The Auto Car Lover's: June 2011

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Fiesta Fashion Show

Last week’s Ford Fiesta Futuristic Collection by designer Swapnil Shinde was a hit among Fiesta and fashion lovers alike. As the crowd at Select Citywalk, New Delhi applauded and admired the fabulous garments and the car, our team at the venue enjoyed the juxtaposition of the car’s kinetic cues with Swapnil’s design elements. We bring you the best of Fiesta-inspired fashion in pictures.

All-new Ford Fiesta

Ford Fiesta

We recently concluded the Tech Deep Dive for the all-new Ford Fiesta in Bengaluru for auto journalists, bloggers, and our dealers. Everyone got a first-hand experience of the car in a drive from Bengaluru to Mysore, and we are glad that they all gave the Fiesta a thumbs-up! Some picturesque shoot locations, a mix of long straight roads and twisted curves, and some candid moments of appreciation from drivers and passersby – we surely had a lot of fun!

Ford CSR: Rebuilding schools for better education

Ford CSR

At Ford India, building the best possible future for our children is as important as building the best cars. Helping the children from our local communities get good education in the right environment has topped our priorities over the past few years.

Over the summer, our employees and dealers stepped up to help renovate couple of schools in Chitamanur and Kizhakarnai, villages near our Maraimalainagar (Chennai) plant. The idea was to develop school spaces that facilitate learning, promote scholarship and provide a nurturing environment.

While dealers donated Rs 20 lakh to refurbish the schools (this was announced during our National Discover Smart Drive), Ford India contributed a matching amount, while the APA region chipped in as well, and encouraged employees to join in the rebuilding process. The funds were put in to revamp the schools. Enthusiastic Ford volunteers worked hard over the schools’ summer holidays, helping out in renovating the roof and floors of classrooms as well as rebuilding the restrooms, among other jobs.

“We are committed to the betterment of communities we work amongst and this is a step in this direction. Schools are the first step towards the future and that brought us to start with an institution of education,” said Tom Chackalackal, vice president, Manufacturing of Ford India, at the schools’ reopening ceremony.

As the children, their parents and teachers cheered, the Ford team distributed schoolbags, writing kits and new stitched-to-fit uniforms to more than 700 students. As part of the renovation, Ford India also brought in new furniture for the Panchayat Union Primary School,Kizhakarnai. At Melrosapuram CSI High School in Chitamanur, a large unused classroom was refurbished, much to the delight of the students.

“We hope the improved facilities will motivate the students to study better. The new books, bags and uniforms will uplift their morale and help them start the session on a happy note,”Balasundaram Radhakrishnan, vice president, Powertrain Operations, Ford India who presided over the function at Kizhakarnai.

Friday, June 17, 2011

All-new Fiesta: Powerful car, classy looks, engaging experience

Ford Fiesta

The all-new Fiesta’s got modern, fuel-efficient powertrains that not only deliver exceptional power, but also superior fuel efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. These engines also help Fiesta achieve class-leading fuel economy of 17 km/L for the petrol engine and 23.5 km/L for the diesel engine#. So you have a fantastic ride every time (smooth and zippy!), don’t cringe when you see your fuel bill.

For customers going for a combination of power and fuel efficiency, the 1.5-litre Duratorq intercooled and turbocharged diesel engine fits the bill perfectly. With power rated at 67 kW (91 PS), the engine also delivers an outstanding 204 Nm of torque from 2000 rpm to 2750 rpm. The result is strong acceleration from standstill along with flexibility that can reduce the need for gearshifts. The compact fixed-geometry, low-inertia turbocharger and intercooler provide optimised performance, particularly at low speeds.

This mouthful of a term (we call it EPAS for short) with Pull Drift Compensation technology is a first in the segment. While improving fuel economy, the intelligent EPAS system is an all-knowing tech! So it measures your steering input, adapts to changing road conditions and helps compensate for slight directional shifts caused by crowned road surfaces or steady crosswinds.

Nothing, we repeat, nothing, is more important than your safety. Under the stylish exterior of the all-new Ford Fiesta is a powerful body structure that can protect occupants in case of a collision. More than 55 percent of the body structure is high-strength steel, including dual-phase steel and ultra-high-strength aluminised boron steel, an element so incredibly strong that it is used in the aerospace industry.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

2013 Ford Focus RS

The current Ford Focus RS is a beastly little hatch, piping 305 horsepower through its front wheels, slinging pointy bits at you from every angle, and, of course, not being available for purchase here in the U.S.–and that’s before you even consider the RS500. It looks like the next-gen car could add to the mix with a hybrid all-wheel drive system–and, according to these spy shots, possibly a wagon, shown testing alongside its five-door hatchback sibling.

Though the wagon is not fully decked out in RS gear, it does feature RS seats and a wide central exhaust outlet like the hatch it was spotted with.

A Focus RS Wagon? Well, it would be known as the Turnier in some parts. As the long-roof model in the Focus stable, we’re more familiar with the wagon name. Either way, we doubt we’ll see it in America. Why? Because Americans don’t like wagons, for whatever reason, and even more so because of the price: it should sit around the $40,000 mark, which is beyond the pale for most of us when it comes to a tarted-up Ford.

If the next RS does go all-wheel drive and hybrid, though, our green-eyed monster is likely to rage even more fiercely: a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine plus an electric motor could still top 300 horsepower, deliver fuel economy in the mid- or upper-30 mpg range, and offer the same or similar performance to the current RS.

We’re still looking at about a two-year wait until we see the next Focus RS, in hatch, wagon, or any other body style, however. The cars spotted here are development mules for testing near and on the Nurburgring. At CARiD, we have nothing but the highest quality Ford accessories you need to make the new and exciting changes that you desire. OEM or custom Ford parts can always give a fuller look when seeking those new additions you’re after. Beware of imitators-we are truly the “One Stop” for all Ford accessories. We want to make it easy for you. After all, isn’t that what’s important? At CARiD.com, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

2013 Ford Focus ST

The new Ford Focus ST will debut at the Paris auto show on September 30. The 2013 Ford Focus ST will go on sale in the U.S. in early 2012. The theme name of the new color is ‘Tangerine Scream’, like yellow with more strong and more elegant color.

The new Focus is at last debuting in the U.S., with a 2.0-liter, direct-injected, 160-hp motor and variable valve timing, as well as a five-speed manual. But, the car to wait for is the 2013 Focus ST, which debuts in early 2012.

It gets a six-speed manual with the same EcoBoost (turbocharged) 2.0-liter as the much larger Edge and Explorer and will be good for somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 hp, which puts it in league with hot hatches like the MazdaSpeed3 and beyond the output of the VW GTI. Ford is also promising a tauter suspension and meatier tires as well as bigger brakes to go with all that horsepower. Expect to pay at least $25,000.