Minivans are a thing of the past. Its part of an age that will just be recorded in the annals of automotive history. Well, that’s what Ford believes. They believe in it so much that they decided to do away with their minivans and replace it with a new crossover, which would meet the criteria set for minivans. Introducing the 2009 Ford Flex.

The 2009 Ford Flex is the company’s offering to the crossover market along with its Edge and Taurus X models. Designed to look like a huge station wagon, the 2009 Ford Flex is equipped with a lot of features that you would normally see in a minivan ranging from a refrigerator, panel roofs, programmable 7-color ambient lighting, Ford’s capless fuel system, FordSync communication, entertainment and navigation systems and lastly the Ford door-entry keypad. Aside from those unique features, the 2009 Ford Flex is also equipped with a powerful 3.5-liter V-6 engine that’s combined with a 6-speed fuel efficient transmission. This powerhouse is capable of generating 260 horsepower, 245 lb.-ft of torque and also provides excellent fuel efficiency. The 2009 Ford Flex is spacious enough to accommodate up to 7 passengers. In case the seats won’t be used and cargo space is required, all the seats excluding the driver’s seat can be folded flat.

So for those interested in a vehicle that’s capable of taking the whole family on a road trip, then the 2009 Ford Flex is for you. Thanks to its unique features and engine power, don’t be surprised if this big wheel will make you forget that the minivan ever existed.

Sources: Car Junky, Left Lane News, Auto Blog

Dominating the pick-up and truck market just isn’t enough for Ford. Now, the company is doing its best to insert itself into the compact crossover market by producing the Ford Kuga, which was showcased at last year’s Frankfurt Show.

Compact crossovers have slowly gained popularity ever since it was introduced into the market. Due to its combination of ruggedness and sophistication, crossovers have been able to provide motorists the power and durability that comes with having a truck and the sleekness and style of having a sedan. This is what Ford is hoping to capitalize on with its Ford Kuga.

Based on its Focus platform, the Ford Kuga features an all-wheel drive system and a Haldex clutch system. On top of the systems incorporated in the Kuga, the vehicle will also sport a 2-liter turbodiesel engine capable of producing 134 brake horsepower (bhp) and 236 lb. ft. of torque. The Ford Kuga is rumored to be able to give a fuel economy of 44 miles per gallon. The Kuga will also have two variations, the basic Zetec trim and a Titianium trim. The differences that will set this two apart are the additional features included with the Titanium trim like rain-sensing wipers and dual electronic air temperature control. Due to the added features, the Titanium trim carries a more expensive price tag of £22,495 while the Zetec trim will be priced at £20,495. The only hitch here is that while the Ford Kuga will be released in the UK on June, there has been no word as to whether the crossover will reach the US market.

Let’s hope that Ford decides to release the Kuga in the US. If their goal is to establish themselves in the crossover market, then tapping the US market should definitely be one of their top priorities don’t you think?

Sources:Top Gear, AutoblogGreen, All You Need To Know About Cars

Orion and the falcon have one thing in common. They’re both considered great hunters. And just like Orion and the falcon, Ford is always in the hunt for a huge piece of the automotive market. And this time, it’s targeting the Land Down Under.

Ford has come up with new concepts during the past automotive shows in Geneva and in New York. And for the Melbourne International Auto Show, Ford will unveil its newest large sedan to the Australian market, the Orion Ford Falcon. Here’s a rundown of what you can expect from this new model from Ford.

The Orion Ford Falcon comes with three different engine types. The first is the standard 4.0-liter-inline-six engine that can provide 260 horsepower. The engine was based on the design of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles made in 1812. The second is a turbo-charged engine that can give-off 362 horsepower and a total of 390 ft-lbs of low-down torque. The third is a 5.4-liter v8 bad boy that can give you 390 horsepower. It also has a semi-active muffler that allows the engine to run at 2,800 rpm. Aside from the powered-up engines, the Orion Ford Falcon comes with a new six-speed manual and automatic transmission. It’s also equipped with air bags in case something happens while you’re speeding down the road.

The Orion Ford Falcon does have its drawbacks though. The first is that you probably won’t see this launched in the US. Sorry folks, but this baby is just meant to be released for the Aussies. Another is that the look of the Orion Ford Falcon looks a bit bland. If only Ford added some accessories to it, then maybe it would’ve stood out more.

Nonetheless, given the features Orion Ford Falcon has, it would definitely give its competition a run for its money don’t you think?

Source: The Truth About Cars

Russia is known for being the largest country in the world, with the ninth largest population (142 million and counting), the world’s largest mineral and energy resources (making it an energy superpower) and it has the world’s largest forest reserves. Pretty much everything about Russia is large. And Ford is hoping to capitalize on Russia’s fancy for all things large through the sales of its Ford Focus.

As of this date, production for the 2008 Ford Focus has already commenced at the Ford plantation located at St. Petersburg in Russia. The bodies available in Russia for this new model will be 3-door, 4-door, 5-door bodies and a wagon. New owners can choose between the five engines available for the model, whether they want an automatic or manual transmission and the type of trims they want. The trims that will be available in the Russian market will be the Ambiente, Comfort and Ghia trims.

Over 20,000 orders have already been placed for the new generation vehicle thanks to its successful debut in the Frankfurt Motor Show held in September of last year and its improved look, interior design and craftsmanship. Its popularity in Russia is so high that one of the country’s political figures jumped at the opportunity of driving one. Governor of Leningrad, Valery Serdyukov along with Vice President of Ford Europe Manufacturing, Jim Tetreault, drove the first Ford Focus that came out of the production line.

Aside from the huge orders the company has received, Ford also hit a milestone when it produced the 250,000^th Focus sold in the country since it was first released in 1999. A ceremony was held in honor of the production, which was also attended by the car owner.

Given the problems it has had in the US in terms of downsizing, the positive response it generated in Russia could help Ford pick itself up and continue on producing more quality vehicles for its audience.

Sources: Auto News 24 Hours A Day, Wikipedia, Blue Oval News

Before man was considered the dominant species, dinosaurs roamed the Earth. They were considered the kings of the prehistoric world feasting on early plant and animal life. As well all know their rule ended when an asteroid crashed into Earth changing the planet’s landscape. Now, let’s apply this to the automotive industry. Ford was once considered to be one of the dominant (if not the most dominant) automobile manufacturer. It sat on top of the food chain for decades until it got hit by, no just one, but a by a multitude of competitors vying to unseat it. And just like the dinosaurs, Ford fell. So why go all through the hoopla of comparing the dinosaurs to Ford? Well, it seems that Ford is planning to release an improved version of their upcoming 2009 F-150 models which they plan to call “The Raptor.” And based on their design plans, there could be a possibility that we may end up seeing this modern-day dinosaur conquer the automotive landscape once again.

Just to give you an overview, Ford initially launch the 2009 Ford F-150 at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Compared to its predecessors, the F-150 is bigger by six inches giving more room for the rear seats of the four-door models. The truck is equipped with a V8 engine ranging from a 5.4 liter 3-valve, Triton V8 engine, a 4.6-liter, 3-valve V8 engine, and a 4.6-liter, 2-valve V8 engine. The original design also comes with hands-free voice activated entertainment system, a Sirius Travel Link navigation system and a 700-watt Sony surround sound system.

Now imagine your F-150 having all of those features above plus the following new features Ford is planning to add: a long travel suspension that was developed by Fox Racing, 35-inch tires and a Boss V-8 engine. In order to house these features, Ford made sure to widen and increase the size of this new F-150. Ford will also integrate bulged fenders in order to accommodate the increased tires and suspension. Now that’s what I call “hulking up.”

So if you think the age of the dinosaurs is over, you may want to think again. If Ford is able to successfully release this product by the next year, don’t be surprised if this modern-day dinosaur starts ruling the Earth once more.

Sources: The Truth About Cars, Autoblog, Left Lane News, Autoblog.com

The one thing that is constant in life is change. You can’t stay idle forever. Once that happens, people will start to lose interest. And it’s important to keep people interested. Coming up with refreshing ideas will make people come back for more. When they see something new and exciting, they start spreading the news. And we all know how powerful of a tool word-of-mouth can be in terms of promotion. This is why Ford has decided to adapt to change and have resolved to remodel their vehicles every three years.

It’s a good thing Ford decided to do this. It’s been a long time coming. Most of its competitors in the automotive industry have been doing this for years. This has helped the competition in generating interest from their customers and provide new and innovative car designs for them to choose from. While this was happening, Ford sat on their laurels and just let whatever they had at that time stay the same. Not anymore. As part of this new cycle, Ford will only retain a model’s design after three years. No more, no less. Also, as a part of this program, the company has stated that they will be reducing the age of their Ford, Mercury and Lincoln lines. According to Derrick Kuzak, vice president of global product development, Ford will concentrate heavily on implementing changes in design and to focus on technical improvements.

“One way to differentiate yourself and bring people into the showroom is with great design,” he said. “You don’t design for the masses; each vehicle has a target audience.”

And based on what they have in store for us, it looks like Ford means business. Based on their future plans, the company will be reducing the number of its platforms and engines and will focus on building 70% of their vehicles based on eight platforms only by 2012. That’s worldwide folks. They also have plans of introducing a dual-clutch transmission for their North American brands in order to help cut fuel cost for Ford drivers.

Talk about taking it to the next level. Now who said that change isn’t a good thing?

Sources: Left Lane News, The Truth About Cars, Wikipedia

Due to the recent loses they’ve incurred for the year 2007, Ford Motors Company is offering a buyout to its hourly working employees. Based on reports Ford Motors lost a total of $2.7 billion which made them resort to buying out their current employees. Although the amount is huge, Ford Motors did better this year than in 2006 when they lost a grand total of $12.6 billion. That’s roughly almost four times the amount of last year’s losses.

What Ford Motors plan to do is to offer buyouts to 54,000 of its hourly employees starting with those who worked for the plants that were shut down. This includes the plants in Atlanta, St. Louis, Edison, N.J., and Norfolk, Va. Now that’s just for starters. Once done, Ford will then focus on the workers at the other Ford plants in the US. Ford Motors is also offering retirement plans to the workers who are qualified to retire. As of this date, the total number of employees qualified for retirement is 12,000. There are reports as well that once the company has worked on the hourly employees and retirees, their next target will be the salaried employees. In the long run, the company mentioned as well that they have not ruled out closing some plants to make up for the losses.

Once the old employees have been bought out, Ford Motors will work on hiring new employees but with a lower salary. It may seem cruel for the company to release people who’ve showed loyalty and dedication over the years and replace them by hiring new workers, but based on the salaries earned by the previous employees, the discrepancy is quite huge and it could help in improving the finances of the company. Based on an agreement that Ford has with the United Auto Workers (UAW), Ford Motors can pay off new employees $40, compared to the previous amount of $70 paid to their old employees. Now that saves the company $30 per employee.

The only question in everyone’s mind is how good the quality of Ford Motors car will be when it’s done by someone who is a bit inexperience compared to someone who’s been doing it for the last ten or twenty years. It’s true that young and new workers offer fresh ideas but veterans offer stability and experience. I guess all the consumers can do is to wait for the upcoming releases of Ford Motors to determine if the company made the right call.

Sources: Kicking Tires, USA Today

Barrett-Jackson Auction Company, an auction house specializing in the selling of cars has just auctioned off a one-of-a-kind 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR which has a full glass roof last Saturday. For those of you wondering who the lucky buyer and new owner of this unique vehicle is, it’s none other than Mr. Ron Pratte, a business tycoon whose Phoenix-based company specializes in carpentry trades and who has a penchant for buying and collecting cars, particularly those made by Carroll Shelby. According to reports, the multi-millionaire purchased the one-of-a-kind model for $550,000. The initial bidding for this gem started off at $100,000.

The Shelby GT500KR or the “King of the Road” is considered to be the most powerful Mustang built by Ford with production commencing last January 11, which coincided with the 85^th birthday of Carroll Shelby. With a 540 horsepower, the auctioned model sports a glass roof that provides an option for customers who prefer the use of natural light. The glass is tinted which helps in reducing infrared rays and at the same time, it reduces the cool down time of the vehicle by 50 percent. The glass roof feature is also offered as an option for the 2009 V-6 Mustang and Mustang GT models. The Shelby GT500KR for auction also sports a racing stripe on its glass roof but unlike the other models, the stripe of this car is etched directly on the glass setting it apart from its commercial sibling.

Proceeds from the auction were donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Sources: topspeed, jalopnik, encyclocentral

Ford has decided to make refueling for consumers a little bit easy by eliminating the use of gas caps. This feature, which was launched at the North American International Auto Show, is currently available in the 2008 Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle. To follow suit are the 2009 F-150 pick up truck (Ford’s top-selling pick-up), the 2009 Flex Crossover and the Lincoln MKS Luxury Sedan.

The rationale in making this feature commercially available is simple: convenience. “People just don’t like the cap,” said Matt O’ Leary, Ford’s chief engineer for pickups, “Anyone who drives a vehicle hates that.”

The capless system was derived from the NASCAR’s Ford GT sports car which first appeared last 2003. The system is made up of two spring-loaded tabs that pull back a flap inside the fuel filter neck once the nozzle hits the tabs. The flap closes once the nozzle is pulled out.

Ford also maintains that aside from considering the convenience of the drivers in using a capless system, they also factored in the benefits this will have on the environment by limiting the escape of gasoline vapors. It will also help in eliminating the common error made by drivers when they forget to screw back their gas caps tightly, triggering the “check engine light” to appear on their dashboard.

However, not everyone is buying it. According to Aaron Bragman, an auto analyst working for Global Insight, a consulting firm in Michigan, this new system will not prompt buyers to rush in and get a Ford.

“It’s a nice addition, but by no means a decision-maker,” he said.

Despite all this, Ford has forecasted that in the near future, all vehicles will adapt this type of capless system. Per O’ Leary, he expects other automakers to follow suit, come up with their own designs, and have it installed in their vehicles.

Sources: thetruthaboutcars.com, msnbc

It’s nice to know when the city you live in contributes in making the lives of the people in it a little easier. Thanks to a partnership that was set-up between Ford Motors Company and the government of San Antonio, families and individuals residing in the city will be able to make a down-payment for a new or used Ford car at any of the eight participating Ford or Mercury outlets in the city. The families or individuals interested in buying a car only needs to save up $1,000. They will then receive $2,000 from the Department of Community Initiatives and Dearborn and Ford Motors in order for them to make a down payment of $3,000 and kick-start the financing of their vehicle. The collaborative effort was done in order to make it easier for the people living in the Alamo to buy a new or used car.

To qualify for this program, the buyer should have an income which should not exceed 300 percent of the federal poverty level. The buyer must also be a resident of the state of San Antonio, an insurable driver, has not declared bankruptcy in the last seven years, must be “current” with all creditors and is qualified for financing.

To date, there are a total of 39 local residents who have availed of this deal and are now part of the program. So to those living in San Antonio, now is a good time to work on managing your finances and start planning on what type of Ford vehicle you’d like to be driving.

Sources: sanantonio.bizjournals.com, thetruthaboutcars.com