Ford has a new parking system that automatically steers your vehicle into a parallel parking space. Using front and rear ultrasonic sensors and electric power steering, Ford's Active Park Assist can quickly and accurately get you into that street space.
But, you ask, "Doesn't Lexus already have this same parking system?" Yes, Lexus was the first to have a self-parking system and it was initially greeted with much fanfare, but that has since faded.
However, the two systems have significant differences in technical specification and performance. The result is that Ford's Active Park Assist is superior to the Lexus system.
Let's look at the Ford parking system and see how Lexus' parking guidance compares.
Lexus Advanced Parking Guidance system uses ultrasonic (sonar) sensors to acquire the available space and determine if the vehicle will fit. For the actual parking maneuver, the Lexus system relies on a camera system when the vehicle is reversing. Ford's Active Park assist uses only ultrasonic sensors for its entire system.
Ford claims that their ultrasonic-based system is unaffected by rain, fog, and dirt, which could have a negative impact on a camera-based system. This is true, but in practice, the Lexus system is rarely influenced by these conditions.
However, Ford's parking system is much easier to use, with a simpler interface than Lexus, although the Lexus Navi display graphical interface is appealing and appears more high tech as it shows surrounding vehicles, the parking space, and trajectories.
With the Ford system, the driver presses but a single switch near the transmission shifter. After that a simple two-line display shows when the system is searching and when it finds a space. It then gives the driver instructions on pulling forward, stopping, and removing hands from the wheel when putting the vehicle in reverse. The requisite auditory beeps accompany each command. Grab the steering wheel and the maneuver is cancelled.
Where the Ford system excels is in speed and accuracy of parking, and the ability to park on hills. The Lexus parking is lacking in all three of these areas, especially the ability to handle any type of grade.
Because of safety concerns, Lexus cancels parking operation once the driver touches the accelerator pedal. And because there is insufficient engine torque at idle speed to climb all but the slightest grade, parking on hills is nearly impossible. Ford's system allows for throttle application to help the vehicle into the space.
Another big difference between the two is that the Ford system will allow for up to two corrections if the first backing maneuver is incorrect. For example, if the initial reverse approach is at too shallow of an attack angle, the driver could stop, put the vehicle in drive, then let the vehicle automatically steer forward to straighten (shown in the video). The Lexus system won't straighten or pull-up with a forward maneuver at all; that must be done manually by the driver.
Lexus had the first self-park system, and it was great for impressing your friends or potential buyers on a test drive. But Ford's Active Park Assist, while not as sexy in its Human Machine Interface as the Lexus system, is much more practical in everyday use.
Active Park Assist is available now on the Ford Escape Hybrid and Flex, and Lincoln MKT and MKS for $395, $550, $595, and $535, respectively.
If you live in an urban area and frequently park on the street, it's worth it.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Subcompact Is No Longer a Four-Letter Word
Proponents of the subcompact car will tell you that its low purchase price and handy dimensions deliver a combination that can't be matched for efficiency and practicality. Its detractors turn up their noses because they don't want to drive a slow, cramped tin box.
Taking up the ground between these camps are two modern examples of the subcompact car that demonstrate that driving enjoyment and frugality don't have to be mutually exclusive: the 2009 Honda Fit and 2009 Ford Fiesta. The former is one of the best small cars you can buy. So is the latter, with one crucial caveat for those of us here in the land of baseball and apple pie — you can't yet buy one here.
A New Challenger Faces the Best of the Establishment
The 2009 Ford Fiesta serves as Ford's entry in the so-called B-segment, positioned just below the Focus in terms of size and price. Though a sales darling in Europe, the Fiesta has been absent in the subcompact-averse U.S. market. Then the world went to hell, and Ford reconsidered.
Only the Blue Oval knows the gory details of how the Fiesta will be equipped when it's finally sold Stateside as a 2011 model. And it's not talking.
As such, we've take some liberties in this comparison test. The Squeeze Lime green Fiesta you see here is a Euro-spec four-door hatchback in range-topping Titanium trim, equipped with leather upholstery, keyless entry, rain-sensing wipers and automatic climate control. There's no guarantee that you'll be able to buy a Fiesta outfitted exactly like this one when the model finally appears on the floor at dealerships in the U.S. Also, its $19,358 as-tested price tag is an estimate we conjured up based on the Fiesta's positioning overseas.
The 2009 Ford Fiesta has been developed as a true world car, so differences in specification across global markets are minimized in an effort to reduce development costs and time-to-market. Although details are thin on the ground, we do know that the 2011 Ford Fiesta for the U.S. will be a tweaked version of today's Fiesta and will be powered by a 1.6-liter engine similar to the one in our Kermit green car.
From the size of its shadow to its low-impact $18,820 blow to the wallet, the 2009 Honda Fit matches up very well to the Fiesta. Although our Fit is equipped with no options per se, Honda crafts its model lineup such that options are bundled together and offered as trim levels. Hence the navigation system and upsized 16-inch wheels found on our top-of-the-line Fit Sport.
If you're a regular visitor to Inside Line, you'll recognize the blazing metallic orange 2009 Honda Fit Sport as a resident of our long-term test fleet. Don't cry foul over the 11,000 miles on our Fit's clock, as neither of these cars is exactly brand-spanking new. The Fiesta in this test is a refugee from Ford's Fiesta Movement program and its odometer reads more than 17,000 miles.
Delivering on the Small-Car PromiseAlthough the handling numbers we extracted from these cars don't reveal a huge chasm in performance between them, there's an asterisk — the Fiesta's stability control can't be disengaged, and this puts an artificial cap on its ultimate capabilities. As such, the Fiesta's modest 0.81g grip on our skid pad and 65.5-mph slalom speed could otherwise have been grippier and quicker yet. (Dear Ford: Include a button to switch off ESP for the U.S.-spec Fiesta.)
Still, the 2,443-pound Fiesta is the more rewarding drive here. Its steering is a benchmark in this class, from the weighting of its effort to the immediate and linear response of the chassis. Paired with firm-yet-compliant suspenders, the Fiesta feels at once substantial and lithe. You're reminded of a more expensive car in the way this car takes to the road.
Keep in mind our 2009 Ford Fiesta tester is on summer tires, which do more than simply increase outright grip at the expense of tire life; they also contribute to the Fiesta's superior steering feel and short braking distances (118 feet from 60 mph). (Dear Ford: The Fiesta's steering and handling are key factors underpinning its appeal. Don't neuter the U.S.-spec car's spunkiness by specifying crappy tires or stuffing marshmallows in its suspension.)
The 2,511-pound 2009 Honda Fit is a similarly nimble little thing. Its steering is quick around center and the little bugger can even be coaxed into a neutral cornering stance if you get rowdy and abrupt with it when the stability control has been switched off. Threading our slalom cones at 64.4 mph and generating 0.82g on our skid pad, the Fit makes the most of its 185/55R16 all-season tires. Its braking performance is mediocre, consuming 138 feet to reach a standstill from 60 mph.
Performance numbers don't tell you much about the way these cars drive in day-to-day use, though. The Fit's comically low-effort shift linkage could have come straight out of an arcade, and its steering needs constant subtle corrections to keep the car traveling in a straight line. It's nervous where the Fiesta is confident. The bottom line is that the Fiesta has moved the needle of small-car dynamics and in doing so has made the Fit feel more toylike by comparison.
Not Terribly Quick by the Clock
Similarly, the Fiesta's acceleration also suffers from its non-defeatable traction control. It reached 60 mph in 9.4 seconds (9.1 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) and the quarter-mile in 16.9 at 82.1 mph in our testing, results which aren't far off the Honda's sprints of 9.5 seconds (9.4 seconds with rollout) and 16.9 seconds at 81.1 mph. This performance by the 2009 Honda Fit is a few tenths off the pace we measured when it was new, suggesting that perhaps the launch surface at our testing facility had more bite back then.
Nobody's going to be launching these things drag-strip-style, so the dead-heat acceleration numbers are a bit misleading. In the real world of stop-and-go traffic and squirting around trucks on the freeway, the 2009 Ford Fiesta is much more eager than the Honda Fit. Low-end torque is surprisingly ample in the Fiesta's 1.6-liter mill, an engine of uncanny smoothness with a deliciously fruity intake note. Keeping up in the Fit isn't as rewarding, whether it's in terms of these abstractions or actual velocity.
Our Fiesta tester's 1.6-liter four produces 118 horsepower and 112 pound-feet of torque on the U.S. equivalent of about 90-octane fuel. (Dear Ford: Honda found 117 hp and 106 lb-ft from its 1.5-liter engine on 87 octane. Find a way to retain the sauce's spice on 87-octane fuel.)
The Fiesta's five-speed manual shifts somewhat more like a real gearbox than the Fit's, though the linkage is a bit more vague and there's a shorter-ratio 5th gear that results in more revs at freeway speeds than U.S. consumers will be accustomed to. A slightly taller gear would also deliver better fuel economy during those long trips for which the sophisticated Fiesta is well-suited.
In Practice
If the 2009 Ford Fiesta has the Fit beat in terms of dynamics, the tables turn when it comes to utility. The Honda Fit is simply a small miracle of packaging. This is a small car that doesn't fall victim to the usual small-car compromises. Its unusually large door apertures and low floor ease ingress, practically presenting the driver seat to your bum.
Once you're inside, the Fit's breezier cabin has noticeably more elbow room and slightly better sight lines than in the high-waisted Fiesta. Both headroom and legroom are noticeably more crowded in the Fiesta's backseat than in the Fit.
The cargo area of the 2009 Honda Fit also edges the Fiesta. When the backseat is up, there's little difference in volume between the two cars, but the Fit flat-out embarrasses the Fiesta when the seat is stowed. Honda's articulating backseat transforms the space behind the front seats into a flat, low loading floor, while the Fiesta's thick rear seatbacks simply flop forward, forming a cargo volume shaped more like a pinched wedge.
Cabin material quality is generally better in the Ford and the layout presents more gracefully than the Fit's polarizing design aesthetic. Save for the Fiesta center stack's chintzy silver plastic, you're surrounded mostly by textured black surfaces that appear richer than those in the Honda.
However, the Honda's secondary controls — window switches, wiper interface, center stack controls — are more consistently located right where you expect them and operate more intuitively. (Dear Ford: Rethink the Fiesta's secondary controls for the U.S market.)
A New Phenomenon
In a way, this comparison is a matter of horses for courses, as each car has distinct strengths that will appeal to different buyers — the Fit for its practicality and the Fiesta for its superior driving experience.
The 2009 Ford Fiesta emerges victorious because it sweats the small stuff. Steering feel isn't something its buyer would expect, yet the Fiesta delivers. Same goes for its soothing engine note. Or the way the steering wheel feels custom-made for your hands, or the mechanical sound of the door latch. In the Fiesta, Ford has elevated the subcompact concept to something that's a bit more special than even the very accomplished 2009 Honda Fit.
True, factoring in the pivotal issues of equipment and cost here has involved some hocus-pocus. Yet the Fiesta's lead in our scoring is such that Ford will have to comprehensively botch things up on the value front for the 2011 Ford Fiesta to fail in the U.S. If Ford could rejigger the Fiesta's backseat to perform the shenanigans of the one in the Fit, it would really be onto something. (Dear Ford...)
Taking up the ground between these camps are two modern examples of the subcompact car that demonstrate that driving enjoyment and frugality don't have to be mutually exclusive: the 2009 Honda Fit and 2009 Ford Fiesta. The former is one of the best small cars you can buy. So is the latter, with one crucial caveat for those of us here in the land of baseball and apple pie — you can't yet buy one here.
A New Challenger Faces the Best of the Establishment
The 2009 Ford Fiesta serves as Ford's entry in the so-called B-segment, positioned just below the Focus in terms of size and price. Though a sales darling in Europe, the Fiesta has been absent in the subcompact-averse U.S. market. Then the world went to hell, and Ford reconsidered.
Only the Blue Oval knows the gory details of how the Fiesta will be equipped when it's finally sold Stateside as a 2011 model. And it's not talking.
As such, we've take some liberties in this comparison test. The Squeeze Lime green Fiesta you see here is a Euro-spec four-door hatchback in range-topping Titanium trim, equipped with leather upholstery, keyless entry, rain-sensing wipers and automatic climate control. There's no guarantee that you'll be able to buy a Fiesta outfitted exactly like this one when the model finally appears on the floor at dealerships in the U.S. Also, its $19,358 as-tested price tag is an estimate we conjured up based on the Fiesta's positioning overseas.
The 2009 Ford Fiesta has been developed as a true world car, so differences in specification across global markets are minimized in an effort to reduce development costs and time-to-market. Although details are thin on the ground, we do know that the 2011 Ford Fiesta for the U.S. will be a tweaked version of today's Fiesta and will be powered by a 1.6-liter engine similar to the one in our Kermit green car.
From the size of its shadow to its low-impact $18,820 blow to the wallet, the 2009 Honda Fit matches up very well to the Fiesta. Although our Fit is equipped with no options per se, Honda crafts its model lineup such that options are bundled together and offered as trim levels. Hence the navigation system and upsized 16-inch wheels found on our top-of-the-line Fit Sport.
If you're a regular visitor to Inside Line, you'll recognize the blazing metallic orange 2009 Honda Fit Sport as a resident of our long-term test fleet. Don't cry foul over the 11,000 miles on our Fit's clock, as neither of these cars is exactly brand-spanking new. The Fiesta in this test is a refugee from Ford's Fiesta Movement program and its odometer reads more than 17,000 miles.
Delivering on the Small-Car PromiseAlthough the handling numbers we extracted from these cars don't reveal a huge chasm in performance between them, there's an asterisk — the Fiesta's stability control can't be disengaged, and this puts an artificial cap on its ultimate capabilities. As such, the Fiesta's modest 0.81g grip on our skid pad and 65.5-mph slalom speed could otherwise have been grippier and quicker yet. (Dear Ford: Include a button to switch off ESP for the U.S.-spec Fiesta.)
Still, the 2,443-pound Fiesta is the more rewarding drive here. Its steering is a benchmark in this class, from the weighting of its effort to the immediate and linear response of the chassis. Paired with firm-yet-compliant suspenders, the Fiesta feels at once substantial and lithe. You're reminded of a more expensive car in the way this car takes to the road.
Keep in mind our 2009 Ford Fiesta tester is on summer tires, which do more than simply increase outright grip at the expense of tire life; they also contribute to the Fiesta's superior steering feel and short braking distances (118 feet from 60 mph). (Dear Ford: The Fiesta's steering and handling are key factors underpinning its appeal. Don't neuter the U.S.-spec car's spunkiness by specifying crappy tires or stuffing marshmallows in its suspension.)
The 2,511-pound 2009 Honda Fit is a similarly nimble little thing. Its steering is quick around center and the little bugger can even be coaxed into a neutral cornering stance if you get rowdy and abrupt with it when the stability control has been switched off. Threading our slalom cones at 64.4 mph and generating 0.82g on our skid pad, the Fit makes the most of its 185/55R16 all-season tires. Its braking performance is mediocre, consuming 138 feet to reach a standstill from 60 mph.
Performance numbers don't tell you much about the way these cars drive in day-to-day use, though. The Fit's comically low-effort shift linkage could have come straight out of an arcade, and its steering needs constant subtle corrections to keep the car traveling in a straight line. It's nervous where the Fiesta is confident. The bottom line is that the Fiesta has moved the needle of small-car dynamics and in doing so has made the Fit feel more toylike by comparison.
Not Terribly Quick by the Clock
Similarly, the Fiesta's acceleration also suffers from its non-defeatable traction control. It reached 60 mph in 9.4 seconds (9.1 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) and the quarter-mile in 16.9 at 82.1 mph in our testing, results which aren't far off the Honda's sprints of 9.5 seconds (9.4 seconds with rollout) and 16.9 seconds at 81.1 mph. This performance by the 2009 Honda Fit is a few tenths off the pace we measured when it was new, suggesting that perhaps the launch surface at our testing facility had more bite back then.
Nobody's going to be launching these things drag-strip-style, so the dead-heat acceleration numbers are a bit misleading. In the real world of stop-and-go traffic and squirting around trucks on the freeway, the 2009 Ford Fiesta is much more eager than the Honda Fit. Low-end torque is surprisingly ample in the Fiesta's 1.6-liter mill, an engine of uncanny smoothness with a deliciously fruity intake note. Keeping up in the Fit isn't as rewarding, whether it's in terms of these abstractions or actual velocity.
Our Fiesta tester's 1.6-liter four produces 118 horsepower and 112 pound-feet of torque on the U.S. equivalent of about 90-octane fuel. (Dear Ford: Honda found 117 hp and 106 lb-ft from its 1.5-liter engine on 87 octane. Find a way to retain the sauce's spice on 87-octane fuel.)
The Fiesta's five-speed manual shifts somewhat more like a real gearbox than the Fit's, though the linkage is a bit more vague and there's a shorter-ratio 5th gear that results in more revs at freeway speeds than U.S. consumers will be accustomed to. A slightly taller gear would also deliver better fuel economy during those long trips for which the sophisticated Fiesta is well-suited.
In Practice
If the 2009 Ford Fiesta has the Fit beat in terms of dynamics, the tables turn when it comes to utility. The Honda Fit is simply a small miracle of packaging. This is a small car that doesn't fall victim to the usual small-car compromises. Its unusually large door apertures and low floor ease ingress, practically presenting the driver seat to your bum.
Once you're inside, the Fit's breezier cabin has noticeably more elbow room and slightly better sight lines than in the high-waisted Fiesta. Both headroom and legroom are noticeably more crowded in the Fiesta's backseat than in the Fit.
The cargo area of the 2009 Honda Fit also edges the Fiesta. When the backseat is up, there's little difference in volume between the two cars, but the Fit flat-out embarrasses the Fiesta when the seat is stowed. Honda's articulating backseat transforms the space behind the front seats into a flat, low loading floor, while the Fiesta's thick rear seatbacks simply flop forward, forming a cargo volume shaped more like a pinched wedge.
Cabin material quality is generally better in the Ford and the layout presents more gracefully than the Fit's polarizing design aesthetic. Save for the Fiesta center stack's chintzy silver plastic, you're surrounded mostly by textured black surfaces that appear richer than those in the Honda.
However, the Honda's secondary controls — window switches, wiper interface, center stack controls — are more consistently located right where you expect them and operate more intuitively. (Dear Ford: Rethink the Fiesta's secondary controls for the U.S market.)
A New Phenomenon
In a way, this comparison is a matter of horses for courses, as each car has distinct strengths that will appeal to different buyers — the Fit for its practicality and the Fiesta for its superior driving experience.
The 2009 Ford Fiesta emerges victorious because it sweats the small stuff. Steering feel isn't something its buyer would expect, yet the Fiesta delivers. Same goes for its soothing engine note. Or the way the steering wheel feels custom-made for your hands, or the mechanical sound of the door latch. In the Fiesta, Ford has elevated the subcompact concept to something that's a bit more special than even the very accomplished 2009 Honda Fit.
True, factoring in the pivotal issues of equipment and cost here has involved some hocus-pocus. Yet the Fiesta's lead in our scoring is such that Ford will have to comprehensively botch things up on the value front for the 2011 Ford Fiesta to fail in the U.S. If Ford could rejigger the Fiesta's backseat to perform the shenanigans of the one in the Fit, it would really be onto something. (Dear Ford...)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Ford Sees More Opportunity For Cost Cuts
DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co is on track to have cut structural costs by up to $15 billion since 2005, but has room to make further reductions, the automaker's chief financial officer said on Wednesday.
"There are always going to be more opportunities," CFO Lewis Booth said in a webcast appearance at the IAA Investor and analyst conference at the Frankfurt Motor Show. "There may be diminishing returns, but there are always going to be more opportunities."
Ford, which remains on track to reach at least break-even in 2011, has focused in its cost-cutting on producing higher volume global platforms to take advantage of economies of scale and reduce product development costs.
The automaker has improved its investment efficiency for tools and engineering, but there are other opportunities, if not "a quantum leap," Booth said.
"I would say it is now continuous improvement, but there will be improvements," Booth said.
Ford, which posted net losses totaling about $30 billion from 2006 through 2008, expects its second-half cash outflow to be significantly reduced from the levels registered in the first half at the height of the U.S. auto sales downturn.
Booth said Ford expects to see its cash flow improve as the production volumes return to more normal levels. The automaker plans a more gradual increase in production compared to the sharp production cuts it made in 2008 and 2009 in reaction to the industry sales downturn, he said.
U.S. auto sales fell to monthly rates not seen since the early 1980s earlier this year amid the recession and have rebounded from those low levels in July and August under the support of the government "cash for clunkers" program.
The "clunkers" program ran the last week of July and roughly the first three weeks of August, pushing industry sales rates up sharply.
U.S. industry auto sales have started slowly, as expected, with the "clunkers" program exhausted and inventory levels sharply depleted and it is too early to forecast what the monthly sales rate might be, Booth said.
"There are always going to be more opportunities," CFO Lewis Booth said in a webcast appearance at the IAA Investor and analyst conference at the Frankfurt Motor Show. "There may be diminishing returns, but there are always going to be more opportunities."
Ford, which remains on track to reach at least break-even in 2011, has focused in its cost-cutting on producing higher volume global platforms to take advantage of economies of scale and reduce product development costs.
The automaker has improved its investment efficiency for tools and engineering, but there are other opportunities, if not "a quantum leap," Booth said.
"I would say it is now continuous improvement, but there will be improvements," Booth said.
Ford, which posted net losses totaling about $30 billion from 2006 through 2008, expects its second-half cash outflow to be significantly reduced from the levels registered in the first half at the height of the U.S. auto sales downturn.
Booth said Ford expects to see its cash flow improve as the production volumes return to more normal levels. The automaker plans a more gradual increase in production compared to the sharp production cuts it made in 2008 and 2009 in reaction to the industry sales downturn, he said.
U.S. auto sales fell to monthly rates not seen since the early 1980s earlier this year amid the recession and have rebounded from those low levels in July and August under the support of the government "cash for clunkers" program.
The "clunkers" program ran the last week of July and roughly the first three weeks of August, pushing industry sales rates up sharply.
U.S. industry auto sales have started slowly, as expected, with the "clunkers" program exhausted and inventory levels sharply depleted and it is too early to forecast what the monthly sales rate might be, Booth said.
Ford Debuts Four-Cylinder EcoBoost Engine Family in Frankfurt
In conjunction with the unveilings of the new Ford C-Max and Grand C-Max people-movers at the Frankfurt auto show, the Dearborn-based automaker also is officially taking the wraps off its range of EcoBoost four-cylinders. The new 1.6- and 2.0-liter engines sport turbochargers and direct injection and are designed to produce similar power with better fuel efficiency than larger, naturally aspirated mills; the 2.0-liter is said to provide the output of a conventional V-6, while the 1.6-liter will stand in for larger four-cylinders. The existing twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 currently available in vehicles such as the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO is aimed at providing V-8–levels of power with V-6 fuel economy, although it only averaged 16 mpg in our recent road test.
Ford says the 2.0-liter will first come to the U.S. in late 2011 with the seven-seat Grand C-Max. But the engine also is expected to be employed in several other upcoming Fords, including the next-generation Focus, which will arrive in the same timeframe as the Grand C-Max. The 1.6-liter will debut late next year in Europe in the five-seat C-Max and proliferate throughout the company’s smaller vehicles. Australia will get the 2.0-liter in 2011 for rear-wheel-drive duty in the Ford Falcon, with the automaker expecting nearly 80 percent of its vehicles around the world to be available with an EcoBoost option by 2013. More than 90 percent of U.S. models will offer one of the powertrains by then, too.
While Ford has yet to release specifics, the company has previously told us we can expect the 2.0-liter to produce at least 230 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque, which should be more than adequate for the first U.S. applications. Downsizing to the 1.6-liter should result in about 185 hp.
Although we understand Ford’s logic in baiting power-hungry Americans with the higher-output 2.0-liter, we hope it eventually brings the 1.6-liter to the States, as well. Its output would be more than sufficient in a Focus-sized vehicle and its greater efficiency would do more to help the company’s average fleet fuel economy in the eyes of the government. After all, Ford chose “EcoBoost” over the original “TwinForce” moniker because EcoBoost has a more green-minded ring to it.
Ford says the 2.0-liter will first come to the U.S. in late 2011 with the seven-seat Grand C-Max. But the engine also is expected to be employed in several other upcoming Fords, including the next-generation Focus, which will arrive in the same timeframe as the Grand C-Max. The 1.6-liter will debut late next year in Europe in the five-seat C-Max and proliferate throughout the company’s smaller vehicles. Australia will get the 2.0-liter in 2011 for rear-wheel-drive duty in the Ford Falcon, with the automaker expecting nearly 80 percent of its vehicles around the world to be available with an EcoBoost option by 2013. More than 90 percent of U.S. models will offer one of the powertrains by then, too.
While Ford has yet to release specifics, the company has previously told us we can expect the 2.0-liter to produce at least 230 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque, which should be more than adequate for the first U.S. applications. Downsizing to the 1.6-liter should result in about 185 hp.
Although we understand Ford’s logic in baiting power-hungry Americans with the higher-output 2.0-liter, we hope it eventually brings the 1.6-liter to the States, as well. Its output would be more than sufficient in a Focus-sized vehicle and its greater efficiency would do more to help the company’s average fleet fuel economy in the eyes of the government. After all, Ford chose “EcoBoost” over the original “TwinForce” moniker because EcoBoost has a more green-minded ring to it.
Ford will sell 10 models on new C-segment platform
This week's Frankfurt Motor Show marks the beginning of a new generation of Ford's new C-segment platform with the debut of the new C-Max and Grand C-Max MAVs. According to Ford, over the course of the next few years this new global compact platform will spawn as many as 10 different vehicle variants around the world. In addition to the two C-Max variants, the next Focus will be available as a four-dour sedan, three- and five-door hatchback and convertible. That still leaves a number of other possibilities that Ford hasn't announced yet, which means we'll probably be seeing some crossovers and perhaps even sports variants coming over the next few years. With the increasing importance of the compact segment, all of these variants will play a big part in Ford's future.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Ford hails early Taurus sales figures
DETROIT -- Sales of the Ford Taurus are still a far cry from the days when it was the best-selling nameplate in America. But Ford says the restyled and re-engineered sedan is off to a better start than company officials had expected in this weak market.
Ford says its other summer launch, the Transit Connect, also is surpassing internal sales forecasts.
With 2,300 sold in August, first-month sales for the new Taurus were more than double Ford's internal goal of 1,100, said Ken Czubay, the company's vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service.
Orders for the high-performance SHO model are 50 percent higher than expected, Czubay said. Total Taurus sales, counting the outgoing model, were 3,398 in August, down 23.8 percent.
With 2,220 sold in August, sales of the Transit Connect small commercial van were 42 percent higher than internal forecasts. The Transit Connect is imported from Turkey.
"We've hit the ground running," Czubay said.
Although it's too early to judge the success of either product launch, he said, their positive start in August and the balance of sales among Ford's cars and trucks "may be a harbinger of better business conditions to come."
Ford is still building dealer stocks of the 2010 Taurus and Transit Connect. Despite what Ford calls the better-than-expected performance in August, the Taurus still has a long way to go. Taurus sales in 2008 totaled 52,667 -- nothing like the old days.
Ford says its other summer launch, the Transit Connect, also is surpassing internal sales forecasts.
With 2,300 sold in August, first-month sales for the new Taurus were more than double Ford's internal goal of 1,100, said Ken Czubay, the company's vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service.
Orders for the high-performance SHO model are 50 percent higher than expected, Czubay said. Total Taurus sales, counting the outgoing model, were 3,398 in August, down 23.8 percent.
With 2,220 sold in August, sales of the Transit Connect small commercial van were 42 percent higher than internal forecasts. The Transit Connect is imported from Turkey.
"We've hit the ground running," Czubay said.
Although it's too early to judge the success of either product launch, he said, their positive start in August and the balance of sales among Ford's cars and trucks "may be a harbinger of better business conditions to come."
Ford is still building dealer stocks of the 2010 Taurus and Transit Connect. Despite what Ford calls the better-than-expected performance in August, the Taurus still has a long way to go. Taurus sales in 2008 totaled 52,667 -- nothing like the old days.
Rollover suit just one of Toyota's headaches
Allegations by a former Toyota lawyer that the company withheld and destroyed rollover evidence are only part of the automaker's litigation woes in the United States.
Dimitrios Biller, a Toyota Motor Corp. attorney from 2003 to 2007, filed a suit this summer in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. In the suit, he contends that Toyota did not heed his urgings to disclose all evidence related to more than 300 rollover suits.
Biller's case prompted the refiling of some former accident litigation against the automaker. Plaintiffs' attorneys say his allegations, if true, will call into question Toyota's defense in past cases.
For instance, California attorney Richard McCune has refiled a suit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles seeking class-action status for two rollover suits. And attorneys Todd Tracy and Joe Clayton filed a suit last week in U.S. District Court in Marshall, Texas, grouping 16 dismissed or settled cases.
Toyota also faces a patent violation complaint filed this month by Paice, a company to which the automaker already paid royalties for patent infringement in the second-generation Prius and the Highlander Hybrid and Lexus RX 400h crossovers.
Toyota in court
Toyota is facing legal attacks on at least 3 fronts.
1. A former in-house attorney alleges the automaker destroyed or withheld rollover evidence.
2. Paice, a company that holds a hybrid-related patent that Toyota already has violated, says the automaker continues to do so in other products.
3. Four wrongful-death cases allege Toyota knew its steering columns were breaking in the United States but did nothing for years.
Source: Government and court documents
More hybrids disputed
In this month's complaint, Paice requests a U.S. government ban on importation of additional vehicles that it alleges violate the same patent, such as the Toyota Camry Hybrid, the third-generation Prius, the Lexus HS 250h sedan and Lexus RX 450h crossover.
Paice says the component in question combines torque from an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. The Bonita Springs, Fla., company has acquired a handful of U.S. patents for hybrid technology.
In 2005, Toyota was found to have violated one of Paice's patents, although not willfully.
A Toyota statement referencing this month's complaint says Paice is apparently seeking to bypass a court ruling that had denied the company's requests to limit Toyota imports.
In a third set of lawsuits, Toyota faces four consolidated wrongful-death cases in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging that the automaker failed to promptly recall pickups and SUVs equipped with defective steering rods.
In October 2005, Toyota recalled 1990-95 4Runners, 1989-95 small pickups and 1993-98 T100 pickups because of the steering rods. But the suits allege the company knew of the problem long before that.
In the suits, Toyota Motor North America says it was unaware of complaints about the faulty steering rods in the United States in October 2004 when it informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of a similar recall in Japan a year earlier.
But John Kristensen, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs in all four cases, says the automaker had nearly 100 U.S. warranty claims for broken relay rods before the Japanese recall.
Steering failure
The court filings include a letter to the Toyota legal department in Torrance, Calif., dated March 26, 2002, from Yigal Schacht in New York City. He said the steering on his 1997 T100 failed that February while he was exiting his driveway.
In response, Toyota Motor North America says customer complaints about Toyota vehicles go to a different entity, Toyota Motor Sales.
Superior Court Judge Conrad Aragon will consider Toyota's motion to dismiss the suits Oct. 8.
Toyota spokesman Mike Michels said the three sets of suits are not related. "It is unusual and coincidental to have several pieces of litigation come to public attention in a short time period," he said in an e-mail.
Toyota has declined to comment on the wrongful-death suits. But the automaker has spoken out against Biller's suit, calling his allegations "inaccurate and misleading."
The automaker says Biller is violating attorney-client privilege and nondisclosure conditions of his exit agreement, which included a $3.7 million severance payment.
Biller also has filed a wrongful-termination and discrimination suit against his most recent employer, Los Angeles County.
Dimitrios Biller, a Toyota Motor Corp. attorney from 2003 to 2007, filed a suit this summer in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. In the suit, he contends that Toyota did not heed his urgings to disclose all evidence related to more than 300 rollover suits.
Biller's case prompted the refiling of some former accident litigation against the automaker. Plaintiffs' attorneys say his allegations, if true, will call into question Toyota's defense in past cases.
For instance, California attorney Richard McCune has refiled a suit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles seeking class-action status for two rollover suits. And attorneys Todd Tracy and Joe Clayton filed a suit last week in U.S. District Court in Marshall, Texas, grouping 16 dismissed or settled cases.
Toyota also faces a patent violation complaint filed this month by Paice, a company to which the automaker already paid royalties for patent infringement in the second-generation Prius and the Highlander Hybrid and Lexus RX 400h crossovers.
Toyota in court
Toyota is facing legal attacks on at least 3 fronts.
1. A former in-house attorney alleges the automaker destroyed or withheld rollover evidence.
2. Paice, a company that holds a hybrid-related patent that Toyota already has violated, says the automaker continues to do so in other products.
3. Four wrongful-death cases allege Toyota knew its steering columns were breaking in the United States but did nothing for years.
Source: Government and court documents
More hybrids disputed
In this month's complaint, Paice requests a U.S. government ban on importation of additional vehicles that it alleges violate the same patent, such as the Toyota Camry Hybrid, the third-generation Prius, the Lexus HS 250h sedan and Lexus RX 450h crossover.
Paice says the component in question combines torque from an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. The Bonita Springs, Fla., company has acquired a handful of U.S. patents for hybrid technology.
In 2005, Toyota was found to have violated one of Paice's patents, although not willfully.
A Toyota statement referencing this month's complaint says Paice is apparently seeking to bypass a court ruling that had denied the company's requests to limit Toyota imports.
In a third set of lawsuits, Toyota faces four consolidated wrongful-death cases in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging that the automaker failed to promptly recall pickups and SUVs equipped with defective steering rods.
In October 2005, Toyota recalled 1990-95 4Runners, 1989-95 small pickups and 1993-98 T100 pickups because of the steering rods. But the suits allege the company knew of the problem long before that.
In the suits, Toyota Motor North America says it was unaware of complaints about the faulty steering rods in the United States in October 2004 when it informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of a similar recall in Japan a year earlier.
But John Kristensen, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs in all four cases, says the automaker had nearly 100 U.S. warranty claims for broken relay rods before the Japanese recall.
Steering failure
The court filings include a letter to the Toyota legal department in Torrance, Calif., dated March 26, 2002, from Yigal Schacht in New York City. He said the steering on his 1997 T100 failed that February while he was exiting his driveway.
In response, Toyota Motor North America says customer complaints about Toyota vehicles go to a different entity, Toyota Motor Sales.
Superior Court Judge Conrad Aragon will consider Toyota's motion to dismiss the suits Oct. 8.
Toyota spokesman Mike Michels said the three sets of suits are not related. "It is unusual and coincidental to have several pieces of litigation come to public attention in a short time period," he said in an e-mail.
Toyota has declined to comment on the wrongful-death suits. But the automaker has spoken out against Biller's suit, calling his allegations "inaccurate and misleading."
The automaker says Biller is violating attorney-client privilege and nondisclosure conditions of his exit agreement, which included a $3.7 million severance payment.
Biller also has filed a wrongful-termination and discrimination suit against his most recent employer, Los Angeles County.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Ford's 2010 Transit Connect means business
The recession is over, and I've got proof.
While many "experts" will point to the GDP, unemployment figures and the trade deficit, I'm more of a believer of those tangible products that predict our nation's financial plight. Sales of cardboard boxes, diamonds and lipstick have been monitored in the past and could work today.
Future economic soothsayers will gaze into their Magic 8 Balls and use the Ford Transit Connect sales numbers as a barometer of the nation's small business health. To paraphrase a different auto exec from a different time: What's good for small businesses is good for the country.
Who knew the U.S. economic engine was a little 2-liter four-cylinder? But the 2010 Transit Connect's four-banger can handle the load, 1,600 pounds at a time.
While the exterior has the utilitarian styling of an airplane's chock block, this vehicle is packed with infinite purpose. The Transit Connect is European chic with a Puritan work ethic. It's been a mainstay in Europe since 2003 and after selling 600,000 of them, Ford Motor Co. finally decided U.S. small businesses might need some help.
It starts at $21,475 (including shipping) -- though even fully outfitted with high aftermarket customization, the price is not likely to cross $30,000. Offering two, four or more seats, the Transit Connect provides business owners with what they want.
When Ford introduced the Transit Connect to the U.S. media last year, the company showcased different versions and showed how the vehicles could be transformed into speedy suites and rolling billboards. They can deliver everything from azaleas to X-ray machines or become mobile workshops for electricians, mechanics or just about anyone else. Imagination is the only limit.
During the recent Woodward Dream Cruise, I tried to convince my editors to use a Transit Connect as a mobile newsroom. Some scoffed -- but just wait. It's a folding table top, desk chair and Wi-Fi connection away from replacing my desk on West Lafayette.
Two aspects make the Transit Connect work so well: capabilities and performance.
Any business owner can tailor the Transit Connect to fit his or her needs exactly. That could mean a few more deliveries every day because of the 135 cubic feet of storage space. The storage area is 59 inches tall and the low floor means it is easier to load.
Currently, there is no direct competition to the Transit Connect, at least not in the U.S. No doubt, there will be in the future.
As smooth as it is useful
Versatility is one thing, but the Transit Connect also offers a good ride. The 2-liter engine provides 136 horsepower and 128-pound-feet torque. It's not quick and no race car attributes come to mind behind the wheel of the Transit Connect, but it always gets the job done. The four-speed automatic transmission whines a little more than I liked, but fewer gears helped keep power at the wheels instead of having the transmission hunt too long.
Getting onto the highway is easy and the Transit Connect stays with the flow of traffic without overworking itself.
Even with the high roofline, the Transit Connect handled corners and city driving particularly well. The power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering was easy to turn and the vehicle was easy to maneuver (though I would suggest including the optional back up camera). It has 39-foot curb-to-curb turning, which is the same as the 2010 Ford Taurus. It's easier to maneuver than bigger vans or pickups and a novice could master it quickly -- another factor for small businesses, no doubt, to consider.
It comes with anti-lock brakes and roll stability control. All the while, the Transit Connect gets 22 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.
Stripped down, all business
The interior feels much more workman-like than luxurious, but I expected that. My test vehicle was a basic five-seater; there's no reason to have pleated leather door inserts or Alcantara roof liners.
If the military used the Transit Connect, officers wouldn't drive it, sergeants would; so this truck needs to know to how work for a living. Maybe in a few years, after the Transit Connect grows in popularity, Ford can build the King Ranch Transit Connect but for now, the Blue Oval's Transit Connect is strictly blue collar.
Ford gives this vehicle everything it needs. There's a big storage shelf that stretches across the front, above the driver. It creates purpose out of dead space and for small businesses, every bit helps.
The driving position is upright and helps keep you fresh during a day of heavy hauling. The dash is well laid out and caters to the driver.
The sliding second-row doors are also an excellent feature, providing lots of room for ingress and egress, as well making it easier to park in tight spaces and still have space to open up.
The double barn door style rear doors also open in tight spots and can include the optional 225 degree opening, meaning they can open up and become almost flush with the side of the vehicle.
Then there's Ford Work Solutions, such as Tool Link and Crew Chief.
Tool Link uses RFID tags to take instant inventory of the equipment in the vehicle and immediately alert the driver if everything needed for a job is loaded. It can also check at the end of the day to make sure a worker brings everything home.
Crew Chief allows the boss to monitor the location, speed, idle time, fuel usage and 30 diagnostic measures of vehicles on the road.
The tool can help save costs and assists with good preventative maintenance.
The Transit Connect started rolling into dealerships in July, and Ford sold 417 of them. In August, it sold more than 2,220.
Yes, times are tough, but judging by my revolutionary Transit Connect economic predictor multiplied by the spirit of small business owners, the outlook is improving. The recession may not be over, but its end is near.
We can find our own bootstraps -- the Transit Connect just gives people a reason to pull a little harder.
While many "experts" will point to the GDP, unemployment figures and the trade deficit, I'm more of a believer of those tangible products that predict our nation's financial plight. Sales of cardboard boxes, diamonds and lipstick have been monitored in the past and could work today.
Future economic soothsayers will gaze into their Magic 8 Balls and use the Ford Transit Connect sales numbers as a barometer of the nation's small business health. To paraphrase a different auto exec from a different time: What's good for small businesses is good for the country.
Who knew the U.S. economic engine was a little 2-liter four-cylinder? But the 2010 Transit Connect's four-banger can handle the load, 1,600 pounds at a time.
While the exterior has the utilitarian styling of an airplane's chock block, this vehicle is packed with infinite purpose. The Transit Connect is European chic with a Puritan work ethic. It's been a mainstay in Europe since 2003 and after selling 600,000 of them, Ford Motor Co. finally decided U.S. small businesses might need some help.
It starts at $21,475 (including shipping) -- though even fully outfitted with high aftermarket customization, the price is not likely to cross $30,000. Offering two, four or more seats, the Transit Connect provides business owners with what they want.
When Ford introduced the Transit Connect to the U.S. media last year, the company showcased different versions and showed how the vehicles could be transformed into speedy suites and rolling billboards. They can deliver everything from azaleas to X-ray machines or become mobile workshops for electricians, mechanics or just about anyone else. Imagination is the only limit.
During the recent Woodward Dream Cruise, I tried to convince my editors to use a Transit Connect as a mobile newsroom. Some scoffed -- but just wait. It's a folding table top, desk chair and Wi-Fi connection away from replacing my desk on West Lafayette.
Two aspects make the Transit Connect work so well: capabilities and performance.
Any business owner can tailor the Transit Connect to fit his or her needs exactly. That could mean a few more deliveries every day because of the 135 cubic feet of storage space. The storage area is 59 inches tall and the low floor means it is easier to load.
Currently, there is no direct competition to the Transit Connect, at least not in the U.S. No doubt, there will be in the future.
As smooth as it is useful
Versatility is one thing, but the Transit Connect also offers a good ride. The 2-liter engine provides 136 horsepower and 128-pound-feet torque. It's not quick and no race car attributes come to mind behind the wheel of the Transit Connect, but it always gets the job done. The four-speed automatic transmission whines a little more than I liked, but fewer gears helped keep power at the wheels instead of having the transmission hunt too long.
Getting onto the highway is easy and the Transit Connect stays with the flow of traffic without overworking itself.
Even with the high roofline, the Transit Connect handled corners and city driving particularly well. The power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering was easy to turn and the vehicle was easy to maneuver (though I would suggest including the optional back up camera). It has 39-foot curb-to-curb turning, which is the same as the 2010 Ford Taurus. It's easier to maneuver than bigger vans or pickups and a novice could master it quickly -- another factor for small businesses, no doubt, to consider.
It comes with anti-lock brakes and roll stability control. All the while, the Transit Connect gets 22 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.
Stripped down, all business
The interior feels much more workman-like than luxurious, but I expected that. My test vehicle was a basic five-seater; there's no reason to have pleated leather door inserts or Alcantara roof liners.
If the military used the Transit Connect, officers wouldn't drive it, sergeants would; so this truck needs to know to how work for a living. Maybe in a few years, after the Transit Connect grows in popularity, Ford can build the King Ranch Transit Connect but for now, the Blue Oval's Transit Connect is strictly blue collar.
Ford gives this vehicle everything it needs. There's a big storage shelf that stretches across the front, above the driver. It creates purpose out of dead space and for small businesses, every bit helps.
The driving position is upright and helps keep you fresh during a day of heavy hauling. The dash is well laid out and caters to the driver.
The sliding second-row doors are also an excellent feature, providing lots of room for ingress and egress, as well making it easier to park in tight spaces and still have space to open up.
The double barn door style rear doors also open in tight spots and can include the optional 225 degree opening, meaning they can open up and become almost flush with the side of the vehicle.
Then there's Ford Work Solutions, such as Tool Link and Crew Chief.
Tool Link uses RFID tags to take instant inventory of the equipment in the vehicle and immediately alert the driver if everything needed for a job is loaded. It can also check at the end of the day to make sure a worker brings everything home.
Crew Chief allows the boss to monitor the location, speed, idle time, fuel usage and 30 diagnostic measures of vehicles on the road.
The tool can help save costs and assists with good preventative maintenance.
The Transit Connect started rolling into dealerships in July, and Ford sold 417 of them. In August, it sold more than 2,220.
Yes, times are tough, but judging by my revolutionary Transit Connect economic predictor multiplied by the spirit of small business owners, the outlook is improving. The recession may not be over, but its end is near.
We can find our own bootstraps -- the Transit Connect just gives people a reason to pull a little harder.
Report: Ford's Reputation Among New-Car Shoppers Shines, While Chrysler's Sags
NEW YORK — Chrysler needs to do some serious work to polish up its reputation with new-car shoppers, according to a new survey by Consumer Reports. On the other hand, Ford appears to have a solid reputation with new-car shoppers, says the consumer watchdog.
The survey initially focused on how strong the "buy American" sentiment is among new-car shoppers. Consumer Reports said 81 percent of respondents looking to buy a new car are likely to consider a domestic brand.
"Ford has benefited the most from the recent turmoil in the auto market, with the largest gain in new-car buyers who say that they are likely to consider buying a Ford model — up 17 percentage points compared with a year ago," Consumer Reports said in a statement on Wednesday.
Consumer Reports credited Ford's aversion to accepting any federal aid with its appeal to consumers.
But Chrysler's reputation appears to have been tarnished by its journey through bankruptcy court, its paltry product pipeline and its marriage to Fiat.
"Those considering a Chrysler model were down 25 percentage points among new-car buyers and 28 percentage points among all respondents," said Consumer Reports. "With relatively few new models in the short-term pipeline, it may be some time before the restructured Chrysler can improve on the attributes that now matter most to consumers."
General Motors was in the middle of the pack with new-car shoppers. The number of those considering buying a GM model was up 6 percentage points.
The survey initially focused on how strong the "buy American" sentiment is among new-car shoppers. Consumer Reports said 81 percent of respondents looking to buy a new car are likely to consider a domestic brand.
"Ford has benefited the most from the recent turmoil in the auto market, with the largest gain in new-car buyers who say that they are likely to consider buying a Ford model — up 17 percentage points compared with a year ago," Consumer Reports said in a statement on Wednesday.
Consumer Reports credited Ford's aversion to accepting any federal aid with its appeal to consumers.
But Chrysler's reputation appears to have been tarnished by its journey through bankruptcy court, its paltry product pipeline and its marriage to Fiat.
"Those considering a Chrysler model were down 25 percentage points among new-car buyers and 28 percentage points among all respondents," said Consumer Reports. "With relatively few new models in the short-term pipeline, it may be some time before the restructured Chrysler can improve on the attributes that now matter most to consumers."
General Motors was in the middle of the pack with new-car shoppers. The number of those considering buying a GM model was up 6 percentage points.
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