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  • Ford EcoLPi liquid injection LPG Falcon set for Oz debut

    In Cars, Ford, International News, Technology / By / / 9 comments

    Over in Australia, Ford will be introducing its next-generation EcoLPi liquid injection LPG system sometime in mid-year, and it will debut on the Falcon sedan there. The introduction will see Ford continuing to be the only manufacturer to offer dedicated LPG technology in that market.

    The new EcoLPi in-line six-cylinder engine is a liquid phase injection, dedicated LPG powerplant promising impressive fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions, with no compromise in engine performance compared to the existing petrol I6 engine found in the Falcon.

    Liquid injection LPG delivers significant driveability and operating improvements compared to the previous E-Gas venturi-style vapour system offered, including better fuel economy and substantial increases in both power and torque outputs.

    The new EcoLPi engine develops 265 hp of power at 5,000 rpm and 409 Nm of torque at 3,250 rpm, identical to the petrol I6 engine running on RON 95 fuel. The block will be partnered to a ZF six-speed automatic transmission on all variants wearing the EcoLPi unit.

    The numbers represent a 27% improvement in maximum power and 10% improvement in peak torque compared to the previous generation E-Gas LPG engine, which produced 209 hp and 371 Nm. Preliminary testing on a Falcon EcoLPi sedan points towards a 12-15% improvement in overall fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions over the old system.

    The cornerstone of the EcoLPi engine is a new injection system, which follows a similar fuel induction configuration to the petrol I6 engine, courtesy of a new injector-based, high-pressure fuel rail that delivers liquid-state LPG fuel directly into the intake port.

    Whereas traditional vapour LPG systems turn liquefied gas into vapour form before feeding it into the engine via a venturi in the throttle body, the liquid phase injection system takes the gas in liquid state all the way to the injectors.

    Injecting the LPG fuel in a liquid state directly into the intake port in a more precise and controlled manner generates improved engine volumetric efficiency, which delivers better fuel economy, reduced CO2 emissions and greater engine performance.

    As the LPG fuel is no longer under pressure once it’s released from the injector, its sudden expansion and rapid cooling of the incoming air charge creates the ideal conditions for maximum fuel burning efficiency. This enables the engine to produce more power and torque, economically, and with fewer emissions.

    Technical highlights of the system include a new fuel rail (including injectors) designed and developed specifically for the EcoLPi engine, new design lightweight pistons (including a low-friction ring pack), a higher 12.0:1 comression ratio, new polymer fuel lines with a low thermal mass to keep the LPG fuel liquefied and a new fuel line filter (with an in-tank filter added) to prevent system/component contamination.

    Elsewhere, significant modifications have been carried out on the fuel tank, including all-new internals and sub-level components as well as a new high-pressure fuel pump, and mods have been done on the engine management system as well, including a new fuel priming strategy.

    The new EcoLPi powertrain will be available on both the Falcon sedan and Ute, with the line-up made up of XT, G6, G6E and XR6 variants for the sedan and XL, R6 and XR6 variants in both Cab Chassis and Styleside Box body configurations for the Ute.

     

  • The Mad Max Interceptor returns, and there are two!

    In Cars, Concept Cars, Ford, International News / By / / 21 comments


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    Time sure flies. It’s more than 30 years since George Miller’s original Mad Max movie, which starred Mel Gibson and a jet black Ford XB Coupe-based Interceptor, hit the big screen.

    Now, with a new Mad Max instalment (tentatively called Mad Max 4: Fury Road) on the cards, Ford Australia – in partnership with TopGear Australia – has unveiled not one, but two new Mad Max Interceptors. The 21st century concepts have been designed by Ford’s designers for TopGear Australia to help celebrate the revival of the Mad Max action movie genre.

    Ford Australia’s Melbourne-based Asia, Pacific and Australia design director, Chris Svensson, jumped at the chance to design a new Interceptor and threw the full weight of Ford Australia’s Research Centre behind the project.

    “Our entire team was very excited to be involved in this after-hours project and they approached it with a great deal of enthusiasm, even those that were too young to remember the first Mad Max movie. We had a special screening of the original movie so they could understand it,” Svensson said.


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    Led by Todd Willing, chief designer passenger cars Asia, Pacific and Africa, the team created several way-out concepts that pay homage to styling cues from the original XB Coupe Interceptor. Out of these, two have been chosen by the magazine to feature in the April issue, and readers will be invited to vote on which design Ford should take to the next level. The winning car will be turned into a clay model, and then a scale version, which is expected to be revealed later this year.

    The two competing designs, by Nima Nourian and Simon Brook, are limitless in their imagination, technology and weaponry. Among the weaponry is an industrial-strength “taser” mounted to the bonnet to zap bad guys on bikes straight off the road. Other futuristic movie features include a titanium-lined body shell to interrupt police scanners and wheels with extendable spikes to shred enemy vehicles.

    Nourian said his design paid tribute to the 1970s Interceptor, but also drags the car into the future. “There are some great scenes in the first movie with high-speed chases and clashes with the bad guys, and I thought I’d take that one step further,” he said. “So instead of having weapons and machine guns, we’ve got an industrial strength taser that’ll zap cars dead and out of the way.

    Brook’s car was equally threatening. “During high-speed pursuits, the wheels’ inner spokes on my design will pop out and start ripping up other cars. They’d do some serious damage to other vehicles,” he said. His design takes cues from the current FG Falcon, but advances it further while adding touches of the retro Interceptor as well. “I wanted to keep it clean and aerodynamic in its essence, but still brutal and tough.

    Now, which car would you choose then, Max?

     

  • GALLERY: Ford Ranger unveiled at Bangkok Motor Show

    In Cars, Ford, International News / By / / 25 comments

    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 ›

     

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

    In Cars, Ford, Local News / By / / 73 comments


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    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.


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    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.


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    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.


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    Looks good to shoot straight to the top of the class, and we can’t wait to drive it! More pics after the jump.
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  • New Ford Ranger appears on Ford Thailand’s website

    In Cars, Ford / By / / 1 comment

    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 ›

     

  • VIDEO: Ford Ranger Wildtrak promotional footage

    In Cars, Ford / By / / 30 comments

    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 ›

     

  • Ford Mondeo Facelift 2.0 Ecoboost Powershift – short drive

    In Cars, Ford, Local News, Test Drive Reviews / By / / 45 comments

    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 ›

     

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

    In Cars, Ferrari, Ford, International News / By / / 14 comments

    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.

     

  • New Ford B-MAX MPV based on global Fiesta platform

    In Cars, Ford, International News / By / / 8 comments

    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.

     

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

    In Advertorial, Cars, Ford / By / / 11 comments

    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

     
 
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