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Ford Focus Diesel Wins Best Diesel Car in UK

PGI Auto — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:05:24 +0000

The Ford Focus Diesel has been crowned Best Medium Car at the 2012 Diesel Car Awards in the UK. It was credited with contemporary style and refinement by Diesel Car Magazine who hands out the awards. The Focus beat out popular diesels including the Volkswagen Golf. Diesel engines are much more popular in the UK, and winning this award is quite a feat.

Ian Robertson, Editor of Diesel Car Magazine, told media, “Still the one to beat among mid-size family cars, the Ford Focus is simply the best in its class.”

Ford Focus has just surpassed the 1.5 million sales mark since its launch in 1998 and continues to dominate its segment. The all-new Focus is recognized for its driver assistance technologies and offers a number of fuel efficient powertrains. The diesel engine has been given a new injection system and turbocharger, enhanced charge-air cooling and friction-reduction technologies. It will be introduced in the UK market next month in the Focus ECOnetic Technology.

To find out more about the Ford Focus or to take a look at any Ford vehicle, contact Harris Ford.

Media Attention Continues for the First Overseas Mustang

PGI Auto — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:07:52 +0000

Though we won’t see the 2015 Ford Mustang until the 2014 New York Auto Show, media speculation has run rampant. The 2015 Mustang will be released world-wide for the first time ever, so will go under extreme changes in order to be appealing to countries overseas, as well as meet their safety criteria.

Though nothing is yet set in stone for the design and inner-workings of the 2015 Mustang, curios automotive press has been able to get some information about the current plan for the pony. It will be powered by the existing 5.0-L V8 engine from the current model, while the V6 option may have to make way for the more efficient turbocharged four-cylinder unit. The straight axle rear end suspension setup will be replaced with an independent setup, which will result in improved driving dynamics of the model. Ford is counting on this making the muscle car more appealing to the European market.

To find out more about the Ford Mustang, or to take a look at any Ford vehicle, contact Harris Ford.

Ford Ups Production to Meet Demand

PGI Auto — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:46:45 +0000

The American auto industry has seen some hard times, especially in 2009 when the US based auto manufacturers weren’t even sure they would see another year in business. That is not the case now, however. Production plants are scrambling to keep up with demand, especially in Ford’s case. The Ford Motor Co. is adding a third shift to a Cleveland plant next week so it can meet demand for more-efficient engines.

Ford will fill the shift at Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1 with 250 workers from nearby Cleveland Engine Plant No. 2. Cleveland Engine No. 1 makes V6 EcoBoost engines for the Ford Taurus and F-150 pickup. Demand for EcoBoost engines spiked last year when Ford began offering them on the F-150. In the first three months of this year, demand tripled to 39,000 engines.

One of the reasons Ford engines and vehicles are in such high demand, especially the EcoBoosts, is because the world is getting smarter about fuel-efficiency and vehicle emissions.

To find out more about the Ford company, or to take a look at any Ford vehicle, contact Harris Ford.

Ford to Continue Investments in China as Demand Rises

PGI Auto — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:54:33 +0000

The Ford Motor Company has announced it will be investing $760 million to build an assembly plant in Hangzhou, China. The plant will double Ford’s passenger car capacity in China to 1.2 million units annually when it opens in 2015. This announcement comes two weeks after Ford’s previous announcement of investing $600 million to expand capacity at its Chongqing facilities by 350,000 passenger cars. They also recently opened Chongqing 2, the home of the New Focus, which increased its China passenger car capacity by one-third to 600,000 units.

In a news release, Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford Asia Pacific and Africa, stated, “These are incredibly exciting times for Ford in Asia. So far, Ford’s investments in China and across Asia represent its largest and most rapid global expansion in 50 years. This expansion will help us realize an increase in global sales by about 50 percent from 2010 to about eight million vehicles annually by mid-decade. Building this plant helps lay the foundation for that growth and reconfirms our commitment to China, which is expected to have sales of about 30 million vehicles by 2020.”

To find out more about the Ford Company, or to take a look at any Ford vehicle, contact Harris Ford.

2012 Ford Focus Electric, NASCAR’s First Electric Pace Car

PGI Auto — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 08:05:17 +0000

2012 Focus Electric will make history as NASCAR’s first ever all-electric pace car. The event will take place on April 28th 2012 during the Sprint Cup Richmond 400 at the Richmond International Speedway. Prior to the race, the Focus Electric pace car will be unveiled for the public at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on April 25. Before the race event, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling will deliver the Focus Electric to the Richmond International Raceway.

Mark Fields, president of Ford North America, told media, “Highlighting the Focus Electric as a pace car is a fun way to educate consumers about the kinds of benefits our electrified vehicles deliver and show people our commitment to provide Ford customers the power of choice for leading fuel economy in the vehicle that best meets their needs; from EcoBoost-powered gasoline vehicles and hybrids to plug-in hybrids and full electrics.”

To find out more about Ford’s involvement in NASCAR or the 2012 Focus Electric, contact Harris Ford.

Ford Shows Students Driving Simulator

PGI Auto — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:28:48 +0000

The Ford Motor Company’s design team of Dearborn, Michigan, known as the Ford Immersive Environment Lab, showed fifty automotive technology students how the world today influences the way cars are designed. These students of ECC’s Vehicle Technology Traning Center in Orchard Park were allowed to sit inside a virtual reality simulator and shown how virtual reality technology has accelerated production of new Ford vehicles, and at less cost.

The simulator allows engineers and designers to explore ideas without having to build them, saving time and money. Inside the simulator is a mock-up of a basic interior of the front of a car, facing two screens displaying computer-generated images of a street scene. The students were given helmet and gloves that track the movement of their head and hands.

“It’s sort of bringing this virtual reality world, which is the entire world today, to the auto industry, and they get a sense of how, before the car is even produced, all the work that goes into the design,” said Rick Washousky, VP of academics at Eerie Community College.

To find out more about what makes Ford’s design so unique or to take a look at a Ford vehicle, contact Harris Ford.

New Ford Taurus Sho to Star in Movie

PGI Auto — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 09:57:31 +0000

The new 2013 Ford Taurus SHO will be sprawled across the silver screen beginning April 20th in Screen Gems’ highly anticipated film “Think Like a Man,” a movie based on Steve Harvey’s best-selling book.

The movie follows four men whose love lives take a turn for the worst when the women they’re pursuing buy a book and start taking his advice to heart. When the band of brothers realizes they have been betrayed by one of their own, they conspire using the book’s insider information to turn the tables and teach the women a lesson of their own.

Moviegoers will be able to watch the character Zeke use the upgraded MyFord Touch entertainment system to set the mood for a date and then showing off the Taurus SHO’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine sporting 365HP.

Movie Producer Will Packer told media, “The Taurus SHO was an ideal match for us because our film showcases progressive and professional guys showing their smarts and savvy while attempting to navigate the dating world. The 2013 Taurus and its features were an organic fit for these characters.”

To be the first to own the 2013 Ford Taurus SHO, contact Harris Ford.

‘Project Detroit’ is a Microsoft-Powered Mustang

PGI Auto — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:19:40 +0000

Microsoft and West Coast Customs have partnered together to present the world with a 2012 Ford Mustang filled with technology which is powered by Microsoft. The project has been dubbed “Project Detroit” and was officially revealed last Sunday on Discovery’s Velocity Network.

Project Detroit was given a 1967 replica body with a matte black paint job and plenty of fancy track lighting. The vehicle itself is a mobile hotspot with a 4G network setting which multiple Wi-Fi devices can hook up to. The network connects to a Cloud-based data store in Windows Azure to track everything from speed of the car to GPS location.

The infotainment system has a Xbox 360 and Kinect integrated so that movies or games can be projected on the rear windshield or on to the passenger side of the front windshield. Kinect cameras are attached to the front and back of the car which can remotely give live video feeds of the surrounding area.

To take a look at a brand new Ford Mustang, contact Harris Ford.

Ford Super Duty Trucks Get Upgrades

PGI Auto — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 02:02:09 +0000

For the first time, Ford will be adding it MyFord Touch infotainment system to its top trim Super Duty trucks. These trim levels include Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum. This is also the first time the Platinum level trim will be available in the F-250, F-350 and F-450 Super Duty models. To help out Super Duty truck owners, the MyFord Touch system going into these trucks will have added knob climate controls and tactile buttons to accommodate drivers who will be wearing gloves and therefore unable to use the touch screen.

Besides the new MyFord Touch system, the other technology upgrade the Super Duty trucks will receive is a more advanced Productivity digital system. This system will automatically detect whether a trailer has been properly attached and, if necessary, gives advice on how to do so. The system can also keep records of different trailers to track their mileage and average fuel use.

For more information or to take a look at any Ford SuperDuty truck, contact Harris Ford.

Auto Show Attendees Among the First To Drive Ford’s First All-Electric Car

PGI Auto — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:06:53 +0000

The lucky people who are able to attend the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, happening right now, are among the first people worldwide who get to drive the brand-new Ford Focus Electric. The Focus Electric is the first completely electric-powered vehicle from Ford who plans on producing an entire family of electric vehicles in the years to come.

Stephen Odell, Ford of Europe’s CEO, told media during the Geneva Motor Show, “We believe that experiencing the responsive performance and agility of the new Focus Electric will add to the excitement customers are already feeling about this very viable and cost-effective car.”

The Focus’ 23kWh lithium-ion battery pack can be charged in 3-4 hours from a car-charging outlet and will give power to the electric motors for about 100 miles. The Focus Electric will also be equipped with Ford’s high-tech infotainment system called the SYNC. This system will be specially enhanced for Focus Electric drivers to have an even better driving experience.

To find out more, contact Harris Ford.