Ford
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Today at Ford's headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, the automaker revealed the 2015 Edge. The model which we saw in concept form at last year's LA Auto Show will be sold globally for the first time. The production version of the Edge fits into Ford's global design language. The front is very reminiscent of Ford's SUVs and crossovers with the large grille and distinctively-styled headlights. Around back is a taillight treatment that combines the Fusion and Lincoln MKC. Size-wise, the 2015 Edge is about one-inch longer, and rides on a wheelbase that is four-inches longer. Moving inside, the Edge features the same dash layout as the Explorer. That includes the digital gauge…
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It seems to be real. The 'it' we are referring to is the Ford Focus RS, which has been long rumored, but now appears to be real. A set of spy shots were released today showing a camouflaged Focus ST that is believed to be an RS mule. Clues that lead to this assumption begin up front with the heavily camouflaged front end that appears to have a larger front grille, possibly hinting at a larger engine. Rumors have a 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder with 300-plus horsepower. Along the side are a unique tire and wheel package: Nineteen-inch wheels wrapped in super-sticky Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. The front also appears to have large brakes, which are rumored to be from Br…
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Not even a full year has passed since Ford lowered the fuel economy estimates on a number of vehicles, but they are doing it again. This afternoon, the company announced that it will be lowering the fuel economy ratings on a number of its 2013 and 2014 model year vehicles due to an error in the company's internal testing. The error comes from what is known as the Total Road Load Horsepower (TRLHP). The automaker explains TRLHP is used as a measure of resistance in dyno testing for fuel economy ratings. TRLHP is different for each vehicle. Ford says that the TLRHP used on the affected vehicles was incorrect. There was also problems in how the wind tunnel testing was facto…
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The Ford Raptor is a model beloved by many for its ability to drive really quick over the rough stuff. But with the next-generation F-150 switching to aluminum, it seemed the Raptor wouldn't comeback for a repeat performance. But new spy shots that appeared on Autoblog show that the Raptor may be coming back. The spy shots show off a F-150 with Raptor parts on the front and rear, while the center is the upcoming 2015 model. Also, our eyes see some beefy A-arm suspension pieces along with the tall ride height. We're not sure what is powering this mule, whether it's a V8 or one of Ford's EcoBoost engines. Source: Autoblog William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers &…
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Its now official. This morning, Ford announced that current CEO Alan Mulally will step down on July 1st and that Mark Fields, Ford's Chief Operating Officer will take his place. Originally Mulally planned to stay as CEO through the end of 2014, but changed his mind after he decided the new leadership team would be ready for the challenge. “From the first day we discussed Ford’s transformation eight years ago, Alan and I agreed that developing the next generation of leaders and ensuring an orderly CEO succession were among our highest priorities. Mark has transformed several of our operations around the world into much stronger businesses during his 25 years at Ford. Now,…
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The end of an era appears to be coming very soon. A new report from Bloomberg says Ford CEO Alan Mulally will step down and that Mark Fields, the current Chief Operating Officer will take his place sometime this year. Two sources tell Bloomberg that the move could be announced as early as May 1st. The departure of Mulally closes a chapter in Ford's history where he helped bring the company back from the brink of death and made the company very profitable. At the end of 2013, Ford reported a pretax earnings in North America to a record $8.78 billion. The departure also brings some much needed clarity to Ford's leadership structure. “We take succession planning very seri…
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The elephant in the room with diesel hot hatches is the Volkswagen GTD, but another automaker wants to give it a run for its money. Auto Express reports that Ford is planning a Focus ST with a diesel heart. Mark Fields, Ford’s chief operating officer made the announcement at a dinner during the Geneva Motor Show. The Focus ST Diesel will utilize a 2.0L four-cylinder diesel with 182 horsepower. The engine can hit 60 MPH in eight seconds or so. The diesel model will feature the same suspension and steering tune as the standard ST. No word on a release date, but the model will be for Europe only. Source: Auto Express William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears…
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Usually the rule with vehicles is that the older they get, the heavier and bigger they become. The Ford Taurus mostly follows this rule. Outside the car is big and heavy, while the interior isn't. It can be best described as a rolling sensory deprivation tank. However a new report from Edmunds says the next-generation Taurus plans to rectify that. A source tells Edmunds that Ford plans a major weight-loss plan for the Taurus. It begins with a modified Fusion platform that will be extended and widened for the Taurus. "The problem with today's Taurus is that it is overweight and even the high performance SHO is not really competitive. With all the power from the (365-hor…
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The era of the full-size, body-on-frame SUV is slowly coming to end, with many automakers transitioning towards crossovers. However, there are still those who still want full-size SUVs and automakers like Ford are ready to fill that need. Case in point is the 2015 Expedition which will debut tomorrow at the 2014 DFW Auto Show in Dallas. Following in the footsteps of the 2015 Lincoln Navigator which debuted back in January, the Expedition trades in the 5.4L V8 for the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine. Ford doesn't list any power or fuel economy numbers, saying they'll be released sometime later. A six-speed automatic is the sole transmission choice. Other mechanical changes includ…
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Even though Ford has just announced the new F-150 back in January, the automaker is already working on improvements that will be coming down the line. The Truth About Cars reports that Ford is working on a 3.0L V6 diesel engine, codenamed “Lion”. The new engine is in response to Ram's diesel engine for the 1500. Ford was reportedly working on a diesel engine for the F-150 in the mid-2000s, but it was canned due to financial meltdown. This new engine is expected to arrive in 2018. TTAC has also found out that the new 2.7L EcoBoost will produce somewhere in the range of 290 to 300 horsepower. Torque numbers are still a mystery. That's not all Ford has up its sleeve. TTAC…
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Rumors are once again flying on the Ford Fiesta RS. Auto Express has learned from sources that Ford has a Fiesta RS in the product plans and is trying to work on a business case for one. The proposed Fiesta RS will use a hopped-up version of the turbocharged 1.6L four-cylinder that will increase horsepower from 179 to 230. There will also be a number of modifications such as new suspension bits, larger brakes, and limited-slip diff. Outside will feature a wild body kit and a set of new wheels to differentiate the RS from the ST. Now if Ford can make a business case, AE says the Fiesta RS could come out by 2015. Source: Auto Express William Maley is a staff writer for …
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In recent months, rumors have been flying as to Ford CEO Alan Mulally stepping down to become the new CEO for Microsoft. The rumors and questions to Ford about Mulally's future got so bad that the board called a special meeting late last year to press Mulally about his decision. Well Mulally has broken his silence. According to an interview with the Associated Press, he revealed that he would be staying put at Ford through 2014. Mulally did not confirm whether or not he had conversations with Microsoft though. Source: Associated Press via The Detroit News William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or yo…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 11, 2013 The Ford F-150 is a very important model for the blue oval since it's the top seller and one of the key ways Ford makes a profit. With a new model on the horizon, it has been rumored that Ford would be utilizing aluminum in it as way to improve fuel economy and give the F-150 a unique edge. But that decision seems to be causing more problems. The Truth About Cars has learned from a number of sources that Ford has rejected aluminum from Alcoa and other Tier 2 suppliers since it didn't meet internal forming requirements for the “tooling tryout” phase of pre-production. Because of this, Ford has pushed bac…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 5, 2013 When an automaker introduces a new version of an iconic vehicle, there is a sense of trepidation from the fan base of whether or not the new version will live up to expectations or not. Case in point is the Ford Mustang. Rumors have been swirling for the past for years about what was in store for the next-generation model and many worried that Ford would miss the point of what made the Mustang special. Well Ford introduced the 2015 Mustang this morning and we have to say Ford kept what made the Mustang special in this new model. The 2015 Mustang's design is a mix of other Ford vehicles and previous Musta…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 3, 2013 Someone at Ford and Autoweek Magazine aren't having a very good day as the first shots of the 2015 Mustang have leaked out before the official reveal on Thursday. SVTPerformance.com member Screamin 40th posted images of the December 9th Autoweek that happened to be delivered early and features the 2015 Mustang prominently. The 2015 Mustang's design is an obvious evolution of the current model with elements of the new Fusion on the front end and side profile. The back end features an updated three-bar taillight setup, rear diffuser, and the lack of a faux gas cap. Inside is a deep-dish steering wheel, dua…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 20, 2013 Mark your calendars Mustang fans. Ford announced yesterday that the new Mustang will be revealed on December 5th, only a couple weeks away. Here is what the company said in a press release, "On December 5th, Ford will take the cover off the all-new Mustang, the sixth generation of the iconic pony car that will celebrate 50 years in production next year. Ford is counting down to the next chapter in the Mustang story by inviting people to share their photographic stories of inspiration using the #MustangInspires hashtag on Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms. The tagged photos and video…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 24, 2013 Ford is planning two weeks of downtime at its Wayne, Michigan plant. The plant builds the Focus and C-Max Hybrid. Bloomberg reports the reason for this shutdown is to help reduce the number of C-Max Hybrids and Focus in stock. The start of October saw a 71-day supply of the Focus and 122-day supply for the C-Max. Compared to the month before, the supplies are up 13 and 14 days respectively. “They don’t want to get ahead of themselves. Ford has been focused on keeping their pricing in check. Their operating margin is in double digits. Nobody else is there and they’re obviously very proud of that,” said A…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 18, 2013 From the hmm section of the rumorpile, Reuters is reporting that Ford has invited a small number of journalists to get a sneak peek of the 2015 next week. Sources say the group will include a number of European journalists which is perfect since previous rumors have said the next Mustang has been designed to appeal to people outside the U.S. Sources have also said the new Mustang will have a modern design, and more efficient engines and transmissions. From previous reports we expect the new Mustang to take some elements of the Evos concept car, dropping the solid-axle setup for an independent rear suspen…
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October 9th, 2013 Drew Dowdell Managing Editor - CheersandGears.com Ford of Europe demonstrated a new safety technology this week at their test facility in Lommel, Belgium. Dubbed "Obstacle Avoidance", the system will swerve around a stopped or slow moving object if it decides the driver hasn't taken evasive action soon enough to avoid a collision. Barb Samardzich, vice president Product Development, Ford of Europe says, “The future for Ford means developing innovative products and technologies – including Fully Assisted Parking Aid and Obstacle Avoidance – that help deliver a safer, more convenient, more desirable, more personalized and greener driving and ownership…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 30, 2013 Ford has gotten a slap on the wrist for their Chicken Tax work-around on the Transit Connect. Back in January, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection asked the company to stop the practice of bringing in Transit Connects as passenger vans, and then removing the windows and shredding the back seats to make into a cargo van. This practice allowed Ford to pay a lower 2.5% tariff for a passenger vehicle and not a 25% tariff for cargo vehicles. "It is clear that the Connect is a commercial vehicle first and foremost," said the ruling. Ford's strategy "serves no manufacturing or commercial purpose" other tha…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 26, 2013 Ford is wanting to keep their dominance in the heavy duty pickup market and has announced a series of changes for its 2015 F-Series SuperDuty Pickups today at the Texas State Fair. First up is a improved 6.7L PowerStroke Diesel V8. Ford added a larger turbochargers to deliver increased airflow. The larger turbos allowed Ford to simplify the engine layout by removing the wastegate system and redesigning the oil and cooling lines. Another bonus of larger turbos is improved exhaust braking performance. Along with the engine changes, the six-speed automatic gets a stronger torque converter. Ford says thes…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 20, 2013 Sometimes, you get very lucky when taking spy shots. Case in point, new spy shots came out today revealing the face of the upcoming 2015 Mustang. The shots show the new Mustang sharing almost the same figure as the Ford Evos concept. The front has an athletic stance and features such touches as slimmer headlights and a hexagonal grille. The 2015 Mustang is expected to debut next year Source: Automobile Magazine William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 15, 2013 When Ford launched the C-Max Hybrid, they claimed that it would get 47 MPG in the city, on the highway, and combined. In the real world, that wasn't coming up at all. Owners complained that they were not seeing anywhere close to those numbers and the EPA opened an investigation to see if those numbers were achievable. Today Ford announced that they are voluntarily lowering fuel economy estimates on the C-Max Hybrid to 45 City/40 Highway/43 Combined. Ford also announced they would be compensating current owners the average estimated fuel cost difference between the two labels; $325 to lessees and $550 to …
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 31, 2013 Ford announced today that the 2014 F-150 pickup equipped with the 3.7L V6 will come with a CNG/LPG Prep package, making it the first light-duty pickup in the class to come with this feature. The package includes hardened valves, valve seats, pistons and rings. The CNG/LPG Prep package will set you back $315. That doesn't mean you can head to your nearest CNG/LPG station and fill up though. You will need to visit a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier which will install the CNG/LPG-specific fuel tanks, fuel lines and fuel injectors. When all is said and done, the conversion will set you back $7,500 to $9,500. Fo…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 25, 2013 Reuters is reporting that when the next F-150 is launched, Ford will build the current F-150 alongside it for six months. Sources say the move allows Ford to keep up with the growing demand for trucks and give them a safegard if any problems arise with the new model. "In order to ramp up, you have to retool...and that means you have to take capacity offline. To do that, at a period of time when demand is so strong, makes it a bit challenging," said IHS Automotive analyst Mike Jackson. Now building the new and old model concurrently isn't new at all. When GM began building the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and G…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 22, 2013 A new report from Mustangs Daily states that Ford will be building 1,000 next-generation Mustangs with the designation of 2014 ½ to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the model. The 50th anniversary models will come with their own special VIN and build number. Those hoping for added performance will be sad since the report says the anniversary model won't see any upgrades to the standard 2015 Mustang. Source: Mustangs Daily William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 19, 2013 With the recent news of Ford shuttering its Australian operations, the question arose of what would happen with the Ford Performance Vehicle (FPV) division. That division which was founded in 2002 has created some of the fastest Ford vehicles down in Australia. Well it seems that FPV will be closing up shop. A source at Ford tells Drive.com.au that FPV will be shuttered when the final iteration of the Falcon is launched next year. No word on how many jobs will be lost. In 2012 when Ford got full ownership of FPV, the company removed 32 jobs and move the rest into Ford Australia's internal operations. "We a…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 18, 2013 A proposed class-action lawsuit was filed against Ford on Monday that alleges MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch infotainment systems are defective. The suit was filed by the Center for Defensive Driving, a nonprofit educator in Torrance, California. The Center for Defensive Driving in their suit say that Ford knew about the defects, but didn't disclose the problems to potential customers. The Center for Defensive Driving leased a 2013 F-150 pickup with MyFord Touch and found that it suffered from numerous issues including a lockup and total system failure, periodic non-responsiveness to devices such as MP3 pl…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 11, 2013 Automakers seem to be having a tough go with electric vehicles. The only way it seems automakers are able to move their stockpile is by drastically cutting the price. We've seen it with the Nissan Leaf which saw it sales jump General Motors hasn't gone down that same route with the Volt, but is offering a number of discounts. Ford looks to be doing the former option with the Focus EV. The Detroit News reports that for the 2014 Focus EV will see a $4,000 price drop. That brings the base down from $39,200 to $35,200. While that should help out the Focus EV, that's still $6,000 more than the base Nissan Leaf. …
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 26, 2013 The Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson Edition has ridden into the sunset. “We don’t have plans for one at the moment. We’ve got 10 models including a brand-new Limited Model, which was new for 2013. We feel like we’ve got the market really well covered,” said Doug Scott, Ford Motor Co.’s truck marketing manager. The F-150 Harley-Davidson was introduced back in 1999 and was the flagship model for the F-150 lineup for a time. Scott said the Harley-Davidson only accounted for one to two percent of F-150 sales. Add in the fact that Ford has added such models like the F-150 Platinum, Limited and Raptor, and there isn…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 14, 2013 The new Ford Fusion has become an instant hit with consumers. It's currently in a four car race for the best selling midsize sedan in American and has helped Ford crack into the east and west coast markets, two places where Ford has lagged in sales. With all of that success, Ford is finding itself with a Fusion supply problem. “Inventory is going to be real tight during the summer months,” said Erich Merkle, Ford’s U.S. sales analyst to The Detroit News. According to Wards Auto, Ford is currently sitting on a 39 day supply of Fusions. To put it another way, if Ford stopped production of the Fusion, they wo…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 12, 2013 The next Ford F-150 has been caught playing around in the rain this week. Judging from the amount of camouflage on this mule, we're guessing Ford has decided on a final design. The overall shape seems similar to the Atlas concept shown at this year's Detroit Auto Show. We can tell the three-bar grille will remain and there is a set of distinctive headlights. Other than that, what we know about the F-150 can be filed under speculation. We hear that the next F-150 could be using more aluminum, have a hybrid powertrain thanks to partnership with Toyota, and a number of other rumors. Source: Motor Trend Will…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 11, 2013 The spy photographers strike once again! This time, photos have been caught of the 2015 Ford Mustang. Now judging from the amount of camouflage on this mule, our guess is this a prototype version of what we'll be seeing on the road sometime next year. The design will take some ideas from the Evos concept and the so-called Kinetic 2.0 design language seen on the new Fusion. The front-end is tapered and rounded, and features a large grille opening. The roofline at the back appears to have a more dramatic curve to it. Like previous times, the new Mustang is expected to come with a independent rear suspension…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com May 31, 2013 Ford's new EcoSport SUV will be sold in 62 countries by 2017. However the U.S. will not be one of the countries according to a report from The Detroit News. Ford’s executive vice president of global marketing, sales, service and Lincoln, Jim Farley said earlier this week that for the time being the EcoSport will not be sold here. He went onto say that Ford is studying whether to bring the EcoSport to the U.S. if the demand for subcompact SUVs climbs. Source: The Detroit News William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him o…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com May 23, 2013 Some sad news to report from Australia today. Ford Australia announced that they will be shutting down operations on October 16, 2016. The shut down will close two factories - Broadmeadows and Geelong in Victoria - and cause the loss of 1,200 jobs. During a press conference, Ford Australia President and CEO Bob Graziano explained the company could not keep building vehicles in a country in the country after reporting a loss of $141 million after tax last year, and losses totaling more than $600 million in the past five years. "Our costs are double that of Europe and nearly four times Ford in Asia. The b…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com May 22, 2013 If you want a Ford Raptor, but need a vehicle that can carry eight or has an enclosed space, Hennessey Performance has the vehicle for you: the Hennessey VelociRaptor. The VelociRaptor takes a standard crew-cab Ford Raptor pickup and removes the five-foot, seven-inch bed and extends the cab. Components such as the rear glass, hatch, and tailgate mechanisms are based on the SUV formally known as the Excursion. From there a buyer has the choice to have a enclosed space or a third-row. The conversion adds about 600 pounds to the Raptor. There is one downside to the conversion though. Enclosing the truck and…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com May 20, 2013 At the moment, more than half of U.S. new-car sales are cars equipped with four-cylinder engines. Ford expects that number to climb to 66 percent by 2020. Here's how the market currently breaks down: subcompact, compact, and midsize vehicles are coming equipped with four-cylinder vehicles. Subcompact and compact crossovers are also following the same trend. Many analysts believe Ford's estimate is high, but not of the question. "I think it's maybe a stretch. But I don't find it implausible. If you look at where things have been going segment by segment, except pickups, you could say that's been the tre…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com May 7, 2013 Ford's recent product launches have had their fair share problems. From Ford Escapes equipped with the 1.6L EcoBoost that could catch on fire to Lincoln MKZs being delayed on the production line to make sure they were being built to the highest quality they can be. Now Ford is taking a long, hard look at how they do product launches. "We've done a complete analysis on lessons learned in the last couple of years, including the recent MKZ launch, and are now incorporating a number of changes in our development and new-model launch process," said Ford President of the Americas, Joe Hinrichs to Automotive News…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com April 11, 2013 Earlier this week, everyone went into a tizzy with the report of a new 1.5L EcoBoost three-cylinder that would be coming to the 2014 Fusion midsize. Well, that report was only half right. Today at a event, Ford announced the 2014 will come with a 1.5L EcoBoost four-cylinder. This will be Ford's fifth EcoBoost engine and will be offered in the Fusion's twin, the Mondeo in other markets. The 1.5L EcoBoost will make its official debut later this month at the Shanghai Motor Show, a perfect place to show the new engine since the Chinese Government offers a significant tax relief for vehicles powered by engi…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com April 9, 2013 Ford announced today they would be introducing a new variant of the F-150 Raptor for the 2014 model year. The 2014 Raptor Special Edition is all cosmetic changes. Those hoping for a bit more potency from the 6.2L V8 or improved off-road performance will be disappointed. The Special Edition adds two new colors exclusive to this model; Ruby Red Metallic and Tuxedo Black Metallic with box-side graphics. Inside, the Special Edition gets new seats with Brick Red seat bolsters (with black inserts), cloth honeycomb highlights, and a console top finish panel. Ford isn't saying how much the new Raptor Special …
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com March 30, 2013 A group of Ford customers have filed a class action lawsuit in West Virginia alleging that vehicles were not equipped with the proper safety equipment to prevent unintended acceleration. According to Reuters, the suit lists thirty vehicles built between 2002 and 2010 with electronic throttle control systems but without a brake override system. The vehicles in the suit include 2004-2012 F-Series pickups and the 2005-2009 Lincoln Town Car. (A full list of vehicles in the suit will be at the end of the article.) "They're trying to be compensated for their economic losses by having overpaid for cars that …
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com March 12, 2013 The next Lincoln Navigator will lose its a V8 and go with EcoBoost V6. This news comes from Lincoln Global Director Matt VanDyke via Motor Trend. The EcoBoost in question will the 3.5L that currently is in the F-150. With 365 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque, this is a very respectable increase from the Navigator's current 310 horsepower and 365 pound-feet. There is also talk of the 3.7L V6 with 302 horsepower and 278 pound-feet of torque appearing as the base engine. Is there any chance of a V8 appearing in the next Navigator? Probably not as VanDyke said that Lincoln is going all EcoBoost. Meanwhile at Fo…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com March 8, 2013 If you have been keeping track on the whole pile of rumors concerning the next-generation Focus RS, you would know that the engine being talked about would possibly be shared with the next-generation Mustang. The engine in question is a turbocharged 2.3L unit that will be based on the Focus ST's 2.0L and produce somewhere in the range of 300+ horsepower. Now for some bad news for those who were hoping for a return of the Mustang SVO in the states. Edmunds is reporting that that the four-cylinder will only be available for European customers when introduced. The reason for this is that the V8 Mustang woul…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com February 27, 2013 Ford has revealed the pricing for the 2014 Fiesta ST which will start at $22,195 (includes $795 destination charge). That will come with a 1.6-liter EcoBoost four cylinder with 197 horsepower and 214 pound-feet of torque, and a six-speed manual transmission. The price makes the Fiesta ST $505 cheaper than the Fiat 500 Abarth and $1,805 cheaper than the Mini Cooper S. Options include partial-leather Recaro seats, MyFord Touch infotainment and navigation, seventeen-inch dark alloy wheels, power moonroof, and two unique colors, Molten Orange and Green Envy. Source: Ford William Maley is a staff writ…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com February 13, 2013 Everyone has been going somewhat crazy with a PowerPoint presentation given to analysts at Deutsche Bank by Ford. The reason? Well, one of the slides in the presentation has a Ford Edge that's not like the current model. That has everyone thinking that the Edge in the presentation is what the next generation model will look like. The somewhat blurry image from the slide shows the Edge keeping its current shape. The only changes are a new front clip with redesigned grille, headlamps, and lower fascia with integrated fog lights. Is this the next-generation Ford Edge? We don't know if it is or not. So…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com February 9, 2013 For almost two years, we've been reporting on the rumors of the next generation Ford Focus RS. The model is reportedly coming with a 2.3L turbocharged four-cylinder that will be shared with the next-generation Mustang, producing close to 330 horsepower. The new Focus RS would stick with its front-wheel drive layout and use the RevoKnuckle front suspension. Now, the Focus RS might have gotten a date. According to Autocar, the plans for the Focus RS were axed due Ford focusing more on raising sales volumes and cut costs by working on their mass-market models.But with profits on the rise, the economy in …
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com January 29, 2013 Originally retailing for $39,995, Ford is now listing the Focus Electric for $37,995. But that's not all! If you decide to do a three-year lease on a Focus Electric, Ford will offer up to $10,750 in discounts. An example three-year lease with 10,500 miles per year could cost a customer $285 per month, with $930 due at signing. Why is Ford offering these massive discounts on the Focus Electric? Slow sales. In 2012, Ford built 1,627 Focus Electrics. However, the company has only moved 685. "We certainly are not in a situation where we have to completely discount,, but we do have to respond to competiti…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 14, 2012 The next-generation Ford F-150 could be aiming for the best-in-class fuel economy. A source tells Reuters that the 2015 F-150, due out in late 2014, is aiming for a 15-20% improvement in fuel economy. The 2015 Ford F-150 "will be a game-changer that will alter the dynamics of the truck segment. They're shooting for best-in-class fuel economy," the source told Reuters. When asked about this, Ford spokesman Mike Levine said, "Ford is committed to offering our customers leading fuel economy (but) it's premature to talk about future products," Ford increasing the fuel economy of the next F-150 is due to t…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 10, 2012 The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Saturday that it would look into the Ford Fusion Hybrid and C-Max Hybrid not getting the claimed 47 MPG combined. On Thursday, Consumer Reports said their test C-Max and Fusion Hybrids are not coming anywhere close to the 47 MPG combined. The C-Max Hybrid got 37 MPG combined and the Fusion got 39 MPG combined. "These two vehicles have the largest discrepancy between our overall-mpg results and the estimates published by the EPA that we've seen among any current models," Consumer Reports said in a statement. If the EPA finds a discrepancy in Ford's milea…
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December 10th, 2012 Drew Dowdell - Managing Editor CheersandGears.com Ford today released a fix for the recently recalled 2013 Escape and 2013 Fusion with the 1.6 liter Ecoboost engine. The recall involves a reprogramming of the computer to address a coolant pressure loss under certain driving conditions. Only VINs with the eighth character “X” on Escapes or “R” on Fusions are affected. Ford Press Release on Page 2 Ford Produces Fix in Voluntary Safety Recall of 2013 Escapes, 2013 Fusions with 1.6-liter Engines Ford today announced a corrective action to address potential engine overheating that could result in engine fires in 2013 Ford Escape SE and SEL models w…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 10, 2012 Ford has announced today that the new Transit will come with a 3.2L Power Stroke turbodiesel inline-5 to join alongside the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 when it goes on sale later next year. The 3.2L Power Stroke turbodiesel doesn't have any power ratings for the U.S. at the moment, but Ford does say the European version of this engine produces 197 HP and 347 lb-ft of torque - 90% of that torque is will be available between 1,700 and 3,500 rpm. While the 3.2L doesn't hold a candle in power to the recently phased out 6.0L Power Stroke (235 HP and 440 lb-ft of torque), the 3.2L is expected to be much cleaner and effi…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 2, 2012 Ford has been getting a load of complaints dealing with MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch systems with speed and ease of use. Ford has issued an update earlier this year to to fix these problems and add new features, but owners are still complaining. Starting this month, Ford will be issuing an update being referred as "version 3.5" of the software. Vehicles that are without navigation will get the update first. Vehicles with navigation will get their version of the update next month, while hybrids, plug-ins and electric vehicles will follow thereafter. Ford is also extending the warranties for vehicles …
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November 30, 2012 G. David Felt Staff Writer - Alternative Energy - CheersandGears.com Today Ford warned 89,193 owners of 2013 Ford Escape and Ford Fusions with the 1.6 liter turbo to park their cars till ford can have them towed in for service due to engine fire risk. This marks the third recall on the 1/6 liter turbo engines that is Fords cornerstone engine to lure buyers to American brands. Unlike fords last recall on these auto's which they promised to fix in two weeks of the last recall, this recall has no estimate of repair and Ford has promised to cover auto rentals till they figure out a fix. Ford says no injuries have been linked to this new problem, but unt…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 21, 2012 Volkswagen's MQB modular platform strategy is has gained attention from VW's competitors. We reported yesterday that Jaguar-Land Rover is looking to MQB as a guide to cut down their platforms. Now another automaker looks to be taking some cues from VW. Inside Line is reporting that Ford is developing a new three-prong platform family. The platform family will underpin the next-generation Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, and other models in this group. The platform family is similar in idea to VW's MQB except for one key thing. A source Ford explains that while MQB can used from small to large vehicles, small veh…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 19, 2012 At the Paris Motor Show earlier this year, Ford unveiled a 1.0L three-cylinder EcoBoost engine for the new B-Max. The engine has since gone into other vehicles in Ford's European lineup, including the Fiesta and Focus. We've been wondering if the the three-cylinder would be coming to the U.S. and the word has come out it will. Today, Ford announced that 1.0L EcoBoost will be coming in the 2014 Fiesta. The 1.0L EcoBoost produces 123 HP and and 148 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 3 HP and 36 lb-ft from the current 1.6L four-cylinder. Ford expects the EcoBoost-equipped Fiesta to be the most fuel-efficien…
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Ford today took the wraps off the newest addition to the growing Transit Connect family. Called the Transit Connect Wagon, Ford is careful not to call it a minivan. As a reflection of the versatility of the Transit Connect it is built on, the TC Wagon will be available in 2 wheelbases, 5 or 7 passenger seating, and have a choice of either a 2.5 naturally aspirated 4-cylinder or a 1.6T 4-cylinder with Ecoboost. Configured as a short wheelbase version with the Ecoboost engine, the TC Wagon's fuel economy is estimated at over 30mpg. On the utility side of things, the short wheelbase version has a cargo capacity of 120 cubic feet with the long wheelbase version bum…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 8, 2012 The rumors of the next-generation of the Focus RS have been like a roller-coaster ride. There has been rumors dealing with the Focus RS being put on the back burner for a Fiesta RS, the Focus RS sharing its engine with the next generation Mustang, and what could be the possible engine specs.Now, we have some more track to add. Auto Express is reporting that the next-generation Focus RS will utilize a new 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder that could be producing as much as 350 HP. This engine could also be used in the next-gen Mustang. Transmission-wise, the Focus RS will utilize a six-speed manual. There are …
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 2, 2012 Back in September, we reported that Ford would move Mark Fields, the brand's president of the Americas to the post of Chief Operating Officer. This would place Fields right behind CEO Alan Mulally in the succession plan. This was supposed to take place at a board meeting during the month. This didn't happen at that month's meeting. So it comes as a surprise that almost two months after this news, Ford has come out and announced that starting December 1st, Mark Fields will officially become the new Chief Operating Officer. This news came out yesterday during a surprise conference call with CEO Mulally and…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 26, 2012 This week hasn’t been good for Ford’s factory workers in Europe. The blue oval announced the closure of three plants; two in United Kingdom and one in Belgium. We’ll start with Belgium. On Wednesday, Ford announced the closure of the Genk Assembly Plant in Belgium. The Genk Assembly builds the current Mondeo midsize, and the S-MAX and Galaxy MPVs. The closure will affect about 4,300 jobs when it happens in 2014. "This (closure) wasn't the plan. Initially we had committed to build the next-generation Mondeo and S-Max and Galaxy at this plant, but the contract has a clause for significant decline in marke…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 20, 2012 “Please don’t write me off yet. I mean, I love it here.” Those words were uttered by Ford CEO Alan Mulally to reporters this week at the launch of the new Fusion. “My plan is to continue to serve as the CEO of Ford. I’m really clarifying that now. If I had any plans to do anything differently, I’d share it with everybody,” Mulally said. Mulally comments come a week after news surfaced that Mark Fields would become Ford's new COO, which led to speculation that Ford was setting up a succession plan for Mulally. Source: Bloomberg Businessweek William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He …
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 15, 2012 Ford's Interceptor sedan engine lineup consists of the 3.5L V6 producing 288 HP and 254 lb-ft of torque going to the front wheels, and the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 producing 365 HP and 350 lb-ft of torque going to all four wheels. Now, Ford has introduced a third engine option for the Interceptor sedan. The 3.7L V6 from the Interceptor Utility is now in the sedan. The 3.7L V6 produces 305 HP ans 279 lb-ft of torque. The 3.7L is only available with all-wheel drive. William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 12, 2012 Some peculiar Ford F-150s have made their way onto the web thanks to a spy photographer. The trucks in question features awkward panel fits, shorten cabs, and modified truck beds. What is the deal with these truck. Most likely, the trucks are the mules for the next F-150, due out in 2015. Automobile Magazine also speculates the trucks are also testing aluminum body panels, something we reported back in July. This would allow engineers to gain knowledge about whether its a good idea or not to implement aluminum in the next truck. Rumor has the 2015 F-150 having a aluminum hood and bed, but this is some…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 11, 2012 Bloomberg is reporting that Ford will announce Mark Fields as its new Chief Operating Officer, putting him right behind CEO Alan Mulally in the chain of command. Until now, Ford has not had a COO under Mulally. This has led many to speculate that this promotion will clearly put Fields in line to be the successor for CEO. Rumors of someone replacing Mulally as CEO have been swirling for months. Although Mulally, 67, says he has no plans to step down anytime soon, it's widely believed that Ford is preparing for new leadership behind the scenes. “We do not comment on speculation about personnel actions.…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 6, 2012 Ford is making some big waves today in the van market. At a event today in Amsterdam, Ford unveiled the new Transit and Transit Connect. We'll begin with the 2014 Transit Connect. Ford has really done a good job of bringing Connect in line with their new design language. Up front, the Transit Connect wears a trapezoidal grille smaller, sleeker headlamps, and more pronounced foglamps. The back features slimmer taillights and a tailgate. No word whether the barn doors on the current Connect will be available. Ford is staying quiet on what will be the powertrain lineup will be, but has said the European m…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 5, 2012 The wave of new subcompacts was started by back in late 2009 when Ford announced the Fiesta would be coming to states. Since then, automakers like Chevrolet, Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, and Nissan have stepped up their game in this market. To take on the competition, Ford has refreshed the Fiesta for 2013. Exterior wise, the Fiesta shares the same trapezoidal grille treatment as the Fusion. Also, there's a “power-dome”hood and a set of angular headlights. For the European market, this refresh marks the appearance of the 1.0L EcoBoost three-cylinder engine. The 1.0L is expected to give the Fiesta best-in-clas…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 20, 2012 Ford's decision to end Ranger production and move towards an expanded F-150 lineup could cost it about half of its Ranger owners, a new report says. Ford ended production of the Ranger last year and closed down its St. Paul, Minnesota, assembly plant where the truck was built. Ford said that the market for small pickups was dwindling and the decision was made to not continue with the Ranger. Instead, Ford is pushing Ranger owners to the F-150 or other Ford vehicles. "We are retaining some Ranger buyers, with the bulk of them moving to F-Series and Escape. As for the compact pickup segment, it has become …
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 15, 2012 When Ford launched the Fiesta in the United States in 2010, they had very high hopes for it. However, the Fiesta has been seeing its sales dip. So far this year, Fiesta sales are down 25% to 35,385 vehicles. The reason? Consumers are flocking to the Fiesta's big brother, the Focus. So far in 2012, the Focus has seen its sales go up by 31% to 147,877 vehicles. Ford is standing behind the Fiesta, despite the sales slide. “The small-car segment, given its size, the largest in the industry, is large enough for two vehicles,” said Erich Merkle, Ford’s U.S. sales analyst. Source: Bloomberg William Maley is …
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 9, 2012 The updated Ford Fiesta has been caught once again while doing some testing and it gives us our best look at what to expect. The front end has a vibe of the upcoming 2013 Ford Fusion, with its Aston Martin-esk fascia and similar styling on the headlights. Around the back is a new lip spoiler on the trunk and the taillights getting the Fusion treatment. The current Fiesta's engine; a 1.6L inline-4 making 120 HP and 112 lb-ft of torque will be replaced with a 1.0L turbocharged inline-3, producing around 125 HP and 147 lb-ft of torque. The new Fiesta is expected to come out at this year's LA Auto Show. Sou…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 27, 2012 The Wall Street Journal reports that Ford is considering using a aluminum body in the next generation F-150 pickup. The move would drop about 700 lbs, a 15% drop in weight from the current F-150. The reason as to why Ford is exploring the aluminum pickup is due to upcoming CAFE regulations that by 2025, the U.S. vehicle fleet has to average 54.5 miles per gallon. Also, the regulations would ramp up fuel economy goals for vehicles of different sizes each year. Analysts aren't too sure if Ford will go the aluminum body route, saying it wouldn't be too practical. "Full-aluminum structured vehicles are much m…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 26, 2012 Ford's current policy on pickup trucks is to continuously update them with new models and powertrains. For the 2013 model year, Ford introduced a mild-refresh of the F-150 and now has a new model to introduce, the F-150 Limited. The Limited takes the place of the King Ranch, Harley-Davidson, and Platinum of being the top dog in the F-150 lineup. With four trucks taking the luxury stance in the F-150 lineup, you're left wondering what makes the Limited special. Unlike the King Ranch, Harley-Davidson, and Platinum, the Limited doesn't really have a stand-out identity.Think of it as a Lariat with more luxurie…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 17, 2012 You would think with rumors of the Ford debating whether would do a Fiesta or Focus RS, that would cause the rumor well for the possible next generation Focus RS to dry up. Nope, in fact the rumors are intensifying. Auto Express had the chance to speak with chief program engineer for the Focus ST and other global performance cars, Matthias Ton. Ton said the 2.0L EcoBoost used in the Focus ST is close to its power limit without significantly upgrading the fuel system and turbocharger. Ton went onto say that if a Focus RS is given the green light, that it would a new 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder that's curren…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com June 7, 2012 At first glance, you might be wondering why pictures of a 2013 Mustang are considered spy shots. It's only when you notice the rear bumper has been trimmed and the bulging fuel cap, you see that this Mustang is hiding something. According to Motor Trend, that something is the 2015 Mustang. The trimmed rear might indicate a different powertrain or underbody structure. The bulging fuel cap most likely foretells a change to the vehicle’s hard points. And the big surprise lies underneath this Mustang. It appears the next-generation Mustang could be dropping the solid rear-axle and going towards independent r…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com June 4, 2012 This morning in Texas, Ford pulled the covers off the refreshed 2013 F-150. While not a dramatic refresh, the 2013 F-150 does include a number of enhancements to bring it in line with the rest of the Ford lineup. The exterior gets new grills (XLT and below: two bars. Lariat and above: three bars), optional high-intensity discharge headlamps, and some new 18- and 20-inch wheel options. Also available on the options list are power telescoping and folding outside rearview mirrors. Inside, the F-150 gets a set of revised gauges and a driver-configurable LCD screen sitting in the middle. Also, the higher end…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com June 4, 2012 The thought of the hyper-performance Focus has been under consideration for awhile, but there are murmurs of another car taking the Focus' place. Autocar reports that Ford could be considering building an RS version of the Fiesta instead of the Focus. Ford has already decided that there will be another RS model, the debate now is which one. Both vehicles make a good case as to why they should be the lone RS model. The Fiesta is a global car and is the vehicle that is used in the World Rally Championship. The Focus is also a global car, has been sold as an RS before, and can bring in higher profit margin…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 29, 2012 In the first quarter of 2012, Ford saw its market share drop 1.4 points. The reason: not enough inventory. "The market got a little bit ahead of us," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas. “Most of our production actions and capacity increases take place in the second half of this year.” Ford plans on boosting production at several of its vehicle assembly plants to counter what it says were weak dealer inventories during the first quarter of 2012. The plan includes trimming the summer shutdown period for plants and have three shifts running at Hermosillo, Mexico, assembly plant, later this y…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 17, 2012 Ford has announced today that dealers will begin taking orders on the new C-Max Hybrid, due out later this fall. The C-Max Hybrid will carry a base price tag of $25,995 (excluding destination charge), which undercuts its closest competitor, the Toyota Prius V by $500. The C-Max Hybrid will come equipped with a 2.0L four-cylinder engine, an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack delivering an estimated 141 HP. Fuel economy numbers hasn't been released, but Ford does say it will be America’s most “fuel-efficient hybrid utility vehicle”. Features for the C-Max Hybrid include hands-free liftgate, rain…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 1, 2012 Thanks to the folks at FordSTNation.com, we know now what the starting price of the 2013 Ford Focus ST will be. $23,700 (excluding the $795 destination charge) will get you into a 247 HP hot hatch according to a leaked spec sheet. The pricetag undercuts the four-door GTI by a $100 and the Mazdaspeed3 by $300. The spec sheet also reveals two equipment groups adding on an additional $2,505 and $4,840. A fully loaded ST will cost around $29,000. Source: FordSTNation.com via The Truth About Cars View full article
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 26, 2012 It only seemed like a few months ago when Ford was showing off the new GT500 at the L.A. Auto Show and it was announced that it would be producing 650 HP and 600 lb-ft of torque. However, the GT500 wasn't certified by the SAE. If a report from the Team Shelby message board prove to be accurate, the 2013 GT500 has finally gotten its official figures. Those figures are 662 HP and 630 lb-ft of torque. Jamal Hameedi, Ford’s SVT team chief engineer and Jim Owens, Vice President of marketing for Shelby revealed the data during an interview. Source: Team Shelby Forum View full article
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 16, 2012 The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the next Ford Mustang, due out in 2014, will ditch the retro styling and go with the styling seen on the new Fusion. Sources tell the Journal, the new Mustang will keep shark-nosed grill and headlights. Why drop the retro styling? Ford wants to attract younger buyers. The group of people who usually purchase a Mustang is beginning to shrink. Also, Ford wants to take back the sales lead from the Chevrolet Camaro. For the first three months of this year, the Camaro outsold the Mustang by by 1,791 vehicles. Last year, the Camaro outsold the Mustang by 17,811 vehic…
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G. Noble Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 13th, 2012 Without a shadow of doubt, Ford’s Mustang is a red-blooded, all-American icon. Since the 1960s, the stallion-badged pony car has won the acceptance of a large number of enthusiasts and normal buyers alike, its abundant presence dominating paved surfaces ranging from boulevards to drag strips. Love it or hate it, it was the Mustang that gave us other revered models like Chevrolet’s Camaro and Dodge’s Challenger, and inspired the European Ford Capri and Japan’s Toyota Celica. Facts are facts; the automotive world would certainly be a very dull place without it. However, while it has traveled to countries out…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 11, 2012 The sub-compact market is heating up with vehicles like the Chevrolet Sonic, Kia Rio, and Hyundai Accent providing tough competition. One of the vehicles who kicked off the return of sub-compact vehicles, the Ford Fiesta, is getting a refresh. Car & Driver got their hands on some spy shots of a Ford Fiesta hatchback and sedan undergoing some testing. The Fiesta will take on some Ford's design cues seen on the Taurus and new Fusion. The front end will get an Aston Martin-esk grill layout and new headlights. Around the back, the sedan new taillights and a reshaped trunklid that brings it in line with…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com March 29, 2012 Jost Capito, Ford's director of Global Performance Vehicles is leaving according to Car & Driver. The reason as to why Capito is leaving Ford is unknown. “We thank Jost Capito for his contributions on the company’s performance vehicles and motorsports plan. We wish him well as he begins a new chapter in his career,” said a Ford Spokesman in a written statement. Capito during his eleven-year tenure over at Ford oversaw the performance divisions in Europe and the U.S. From 2001 - 2009, Capito was the head Ford's RS division. He oversaw development of first and second generation Focus RS and motorspor…
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Drew Dowdell - March 28th, 2012 - CheersandGears.com Ford unveiled a new Explorer Sport today equipped with a 350+ horsepower Ecoboost V6 and four-wheel drive. Specifically targeting the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango R/T with the 5.7-liter Hemi, Ford is anticipating the the Explorer Sport to have an advantage of 3mpg city and 2mpg highway over the Jeep and Dodge. The Explorer Sport gains additional chassis reinforcement and larger brakes that both improves handling and maintains the Explorer's 5,000 pound tow rating. Styling changes include package specific 20 inch machined wheels, a special grill with low-gloss mesh combined with high-gloss bars and the Explor…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com March 26, 2012 Today, Ford posted a twenty-six second video on their Explorer Facebook page. The video seems to be teasing a high-performance variant of the Explorer. The video shows a mesh grille, an exhaust that growls, and what looks like body-color wheels. We're guessing a EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 with 350 or so horsepower will lie under the hood. The good news is we won't have to wait long to see what Ford is teasing us. Ford says the CUV will be officially unveiled on the Ford Explorer Facebook page on March 28. We'll be watching. View full article
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com March 9, 2012 Last week, Ford released a teaser picture of their new F-Series Super Duty hiding under a bed sheet. Ford didn't say much except there would be another model added to the lineup and it would be revealed on March 9th. Well its March 9th and the internet didn't pull a surprise reveal during the run up. So, ladies and gentlemen, the new 2013 Ford F-Series Super Duty. So aside from the front grill that seems to grow larger every year, what is the big news? Well it isn't with the powertrains. It happens to be the new model, the Platinum. The Platinum will will offer a slew of new standard features including S…
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G. Noble Editor/Reporter CheersandGears.com March 2, 2012 It’s almost hard to believe the third-generation Ford Super Duty pickup is about to celebrate its third birthday. And in the automotive world, that’s about the time most models have their mid-life crisis and order up a serving of light to heavy plastic surgery. The Super Duty, as Ford revealed late yesterday night with the sole teaser image they released, will be no exception. There aren’t many details you can make out from behind the big ol’ bedsheet Ford thrown over top of the truck to conceal its new look, but if you squint really hard you can tell it’s definitely sporting a different grille than the curren…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 23, 2012 Ford's 1.0L three-cylinder EcoBoost is an interesting engine. Using a turbocharger and some other tech, the engine produces an amazing 123 HP. But there could be more power lying in that engine. Autocar spoke with the vehicle line director for the Focus, Gunnar Herrmann. They asked Herrmann if more power could be made with the 1.0L EcoBoost. “It’s a stretch, but possible,” said Herrmann. Rumor has it Ford is testing a 1.0L EcoBoost with an electric supercharger taking the place of the small turbo and a turbo from the 1.6L EcoBoost. Power is said to be 177 HP. This version is expected to sit betwee…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 22, 2012 Ford is using next month's Geneva Motor Show to show off a passenger van concept. Called the Tourneo Custom concept, this previews the next generation Transit van. Before we go any further, we would like to point out this isn't the Transit we're getting in North America. The Tourneo Custom concept is previewing the next generation of front-wheel-drive, passenger-friendly Transit for Europe and other world markets. The version for North America will based off of the heavy-duty, rear-wheel-drive Transit that's set to debut later this year. Now with that cleared up, lets get back to the Tourneo. The To…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 14, 2012 The Ford Focus RS and Mustang. One is a high horsepower FWD hot hatch, the other is a RWD muscle. Not much in common besides coming from the same company. But if a new report from Top Gear is believed, they’re could be more in common with the two. According to Top Gear’s report, engineers working at Ford’s RS team know what they want in the next generation Focus RS; a 320 HP 2.3L turbocharged inline-four engine. There’s one problem though, Ford hasn’t signed off on the project. Ford Global Performance Vehicle chief Jost Capito said back in 2010 on the return of the Focus RS, “depends on a lot of fact…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 9, 2012 Today, Ford president and CEO Alan Mulally announced that two key executives will step down from their positions in April. The two executives are Derrick Kuzak, Ford's head of global product development and Lewis Booth, executive vice president and chief financial officer. Kuzak has been in his current role since 2006 and is one of the people instrumental in creating "One Ford", the plan to develop cars on single global platforms with only cosmetic changes to account for local tastes. Kuzak is also responsible for the increase in measured quality. Booth a 34-year veteran of Ford, was tapped in 2008 a…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 25, 2012 Ford is going down a different path from other automakers. The company says it will not go after the segment leader, the Toyota Camry with its brand new 2013 Fusion. The plan is to focus on a finding a balance between price and volume. “Between price and volume, we’ll sort out the right mix. I don’t think we’re very enamored with being No. 1 just to be No. 1. We’re much more enamored with getting the right price point and the right kind of people to buy the car,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s global marketing chief. Even though Ford’s decision to balance price with volume is a calculated move, Ford couldn’…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 13, 2012 Speaking at the Automotive News World Congress, Ford's global marketing chief Jim Farley said the company is accelerating the One Ford global product development plan by reducing the number of platforms from eleven to nine and moving the date from 2014 to 2013. "It's a decision to accelerate the reduction of complexity. Derrick [Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of global product development] and his team have committed to accelerating the process," Farley said. When asked which platforms would be cut, Farley decline to answer. The revised plan calls for 85% of Ford's global sales volume by 2013 to…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 4, 2012 With stiffer Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards on their way, Ford is looking at whether to add aluminum body panels on the next generation F-150. According to Ward's Auto, two sources say the company will utlize aluminum body panels, including doors and fenders on the next generation F-150. This comes as a surprise since steel has been the standard for trucks for decades. But this move coincides with a statement made by Ford's Group Vice President of Global Product Development, Derrick Kuzak. Kuzak said the company has a goal by 2019 to drop 700 lbs for each model. Source: Ward's Auto View…
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Continuing its role as the come-back king, the Ford brand has surpassed 2 million vehicle sales for 2011, a first for the brand since 2007, making it the best selling automotive brand name in the US. The increase isn't attributable to just one vehicle segment; Ford has increased sales across their entire lineup. Small car sales are up over 20% this year. The Ford Escape has taken the title of America's best selling utility vehicle. The already best selling truck, the Ford F-150, bolstered by its new V6 and V8 engine lineup, has increased sales nearly 10%. Press Release is on page 2 Ford Brand Sales Top 2 Million for 1st Time Since 2007 DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 30, 201…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com December 29, 2011 Ford wowed crowds at November's LA Auto Show with their 650 HP Shelby GT500 coupe. Now, Ford could be readying a second act with the Shelby GT500. Topspeed reports Ford could show a Shelby GT500 Convertible at next month's Detroit Auto Show. The convertible will use the 5.8L supercharged V8 found in the coupe producing 650 HP. The convertible will not hit the same 200 MPH top speed as the coupe. We'll see if this pans out. Source: TopSpeed View full article
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com December 28, 2011 Left Lane News posted spyshots of a couple Ford S-Max prototypes running around in Dearborn yesterday. The vehicles in the shots are the Ford Grand C-Max. However, an extended wheelbase and and a larger rear cargo area state this is an S-Max in drag. Left Lane News speculates the next generation S-Max could making it’s way to our shores. Their reasoning; Ford nixed the idea offering the C-Max as a seven passenger model due to it not being a true seven seater (5+2 layout) and it not suiting to American tastes. The S-Max is a true seven seater and would suit American tastes. At first, this seems a bit…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com December 21, 2011 The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has closed their investigation into 29,807 Ford Mustangs equipped with the manual transmission due to complaints alleging a faulty transmission. "There is no indication of loss of motive power or unreasonable safety risk associated with the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. The preliminary evaluation is closed," said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a statement on its Web site. NHTSA looked into 364 reports of shift quality issues and data from Ford to determine what is the issue and whether a recall would be issue…
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December 19th, 2011 - "black-knight" - CheersandGears.com As we've mentioned before, teaser shots are all the rage these days with automakers. Defining details of future production and concept cars are deliberately hidden and buried by very low lighting -- such has become a signature hallmark of these photographs. Ford, though, is taking another direction for their latest teaser, this time of their upcoming EcoSport concept. Instead of a profile, front three-quarter, or rear three-quarter sketch or photograph that you can barely make out, Ford simply took a head-on shot of the car and cropped it to reveal part of the grille and a headlight, as well as the tumblehome of …
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com December 16, 2011 This morning, the final Ford Ranger rolled off the Twin Cities assembly line, ending the twenty-nine year life of Ford’s compact truck. The Ranger was introduced back in 1982 as 1983 model and came into the growing market of compact trucks, becoming one the best selling trucks. In 1993, Ford revised the Ranger and got a Mazda counterpart, the B-Series a year later. With both four-cylinder and V6 engines, manual or automatic transmissions, and two or four-wheel drive, the Ranger and B-Series became a formidable force in the sales charts throughout the 90’s. But during the 2000s, the demand for small …
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com December 14, 2011 Ford is making the hybrid and electric market a bit more exciting with some recent announcements today with their new Focus Electric, C-Max Hybrid, and C-Max Energi models. Starting with Focus Electric, Ford says it will be "the first all-electric vehicle to achieve a 100 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) fuel efficiency rating." However, the Mitsubishi i EV gets 112 MPGe on the EPA combined cycle, thus beating the Focus Electric? Kind of; the Mitsubishi i EV can only seat four people while the Focus Electric can seat five, thus the Focus Electric can keep it's title. Ford also says the charging t…
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