Tag: Ford

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Cars

New Ford Kuga

(I have recently tested the new Ford Kuga, here is the post)

Surprising news just came from the Ford. They released the photos of the face-lifted new Kuga that will be available next year. It was released in 2008 and after 4 years, that’s a normal face-lift schedule. However, existing Kuga still looks fine! But technical features and interior could not keep with the competitors. This SUV segment has a very tough competition as it is one of the most profitable one. Each competitor introduces new technologies and features in this segment, then the competitors seems relatively out-dated. 

Like the existing model, it has a great design. In my opinion, existing Kuga is one of the best looking medium size SUV on market. And it won’t look old even in future, why? Because the existing Kuga has inspiration from the wild animals. You may see these parts especially on the bonnet and muscular structure. This new Kuga is a refined interpretation of the existing one. You can see this, when you look close. Ford did not change the main stream lines of the Kuga but revised it!
New Kuga will feature 2-lt 140 PS turbo diesel and 1,6-lt EcoBoost 175 PS petrol engine. I am expecting to see the new 1-lt EcoBoost petrol as well in future. There are not information about the gearbox but I am sure they will offer double clutch auto in whole engine range! Please do it!
Ford assumes that new all-wheel drive system will act at least 20 times faster than the present one. They also realised that Kuga does not offer a good off-road experience. Its all-wheel drive system reluctant to act on adverse terrain conditions. 
Coolest feature of the Kuga is the foot movement operated tailgate! I love this thing, it is available with Mercedes-Benz and BMW models. And it is really functional and creative, probably people like me break it down after playing too many times :)
And please Ford, dress up the models betters for the shooting! They still have the boring family atmosphere. Kuga is not boring!
For more photos: Cars & Life Facebook Page

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Ford

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Cars

Autosport International 2012 Birmingham NEC

Today I attended to Autosport International Show in Birmingham, UK. I can summarise it with one word, amazing. If you are interested on automotive and you want to see everything in one place, there is no better option than this. I saw the Bugatti Veyron’s brake disk, Mercedes SLS AMG GT3, Lexus LFA, Ferrari 458, new BMW M5 and 3 Series, Formula 1 Cars, new Porsche 911 and 918RSR and many more. If you have time, you should come and visit. You can find the ticket and other information below.

http://www.autosportinternational.com/

And thanks to RSM Agency for the great hospitality!
http://www.rsm-agency.com

For more photos Cars & Life Facebook Page

Categories
Cars

New Ford Fusion, Possible Future Mondeo

Here is the new Ford Mondeo! Actually, it is Fusion. Ford Fusion is the equivilant of Mondeo for the US market. Design and features may differ in new Mondeo but it is a great opportunity to see some bits from future Mondeo.
This new Fusion is the production version of the EVOS concept, and have similar design bits with existing model and a bit different front end. I think, I need time to get use it! The interior is much much better than the existing model, no comparison at all! I can say one thing for the future of Ford vehicles, they will be more competitive to upper segment!

New Fusion will feature new technologies, which can be found in Audi. In my opinion, it will be a good alternative for Audi A4! And also Ford is planning to offer its new 1.0-lt petrol engine. If they do it, new Mondeo will receive very high demand from the markets, where the taxation is heavily focused on larger engine sizes.

I am looking forward to see the new Mondeo and how it will differ from the Fusion.

 

 

 

 

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Ford
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Cars

Crash Test @ 193 kph (120 mph) in Ford Focus

Many people may not have heard of the Fifth Gear. Unfortunately, it is not well known like Top Gear around the world. However, Fifth Gear always provides critical knowledge about road safety. Recently, they did an extreme crash test with a Ford Focus.

They tried to see what would happen when you crash a Ford Focus to a concrete wall at the speed of 120 mph (~193 kph). This speed is the triple of the usual Euro NCAP crash tests and never been tested. Also, concrete wall increases the impact more than the deformable wall! Just watch the footage and see, what would happen if a car crashes at the speed of 193 kph!

Video’s copyright
Fifth Gear

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Cars

Ford EVOS! Don’t Confuse with Volkswagen EOS

EVOS is the Ford’s new concept vehicle, which was revealed in Berlin couple of days ago. And EOS is the VW’s coupe cabrio model. Many of you might have typed Ford EOS on Google, or VW EVOS! And I was expecting this to happen, not something surprising! Ford invented a new brand name that is very similar to an existing brand. Eventually, many people will struggle to remember it properly and hopefully Google will correct the mistake. 
Anyway, let’s focus on new the Ford EVOS. This new concept vehicle is a flash forward of Ford’s new design and technology philosophy. Firstly the design, Ford defines this vehicle as drop-dead four-door fastback. This car has four doors, don’t be confused with the seamless design. Unidentified rear door concept is not very familiar with the Ford, usually we see this with Alfa Romeos. So that’s makes it very clear that Ford is going to shift into a unique design philosophy with the new Mondeo in 2013. 
In 2005, Ford revealed the Iosis concept vehicle and the design concept shift into a totally different level. More competitive and more distinctive. With EVOS concept, I am expecting to see more competitive Ford models in next decade. This indicates one thing, new Ford models will be competing with Audi! They already mentioned this couple of years ago. Ford is targeting to Audi’s segment and they are planning to be there less than a decade! 
EVOS concept vehicle proofs this strategy. EVOS offers more adaptive technologies, new Ford’s will be understanding the drivers’s habits (New Fords will be monitoring driver’s heart-rate and adjusts the vehicles according to driver, no more pushing comfort button for comfort), clean the air more comprehensively with the climate control, connects with the cloud technology. Basically, new Fords will be more competitive than ever. 
I hope that, Ford will not use EVOS brand for production. They should consider the side effects on Google search.
For more photos please check the Facebook Page

Pictures’ Copyrights
Ford

Published at: http://uygarr.blogspot.com https://carsandlife.net

Categories
Cars

Ford Focus vs. Audi A3 Vol. 2

I have noticed that people are confused between the new Ford Focus and Audi A3. This idea did not appear on my mind suddenly, I noticed the Google search result on my blog. And many people were trying to find out which is the best!

In order to provide free public service, I would like to express my opinions very quickly. Please try to find the appropriate option for yourself :)

First, are you planning to show off or perceived as a rich person? If you are saying yes this, just buy the ageing Audi A3. Whatever Ford Focus can offer to you cannot satisfy your desire your huge desire to impress people. For these people, you don’t need to read more.

Second, are you planning to buy a car which offers technology and looks nice? If yes, buy the Ford Focus. When you buy with full technological gadgets, you will have memory seats, active grille shuttering system, road sigh recognition, radar guided cruise control, keyless entry, torque vectoring control (This system is also found in BMW X6), lane departure warning, ability to park by itself, low speed auto breaking to avoid collision. Unfortunately, Audi A3 does not offer this wide range of technologies due to its ageing lifecycle. More technology the same money, buy Ford Focus.

Third, do you wish to have a car which looks nice and offer luxury interior? Ford Focus looks better than Audi A3. In terms of interior, Audi A3 is better than Ford Focus but A3 looks old. Unfortunately, you need to decide which is satisfying your taste. Honestly, Audi A3 has a better interior.

Four, if none of the condition matching your unique taste. And you are looking for a car looks nice, drives nice and new? So, you need to buy the Ford Focus. It looks nice, it drives nice, it is new, even the standard package offers similar technology with Audi A3. Eventually, Ford Focus is a new car and Audi A3 is quite old one. For you, there is no point to pour money to something old and offers nothing really special than a more exquisite brand image.

Pictures’ Copyrights
Ford, Audi

Published at: http://uygarr.blogspot.com https://carsandlife.net

Categories
Fashion

Ugly Truth of New Ford Focus

I am in between about to publish this post. First I thought, there is no need to show an adverse side of a new car. Everything is a state of art with this new car except one thing! Later, I changed my mind to share this with other people. But not to change the image of the brand, just to inform them.

I am talking about the new Ford Focus. As you might remember, I liked the new Ford Focus and advice to people to buy it instead of Golf’s snob interpretation of Audi A3. However, there is one thing wrong with Focus. I did not confuse the words, wrong.

New Ford Focus still has the pre-historic drum brakes in the rear wheels. For people who has no idea about drum brakes. These brakes are very old technology, however there were preferred by car manufacturers until last couple of years. These brakes have a metal cover and the pads pressure that metal cover to stop the car. It has a long life, cheaper manufacture, they don’t like high temperatures and not very comfortable. The second point is more important for the companies. And that point made drum brakes charming, even the Mercedes A Class first generation had them, VW Golf had them, Renault had them, Fiat had them, Ford had them. Hopefully, each brand started to vanish their drum brakes from their store houses and offer the contemporary technology disc brakes.

Additionally, drum brakes are a Trojan horse for a luxury brand image. Even though people do not know well about them, their friends may know very well and tell them to avoid that brand. Also in magazines, it is always mentioned that drum brakes are old technology; on TV this is mentioned millions of times. And there is a very basic statement for drum brakes and luxury; they cannot be together. If you try to integrate them, you will place a Trojan horse to your product which can destroy the image at any time. Therefore, drum brake is something Ford must avoid; if they are really willing to alter their brand image.

Hopefully¸ these idiotic brakes are only available with some engines but I cannot remember them now. If you have modern EcoBoost engines, you will have proper disc brakes at the rear. Probably, you will not see drum brake Ford Focus around your town but knowing that Ford still stuck on old school technology is not something good.

Three years ago, I read on CAR Magazine Ford’s target brand is Audi and they were planning to increase their quality and alter their brand image to achieve the same perception. If they are still thinking like (I think so), they must get rid of this drums.

Again, only some Ford Focus models come with drum brakes. Please ask Ford dealers for further information.

Published at: http://uygarr.blogspot.com https://carsandlife.net

Categories
Fashion

Ford Focus Active Grille Shutter, finally spotted !!!

A decade ago, efficiency of cars were not this crucial for companies. It was important to have low levels of consumption but the pressure was not like this from governments and consumers. Thanks to unstable petrol prices, now everyone is concerned on fuel consumption! Therefore, each month we hear something new about efficiency. Actually in each motor show, there is something new. This is similar fashion business, they need to reveal new designs for each new show.
Recently engineers invented something really amazing and interesting, active grille shutter. It does sound weird but it not that complicated. It is just a group of flaps in front the radiator and they control the airflow to cooling system. During winter times, the engine is trying to get warmer and cold air is trying to make it colder. But when the flaps engaged with close position there is no worry for cold winds! Usually there sixteen different positions are defined and computer decided which angle is the best for the engine. This enables to reduce the consumption by rapid increase of engine heat to optimum position. Optimum heat is the key point for consuming less fuel.
BMW, Ford and some other manufacturers offer this technology in their cars. But nobody see them with naked eye! Actually, it is a bit challenging to see them. On weekend, I visited a Ford dealer in Birmingham to see this flaps in real. It took some time to capture the photos, they are behind the bumper and this makes it quite hard to take a proper photo. However I did it. As you can see in below, that plastic flap is one of the key elements of greener cars without painting the car into green colour :)
Next time, I will try to take a video of their movement but it will much harder than taking photo! Of course I am not planning to hang my self-upside down while someone is driving the car. The best option is to capture them while under they are checked by the diagnose computer at workshop. Those computers have more entertainment than your PlayStation.

Categories
Cars

Ford: Flash of Genius (Movie)

Automotive business is obsessed with costs, they are doing everything to cut the costs and move any necessary features to option list to charge us. This is the rule of the game! However, sometimes this price-cutting obsession exceeds the limits of our imagination. Five years ago, if you wanted to buy A VW Golf or Ford Focus you will find something really interesting on brochure. Intermittent windshield wiper is not available in cheapest model, I am not talking something really complicated or sophisticated. Just a knob to adjust the time interval for wipers for light rain and this was optional! You have to pay extra money. Actually, nobody ever think about this and they just pay it! –Interestingly Hyundai offers this as standard for many years.-
I forgot this state of art cost cutting tactic until now! Recently I watched a movie trailer on YouTube, called Flash of Genius. And it is based on a true story of intermittent windshield wiper. In 1960s, car companies did not have adequate electronic to adjust time interval for wipers and it was a serious problem. Robert Kearns wanted to solve this problem and invented the system for wipers! He found a system and gains the patent but things did not go well for him! That small thing on wiper knob was a huge problem for automotive industry and cost millions of dollars in courts. 
I didn’t watch the movie yet, but I read some articles about what happened between Robert and Detroit car companies. I don’t want to write every detail, you need to watch it. However, he did not give up on his patent until 1992 and finally he received millions of dollars with interest for his technology. It is really interesting that the whole automotive industry could not find a very basic solution to a wiper system and it was found by someone, who did not work in automotive industry! Now I can see why Ford is still charging extra money for that small thing!

Sorry, embedding was disabled for the preview, please click the YouTube link below.

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Ford

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Cars

Ford Fiesta with two air conditions!

New Ford Fiesta is one of the best looking cars on its segment. When you think about its price and its design level, it is really a great car to buy. Also, Ford recently added some new features like rear view camera, key less access, new sound system and some other things. The most interesting one is the air conditioning!
When you look at the Ford Fiesta’s UK web site, you can see that Ford was really excited while preparing the list. Because, you can have two individual air conditioning system in a Fiesta! And also you can choose manual or automatic for each one. More interestingly, first manual condition is standard on Edge model and second one is not available.
Of course, Fiesta does not offer two air conditions. Someone totally messed up the list and got confused. It is really obvious, they just repeated the same option with different condition! I see, you were in hurry but pay a bit more attention. You cannot offer an air condition, standard and not available at the same time.
I still like Fiesta, if they offer a double clutch automatic, instead of primitive four speed one, that would be a great pleasure to drive it ;)
 
http://www.ford.co.uk/Cars/Fiesta/Featuresandspecifications
 


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Ford