Ford to Show Four World Premieres Focus in Frankfur

As we are nearing closer and closer to the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, which will be held for the public from September 15 to 25, automakers are slowly releasing more details about their plans.
Today, Ford revealed that it is planning four global product presentations in Frankfurt including "a new design concept" and what the company described as "details of the next Focus performance car".
“Ford plans to make a strong statement at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with several very exciting global product reveals and our significantly expanded show stand,” said Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe. “We’re excited to be showing customers our best-ever vehicle line-up and a special glimpse of the future,” Odell added.
So what cars is Ford planning to show in Germany? Well, the "next performance Focus" will most likely be the production Focus ST that was previewed at the 2010 Paris Show in concept trim, while the other two product premieres could be the new sporty Fiesta ST and the production version of last year's Veratrek concept compact SUV that will replace both the European Kuga and North American Escape models.
As for the concept model, your guess is as good as ours, but we wouldn't be surprised if Ford showed a design study for a new member of the Focus family.

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2012 Ford Edge

Ford is slowly releasing the fuel economy numbers on its latest batch of vehicles to receive the firm's new EcoBoost engines.
Following last week's announcement on the 2012 Explorer with the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit, Ford today revealed that the 2012 Edge with the same powerplant will deliver an EPA certified 21mpg in the city and 30mpg on the highway.
In the Edge, the EcoBoost four-cylinder engine produces 240 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and a 270 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,000 rpm. Power is transferred to the wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.
Ford made note that it currently has 13 model/powertrain variations in its range that deliver an EPA fuel economy rating of up to 30 mpg or more. You can see the models in following list:

- Edge with EcoBoost: 21 mpg/30 mpg

- Escape Hybrid FWD: 34 mpg/31 mpg

- Escape Hybrid AWD: 30 mpg/27 mpg

- Fiesta five-speed manual: 29 mpg/37 mpg

- Fiesta automatic: 29 mpg/38 mpg

- Fiesta SFE automatic: 29 mpg/40 mpg

- Focus five-speed manual: 29 mpg/37 mpg

- Focus automatic: 28 mpg/38 mpg

- Focus SFE automatic: 28 mpg/40 mpg

- Fusion 2.5-liter automatic: 23 mpg/33 mpg

- Fusion Hybrid: 41 mpg/36 mpg

- Mustang 3.7-liter Coupe automatic: 19 mpg/31 mpg

- Mustang 3.7-liter Convertible automatic: 19 mpg/30 mpg

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2012 Ford Focus UK Priced Under £14k

Ford is widening the options for UK buyers of the all-new 2012 Focus by confirming the availability of a new entry-level model called Studio which will be priced at £13,995 when it arrives in September.
The company said the new Studio will replace the Focus Sport, a final special edition of the previous model that has been on sale since October 2010 reacting sales of 15,000 units.
The base model of the new Focus series will be offered as a five-door hatchback powered by a 1.6-liter Ti-VCT gasoline engine delivering a rather feeble 85PS and a combined fuel economy of 47.9mpg UK.
Buyers can choose only from three colors - Panther Black, Moondust Silver and Frozen White.
Standard equipment on the Focus Studio includes 16-inch alloy wheels, a body-coloured rear spoiler, radio/CD player (note that Ford of Europe recently announced that it will phase out CD players in its cars), USB connectivity, air-conditioning, electrically-operated door mirrors and front windows, Ford Easy Fuel 'capless' refuelling, and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) system.

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2012 Ford Explorer with 240HP

The new 2012 Explorer SUV will be the first Ford model in North America to be offered with the company's new 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine. But you already knew that.

What's new today is the release of the EPA fuel-economy numbers for the 4-cylinder Explorer which is rated at 20 mpg (11.8 lt/100km) in the city and 28 mpg (8.4lt/100km) on the highway. The cheaper -by around a grand- Explorer V6 with its naturally-aspirated 292HP, 3.5-liter engine returns 17mpg/city and 25mpg/highway.
Ford is quick to make a comparison with some of the Explorer's rivals saying that on the highway, it beats the 2011 Honda Pilot (a redesigned model is on its way) and Jeep Grand Cherokee by 5 mpg, Chevrolet Traverse by 4 mpg and Toyota Highlander by 3 mpg, while also boasting that it returns the same fuel efficiency as the BMW 328i sedan.
The Explorer's 2.0-liter four-banger produces 240 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 270 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,000 rpm, and is hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission.

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More American Car Buyers Opting for 4-Cylinder Over V6 and V8 Engines

Once upon a time, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, most consumers liked their cars with six- or eight-cylinder engines. Blame the rising costs of fuels or advances in technology, but now, American buyers are turning to smaller 4-cylinder units in increasing numbers.

According to a report from IHS Automotive, in the first half of the year, more than 43% of the light vehicles sold in the US were equipped with four-cylinder engines, compared to just 30% five years ago.
It was the opposite in 2006, when V6s had a 43% market share. In the meantime, four cylinders’ sales rose and those of six-cylinders declined, with the former overtaking the latter in 2009. The V8 is losing ground even faster: its sales account for one in every six vehicles, whereas in 2005 that number was one in three.
The four-cylinder domination is even bigger if you do not take into account fleet sales, where many vehicles are trucks or vans with V6 or V8 engines.
The choice of fewer cylinders in new cars is explained by the downsizing trend, due to the increasing oil prices and the manufacturers’ efforts to build more fuel-efficient cars in order to meet the 35.5 mpg average consumption target set by the government for 2016.
For example, Ford’s new Ecoboost turbocharged four-cylinder coupled with six-speed transmission as standard has been introduced in many new models in its US line-up.
In addition, sales of smaller vehicles in the US are increasing, with small and mid-size sedans accounting for 44% of sales in 2001, compared to 36% six years ago.

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Ford Marketing Boss Tells GM to Stick it in Upcoming Book

We’re not used to automotive execs using foul language or trashing the competition when speaking out in the open and/or in public, so we were somewhat surprised with some of the comments allegedly made by Ford Motor Company Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Jim Farley.
According to Jalopnik, the Ford executive who joined the Detroit automaker in 2007 after nearly two decades at Toyota and Lexus, was quoted in a book as saying that he is “going to beat Chevrolet on the head with a bat” and that he hates GM.
And oh, Farely reportedly dropped the “F’ bomb on the General as well….
The quotes you’re about to read are said to have come from early copies of the book "Once Upon A Car” from New York Times reporter, Bill Vlasic. The book is scheduled for release to the public in October this year.

"What Jim Farley really wanted to do was kick the daylights out of General Motors. "I'm going to beat Chevrolet on the head with bat," he said with a slightly wicked smile. "And I'm going to enjoy it." There was a saying going around Ford: GM was like the kid who was born on third base and yells out, "Hey Ma, I hit a triple!" Farley and his fellow Ford executives and workers were ready to rumble."
...This was like the glory days again — Ford versus GM, let the better car company win. "We're going to beat on them, and it's going to be fun," said Farley. "F—- GM. I hate them and their company and what they stand for. And I hate the way they're succeeding."

Jalopnik came in touch with both GM and Ford to comment on the matter. Here’s what the PR people told them:
GM Spokesman Jay Cooney: "We would not have expected such crass words coming from Ford."
Ford Spokesman John Stoll: “We have not yet seen the book and are unable to comment on the specific quotes. This is a passionate, competitive industry, and we respect all of our competitors.”
So, if Farley did indeed speak these harsh words on Ford’s rival, what do you say?

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Chrysler Surpasses Ford as Canada’s Biggest Seller

Canada’s economy seems unaffected by most of the Western World’s woes, where markets are struggling and unemployment is booming. In fact,Canada’s economy is growing and as a result, unemployment is falling and people are getting jobs. Therefore, they have money to buy cars, or light trucks, pickups and SUVs.
“People who are getting jobs are opting for practical vehicles such as a crossover to get better mileage than a traditional SUV”, said Carlos Gomes, an economist at Scotia Capital. “You have the construction sector holding up very well, and that is positive for the pickup segment.”
This has worked very well for Chrysler, which in the first half of the year has overtaken Ford in light truck segment. That is because, with oil prices rising, new truck buyers are opting for more fuel-efficient models.
For instance, Chrysler’s Dodge Journey sales increased more than the SUVs of rivaling carmakers Ford and GM, the Escape and the Chevrolet Equinox respectively.
However, in total vehicles sales including cars, Ford still leads the market with a 17.4% share, having also beaten GM in 2010 for the first time in many decades. GM is second, with a 15.5% market share, but it can feel Chrysler breathing down its neck with 15.0% and only 4,000 vehicles difference in the first half of the year.

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2013 Ford Focus Coupé Concept

Ford is going full force with its latest generation Focus that is currently available in a variety of body styles including a five-door hatchback, a four-door sedan, a station wagon and a pair of MPVs that carry the C-MAX moniker.

A three-door hatchback is on its way while we have also heard talk about a convertible and possibly a compact coupe model.

Enter the world of independent designer David Cardoso whose previous work on conceptual studies includes the Renault Twist, Audi Hydron concept, Cobalt coupe and the Mitsubishi Flexis.

Cardoso rendered a sporty-looking and compact-sized coupe based on the latest Focus with which Ford could compete with the likes of Honda’s CR-Z in the States and the Peugeot RCZ in Europe.

Here’s what Cardoso told Carscoop about his design:

“The Ford Focus Coupé is a 2+2 seat concept car inspired by the 2011 Ford Focus. The coupé has a more aggressive appearance and chrome accents. It is lower than the 2011 Ford Focus and could be positioned in the category of the Peugeot RCZ / Honda CR-Z.”

Take a look at the rest of the photos below and share your thoughts in the comments section.

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New Ford Focus in Russia

Ford's Vsevolozhsk Plant near St. Petersburg in Russia has begun assembly of the firm’s new generation Focus. The five-door hatchback is the first member of the Focus family to roll off the assembly line in Russia with the four-door and station wagon variants to enter production in September and January, respectively.

The company said it has already received more than 5,000 orders for the new Focus in Russia.

The compact sized-model will be offered in a choice of four trim levels, 10 exterior colors and four engines including three petrol and one diesel.

The Focus first went on sale in Russia in 1999 and to date, Ford has sold more than half a million examples in the country. Ford says more than 400,000 of these cars have been built at the company’s Vsevolozhsk plant which started manufacturing the Focus in August 2002.

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New Generation Y Buyer Survey Spells Trouble for Detroit

Auto pricing website TrueCar studied the car buying behaviour of four million Gen Y (18 to 27 year-old) over a twenty-four month period and here’s what they found.

Scion took the crown for top brand, with 37.4% of the market and for top model (the tC coupe), with 21.2%, while second place went to Mitsubishi (32.1%) and their Lancer sedan (20.3%).

Mazda was the third most visited brand for Gen Y buyers, though only 17th in terms of model. The top four vehicle choices were Japanese, with a German in seventh place and a South Korean in ninth.

American carmakers secured fifth place in the model line-up with the Ford Focus Coupe, even though Ford only scored a mere 5.1% of the market overall.

Nissan and Toyota scored big on Gen Y appeal, with Hyundai and Honda following close behind. Kristen Andersson, one of TrueCar’s automotive analysts describes the generation thusly:

“Generation Y buyers want vehicles that look distinct and can be tailored to their individual tastes. Buyers from this generation are also looking for vehicles that have the technology features they are accustomed to built into the vehicle at an affordable price.”

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Ford Mustang Exotica Hides an Aston Martin Under its Hood

We’re pretty sure that, during the time Aston Martin was under the ownership of Ford, the thought of stuffing an exotic V12 powerplant under the bonnet of a Mustang must have crossed the mind of a few company engineers.

And while we never saw something of the sort officially from Ford, an independent custom shop actually realized the idea with the 2005 Ford Mustang 'Vanquishd' show car that was presented at the 2006 SEMA aftermarket gathering.

Built by Western Motorsports, this one-of-a-kind Mustang gets a 6.0-liter V12 engine with 600 ponies from a 2001 Aston Martin Vanquish. Power is sent to the chunky rear wheels through a 6 speed manual Tremec T-56 transmission.

Other modifications include a performance brake system, an upgraded suspension, 19-inch lightweight alloy wheels and more.

The Mustang 'Vanquishd' has since covered a mere 2,000 miles (apparently as a show piece) and is now up for sale in Canada at Kijiji with the asking price set at $79,000.

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2011 Australian International Motor Show Photo

Even though it’s not as famous as its Frankfurt, Paris, Tokyo or Detroit counterparts, this year’s edition of the Australian Motor Show, which takes place in Melbourne from July 1 to 10, has some interesting debuts including the Mad Max Concepts pictured above as well as a number of new production and prototype models from the local divisions of General Motors (aka Holden) and Ford.

You can take a look at all the vehicles in our comprehensive photo gallery right after the break. For those of you interested in learning more about the Ford-badged Mad Max Interceptor prototypes

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