Advertisement

GALLERY: Ford Ranger unveiled at Bangkok Motor Show

March 28, 2011 at 9:35 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Ford, International News

We saw the all-new Ford Ranger one day before the Thai public got to do so, and so did you in our previous post, but here are more pics of the handsome truck revealed at Impact Bangkok. As mentioned, production of the one-tonne challenger will kick off in Thailand mid 2011, and it’s scheduled to arrive in Malaysia early next year.

The Ranger gets an all-new platform paired to a fresh drivetrain. It’s set to raise the segment bar by offering a six-speed automatic and manual transmissions, and the main engine will be a 2.2-litre TDCi with 150 PS and 375 Nm of torque. There’s also a 3.2-litre five-cylinder oil burner with 200 PS and 470 Nm. A third option that won’t be coming here is the 166 PS/226 Nm Duratec petrol engine.

At the preview event, we weren’t allowed on stage for photography, which meant that no interior shots were possible. However, at the launch, I took my chances and rushed up the platform amidst the chaos to sneak a few shots of the cabin. Not the most comprehensive collection, but it’s all I managed before being “ushered” off the stage.

What do you think of the new Ranger? Do you like what you see and hear? So far we’re impressed, and can’t wait to drive it. Live gallery from BKK after the jump.
[Read more...]

25 Comments      

All-new Ford Ranger gets ASEAN debut in Thailand, coming to Malaysia early 2012

March 23, 2011 at 1:05 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Ford, Local News


Click to enlarge

UPDATE: More information and pictures added

We’re in Bangkok now for the ASEAN debut of the all-new Ford Ranger pick-up truck. Designed and developed in Australia, this Ranger is part of the One Ford strategy for global vehicles, and Thailand, which is the second largest market in the world for such vehicles, will be one of three global production hubs for the one-tonne truck.

The AAT plant in Thailand responsible for Ranger will kick off production in the middle of this year, before plants in South Africa and Argentina start production. Malaysia is of course getting the Ranger from our northern neighbour, and the first units are scheduled to arrive in early 2012.


Click to enlarge

Ford officials are in a confident mood here in Bangkok, as they unveiled what’s claimed as the “best in class” truck in a variety of aspects. It certainly looks much bigger than the current one, bold and handsome, and the features are impressive.

The Double Cab version that we see here (Regular and Super also available) measures 5,359 mm long and 1,850 mm wide, which means it takes over from the Nissan Navara (5,230 X 1,850 mm) as the largest truck in town. The Ranger’s wheelbase is 3,230 mm long, which is also the longest in the segment.

For the record, this new Ranger is 190 mm longer, 43 mm wider and 65 mm taller than the current one. The big body makes the show car’s 18-inch wheels look just about adequate. 16 and 17-inch rims will also be available.

Because of this increase in size, Ford claims that rear legroom and knee clearance is best in class. You would also have noticed that the rear door is now significantly larger, which means easier access. The current Ranger has fixed sized front doors regardless of cab type, which limits the size scope of the rear doors in the double cab, but in this new model, the door length and B pillars vary according to cab type. More flexible, in other words.

By the way, it’s an all-new platform that will come with fresh engines – two Duratorq TDCi units and one Duratec petrol. Let’s focus on the diesels, as the 166 PS/226 Nm petrol with five-speed manual isn’t likely to reach our shores.

Breaking away from the 2.5-litre trend, the new Ranger will come with a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel with 150 PS and 375 Nm of torque. As you can see, despite the smaller capacity, this 2.2′s output betters that of the current Ranger and its 2.5L rivals in Malaysia, except for the Navara. On a 4X2 model, Ford says that fuel consumption is as low as 7.6L/100 km.


Click to enlarge

The second diesel lump is a five-cylinder 3.2-litre unit that puts out 200 PS and 470 Nm of torque. These engines are related to those used in the European Ford Transit van. The 2.2 will be the one that’s coming to Malaysia early 2012, while the 3.2 is a possible entry at a later date.

To top it off, the new Ranger will be the first in class to offer a six-speed automatic transmission. The gearbox will have Sequential Shift Control manual override, Grade Logic Control and Driver Recognition, the latter adapting to the driver’s style. The manual ‘box for the diesels have six forward ratios as well, plus an upshift indicator to encourage efficient driving.

Globally, the truck will come in 4X2 and 4X4 drivetrains and two ride heights, with the 4X2 Hi-Rider sharing the same frame as the 4X4 model. Shift on the fly is available for 4X4 models.

A new feature is the locking rear differential that’s activated by a dashboard button. This would be valuable off road when one rear wheel is in mud or not touching the ground. 4X4 and Hi-Rider models have 241 mm ground clearance and class leading 800 mm of wade height, good for floods. By the way, the steering is now rack and pinion.

Among the headline features (globally) are best in class towing capacity (up to 3,350 kg, payload up to 1,500 kg), Bluetooth with Voice Control, rear view camera, curtain airbags, 23 storage spaces in the cabin (including a vented 8.5L centre bin), dual-zone climate control, cruise control, ESP, Hill Launch Assist and Hill Descent Control. Of course, not all of these will be in the Malaysian spec model if it’s to have a competitive price.


Click to enlarge

Looks good to shoot straight to the top of the class, and we can’t wait to drive it! More pics after the jump.
[Read more...]

71 Comments      


New Ford Ranger appears on Ford Thailand’s website

March 23, 2011 at 12:30 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Ford

Ford Thailand have released some details on the new Ford Ranger at their website. The Ranger is offered in Thailand as a Single Cab workhorse, a Double Cab (we usually have this in Malaysia) as well as an Open Cab which is like a Single Cab with some extra storage behind the seats.

I believe this is the first photo of the new Ranger’s interior space – before this it was just pictures of the exterior as well as the dashboard design. Ford claims the Double Cab offers class-leading legroom – it looks big in these photos, but we can’t see the angle of the rear backrest in this photo. Danny is at the Bangkok Motor Show this week so he’ll be able to tell us more about the new Ranger’s rear legroom.

The Ranger has not been launched in Thailand yet. The website says it will only be available by late 2011, so you can probably expect a similar launch date for Malaysia as well. Finalised specs for Thailand is not available yet either, but the site does boast about features like ESP, Bluetooth and Voice Control which are available on passenger cars like the Fiesta.

Look after the jump for the rest of the images extracted from Ford Thailand’s website.
[Read more...]

1 Comment      

VIDEO: Ford Ranger Wildtrak promotional footage

March 18, 2011 at 5:13 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Ford

Ford of Europe has uploaded this promotional video featuring the new Ford Ranger Wildtrak, which will be unveiled for the ASEAN market at the Thai Motoshow next week. It’s one huge mother, with two diesel engine options – a 2.2 litre inline-4 turbodiesel making 150 PS and 375Nm of torque, and a larger 5-cylinder turbodiesel making 200 PS and 470Nm of torque, which is pretty much the second highest power and torque in this segment of diesel pick-ups, beaten only by the Nissan Navara 3.0 DCi V6 with 231 PS and 550Nm! Not sure if ASEAN will be getting the larger engine or not but it sure sounds mighty fun.
[Read more...]

30 Comments      

Ford Mondeo Facelift 2.0 Ecoboost Powershift – short drive

March 9, 2011 at 5:17 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Ford, Local News, Test Drive Reviews

When we first reviewed the Ford Mondeo in February 2010, our man Danny enjoyed the drive and gave his overall thumbs up but commented that the package would be closer to prefect if it had an Ecoboost or a TDCI engine, as the 2.3 litre Duratec HE engine’s 159hp and 208Nm was a little underwhelming.

It looks like Danny’s wishes has come true as we hear SDAC is preparing for the launch of an updated Mondeo later this year. We jumped at the opportunity of trying out one of the new facelifted Ford Mondeos currently available in Singapore in Titanium spec with a 2.0 litre Ecoboost engine and a 6-speed Powershift transmission. Our current Mondeo is of Trend spec, with a normally aspirated 2.3 litre engine and 6-speed slushbox automatic.

Look after the jump for our findings after a short drive.
[Read more...]

43 Comments      

The last say: Ferrari gives its 2011 F1 car final name change – from F150 to F150th Italia, now it’s the 150° Italia

March 7, 2011 at 3:30 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Ferrari, Ford, International News

Ah, nothing like a little, ahem, friendly tiff to bring out the best in people. The Ford dispute with Ferrari over the latter’s naming of its 2011 F1 car – in which the boys that make the F-150 said Maranello was taking things a bit too far in naming its racer the F150 – was supposed to have been resolved when Ferrari changed the name of its vehicle.

So, you’d think it was all over when the F150 became the F150th Italia, which the blue oval thought was okay and which brought the whole matter to rest. The prancing horse lads, however, have come up with what is the final say (and presumably, some virtual digits – and I don’t mean numbers – aimed at a particular direction as well).

The Ferrari 2011 F1 car will now be known as the Ferrari 150° Italia, with the F dropped and the “th” replaced with a symbol that’s the Italian equivalent of the suffix. Ferrari stated the change with a very nicely worded posting on its website.

“In order to avoid the slightest risk of anyone confusing a Formula 1 car with a pick-up truck, for their part, the men from Maranello have decided that the car will lose the F that precedes the number 150 and which stands for Ferrari, as it has done on numerous occasions when it’s come to giving a car a code name, be it for the race track or the road,” the posting stated.

“It appears that this could have caused so much confusion in the minds of the consumer across the Pond that, at the same time as losing the F, the name will be completely Italianised, replacing the English “th” with the equivalent Italian symbol,” it continued.

“Therefore the name will now read as the Ferrari 150° Italia, which should make it clear even to the thickest of people that the name of the car is a tribute to the anniversary of the unification of our country. Let’s hope the matter is now definitely closed and that we can concentrate on other matters, namely ensuring that our car that already seems to be pretty good out of the box, becomes a real winner,” it concluded.

Well, yes, so there it is. Certainly, the whole thing is definitely a pickup compared to what transpired at the beginning. Sorry, couldn’t resist that.

14 Comments      

New Ford B-MAX MPV based on global Fiesta platform

March 1, 2011 at 4:41 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Ford, International News

This is the new Ford B-MAX, which will replace the Ford Fusion MPV in the European Ford line-up. It’s a B-segment MPV based on the same Ford global B-car platform as the Ford Fiesta, and it’s similar in size too, just 110mm longer than the 5-door Fiesta and a full 320mm shorter than the larger Focus-based C-MAX MPV. It sits 110mm taller than a Fiesta.

The B-MAX doesn’t have a traditional B pillar, and it also features twin rear sliding doors. So when the front doors swing open and the rear doors slide rearward, you get a single large opening into the interior where you can either get into the front passenger chair or the rear passenger bench. The opening measures over 1.5 meters wide. When closed, the door frames interlock and act together to protect the occupants by absorbing energy together like a “virtual B pillar”.

“With its highly popular S-MAX and Galaxy, and more recently the all-new C-MAX and Grand C-MAX, Ford has a proven history of bringing innovation and style to the multi-activity vehicle market. The new B-MAX signals that Ford is ready to bring the same bold thinking to the small car market.  With its unique door format and dynamic design, the B-MAX sends a strong message that customers looking for a compact, stylish and versatile vehicle will soon have an exciting new choice,” said Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe.

Propulsion is via a new inline 3 cylinder 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine, which is the latest in the range of Ford EcoBoost engines which currently consist of inline-4 and V6 engines. The 1.0 litre unit has direct injection, turbocharging and Ti-VCT variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust. It has auto start-stop as well, but curiously the very basic specs as in horsepower and torque have not been revealed for now. It should be similar to a normally aspirated 1.6 litre though.

8 Comments      

Ford Fiesta: test drive one and stand a chance to catch American Idol Season 10 live in Hollywood!

February 28, 2011 at 5:52 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Advertorial, Cars, Ford

This is a sponsored advertorial to promote the Experience Fiesta, Experience Hollywood contest where you can win a 5D4N trip to the American Idol.

The compact with the big heart is certainly going along very well – Ford’s sterling Fiesta continues to make new friends every day, with an ever steady stream of people walking into the showrooms to test drive the car, many of these translating into bookings on the spot.

It’s not just hearsay – having spent an hour in the Ford showroom in PJ over the weekend, it was certainly a challenge for yours truly to arrange a test drive, as part of sampling what the Experience Fiesta, Experience Hollywood Contest 2011 was all about, given the large number of potential customers about.

In the end, it proved easier to follow somebody else’s test drive session and see how it was done. With a trip to catch American Idol Season 10 in Hollywood, as well as plenty of iPhone 4, iPad and iPods, to be won as part of the contest, it’s definitely a rewarding way to find out more about a car.

The 20 min or so demo session – in a 1.6L Sport – contained a lot of detailed points about the car being briefed about the hatch, with the Bluetooth & Voice Control feature being at the head of it all. Naturally, the other main unique features, including the responsiveness of the 1.6L TI-VCT engine and smoothness of the dual-clutch 6-speed transmission, were also communicated as part of the programme.

There’s a mission in all this. Once the test drive is concluded, the participant gets a chance to have a hands-on experience using the Bluetooth & Voice Control, submitting the contest entry via a call to the mission centre at a 1800 toll-free number, which is an automated Interactive Voice Response system that guides participants to submit their entry for the contest.

Of course, you’ll still have to fill your details on the Mission Card, but that’s a simple enough process, for sure. With a grand prize that includes an invite to the AI Season 10 semi-final live show, a return air ticket as well as 5D4N hotel accomodation in Los Angeles and airport/hotel transfers in LA, all you need to do is show up, if you’re the winner, of course.

The first step to getting there, if you haven’t already done so, is to enter the contest through going for a Fiesta test drive, which you can do up to March 31 at any Sime Darby AutoConnexion or authorised Ford dealer showroom in Malaysia. Alternatively, you can also do so at an ongoing series of nationwide Ford road shows, which will be held at the following locations:

March 1-6: Jusco Tebrau City, Johore Bahru

March 2-6: The Curve, Petaling Jaya

March 16-20: Sunway Pyramid, Petaling Jaya

March 17-20: The Spring, Kuching, Sarawak

March 24-27: Dataran Pahlawan, Malacca

11 Comments      

Ford Fiesta: join the 1 million Fiesta owners worldwide!

February 22, 2011 at 10:41 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Advertorial, Cars, Ford

This is a sponsored advertorial to promote the Experience Fiesta, Experience Hollywood contest where you can win a 5D4N trip to the American Idol.

American carmakers are coming out of the global financial crisis changed, and without question the Ford vehicle line-up of today is the best in its history. Many people think of Ford as a manufacturer of trucks and SUVs, which it is. But Ford is also a great car manufacturer – we particularly like how all of their cars are great drives – and a product transformation is underway here in Malaysia.

We now have some very interesting passenger Fords including the Mondeo as well as something that looks straight out of the typical European buyer’s garage – the frugel Ford Focus TDCi. All three Ford passenger cars feature the award-winning kinetic design concept which visualizes energy in motion – basically the cars look like they’re on the go even when they’re static. The latest passenger car in Ford’s stables in Malaysia is the new German-engineered Ford Fiesta is already a global success with more than one million sold since late 2008.

We all know that Australia is a country where they love their large sedans with engine capacities of 4.0 litres and above with at least six cylinders, but interestingly the under-30 age group in Australia accounts for 32 percent of Fiesta sales, and the average age is 40. In the United States, the average age of the Fiesta buyer is 46, and 29 percent of the buyers are under 35. Many consumers who have traditionally bought larger cars are downsizing to the Fiesta, and as a result despite the smaller size they’re also still used to the spec levels found in higher cars. So to keep these buyers happy, a small car now has to live up to the expectations that its larger siblings usually have to tackle.

The Ford Fiesta features specifications that you rarely find in a B-segment vehicle under RM100,000 such as twin variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust valves, a 6-speed dual clutched transmission, Voice Activation control for the in-car entertainment and Bluetooth handsfree communication systems.

The Fiesta also features Ford’s EasyFuel system which first debuted on the Ford GT Supercar. This eliminates the need for you to unscrew a fuel cap each time you want to refuel the car. Ford says this will solve the problem of drivers forgetting to replace the gas cap after refueling. These caps are often left at the petrol stations, on the boot, on the roof, or dangling from the cars as they drive away.

Test drive a Ford Fiesta today and you might just have a chance to win a 5D4N trip to the American Idol. Instead of just a normal test drive where the sales advisor prattles off the car’s features, Ford has actually prepared an interactive audio CD which will be played in the car and will guide you through the car’s features. After a 15 to 20 minute drive, you will actually be taught how to use the Voice Control feature to submit your contest entry via the mission center, which is basically a 1-800 toll-free number with an Interactive Voice Response you will call using the car’s Bluetooth hands-free system.
[Read more...]

Leave a Comment      

Ford Fiesta Sport+ 1.6 Ti-VCT upgraded to 134 PS

February 21, 2011 at 11:34 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Ford, International News

Ford has launched a new limited edition Ford Fiesta Sport+ in Europe, which has its 1.6 litre Ti-VCT engine pumped up to 134 PS and 160Nm, up from the stock numbers of 120 PS and 152Nm. The extra power boosts 0 to 100km/h acceleration performance to 8.7 seconds down from 9.9 seconds.

Of course if this isn’t enough for you there’s always the Mountune kit for the Fiesta, which manages to squeeze out a few more horses and Newton meters, resulting in a peak of 140 PS and 170Nm, going up to 0 to 100km/h in just 7.9 seconds. The 140 PS kit maintains your Fiesta’s warranty in the UK, but if you don’t mind your powertrain warranty being voided there’s also a more aggressive new 155 PS and 180Nm kit which shaves the century sprint time down to 7.5 seconds.

The Fiesta Sport+ is the general European name – it will be called the Fiesta S1600 in the UK and the Fiesta Sport S in Germany. There already exists a Fiesta S1600 in the UK, but it only had a bodykit and a unique paintjob. I guess this update adds extra power into the mix as well.

8.7 seconds or even 7.9 seconds can be fun but is hardly thrilling – where’s the Fiesta ST? The chassis can definitely handle some turbocharged power, and throw in a manual transmission as well!
[Read more...]

21 Comments