Ford is in the middle of its turnaround plan. It has been lagging behind Toyota ever since the Japanese automaker overtook Ford in sales. Thus, it is obvious for the Dearborn contingent to focus on designing vehicles which consumers will surely like.
One of the vehicles in which the automaker is pinning its hope in is the Ford Focus. Recently, the automaker announced that the 2008 Ford Focus is actually doing great in the market.
Sam De La Garza, brand manger for the Focus expressed the automaker's optimism saying: "It's early, but everything is looking good. The number of customers considering and shopping Focus are at one-year highs. And SYNC-equipped 2008 Focuses are turning twice as fast on dealer lots than the previous model without the technology."
According to Ford's data, sale of the 2008 Ford Focus increased by 18 percent in November 2007 compared to November of 2006. November last year marked the first full month that the Ford Focus is available in the market. In December, the increase in sale recorded is nine percent. Last month, the Focus gave Ford a boost when sales went up by as much as 33 percent.
According to De La Garza, they are looking at California for further promotion of the Focus. "We need to grow our business in California. There is a very good strategy underway to do that, and Focus is contributing to it," said De La Garza.
Terry Miller, general sales manager of Galpin Ford in North Hills, California had this to say about the new Focus: "I liked the 2008 Focus when it came out. I think the new style is great. You want a small car that people buy because they want to, not because they have to. The new Focus is that kind of vehicle."
Ford would surely want this surge in the sale of the Ford Focus to continue.
Ford is not really in a good shape. As much as I want to believe that the automaker is finally keeping up with other automakers especially Japanese ones, the automaker would post dismal sales record. Recently, I just saw the Fords at the Daytona 500 got dominated by Dodge, Chevrolet and Toyota.
But there is a new light ahead and it is because of the Fiesta. The Fiesta is Ford's small car offering in the European auto market. Now, Ford recently posted positive sales in Europe. That means that the Fiesta is doing great out there. And now, Ford will be announcing at the Geneva Motor Show that they will be using the name Ford Fiesta for their small cars for all regions.
Yep! That means that Ford Fiesta is no longer for the European market but will also be available soon in the country. Since there have been a lot of complaints regarding the fact that Ford offers vehicles with better fuel efficiency abroad, I think that automaker has finally realized that it is time to bring the small car in the United States. The new Fiesta which will be unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show is the production version of the Ford Verve Concept.
Hopefully, the Fiesta will be successful in the United States. If it is really fuel efficient and has auto parts as reliable as Acura fenders then I think it will have no problem attracting consumers to Ford dealerships across the country.
Alan Mulally, President and CEO of FoMoCo said: "With the all-new Fiesta, we want to create a world standard for small car quality, design and comfort in a vehicle that is as exciting to drive as it is to look at."
For this year, the Ford Motor Company brought an entire range of premium vehicles in the industry for everyone to take pleasure in. Vehicles of all sizes and functions were served with ground-breaking technologies, splendid compressors, safety standards, etc.
Among the additional units included this year is the small business van intended for the average businessmen. The Auto Channel reported that Ford flows with the pace of its international product forces to accumulate and link small business owners in North America with the European-engineered Ford Transit Connect. Furthermore, the Transit Connect is designed to convey a new vehicle alternative that offers nothing but higher fuel economy, superior load capacity and enhanced cargo convenience principally designed for every American small business owners.
The Transit Connect is expected to be a fully fashionable vehicle for North America. Chevrolet and Dodge's vans are the closest rival of the new Transit Connect.
"Ford Transit Connect is built on a dedicated, commercial vehicle platform to meet the rigors business use demands. This workhorse is like nothing available today in the American market. The Transit Connect provides another example of Ford's commitment to deliver 100 percent new or upgraded products that people truly want and value by the end of 2010," says Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development.
"More than ever before, consumers are making the bulk of their purchases from the Internet and smaller, specialty businesses, which is increasing the volume of small package deliveries," said Kuzak. "Transit Connect is ideally suited to meet those delivery needs because of its flexible package, compact size and fuel-efficient powertrain. It will make the delivery process for small business owners easier and more affordable."
Performance. Design. Versatility. These are the qualities that define the 2009 Ford Edge Sport.
To meet the cross-over craze in the United States, Ford introduced its newest factory-customized crossover model during the Chicago Auto Show. At autoblog.com, Ford Division General Manager John Felice announced that this Ford Edge Sport is sure to satisfy the customers' need for a crossover with a sportier appeal. In other words, this Ford Edge was made more personalized to fit the taste of crossover fanatics.
The new Edge was an upgraded version of the original model. It comes in four colors: sport blue, ebony, brilliant silver and redfire. Its newest features include a set of 22-inch polished aluminum wheels together with 40-series Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires that gave it an aggressive appeal, additional fog lights, taillight lenses, sport badges and smoked headlights. Inside, the new Ford Edge is now fashioned with dark-gray leather seats.
Autobytel.com noted that Ford retained the crossover's 3.5-liter V-6 engine which is capable of producing 265 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque. It is available with a six-speed automatic transmission. In addition, it is equipped with four-wheel disc brakes as well as a rack-and-pinion steering system.
Last year, Ford Edge was US' most top-selling crossover with 130,125 units sold.
According to Ford president of the Americas Mark Fields, crossovers are the fastest-growing vehicle segments in the country. For this reason, Ford would like to assure its crossover market that Ford Edge remains a smart business while the aftermarket industry grew up to $40 billion annually.
"We want customers who crave something special to know that Ford can customize their Edge--right at the factory," he added.
With the 2009 Ford Edge available for sale this fall, the Ultimate Crossover will surely be a trunk strut that will keep Ford's sales rolling.
What comes into your mind when you hear the word "truck"? Maybe you imagine a large vehicle loaded with cargo, with big wheels ready to crush whatever is on the road together with a roaring sound as it overtakes smaller vehicles on the highway.
But Ford Work Solutions have found the "solution" (well, that's their job!) to change the fierce image of trucks into smart and stylish vehicles that is common to all Ford vehicles.
Featured in Fords F-Series trucks, the best-selling trucks in the US for 31 years, are smart innovations from Ford Work Solutions including an in-dash computer, that provides full high-speed Internet access, navigation and printing. It also has a Tool Link, a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) asset tracking system that allows maintenance of detailed real-time inventory of stocks in the pickup box. In addition, Ford Work Solutions equipped F-Series trucks with Crew Chief, a fleet telematics and diagnostics system that aids fleet owners in managing their vehicles, job sites and maintenance records. Moreover, it boasts of a cable lock security system.
Since 1948, about 33 million F-Series trucks were built by the world's truck leader. The latest of which is the 2009 Ford-150 and it has been redesigned to suit customers' needs and style. It comes with a strong exterior that features a three-bar grille. Inside, the Ford-150 boasts of a large space with unparalleled choice of cab styles and trim levels, a mechanically-articulated second row seat capable of flipping up and out of the way and 57.6 cubic feet of space behind the front seats as well as 47.9 inches height. It is also equipped with a new high-strength, lighter-weight chassis that enables this truck to yield more horsepower, enhanced fuel economy, safety and more towing and payload capacity.
"We know how important the F-150 is to our customers. With the new 2009 F-150, we are delivering a top-quality truck lineup that is second-to-none in capability, features and a range of choices that will continue to make Ford America’s favorite truck," said Matt O' Leary, Ford F-150's Chief Engineer.
The Ford-150 is divided into six trims: the XL workhorse, STX, FX4, XLT, Lariat and King Ranch. All equipped with chairs made out of top-quality leather, tuxedo stitching and embroidered logos on the seatbacks and 20-inch, 16-spoke polished aluminum wheels. The F-150 is powered by three modern V-8 engines. The F-150 is also expected to connect truck customers with the world through technologies delivered by Microsoft, Sony and SIRIUS.
Get cool like an Acura Legend radiator and try the F-150 trucking experience!
Just after unveiling its new concept of Lincoln model during last month's North American International Auto Show, reports from Reuters said that Ford Motor Co. is considering the idea of transforming it into a premium brand made available worldwide.
According to Ford Chief Executive Chief Officer Alan Mulally, the company now thinks of Lincoln's distribution in Europe and Asia.
"We already sell Lincolns in the Middle East," Mulally confirmed to auto press.
Last year, Lincoln, a full-size Navigator sport utility vehicle, gained an estimated 130,700 units sales last year. However, most of the sales portion was attributed to American buyers. That is why another Ford official clarified that Ford's main focus now is on its North American sales and production.
Lincoln MKT, Ford Motor Company's futuristic 2009 model concept features discarded softdrink bottles and other wastes composing parts of its body, seats borrowed from the first-class sections of jetliners, a windshield that extends up to the back of the roof and an electrically operated hatch instead of a trunk, fully-reclining second-row seats with footrests and a sleek appearance, maybe as shiny as an Acura Legend cornering light to give it a premium utility image. It is equipped with Ford's turbocharged V-6 engine that is claimed to be more efficient than a V-8. To add, the Lincoln MKT has no door handles - only buttons on the trims for a classier and high-tech entry and exit.
Global sales of Lincoln "will be sometime in the future", said a Ford authority.
Detroit's Big 3 seems to be slashing their expenses on Super Bowl. Matter of fact, General Motors will just be having 1 commercial on Sunday to tout its GMC Yukon Hybrid. "We thought we stood a better chance breaking through typical Super Bowl stuff with a simple message," said Mary Kubitskey, the national advertising manager for GMC.
Ford will not have an ad during the game, but the company plans pre-game and post-game spots. Chrysler, meanwhile, will have no national advertising but plans to buy regional ads.
As such, the Super Bowl is left with 3 national advertisers- GM, Toyota and Chrysler. "It's very hard to quantify the results of a Super Bowl ad and it's hard to see the value when the price keeps increasing," said Steve Miller, a senior reporter at Brandweek magazine. "GM's diminished presence will be noticed."
But the parent company of the Chevrolet wheels manufacturer recognizes the advantageous exposure in the Super Bowl. "They know the Super Bowl is not Super without GM," Miller noted.
GM spokeswoman Ryndee Carney said that the game remains a premier piece of advertising real estate. "We know that people are paying attention to our commercials."
The GMC spot will be the first ad featuring the brand's hybrid sport utility will feature the tagline: "Never say never." The ad, dubbed "Why Push?", is based on a popular short film by Hungarian animator Marcell Jankovics. The spot uses the entire film - a simple animation of a man pushing a rock up a hill with a voice-over and images of the Yukon Hybrid, according to the DetNews.
Chrysler's Super Bowl ad covers what Chief Marketing Officer Deborah Meyer calls "narrow casting." The Auburn Hills automaker will have regionalized ads that will be showed only in select markets. Meyer did not divulge which markets but said that in future ad campaigns, Chrysler will target specific products to certain markets - for example a Dodge Charger ad for Florida.
Toyota, on the other hand, has separate ads that tout its redesigned Corolla and Sequoia vehicles.
There are lots of good things to look forward to so don't miss the Super Bowl this Sunday!
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