Ford will be showing the Kuga crossover concept next week in Frankfurt. The Kuga is the offroad version of the Ford Focus, based on the same platform.

The production version of the Kuga should be pretty similar to the concept that was shown in Frankfurt: the Kuga is already an evolution of the Iosis X concept that was shown last year in Paris.

The Kuga will be available both in FWD and 4WD versions. The engine of the Kuga being previewed in Paris will be the 2.0 TDCi turbodiesel unit with 136 ps already mounted on the Focus. The production version should also get other engines from the Focus range.

Production of the Kuga will start early next year. Prices are not known at the moment.

Continue reading: Ford Kuga - official images of the preview

0 comments

Ford will show its Kuga 4WD crossover at the next Frankfurt auto show. The Kuga will be the production version of the Iosis-X concept.

The Ford Kuga will not be a full-blown Suv, but rather a 4×4 crossover with good road-going qualities and adequate allroad competence. Production will start from january 2008, in the Saarlouis factory in Germany. Sales will start by spring 2008 (in Europe).

0 comments

The Ford S-Max is the Car of the Year 2007. The sporty people-carrier from Ford narrowly beat the Opel Corsa (235 against 233 points).

This award vindicates once again Ford’s choice of combining great internal volumes (7seats, more than 1.900 litres of capacity) with car-like handling and safety for all occupants (5 stars EuroNCAP). More importantly for Ford, the S-Max is a success with the public, not only with critics.

A curiosity: the jury, composed of 58 journalists from 22 european countries, awarded three of the first four places to MPVs. The S-Max in first place, the Citroën Picasso in third (222 points) and the Skoda Roomster in fourth (189 points).

The other finalists follow at a distance: Seguono the Honda Civic in 5th place (148 points), the Peugeot 207 in 6th (144 points), the Volvo C30 in 7th (141 points) and the Fiat Grande Punto in 8th (138 points).

0 comments

Ford will show in Geneva the Focus Coupè-Cabriolet with folding metal roof. It’s a bit less satisfying than her bigger “sister”, the Volvo C70. The rear, in particula, is quite big and it’s the less pleasing part of the car. The luggage capacity (more than 500 liters when the roof is closed) partly makes up for the styling.

The Focus CC will be built by coachbuilder Pininfarina in Italy, starting from mid 2006. Technical data and prices will be announced closer to the launch date. Initially the choice will be between two gasoline engines (1.6 and 2.0 liters, respectively with 100 and 145 hp) and one turbodiesel TDCi engine (2.0, 136 hp).

Continue reading: Ford Focus Coupé-Cabriolet

0 comments

Ford has released official photos and specifications of the S-Max, the sporty 7-seater that will debut in Geneva.

The top-of-the-range engine will be the same 2.5 liters turbo that powers the Focus ST, with 215 hp and 325 Nm. The other engines will be a triplet of TDCi turbo-diesels (1.8 with 125 ps, 2.0 with 130 ps with APF and 2.0 with 140 ps both with and without APF) and a 2.0 liters gasoline engine with 145 ps. It’s still not known whether the S-Max will ever equip the new 2.2 liter turbodiesel that outputs 170 hp.

In 7-seater configuration the S-Max has a cargo capacity bigger than the previous Galaxy (285 liters against 235). When all rear seats are folded, the cargo hold has a flat load floor 2 meters long and 1.15 meters wide (2,000 liters capacity). Prices should start from 25.000 €.

Continue reading: Ford S-Max

0 comments

Autowereld has some spy shots of the “sporty” Ford S-Max minivan . As could be anticipated, compared to the SAV concept, the loss of the huge ultra-low tyres has resulted in a marked lessening of its sporty character (it’s still a 7-seater …).

0 comments

Some renderings of the new Fiat 500 and Ford Ka from Autobild. Let’s see how close Huckfeldt gets to the final 500. Cognoscenti in Italy say that the central exhaust is impossible due to the position of the spare tyre, and that these photoshops are nearer the mark.

The text of the article says that the Fiat 500 will have a 7,500 € starting price (8.500 € for the Ka). Under the hood, there will be a 1.0 gasoline engine with 55 hp and a throttled version of the 1.3 Multijet diesel engine, outputting 55 hp (instead of the original 75/90 hp), both with a 5 gear transmission (later, 6 gears & a gearbox with automated clutch). Other engines to follow might be a small 3 cylinders from Ford and a small UNIAIR Fiat engine (variable valve timing) and, maybe, a small 1.2 natural gas engine.

0 comments

The next Ford Ka makes an appearance on the cover of the latest Auto Bild.

Auto Bild’s Ka has a front nearer to the rest of the Ford range, curved fenders in pure Ka-style and a pronounced rib in mid flank.

We’ll keep you posted both on the new Ka and on her sister, the Fiat 500 [Via Left Lane News].

0 comments

The signing of the Ford-Fiat alliance has been officially announced today. Fiat and Ford will collaborate on the production of the new Fiat 500 and on the new Ford Ka.

As anticipated, the 500 and the Ka will share a platform derived from the one used in the Fiat Pandaand will be built in the Fiat factory in Bielsko Baia in Poland. Arrival of the new models is expected between the end of 2006 (500) and 2008 (Ka). Annula production is estimated in 240.000 units, evenly divided between Ka and 500.

Let’s hope that Fiat gives free rein to an entire range of models derived from the 500, à-la Mini.

0 comments

The 1975 Ford Escort GL that belonged to Pope John Paul II was sold for 690.000 € in an auction. The buyer is an american lawyer (not a catholic, a baptist, if you must ask), owner of a 600 car collection.

Owners of Ford Escorts from the same should not get their hopes too high: the price is not a precedent if you’re not going to be canonized.

0 comments