Foreign Autos

Like a lot of car manufacturers Ford has struggled financially in recent years and has been forced to sell a number of major assets in an attempt to return to profitability.

During this time the company has seen its market position fall in 2007 from the World’s second largest car manufacturer, a position it had previously held for some 56 years, to become third placed behind Toyota and General Motors respectively. To make things worse Ford then dropped to fourth place behind Volkswagen.

Ford underwent some rather rapid restructuring as a result and has jettisoned its two quality brands Jaguar and Land Rover to the Indian car manufacturer TATA Motors. It has also sold Aston Martin to a consortium of businessmen led by Prodrive Chairman Dave Richards, although it has retained a financial holding in the company. Financial restructuring has also taken place at Volvo who are part of the Ford group.

Despite these recent problems Ford continues to develop its successful model range and it is very much business as usual for Ford Europe as Ford USA attempts to get back on a stable business footing.

Ford’s European model range is now based on the new ‘Kinetic’ design platform and has consolidated its designs to offer an attractive collection of small, medium and large vehicles.

The vehicle which has attracted a lot of interest recently is the new Ford Kuga. Not to be mistaken with the Cougar which along with the Probe was an attempt to revive the Capri but proved to be a failure.

Ford has been out of the 4×4 market for a while largely due to its involvement with Land Rover and Volvo so the Kuga has been eagerly awaited. The Kuga is a five door crossover vehicle and is only designed for occasional off-road use and is not intended to have the same capabilities or ground clearance as larger 4×4 vehicles.

This may not have been made clear to the presenter of the Channel 5 motoring programme Fifth Gear. He was quite complimentary about the Kuga but could not resist driving it into really punishing terrain that ultimately caused a reported £7000 worth of damage.

The Kuga utilises an intelligent AWD (All Wheel Drive) Haldex four wheel drive system whereby power is supplied the road wheels where necessary according to the terrain. It is powered by a 2.0 TDCI diesel engine which has been improved by Ford engineers so that it now has the lowest CO2 emissions in its class and also delivers an impressive 44mpg combined which should pacify some environmentalists. The engine has improved torque and a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. The current model range consists of the Zetec model and also the Titanium with the Titanium having a slightly higher spec although both are very well equipped.

The Kuga has very good safety levels with an impressive Euro NCAP rating of five stars for adult occupants, four stars for children and even three stars for pedestrians so you’ll even be ok if you are unfortunate enough to get knocked down by one! There are a large number of passive and active features including multiple air bags and a rigid safety cell. The Kuga also boasts ABS, Traction Control, and Electronic Stability Programme. Keyless entry and start can also be found as can a variety of different ‘packs’ which manufacturers now offer according to customer needs. The specifications of both are very generous though and come with 17” Alloy wheels although 19” are available. The Kuga will never match the capabilities of bigger 4×4’s but then its not really meant to and  therefore will be happy to occupy the position in the market for which it has been designed. Ford has created yet another winner here and seemingly refuses to be beaten.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Technorati Tags: Automotive, cars, cheap Ford, Ford, Ford Cars

Popular culture has an additive personality.  The two main addictions being the lives of celebrities and the power of a brand.  Sometimes a name or a few words is more than enough to make hordes of people rabid with excitement, Britney Spears, Coca Cola, Ford Focus RS – all have their status as icons of modern society.

If someone has talent I’m all for them earning masses of money, being idolised and I may even listen to them preaching to me about global warming issues that they’ve contributed to with their private jets – Bono you know who you are.  What I don’t have any time for are the reality television ‘stars’ who crave any form of attention and limelight without having any discernable talent.  Since the advent of Big Brother, we are inundated with reality television programmes covering every conceivable topic: from being stuck on a desert island, being gifted a modelling contract, dancing and now even conducting an orchestra.   

Even supposed A-list celebrities get on my wick.  If anyone can tell me the talents of LiLo (that’ll be Lindsey Lohan to the uninitiated) or Paris Hilton, please send me a postcard.  Combine these two with their ever-changing fashions and you’ve got content for a year’s worth of OK! Magazine.

I must admit that despite my rant I’m a sucker for a label on clothing.  Despite the fact that a t-shirt from a supermarket will cover my chest as ably as one with a designer label, there’s something comforting about a well known brand, despite the fact it’ll cost ten times more and be 95 percent the same as the supermarket’s version.  The problem is that even if you look past the obvious increase in price for a branded product, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s as good quality as you’d hoped – much like finding out the new album from a band you love is rubbish, after you’ve bought it.

Ford find themselves in this quandary as the world waits with baited breath for the return of the iconic RS badge that will adorn the updated Focus early next year.  The RS badge has always symbolised a great Ford, regardless of the base model it’s built upon.  The RS200, Sierra, Fiesta and previous Focus were all barnstorming cars full of power and every boy racer’s dream once the RS treatment was delivered.  There is no doubt however of the one Ford that the new Focus RS must beat – the Escort Cosworth.

The Cossie as it became affectionately known was a perfect example of what a good performance overhaul can do to improve the base model.  The Escort in standard trim was quite simply awful.  It was built to a cost so low that you’d be lucky if half the car didn’t fall apart on the way to the shops.  The styling was woefully bland; the handling distant at best and as for reliability, well you could rely on the fact that it would always break down.  However, a 225bhp engine, chassis upgrade, wide body kit and the iconic ‘whale tail’ spoiler transformed the car into a world beater on the rally circuit that you could happily take to the shops and return in one piece.  It was a supercar for the working class.

Clearly then the excitement surrounding the new Ford Focus RS is justified based on history.  The opportunity for disappointment however is also higher than ever.  So how do I rate its chances?  Firstly it’s available in a lime green so vivid that my retinas detached themselves.  Secondly it has styling that is somehow modern yet harks back to the 90’s look of the Cossie whilst being more aggressive than Joey Barton on a night out.  A rear diffuser gives it F1 chic and there are more vents than a supercomputer could count.  It all sounds a mess but let me assure you it works.

Performance promises to be blistering, with a 2.5 litre turbo-charged engine developing over 280bhp.  Basically on paper the Focus RS will crush every competitor in its class and embarrass a few in the upper echelons too.  My only concern would be that 280bhp through the front wheels shouts ‘torque steer’ louder than a billboard in Times Square.  Ford have allayed these fears stating that a electronic limited slip differential will solve these problems making the Focus RS not only the most powerful RS ever, but all being well a very drivable one.

2009 promises to be the return of an icon.  Let wallets of all sizes rejoice.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Technorati Tags: focus Rs, Ford, Used Ford

Popular culture has an additive personality.  The two main addictions being the lives of celebrities and the power of a brand.  Sometimes a name or a few words is more than enough to make hordes of people rabid with excitement, Britney Spears, Coca Cola, Ford Focus RS – all have their status as icons of modern society.

If someone has talent I’m all for them earning masses of money, being idolised and I may even listen to them preaching to me about global warming issues that they’ve contributed to with their private jets – Bono you know who you are.  What I don’t have any time for are the reality television ‘stars’ who crave any form of attention and limelight without having any discernable talent.  Since the advent of Big Brother, we are inundated with reality television programmes covering every conceivable topic: from being stuck on a desert island, being gifted a modelling contract, dancing and now even conducting an orchestra.   

Even supposed A-list celebrities get on my wick.  If anyone can tell me the talents of LiLo (that’ll be Lindsey Lohan to the uninitiated) or Paris Hilton, please send me a postcard.  Combine these two with their ever-changing fashions and you’ve got content for a year’s worth of OK! Magazine.

I must admit that despite my rant I’m a sucker for a label on clothing.  Despite the fact that a t-shirt from a supermarket will cover my chest as ably as one with a designer label, there’s something comforting about a well known brand, despite the fact it’ll cost ten times more and be 95 percent the same as the supermarket’s version.  The problem is that even if you look past the obvious increase in price for a branded product, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s as good quality as you’d hoped – much like finding out the new album from a band you love is rubbish, after you’ve bought it.

Ford find themselves in this quandary as the world waits with baited breath for the return of the iconic RS badge that will adorn the updated Focus early next year.  The RS badge has always symbolised a great Ford, regardless of the base model it’s built upon.  The RS200, Sierra, Fiesta and previous Focus were all barnstorming cars full of power and every boy racer’s dream once the RS treatment was delivered.  There is no doubt however of the one Ford that the new Focus RS must beat – the Escort Cosworth.

The Cossie as it became affectionately known was a perfect example of what a good performance overhaul can do to improve the base model.  The Escort in standard trim was quite simply awful.  It was built to a cost so low that you’d be lucky if half the car didn’t fall apart on the way to the shops.  The styling was woefully bland; the handling distant at best and as for reliability, well you could rely on the fact that it would always break down.  However, a 225bhp engine, chassis upgrade, wide body kit and the iconic ‘whale tail’ spoiler transformed the car into a world beater on the rally circuit that you could happily take to the shops and return in one piece.  It was a supercar for the working class.

Clearly then the excitement surrounding the new Ford Focus RS is justified based on history.  The opportunity for disappointment however is also higher than ever.  So how do I rate its chances?  Firstly it’s available in a lime green so vivid that my retinas detached themselves.  Secondly it has styling that is somehow modern yet harks back to the 90’s look of the Cossie whilst being more aggressive than Joey Barton on a night out.  A rear diffuser gives it F1 chic and there are more vents than a supercomputer could count.  It all sounds a mess but let me assure you it works.

Performance promises to be blistering, with a 2.5 litre turbo-charged engine developing over 280bhp.  Basically on paper the Focus RS will crush every competitor in its class and embarrass a few in the upper echelons too.  My only concern would be that 280bhp through the front wheels shouts ‘torque steer’ louder than a billboard in Times Square.  Ford have allayed these fears stating that a electronic limited slip differential will solve these problems making the Focus RS not only the most powerful RS ever, but all being well a very drivable one.

2009 promises to be the return of an icon.  Let wallets of all sizes rejoice.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Technorati Tags: focus Rs, Ford, Used Ford

There was a time when Ford had a pretty awful reputation in the UK. Whilst there can be no doubt that Ford have always enjoyed excellent sales figures their cars have sometimes had a reputation for having irritating faults and niggles. Lack of starting was one of the most common problens.

I remember years ago my Stepfather had a Ford Transit van that simply refused to start on cold mornings. He used to do building work whilst he was studying to be a teacher and I recall many a winter morning being summoned outside to spray vast quantities of cold start spray into the air intake as he would endeavour to start it. In fact this didn’t seem to make a blind bit of difference and I can still recall that sickly sweet alcohol smell and picture my Stepdad’s face as he grew ever more infuriated with the van. It was a bit like the famous scene from Fawlty Towers when John Cleese got so mad with his car not starting he jumped out and threatened to give it “A damn good thrashing!”

Indeed on cold mornings up and down our great nation the air would be filled with the sound of Ford starter motors refusing to do what they were supposed to as they whined in protest at the Great British winter. Of course what would usually happen would be either the battery would go flat as they were pathetically small in those days, bearing in mind the only electrical equipment you had was an AM/FM radio. Alternatively your next door neighbour who had a wised up and bought a Japanese car that always started first time would come out and say smugly “Oh dear your Mum’s flooded the engine again.” For some reason car engines only seemed to flood if a woman was driving it and to this day I still don’t know what that expression actually means.

Due to the fact that we no longer appear to have recognisable weather seasons in the UK anymore and it now just rains all year round the morning chorus of engines coughing and spluttering into life has become a thing of the past. Modern Fords are infinitely more reliable than they once were thanks to improvements made by Ford. Service intervals on modern Fords have almost doubled and although labour costs are quite high in garages these days Ford offer a number of service packages and Ford parts are priced very competitively.

We have a 2001 Ford Mondeo and it has simply never given us any trouble (I’ve probably jinxed it now). It never uses any oil and the only thing I have had to replace on it was the reversing light switch which cost me £8.00. Sure it’s not the most exciting vehicle in the world but it does what we need it to and when you have kid’s practical functions tend to take over from style, unless you are one of these sad individuals who customise their family car as if they’ve covered it with glue and then driven through an auto accessory shop.

Recently we have been looking to buy a larger vehicle to cater for our rapidly expanding family and a used Ford Galaxy seems to fit the bill quite well. Although it is quite a large vehicle it doesn’t feel cumbersome to drive and there is a huge choice available on the used market with a variety of diesel engines to choose from. If the Galaxy is a bit large for your needs Ford also offers the C-Max and the excellent new S-Max which is a great choice if you need a slightly smaller MPV. Ford has come along way in recent years and there are many good used examples around, the only sound you’ll hear in the mornings now are children complaining about having to go to school and sadly for them the excuse of “The car wouldn’t start” is a thing of the past.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Technorati Tags: Automotive, autos, cars, Ford, Used Ford