Archive for Ford

The new Ford Escape 2.3 XLT is now in Sime Darby Auto Connexion Sdn Bhd showrooms. It is priced at RM134,837.00 without insurance, road tax and registration. There is only one engine option this time, a 146 PS 2.3 liter Duratec petrol engine with variable valve timing, mated to a 4-speed automatic.

The engine makes its peak power at 6,000rpm with peak torque of 196Nm at 4,000rpm. Fuel efficiency is rated at a claimed 10.5 liters per 100km. That’s actually not very high peak power and torque for a 2.3 liter engine but the reason for this is because it is tuned for SUV usage with better low-down power. A relatively low 9.1:1 compression ratio could also be a contributing factor. Another variation of this 2.3 liter in the previous generation Mazda 6 made 169 PS and 211Nm of torque.

The facelift has been facelifted with a design that was first previewed at the Tokyo 2007 show. No Kinetic Design here, for that you’ll have to go for the Kuga. This is actually the Asian version of the car, as there is also a US version that has a different exterior and interior. This new Asian model’s interior is largely the same as the older one except for minor changes, and the shifter has been moved to a more traditional position of between the two front seats. Based on a car chassis with struts at the front and multi-link at the rear, it offers a more car-like ride and handling which should bode well with urban commuters. There is also auto cruise control and auto climate control.

Other than the front end which is completely new with a signature three-bar grille, the rear tail lamps also sport a new horizontal design and are lit up with LED technology. The wheels are 16 inch cast aluminium units wrapped with 215/70R16 tyres. It’s got 200mm front and 242mm rear ground clearance, and a 28.5 degree approach angle and 30 degree departure angle.

In the safety department, the Escape is equipped with dual front airbags and side airbags for a total of four, 4-wheel ABS with EBD and the Control Trac II system detects wheel slip and automatically splits power between the front and rear wheels to maintain traction. Control Trac II can be manually overridden to full time 4×4 mode at the push of a button.

Look after the jump for more photos of the facelifted Escape, including a few more detailed shots of the modified interior.

Click here to read the rest of New Ford Escape Asian market facelift now in Sime Darby Auto Connexion showrooms!

A new facelifted Ford Escape will go on sale at Sime Darby Auto Connexion showrooms from the 12th of June 2009. A single model will be offered – the 2.3 liter inline-4 engine mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission which Sime Darby says will be priced at below RM140,000 OTR with insurance. The official price will be unveiled sometime this week.

The V6 model has been dropped for this generation of Escape, which actually differs from the new American market model that was unveiled in 2007 and showcased on this blog previously. Ford decided to split the Escape into two models, with Malaysia getting this Asia-Pacific model which was previewed at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show as the Ford Escape Adventure Concept, while the US gets one with a more traditionally truck-like look.

Tech-wise, the US Escape gets some new changes this year – the 2.3 has been replaced by a 2.5 and the V6 gets a 40hp boost to 240 horses, along with an upgrade from a 4-speed to a 6-speed auto transmission. There is even a hybrid model mated to a CVT. Our Asian market version continues with the 2.3 liter and the 4-speed auto.

The new facelifted Ford Escape will come with a 3 year or 100,000 km warranty. Initial specs are revealed to include ABS, EBD, a sunroof, cruise control and a imported leather interior (not wrapped locally).

Look after the jump for a gallery of the Asian market Escape.

Click here to read the rest of New Ford Escape facelift coming to Malaysia!

Ford shot this TV commercial featuring all of their new Kinetic Design cars, but despite having various locations for the scenes in reality the cars never left the shooting studio. This was done on purpose and highlighted as part of the main message delivered by the TVC – they want to say their cars look dynamic as if they are moving even when in reality they are staying still in one spot. Nothing beats having the car really out there though – in the virtualised landscape some of the lighting on the car doesn’t feel like they match properly. Watch the TVC after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: Ford Kinetic Design TVC

Ford’s new “kinetic Design” theme that it’s been putting on all of it cars started back in 2004 when Ford executive design director for Ford Europe Mr Martin Smith was tasked with formulating a new design language for the company. And it’s not just limited to Europe – the next generation Fords will strive harder to be global cars and kinetic Design has also found its way onto the American Taurus.

Click here to read the rest of Kinetic Design: a new look for European Fords

What better time for rumours of a revival of the Ford Capri to surface than the year of the 40th anniversary of the Ford Capri coupe. The Capri was born in 1969 and production ended in 1986, with a total of 3 generations built and sold.

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Ford can take an idea or two from the Volkswagen stables. After all, they made a new Scirocco from the Golf platform, so Ford could easily produce a new Capri from the global Focus platform if they wanted to.

They seem to be already heading that “more models than before from one platform” way by spawning the S-MAX and the Kuga, both new models that are variations of the Focus platform.

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In fact Ford just issued a long release with many product shots and a history of the Capri a few weeks ago, as if hinting to us that a new Capri concept will be shown this year. Of course the company’s last modern interpretation of the Capri was the Ford Visos Concept back in 2003, of which pictures you can find after the jump.

The shots in this article is an artist’s rendering by Theophilus Chin in line with Ford’s new “Kinetic Design” styling.

Click here to read the rest of Ford to bring back the Ford Capri?

First unveiled as the Ranger MAX Concept at the Thai Motor Expo in November last year, the new Ford Ranger facelift is now on sale in Malaysia as a CBU import from its regional production center in Rayong, Thailand.

The Ranger’s 2.5 liter Duratorq turbodiesel engine with lag-free VGT puts out 143 PS and 330Nm of torque, mated to either a 5-speed manual (RM83,888 Peninsular and RM86,388 East Malaysia) or a 5-speed automatic transmission (RM88,888 Peninsular and RM92,388 East Malaysia). if you buy it now you can get a free accessory package worth RM2,000 while stocks last.

Ford seems to have abandoned its “a truck should look like a truck” stand that it took when it first launched this edition of the Ranger, as the new facelift now has alot more curves that was previously reserved for the Mazda Fighter. Much of the front is new, with new headlamps and new fender panels etc but most of the rear remains the same. The new look was designed by a team based in Melbourne.

On the interior there are 2 airbags, and an AM/FM and MP3-capable CD changer with AUX input. There are various conveniences in the interior such as a slide-out tray that can support up to 10kg and a two-level arm rest storage area. The rear bed has dimensions of 1,530mm by 1,456mm.

As for off-road capability, Ford claims a 34 degree approach angle and a 33 degree departure angle, with an underside that is said to be well armoured. The rear suspension uses leaf springs with oversized 32mm gas shocks, while the front uses a double wishbone with torsion bar spring design. The fuel tank, transfer case, engine and transmission are protected by steel plating.

There is a low-range gearing reduction of 2.48:1 for the auto and 2.02:1 for the manual. The rear differential is a torque-sensing multiple LSD to help split torque balance optimally between the left and right rear wheels whenever the situation calls for it.

Look after the jump for a gallery of the Ranger.

Click here to read the rest of New Ford Ranger facelift now in Malaysia!

As the recession still wrecks havoc in the US and Europe and pretty much all parts of the world, increasingly price and cost conscious consumers continue to downsize one segment down with their new car purchases.

The Volkswagen Golf has just lost its number one selling car title in Europe to the Ford Fiesta, which is one size smaller and a competitor to the Volkswagen Polo. Ford sold 52,805 Ford Fiestas in Europe in March 2009, compared to 46,415 Volkswagen Golfs. However the Golf still tops the Fiesta in total Q1 2009 sales figures – 119,651 units versus 113,576 units.

Sales of the Fiesta were especially boosted by the new scrapping plans offered by European governments, which offer up to 5,000 Euros to scrap an old car for a new model, which usually ends up being a small car. 5,000 Euros is seriously alot of money for a small car in Germany, where a Polo starts from under 13,000 Euros. So it is really quite a real incentive there.

It makes our measly RM5,000 scrapping incentive look like pittance, which is what it is really, I don’t know why they keep comparing our scrapping scheme to other countries. The scrap incentive got translated dollar to dollar when the car prices are not.

This is Ford’s new Ford Focus X Road. It’s essentially a wagon Focus with a 125 horsepower 1.8 liter Duratec engine fitted with an offroader-like bodykit. There’s no all-wheel drive even, just the standard front wheel drive system.

For some reason only 300 will be built and it will be sold in The Netherlands only, or at least that’s the plan for now, which explains why Ford picked the Dutch 2009 AutoRAI show to showcase it.

A small photo gallery after the jump, if you’re interested.

Click here to read the rest of Ford Focus X Road: 300 units dressed up wagon

American-based auto maker Ford has revealed that it will present a tri-fuel Ford Mondeo at the Leipzig Motor Show which will run from March 28th till April 2009 this year. This tri-model, as the title suggests, can be fueled with a mixture of gasoline, bio-ethanol (E85) as well as LPG or Liquefied Petroleum Gas. This means that the standard Mondeo with its 2.0 liter Duratec gasoline engine comes fitted with an additional 48.8-liter tank to supply LPG, while gasoline and bio-ethanol shares a 70-liter tank.

Ford also revealed that the Mondeo with the tri-fuel feature can deliver up to 1,300 kilometers in terms of driving range when all three fuel types are used. Out of the 1,300 kilometers of range, 460 kilometers is contributed by LPG while the balance is contributed by a mixture of gasoline and bio-ethanol. Power output wise, the auto maker mentioned that with a mixture of gasoline and bio-ethanol, the 2.0 liter powerplant is able to produce 145HP, and while running on LPG, it can output 141HP, which is pretty decent actually.

Available in sedan, five-door liftback and in station wagon forms, the Tri-Fuel Ford Mondeo will go on sale in selected European markets from April this year, with prices in Germany starting from 27,500 Euros, which means this fuel efficient variant is cheaper by 250 Euros than the diesel-powered Ford Mondeo TDCi with 140HP.

The 2009 Ford Ranger which is expected to hit the local market was also present at the Geneva Motor Show. The new Ranger which will also hit the European market features two engine options including a 2.5 liter or 3.0 liter DuraTORQ TDCi with common rail direct injection and variable geometry turbocharger technology.

Europe and our friendly neighbor up north Thailand will get both engine options however whether we will get the 3.0 liter unit or not is yet to be confirmed. Both the 2.5 liter and 3.0 liter power plants are able to produce 143PS with 330 Nm of torque and 156PS with 380Nm of torque respectively. Both engines can also be coupled with a 5 speed automatic transmission or a 5 speed manual option.

Design wise, its heavily influenced by the Ranger Max show truck which was previewed at the Thai Motor Expo last year.

Click here to view an image gallery of the 2009 Ranger.

Click here to read the rest of Geneva 2009: 2009 Ford Ranger was not left behind