Car Blog

Fifty automotive journalists have selected the Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Volkswagen Passat as the three finalists for the 2012 North American Car of the Year.

The finalists for the 2012 North American Truck of the Year are the BMW X3, the Honda CR-V and the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.

The finalists were revealed today at an Automotive Press Association luncheon in Detroit.

The awards are unique in the United States because — instead of being given by a single media outlet — they are awarded by a coalition of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada representing magazines, television, radio, newspapers and web sites. The awards are financed by the jurors’ dues and NACTOY does not accept advertising from automakers. Read the rest of this entry »

The all-new Ford Focus with the SFE (Super Fuel Economy) package delivers an EPA certified 40 mpg on the highway to go with its array of smart technologies, exceptional standards of craftsmanship and retuned suspension for a total driving experience not found anywhere else in the segment.

The new Focus is certified by the EPA at 40 mpg highway and 28 mpg city through its advanced six-speed automatic transmission.

Some competitors utilize a manual transmission to achieve their highest fuel economy ratings, though sales of vehicles with automatic transmissions account for more than 90 percent of the market.

Focus becomes the fourth vehicle in the Ford Motor Company vehicle lineup with an EPA-certified rating of 40 mpg or more.

“Our customers tell us that fuel economy is the top reason for purchasing a Focus,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. “The all-new Focus meets that demand with great fuel economy, class-leading technologies and features, exceptional standards of craftsmanship and driving dynamics typically reserved for larger, more expensive vehicles.”

Affordable fuel economy

With the EPA certification of Focus, Ford continues to deliver on its promise to make fuel economy affordable for millions of consumers. Today, Ford Motor Company has 12 vehicles including cars, utilities and crossovers in the U.S. that lead their sales segments for fuel economy – a number no other automaker matches.

With the new Focus, four 2011 models achieve at least 40 mpg – the Ford Fiesta SE with SFE package (40 mpg highway) and the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid (41 mpg city). No other automaker offers four nameplates with EPA-certified ratings of 40 mpg or more, according to the 2011 EPA Fuel Economy Guide.

New Ford Focus owners can learn a thing or two about driving skills that can maximize their miles per gallon – and they can have a little fun in the process.

EcoMode is a handy software application aimed at helping coach customers in the art of eco-driving – and then rewards those that practice more fuel-efficient driving skills with in-car kudos displayed on the instrument cluster.

“The foot of the driver has one of the biggest impacts on real-world fuel economy of a vehicle and was the starting point for the development of EcoMode,” said Thomas Schick, an engineer with the Ford of Germany Core Vehicle Integration team who helped design the software. “This is a useful tool that creates awareness between personal behavior and fuel consumption and offers up hints on how to improve. Applying those hints and recommendations is all up to the driver.”

Eco-driving refers to specific on-road behaviors that can improve fuel economy, save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In recent internal tests, Ford found that eco-driving skills can improve fuel economy by an average of 24 percent. The nationwide Auto Alliance-supported EcoDriving initiative further claims that if every American put eco-driving skills to work on the road and achieved just a 15 percent benefit in fuel economy, more than 22 billion gallons of gas would be saved each year.

Practices most often preached within the eco-driving world include: Read the rest of this entry »

The all-new 2012 Ford Focus is the first beneficiary of a new class-exclusive Ford technology that employs downhill skiing and snowboarding moves to increase vehicle stability in turns.

Engineered to increase novice driver confidence by adding a finer sense of control in curves, the next-generation Focus will please enthusiast drivers as well with the addition of a vehicle stability control system previously reserved for premium sports cars.

“The new Focus is the first North American Ford vehicle to offer torque vectoring control,” said Rick Bolt, program manager for the Ford Focus. “This is a technology that has been offered on high-end sports cars, yet Ford is making it standard on their new small car.”

Just as a downhill skier or board rider shifts weight to their outside edge in transition from schuss to edge – adding balance and stability to carve through a turn – torque vectoring control provides slight braking force to the wheel and the tire that is subject to potential slippage to help the driver and vehicle gracefully negotiate the curve.

The slight braking pressure applied to just one driven wheel is imperceptible to the driver. The behind-the-wheel experience is an improved sense of stability and control throughout the curve. This increased vehicle stability in cornering situations is sure to please enthusiast drivers yet serves as a confidence builder for novice drivers as well.

Torque vectoring control uses the Focus braking system to imitate the effect of limited-slip differential, constantly balancing the distribution of engine output between the driven front wheels to suit driving conditions and road surface. When accelerating through a tight corner, the system applies an imperceptible degree of braking to the inside front wheel, so that more engine torque goes to the outside wheel, providing additional traction, better grip and improved vehicle handling. Read the rest of this entry »

Ford safety engineers in the U.S. and Germany crash tested the new 2012 Ford Focus more than 12,000 times in real and virtual worlds to prove out innovative new technologies designed to protect occupants in crashes.

The new Focus, which debuts around the world starting early next year, underwent an exhaustive testing regimen of occupant and full-vehicle computer simulations. Those simulations have become so realistic that the number of physical vehicle crash tests has been significantly reduced.

“Developing the Focus to meet the global safety standards has resulted in improved crash performance to help protect occupants in crashes,” said Matt Niesluchowski, Focus safety manager. “Ford’s safety team had a head start in working together around the world, which helped tremendously in ensuring the new Focus meets or exceeds a complex web of global safety regulations.”

Crashed by Ford to take the heat

The thousands of computer aided engineering (CAE) crashes and simulations allowed engineers to test hundreds of designs. The physical crash tests, conducted after a battery of virtual simulations, verify and validate the computer simulations to ensure every internal and external requirement is met.

“We are using more computer simulations than ever to optimize the designs of all the components that make up a vehicle to help enhance safety,” Niesluchowski said. “The complexity of crash tests, with hundreds of parts and systems interacting, still requires physical testing to validate those simulation results.” Read the rest of this entry »

The all-new Ford Focus will be the first premium small car to bring legendary sound quality and component design from Sony to drivers, plus segment-exclusive features such as HD Radio and iTunes Tagging, with the availability of the new 355-watt audio system from Sony.

Available for the first time on Focus in North America, arriving early next year, this is the latest example of the long-term partnership between Ford and Sony, one of the most recognized consumer brands in the world. The relationship between Ford and Sony began in 2000.

“Sony is an important partner in our drive to deliver cars that consumers view as a second home on wheels,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development. “With the new Focus featuring the first global application of the designed and engineered audio system from Sony, we’re adding another highly recognized and trusted brand inside the car.”

The matchup with Sony is part of a broader Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) effort to incorporate products and services from complementing brands consumers already know and trust into the Ford signature vehicle experience. Other Ford partnerships include Microsoft, SIRIUS® and THX.

Bringing the Sony experience to Focus

The audio system from Sony in Focus has a signature piano-black interface design with the iconic Sony center controller, mimicking the appearance of popular home audio equipment from Sony.

According to internal Sony research, more than 60 percent of U.S. consumers have, on average, more than two branded products from Sony in their household, helping foster familiarity with the audio system from Sony in Focus even before the power button is pressed. Read the rest of this entry »