances, the genre’s fuel savings have failed to impress. A great case in point is the Ford Edge. When Ford’s two-row CUV entered the marketplace in 2007, it managed only 24 miles per gallon on the highway, and several buyers struggled to hit 20 mpg in mixed driving cycles. There had been plenty of factors for its unimpressive efficiency. Most crossovers remain substantially heavier than a comparable 4-door sedan, and with plenty of frontal region, they do not specifically slice via the wind. But possibly the largest problem has been unevolved powertrains.

Ford thinks it has the answer to that problem in the form of its new EcoBoost two.-liter 4-cylinder engine. Ford is employing the compact, turbocharged mill in a variety of crossovers, such as the 2012 Ford Edge, and we sampled a well-equipped Edge Limited to see how successful the Blue Oval’s engine downsizing method is going.

Continue reading 2012 Ford Edge Limited EcoBoost

2012 Ford Edge Limited EcoBoost originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Blue Oval trademark has made Ford one of the world’s top brands, according to auto critic Giles Chapman. In 2004, Ford Motor was the 19th-most valuable brand, according to Businessweek magazine’s annual Global Brands Survey. Early this year, Ford Motor Co. matched Toyota Motor Corp. as the most favorably viewed auto brand by US consumers in a survey released by Consumer Reports magazine.

But such is expected, however, for this automobile company responsible for bringing to the world the iconic Model T in 1908—the car that would turn millions of Americans into motorists and integrate mass production into carmaking.

Today, despite stiff competition from Japanese, Korean and European automakers, Ford is still a formidable global player, keeping alive the dreams of the early American industrialists. In fact, Ford is the aggressor in the Asian car market. In the Philippines, in particular, the drum roll for Uncle Sam’s Blue Oval has become even louder. Not to sound cheesy, but we do feel a Fiesta coming on with this automaker.

So the young, aggressive executives at Ford Philippines have just declared that 2011 has been their year, claiming that they are the “fastest-growing automotive brand in the Philippines this year,” their overall year-to-date sales “continued to lead the industry.”

They have the numbers to back this claim up. The January to October 2010 and 2011 year-to-date sales figures supplied by Ford Philippines show that the blockbuster Fiesta enjoyed a 154-percent increase, the mid-sized SUV Everest 110 percent, the Explorer at 725 percent, the Ranger pickup at 105 percent, and the compact SUV Escape at 29 percent.

Ford Philippines said that 2011 has been a banner year. Its overall sales from January to October rose 50 percent year over-year to 7,963.

For the month of October, Ford’s retail sales jumped 101 percent year over year to 834 units, led by the continued success of the all-new Fiesta and popular Ford Everest, as well as the launch of the all-new Ford Explorer.

8 more in 5 years

“To sustain our momentum, we will introduce eight more all-new One Ford vehicles in the Philippines over the next five years (the Ranger included)—significantly expanding our showroom lineup and introducing our brand to many new customer segments. And to support our growth, we are doubling our dealership network over the next five years,” said Ford Philippines in a statement sent to Inquirer Motoring.

“Our One Ford plan is working. Customer’s perception about the Ford brand continues to strengthen, thanks to our ongoing introduction of new products that are leading in quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart design and value.”

The statement added that “this product-led transformation of our business was marked by the launch of the all-new Ford Fiesta.”

“We expect this will continue to gain momentum, and accelerate, with the recent launch of the all-new Ford Explorer this October and the all-new Ford Ranger later this year. Behind these great products is the hardworking and dedicated Ford team and dealer network who make things happen. They bring their best every day so we can deliver to our customers.”

Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Ford, New Car Reviews

The Pony Car’s Best Ambassador

Despite extolling their many carnal virtues for years, we know that there’s still a sizable group of enthusiasts who have never managed to wrap their heads around the idea of owning a pony car. We’ve heard all the excuses before, from complaints about refinement, Jurassic underpinnings and muscle-straining inputs to shopworn stereotypes about the people who drive them. Thing is, if we’re being honest, many of these same notions have troubled us as well – even those of us who have triumphed over our prejudices and actually bought one of the things.

Well, boys and girls, Ford finally has a four-wheeled answer for the naysayers and skeptics: The Mustang Boss 302. Just as bacon is the gateway meat for wayward vegetarians, the orange crush seen here is the four-wheeled, applewood-smoked come-on for pony car doubters. Better still, unlike that tasty bit of swine dining, it’s nearly guilt-free.

The 2012 Boss 302 may carry the namesake of Ford’s legendary 1969 competition car, and it might work a treat on racetracks, but Ford has made sure it’s an honest-to-Detroit everyday proposition, not just a weekend warrior for waxing overconfident BMW M and Mercedes-Benz AMG preeners.

Continue reading 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Philippines announced yesterday its best all-time monthly performance in September with retail sales rising 57 to 965 units from a year ago.

In a statement, the firm said Ford’s record September was led by another robust month from the increasingly popular All-New Ford Fiesta, which delivered retail sales of 345 units — its best monthly performance since being launched last year.

On Oct. 15, Ford Philippines will celebrate the first anniversary of the class-leading Fiesta – Ford’s best-selling nameplate in the Philippines – with a grand get-together in Manila of Fiesta owners, Ford Club Philippines members and the Fiesta Facebook community.

“It’s so exciting to see these incredible sales numbers, and particularly the way our customers embrace the All-New Fiesta, which continues to be one of the leaders in the highly competitive small car segment,” said Randy Krieger, president, Ford Group Philippines.

The popular Ford Everest posted sales of 320 units in September, up 47 percent from a year ago and the strongest monthly sales since December 2009.

“These terrific numbers provide us with enormous confidence as we launch the All-New Explorer and gear up for the launch of the All-New Ford Ranger early next year, two vehicles we know that our customers will love,” Krieger said.

Ford’s overall sales continue to be robust, rising 45 percent year-over-year to 7,129 and making Ford the fastest growing automotive brand in the Philippines this year.

The All-New Fiesta has accounted for sales of 2,638 units year-to-date, while the Ford Everest has booked total retail sales of 2,091 units.

By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio, Philippine Star

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Filed under: Hybrid, Truck, Ford, Toyota

Is the Prius V not big enough for you? Then you’ll probably be interested to learn that Ford and Toyota announced a partnership today to develop a new hybrid system for SUVs and light trucks. The “equal partners” deal should result in a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain that will be ready “later this decade” – in other words, in time for the higher CAFE standards that the U.S. government just announced.

The exact models that will use the new powertrain are, unsurprisingly, not being revealed. Instead, all we know is that Toyota and Ford will develop a rear-wheel-drive hybrid system that will improve the efficiency of trucks and SUVs while still allowing them to be driven in the way customers expect them to. The powertrain’s architecture will most likely not be the same as what is used in the dominant Hybrid Synergy Drive that Toyota has refined over the past 14 years in the Prius.

The reason no one knows for sure? All that Ford and Toyota have as this moment is a Memorandum of Understanding. The next step will be a feasibility study to figure out what the exact implementation path will be, with the general outline being that the companies will work together on a powerplant that will be used independently in models that are specific to each company (i.e., this is not about sharing a platform or models, just a RWD hybrid powerplant). The two automakers will also work together on in-vehicle telematics.

Today’s announcement could further confuse some people’s understanding of the history of hybrid technology, since it has long been an urban legend that Ford licensed its earlier hybrid tech from Toyota. This did not happen, as we explained back in 2009.

Continue reading Ford, Toyota will partner on RWD hybrid system for trucks and SUVs

Ford, Toyota will partner on RWD hybrid system for trucks and SUVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: SUV, Ford, First Drives

Another Step On The More-With-Less Path

Ford is no stranger to convincing buyers to embrace smaller displacement, forced-induction engines over their larger, naturally-aspirated counterparts. A little less than a year ago, skeptics wondered whether typically change-averse full-size truck consumers would be willing to swap their tried-and-true V8 for the turbocharged V6 EcoBoost engine now available in the F-150. According to Ford, that question has been answered – fully 41 percent of its half-ton pickups are rolling out the door with a forced-induction six-cylinder under the hood.

There’s no great mystery behind the trend. As fuel prices have inched their way upward, vehicle shoppers have begun to count efficiency among the biggest factors that influence their final decision. According to Ford, a whopping 35 percent of Explorer buyers count the vehicle’s fuel efficiency as the biggest reason behind their purchase.

Now the Dearborn-based automaker is hoping to repeat the success of the F-150 with the Explorer, and its smaller stablemate, the Edge, by welcoming a new, smaller engine to the EcoBoost family: a 2.0-liter turbocharged direct-injected inline four-cylinder. This engine boasts more torque and greater fuel efficiency than the standard 3.5-liter V6, but gives up a few horses and will cost shoppers an additional $995 when it hits dealers.

Continue reading 2012 Ford Explorer EcoBoost

2012 Ford Explorer EcoBoost originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Motor Company Philippines, the lone exporter of completely built-up (CBUs) vehicles in the country, will have to increase its local content to over 50% in order to continue enjoying incentives under the Auto Export Program (AEP).

Ford is the country’s lone volume CBU exporter being the only participant in the Automotive Export Program of the Board of Investments.

Under the newly crafted AEP which has yet to be signed by President Aquino, local exporters will only be able to enjoy incentives if the local content of their vehicles are 50% and above. The 50% local component will not include labor, only parts.

“We want to motivate Ford to go over 50%,” Board of Investments (BOI) managing head Cristino L. Panlilio told reporters in an interview.

Panlilio explained that under the old AEP that already lapsed, the local content was not an issue. Rather it was volume based.

“We would like to encourage car parts manufacturers to produce more by making car assemblers use more local content,” he explained. “The higher the local content, the higher the tax credit.”

As of now, Panlilio said Ford is not receiving any incentives to export but continues to sell overseas. Data released by FGP showed that exports for January to March 2011 stood at 1,816 units, higher than the 1,704 units exported during the same period in 2010.

Ford is exporting Focus, Escape and Mazda 3. The Focus and Escape are being sold in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand while the Mazda 3 goes to Thailand.

Earlier, Panlilio said the government will cut in half the export requirement in the AEP in an attempt to encourage more local manufacturers to sell CBUs overseas.

“We are looking at cutting in half the quota in the export plan,” Panlilio said. Firms must be able to export 10,000 units in order to avail of the incentives.

“It is harder to export because of the conditions and the agreements (free trade agreements) that the government is entering,” Panlilio said. “We are still studying the possible solution to this problem.” He said that even with incentives it has been difficult to export vehicles.

“What is the point of coming out with the export program if no one will avail. We have to think out of the box now,” Panlilio added.

Car manufacturers have already submitted their position paper to the BOI. Auto firms asked the government to strengthen the domestic base before encouraging firms to export locally manufactured vehicles (LMV).

By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio, The Philippine Star

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Three car companies—Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp., Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. and Ford Group Philippines—posted modest sales in the first six months of the year.

MMPC continued turning in robust sales, selling 16,865 units for a 24 percent market share in the first semester and registering a 7.7 percent growth in the same period.

As a result, MMPC became the current market leader in total commercial vehicles with sales of 15,997 for the first semester (based on a year to date figures).

The company’s commercial vehicle sales grew by 10.5 percent from the same period last year. It sold 15,759 light commercial vehicles as well as 238 trucks and buses.

MMPC VP for marketing services Froilan Dytianquin said the company remains positive that MMPC will further increase its sales volume in the second half with coming upgrades and additional variants to its core models.

“However, as Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Japan and Thailand manufacturing plants are working on full capacity due to increasing global demand especially for Montero and Strada models, we shall exert full efforts to be able to serve the market requirements which we anticipate to further pick up in the remaining months,” said Dytianquin.

MMPC’s strong performace in the light commercial category can be attributed to the strong demand and wide market acceptance of the Montero Sports as well as Strada making them bestsellers in the total mid-size SUV and total double cab pick up categories, respectively.

Sales of the Montero Sport reached 6,408 units while 1,996 units of the Strada pick ups were sold in the first half for an increase of 3.7 percent and 3 percent respectively compared to the same period last year.

Moreover, locally manufactured models such as the Adventure Asian utility vehicle and L300 van also topped their particular segments as MMPC sold a total of 3,553 units of the Adventure while L300 sales reached 3,163 in the first half for a 14.5 percent and 8.5 percent increase respectively.

Both Adventure and L300 remain a favorite of companies for their fleet requirements, as well as small scale entrepreneurs due its low cost maintenance and highly reliable performance. In fact, these models remain to be significant part of MMPC’s vehicle line-up as they contribute to providing more assembly opportunities for the company’s current manpower.

The Philippine automotive industry closed the first half of the year with a slight decrease of 1.6 percent, registering sales of 70,000 units.

Hyundai Asia Resources Inc., the country’s distributor of the top-Korean brand in the country, capped the first semester sales with a modest 5 percent growth over the same period in 2010 driven by sales of its passenger car category.

Hari cited expanding market acceptance of the new Accent, Elantra, and Sonata models (apart from the including the H-100 and Santa Fe models).

Hari president Fe Perez-Agudo reported that for the January to June period total sales hit 10,355 units from 9,834 units in the same period last year.

“This was largely driven by the 18 percent rise in PC sales to 4,726 units from 4,004 units sold in the same period last year,” Agudo said.

For passenger cars, Hari’s sales for the month of June shoot up 62 percent to 1,415 units from 871 units in June the previous year.

Meanwhile, Hari’s LCV sales hit 5,629 units during this six months period, a slight 3 percent difference from the 5,830 units sold in the same period last year.

Because of strong global demand for the Tucson and Starex model, Hari was only able to deliver 878 units this June, a 24 percent difference from the 1,160 units sold in the same period last year.

Sales of vehicles under the Ford brand in the Philippines surged 63 percent – 3,968 units in the first five months, despite a temporary work stoppage implemented in April and a reduction in production because of the recent crisis in Japan.

According to Ford Group Philippines, sales in May alone jumped 85 percent to 817 units, driven by the strong performance of their Fiesta sub-compact model.

“Sales of the all-new Fiesta are contributing to our strong performance and underscore its strategic role in transforming our business. The Fiesta is attracting a wide range of Filipino customers who appreciate its class-leading style, smart technology, superior fuel efficiency and unmatched safety in a small car,” FGP president Randy Krieger said in a statement.

The FGP sold 324 units of the Fiesta last month, bringing total Fiesta sales to 1,406 units from January to May thus making the brand, FGP’s strongest-selling nameplate.

Sales of FGP’s other strong models, the Everest, increased by 47 percent in May to 226 units. FGP also sold 102 units of the Ranger, an improvement of 38 percent from the same month last year, and 62 units of the Focus.

“We’re continuing to experience strong demand across our full product lineup, and that is contributing to our sales performance. It’s a strong indication that our One Ford strategy is working, and we’re offering the right vehicles in this market that suit a diverse range of Filipino lifestyles and requirements,” Krieger said.

The March 11 earthquake in Japan damaged plants producing crucial auto parts and components as well as critical logistics hubs, effectively causing a disruption in the auto supply chain.

This forced FGP to advanced 18 scheduled down days in April while waiting for the necessary parts and components to be delivered to the country.

According to FGP, the temporary shutdown of its manufacturing facility in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, was merely precautionary, to ensure that the parts on inventory would be enough to last the company until fresh supplies come in.

Journal Online

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Filed below: Automobile Buying, Ford, Lincoln, High end

It looks like Cadillac just isn’t the only American luxurious automaker throwing the hammer and nails at its showrooms. In accordance to Automotive News, stand-by yourself Lincoln dealers located in urban areas are expected to spend at least $ one million in showroom renovations over the subsequent two many years.

Executives at Ford anticipate even far more from these dealers who promote the two Ford and Lincoln merchandise. Those tons will be needed to devote about $ 1.9 million about the same span of time. Ford CEO Alan Mulally made the announcement at a meeting with more than 120 dealers from about the country.

What transpires if the renovations aren’t completed? Automotive News, sourcing dealers who have been at the meeting, says that Ford will find to reacquire noncompliant dealers’ franchise licenses for compensation.

The transfer is component of an overall program to jump start Lincoln product sales from 86,000 models currently to 162,00 units by 2015. The renovations are anticipated to commence by the end of this 12 months and wrap up by 2013, just in time for the kick off of a redesigned MKZ sedan and a new crossover created on the bones of the Ford Concentrate.

Ford requiring Lincoln dealers to invest $ 1 million each and every to renovate showrooms originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, thirteen Jun 2011 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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