Tag Archives: Ford

Ford claims Prius-beating economy for C-Max hybrid

July 09, 2012   simon

A day after we covered the new Prius + hybrid MPV, Ford has said it can do even better. The 2013 C-Max hybrid has not yet been officially tested in Europe, but Ford says initial tests in the USA show the C-Max beating the Prius by approximately three mpg.We have to be a bit careful as final data has not yet been confirmed, but Ford is talking of a total power output of 188 bhp from its combination of 2.0 normally aspirated petrol engine plus electric motor. The petrol engine is likely to be unique to the hybrid – it is not a turbocharged Ecoboost unit, unlike all other 2.0 litre petrol Fords in Europe. Like the Prius, it is an Atkinson-cycle engine, which has different valve timing to a conventional engine to boost economy at the expense of power.
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New Renault Clio unveiled

July 05, 2012   simon

Renault has shown the first images of its fourth-generation Clio, which will go on sale in the UK in 2013. The styling is certainly a big step forward, although we are not sure we would go quite as far as design boss Laurens van den Acker , who says, “The new Renault Clio was conceived as a piece of sensuous sculpture which stimulates desire… No acute or aggressive angles, just voluptuous curves that make you want to go up to it and caress it.”

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Ford Develops automatic phone block for tricky driving situations

June 30, 2012   simon

Ford has developed a system that can work out when it is an especially bad time to take use an in-car phone and block the call temporarily. The idea is that if, say, you are coming down a slip road and about to join a busy motorway, you don’t want to be answering a call while trying to simultaneously look in your mirrors.
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New Ford Focus ST goes global

June 12, 2012   simon

The hotly anticipated new Focus ST will be the first global performance Ford, set to go on sale in 40 countries.

With a 2.0-litre 247bhp EcoBoost engine, the Focus ST accelerates from 62mph in 6.5 seconds and has a top speed of 154mph. For the few ST buyers who are interested in efficiency, there is a 20% improvement over the previous model, with expected fuel efficiency of 39mpg and CO2 of emissions of 169g/km.

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Ford Focus 1.0 sets 16 world speed records

June 09, 2012   simon

Ford has underlined the surprising performance of the Focus 1.0 by setting 16 FIA world records for cars under 1.0 litre.

The completely standard 125 PS Focus was driven by a team including World Rally Championship star Jari-Matti Latvala and set records over distances from 0.6 miles to 2,550 miles at a test circuit in France.

To be eligible, each car was required to be run-in under the supervision of an official FFSA (Fédération Française du Sport Automobile) steward, after being selected from the Ford manufacturing facility in Saarlouis, Germany.

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