The new Ford Ranger ute

The release date for the new Ford Ranger ute is getting close and to help build some excitement about the new Ranger Ford are giving you the chance to win one of these great looking machines.

All you have to do is tell Ford what you think the ultimate challenge would be for the ute.

Would you take it to Fraser Island and try the beach as the tide comes in? Would you take it up to Kakadu and off the beaten track with an off-road van on the towbar?

What about the Simpson Desert?

Or do you know some fire trails that can really show how tough the new Ford Ranger is? I know a few in the hills north of Bathurst and west of the Macquarie River that can really take your breath away but are they tough enough to put the Ford Ranger to the ultimate test?

And the competition hasw now closed.

The new Ford SZ Territory comes in three versions starting with the TX. The TS Territory sits in the middle of the range and the Titanium tops the range and replaces the old Ghia. Each of the variants is available as either two or all-wheel drive and all two-wheel drive models have the petrol engine as standard  with the diesel engine as an option. The all-wheel drive variants have the diesel as standard.

The petrol engine is not available in any of the all-wheel drive models.

The body
While the new Ford Territory still looks like a Territory there are some obvious differences in the new model.

At the front there’s a new grille and new headlights and the Titanium gets high-tech LED position lamps. The bonnet has been redesigned, some subtle lines have been added to the front guards, a new C-pillar has been added and at the rear the tail lights have been re-designed to wrap around the vehicle. The rear bumper has also been re-designed.

The interior
At first glance at the interior you might think that little has changed inside the new Ford SZ Territory but the instrument panel has re-designed, the centre console has been changed and there’s a new four-spoke steering wheel.

For the driver there’s what Ford calls the “Human-Machine Interface” or HMI for short. Obviously this is where the driver and the SZ Territory meet … it’s where the vehicle tells the driver what is happening and where the driver tells the vehicle what they want the vehicle to do.

I guess in the old days it was called “the dashboard”.

So what do you see in the HMI? Well there’s the instrument cluster, a multi-function display, a steering wheel loaded with more controls than you would expect could be fitted on a steering wheel, full iPod and Bluetooth intergration, USB connectivity and a reversing camera on the TS and Titanium variants.

In the base model TX Territory you get a monochrome 5.8-inch LCD screen and a colour 8-inch LCD screen on the mid and top of the range models. Where a reversing camera is fitted the display on the LCD screen changes to the camera display when reverse is selected.

Satellite navigation is fitted standard to the Titanium variant and this is also displayed in the LCD screen. This satnav system features what Ford describes as “green routing” and this calculates the most economical route to your destination. It will also show you the fastest and shortest routes. There’s a choice of 2D and 3D map modes … street numbers are displayed … advanced lane guidance is included and there’s also a traffic message channel that will give you information on traffic congestion.

This system was first released in Australia by Ford in the 2008 FG Falcon.

The 4.0-litre I6 in-line six-cylinder engine in the SZ Territory

Engines
The new Ford SZ Territory is the first to come with a high-tech 2.7-litre V6 turbo-diesel and this is offered along with Ford’s upgraded 4.0-litre I6 in-line six-cylinder petrol engine..

The new diesel engine that features common-rail injection was developed at Ford’s Diesel Technology Centre in Dagenham in the United Kingdom. It’s already seen use in a number of European based SUV’s but this is the first time that it has appeared in a Ford-badged vehicle.

This diesel engine produces 440Nm of torque at 1,900rpm and that continues on to 2500rpm. Maximum power of 140kW arrives at 4,000rpm.

Fuel consumption figures for the diesel are impressive considering the size of the vehicle. It has a combined cycle fuel economy of 8.2L/100km for the rear-wheel drive version and 8.8L/100km for the all-wheel drive models. The figures are slightly higher for the all-wheel drive Titanium with a combined cycle of 9.0L/100km.

If you do a lot of country driving then you will really like the 6.5L/100km for the rear-wheel drive an 7.2L/100km for the all-wheel drive (7.3L/100km for the Titanium)..

The upgraded petrol engine gives slightly more power and better fuel economy. Maximum power of 195kW arrives at 6,000rpm and maximum torque of 391Nm is achieved at 3,250rpm.

The combined cycle fuel economy figures for the petrol powered SZ Territory is 10.6L/100km and 8.0L/100km for country driving. Urban driving figures are still rather scary at 15.0L/100km.

Drivetrain for the SZ Territory diesel all-wheel drive

Transmission
Both the petrol and the diesel engines are coupled to a six-speed transmission although the transmission on the petrol variants is slightly different to the transmission used on the diesel powered models.

For those who are interested in the technical details the petrol variants get the ZF 6HP26 transmission while the diesel version get the ZF 6R80 transmission.

There has also been a change in the way the front differential is mounted in the all-wheel drive versions. In the previous model the front diff was mounted on the chassis but in the SZ Territory the front diff is mounted on the sump.

While that may not sound all that exciting or noteworthy it does actually reduce the general noise level within the cabin

Extra airbag protection for the driver's knees in the new Ford SZ Territory

Safety
The new Ford Territory SZ retains all the safety features that led to the previous model being awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating and has even more safety features.

A new Generation 9 Dynamic Stability Control System … incorporating Roll Over Mitigation … developed by Bosch is fitted to the SZ. The Roll Over Mitigation system constantly monitors the vehicle’s behaviour and induces additional understeer when it detects an increased likelihood of rollover during extreme handling manoeuvres.

When the Roll Over Mitigation system detects the likelihood of a roll over it brakes individual wheels and reduces the driving torque to prevent the rollover and at the same time reduces engine speed to ensure greater stability.

Steering and suspension in the SZ Territory

TX standard equipment
Standard appointments in the TX Territory includes  automatic climate control with single-zone temperature control; four-way power-adjustable driver’s seat; power windows and side mirrors; reverse sensing system and an Interior Command Centre (ICC) fitted with a 5.8-inch monochromatic LCD screen.

This ICC includes integrated controls for a single-CD audio system which supports both iPods7 and Bluetooth® 5-operated mobile telephones and audio devices. An in-built USB port also allows music files to be played from a USB device. A 3.5-millimetre audio jack is also fitted.

The Territory TX also comes fitted with 17-inch alloy wheels and 30 interior storage compartments.

TS standard equipment
In addition to what comes as standard in the TX the mid-range Territory TS gains machined-face 18-inch alloy wheels; reverse camera; front fog lamps; a unique TS front bumper; and a front grille painted in satin silver. The TS is fitted with a premium Interior Command Centre which features a premium seven-speaker audio system with a 150-Watt amplifier and subwoofer along an eight-inch colour touch screen. This new touch screen allows both front-seat occupants to control a variety of audio, communication and vehicle settings by simply touching the appropriate on-screen symbol.

Titanium standard equipment
Obviously you get everything that was standard in the TS plus machined-face 18-inch alloy wheels painted in accent colour; unique front bumper styling; chrome-detailed upper and lower grille; LED front position lamps; Alpine rear DVD entertainment system; leather seat trim; and an integrated satellite navigation system with a Traffic Message Channel.

The bottom line
TX
RWD    Petrol    $39,990
RWD    Diesel    $43,240
AWD    Diesel    $48,240

TS
RWD    Petrol    $46,990
RWD    Diesel    $50,240
AWD    Diesel    $55,240

Titanium
RWD    Petrol    $54,990
RWD    Diesel    $58,240
AWD    Diesel    $63,240

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As far as looks are concerned Chris Svensson, Design Director for Ford Asia Pacific sums the design of the new Ford Territory fairly well:

“We worked hard to ensure the new Territory was an evolution of the original model and, through the use of Ford’s distinct design DNA, also gave a hint of the future,” Svensson said.

“To achieve this we applied Ford’s unique style philosophy: kinetic design.

“Kinetic design comprises several specific elements, all of which are present in the new Territory. They are confident stance, dynamic lines, expressive form language, taut surfacing, bold graphics and great detailing.

“When you combine them they convey movement and athleticism. In other words, the vehicle looks like it is moving when standing still,” Svensson said.

“The overall visual effect of kinetic design is simple: in the case of the new Territory it communicates its dynamic capabilities and fun-to-drive spirit.”

Exterior
At the front, the new Ford Territory uses an all-new tri-plane front-end architecture. The shape of the main grille is one of the new Territory’s most noticeable updates. This larger, lower grille in a unique three-bar design connects with the slim-line treatment given to the upper grille opening, a feature which sees the famous Ford roundel now surrounded by its own elegant winged structure
.
New slim-line headlights with projector beam technology are another stand-out feature of the new Territory’s frontal styling. The top-of-the-range Titanium variant takes this a step further with the introduction of LED (Light-Emitting Diode) position lamps integrated into its redesigned front bumper. At the bottom of Territory’s new face is a U-formed lower chin skid plate.

The new Ford Territory also features a sculpted new bonnet and subtle flutes for the front guards. Bold wheel lips emphasise what Ford calls: “its athletic stance”.

A new C-pillar design smoothes the transition from front to rear while resurfaced door cladding and a lower rocker moulding combine to give Territory a lower and more “athletic stance”.

At the rear the new Ford Territory has sleek horizontal tail lights that wrap around the rear of the vehicle that create a seamless visual link to the rear of the vehicle. Connecting them is a new rear lift-gate appliqué and a redesigned bumper and new lower-level valence panel finish of the exterior’s redesign.

To further enhance the new look of the exterior Ford offers a range of locally designed wheels for the new Ford Territory. These will be available in diameters of 17 and 18 inches in model-specific designs.

Interior
Ford have completely redesigned the instrument panel that features a large touch screen display. The steering wheel is also new and frankly it looks as though the designers had an in-house competition to see how many controls they could add to the steering wheel.

By my count there are eight different buttons on the Titanium SZ steering wheel and two flappy paddles hiding behind those. In a world where less is more and simplicity is important eight different buttons on the steering wheel seems a little odd to me. Trying to find the right button in heavy traffic … or at high speed … might lead to some interesting situations.

The new Ford Territory now comes with what Ford has called the “Interior Command Centre” that provides front-seat occupants with simple-to-use controls for functions such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning. At the bottom of this new “Interior Command Centre” is an all-new storage area. This stylish and functional feature uses a smooth-action tambour door which adds to the interior’s equally smooth style.

And that’s all I can tell you about the new Ford Territory SZ because that’s all Ford has revealed so far … although there is a hint on the Ford website that the new Ford Territory will have a diesel engine as an option.

**All images are of the Ford Territory SZ Titanium variant

So if you happen to have $59,990 (plus onroad costs) and you want one you better get your skates on or you’re going to miss out.

You’ll miss out on one of the hottest little hatches that Ford ever been produced. The power, acceleration and handling in the previous Focus RS was outstanding and they’ve managed to do even better with the new Ford Focus RS

This Ford Focus RS this is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder Volvo engine that pumps out a whopping 224kW with peak torque of 440Nm coming in at just 2,300rpm. This powerful engine is coupled to a six-speed gearbox.

To cope with all that power the new Focus RS is fitted with unique sports suspension, incorporating the patented Ford RevoKnuckle, along with a Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing Helical Limited Slip Differential, high-performance braking system and Tyre Deflation Detection System (DDS) for the 19-inch alloy wheels and bespoke Continental tyres.

Automotive Technology has a full description of the Ford RevoKnuckle … follow the link if you want to see how it all works.

On the inside, Focus RS has Recaro sports seats in partial leather trim, dual zone climate control air conditioning, rain sensing windscreen wipers, auto-dimming rear vision mirror and an eight-speaker Sony audio system with six-disc CD player and USB input facility for iPod/MP3 player integration.

Bluetooth hands-free with Voice Control system is also part of the equipment package, along with the Ford Key-Free System incorporating keyless entry and keyless start via the start/stop button.

And that’s all there is … there are no options … no model variations … you get just one package with a choice of green, blue or white but with all these specs what more could you ask for?

The first of the 315 Ford Focus RS will arrive in Australia in the next few days.

Falcon GT fanciers are spoiled for choice at Shannons Melbourne Autumn Classic Auction on Monday (March 15), with three high-performance Ford going under the hammer.

Classic GT enthusiasts will be drawn to a one-owner XW GT sedan that was delivered new through New Oakleigh Motors in May 1970.

The purchaser’s father was a test driver for Ford Australia at the time and after testing the car at the company’s Proving Ground near Geelong earmarked the Grecian Gold vehicle for his son to buy because of its exceptional performance.

Offered registered with its original black and white Victorian number plates, the GT has been modified to run on premium unleaded petrol and comes with a supply of parts required for normal servicing, as well as spare decals.

Presented in good condition, the car is expected to sell in the $90,000-$110,000 range.

And to add further comfort to the deal, the vendor will through in a unique ‘couch’ shaped in fibreglass like the boot of an XW GT Falcon and featuring the same Grecian Gold and black trim colour combination of the real GT.

Buyers wanting the kudos of a Falcon GT combined with modern comforts and driving dynamics will be interested in the 1997 EL Falcon GT that is expected to sell for $22,000-$28,000.

Number 202 of the scheduled 250 built, the ‘30th Anniversary Falcon GT’ was the first product of Ford Australia’s new high-performance partner, Tickford Vehicle Engineering.

Powered by a Windsor 5.0 litre V8 pumping out 200kW, the EL GT featured lowered and stiffened suspension, a full leather interior and assorted wings and scoops to ensure it could not be mistaken for anything else but a ‘GT’.

Pent-up demand and the limited build ensured the model was an instant sell-out, with new examples offered for sale at up to $20,000 above the $69,500 recommended retail price.

Despite its performance, the EL GT came fully loaded with creature comforts, such as climate control air and power-operated everything, including a sophisticated ‘Premium’ 250-watt sound system.

This one-owner vehicle was a daily driver for the vendor from 1997 until 2004, after which it was used sparingly as a weekend recreational vehicle. The odometer now shows 120,502km.

An even more affordable alternative for GT buyers is a 1992 Falcon EB XR8 ‘Allan Moffat’ HO sedan that is expected to sell in the $16,000-$20,000 range.

This rare and potentially collectible Falcon started life as a Falcon S Pack sedan before being delivered to Phase Autos early in its life.

There, Wayne Draper installed a host of available options including an oil cooler, high flow fuel pump and radiator, vented and cross-drilled discs with GT pads, sports suspension and a mandrel bent exhaust system.

This EB-HO has also been fitted with a two-way electric sunroof, tinted windows, power steering, air conditioning and a MOMO steering wheel.
The personalised number plates HO 302 remain with the vehicle.

The three Falcons are amongst 52 cars and motorcycles and 20 items of automobilia in the Shannons Autumn Auction.

All lots can be viewed over the weekend from 9am-5-pm Saturday and 10am-4pm Sunday at Shannons Showroom, 321 Warrigal Road, Cheltenham.

Compared to the standard G6 the Ford G6 Limited Edition comes with almost $4,000 dollars worth of additional interior equipment including side airbags, leather-detailed seat trim, leather-wrapped sports steering wheel with satin alloy audio and cruise control buttons, iPod* integration and Bluetooth® mobile phone integration.

On the outside the G6 Limited Edition gets 18-inch G Series alloy wheels, unique colour accent treatments on the upper and lower grilles, fog lamp bezels and rear bumper insert, and a ‘Limited Edition’ badge.

The Ford G6 Limited Edition also comes in a factory fitted LPG E-gas version that’s $2,000 dollars above the drive-away price of $36,990 for the petrol version.

Moffat will represent FPV at major events and in some exciting new programs throughout 2010, as Ford’s performance arm steps up its activities in the new decade.

The four-time Bathurst winner has a long history with the Ford brand, which started in the late ’60s as a factory team driver and culminated with the famous 1-2 Falcon hardtop team victory with Colin Bond at Mt Panorama in 1977.

“I am delighted to welcome Allan Moffat to our team,” FPV General Manager Rod Barrett says.

“Allan brings with him an unrivalled Ford heritage and enormous credibility with the history of performance Fords in Australia, and that has an obvious connect with our brand and our customers.”

“But more than that, Allan has a real feel for ‘performance cars’ and what performance enthusiasts value, and that adds further to his role as FPV’s roving Ambassador.”

Allan Moffat’s record has made him a motor racing icon in Australia.

Along with four Bathurst victories, he won the Sandown endurance race six times, was Australian Touring Car Champion four times, and won both the Australian Sports Sedan and Sports Car Championship titles.

Overseas Moffat won the Sebring 12 Hours in Florida, was Sports Car Club of America Central Division Champion, and was victorious in 500 kilometre races at Fuji (Japan), Monza (Italy) and Wellington (New Zealand).

He also took class honours in each of the international 24 hour races at Le Mans (France), Daytona (America) and Spa (Belgium).

Allan’s son James also has a strong Ford connection, racing a Falcon in the 2010 V8 Supercar Development Series.

“Ford is such a big part of my history, it is fantastic to be joining FPV in 2010,” Allan Moffat says.

“FPV’s products are fabulous … our racing cars didn’t perform or handle as well as these cars do … so I am proud to represent FPV in Australia, and look forward to working with Rod and his team.”

The front passenger Beltminder™, along with the driver Beltminder™, reminds both front seat occupants to fasten their seatbelts once the vehicle begins to move.

“The Territory has maintained a reputation as one of the safest vehicles on Australian roads since it was first introduced in 2004,” said Ford Australia President and CEO, Marin Burela.

“It was the first locally-manufactured vehicle to be fitted with an electronic stability control system, as well as side curtain airbags and a reverse camera, while it also boasts an exceptionally strong passenger safety cell.

“This latest safety test result is further validation of the strength of Ford’s continual process of design and engineering improvement, which has also delivered Territory compliance with Euro IV emissions regulations in recent months.”

The addition of a front passenger Beltminder™ further bolsters Territory’s already extensive list of safety equipment, which includes dual-stage driver and front passenger airbags, side curtain airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Traction Control.

Not really … as soon as Ford started talking about it’s One Ford programme the writing was on the wall for the Falcon. It’s not selling in huge numbers so why invest hundreds of millions of dollars in all the design work that goes into the production of a new model? It’s going to be much cheaper to just rebadge and swap driving positions in something like a Taurus.

It’s sad to see the Falcon disappear but Ford fans can take heart … you can bet GM are seriously thinking about doing something similar to the Holden Commodore.

Effective from April 2009 production, the Falcon XR6 and G6E will now both return a combined fuel economy of 10.1L/100km and a CO2 emissions figure of 239g/km. This is a 0.1L improvement on fuel economy over the FG Falcon released last year and a 4g improvement in CO2 emissions.

Key contributors to the improved fuel efficiency on these two Falcon sedan models include a new, latest generation catalytic converter, a new engine calibration for improved cold start performance and a further optimized transmission calibration.

These improvements have been engineered without any degradation in the vehicle’s performance.

“The continuous process of ongoing engineering development by Ford of Australia has seen the FG Falcon benefit again,” says Mike Gibbon, Ford New Zealand passenger vehicle brand manager.

“Ford is committed to improving fuel efficiency and emissions levels in all their vehicles and not just when we launch a new model. It is something we continue to chip away at to ensure that we continue to help our customers reduce their operating costs.”

These improvements are available on FG Falcon XR6 and G6E sedans produced from 1 April 2009. They will be available in New Zealand from late April.

On the run from Alice Springs to Coober Pedy the Fiesta ECOnetic did even better with a consumption figure of 2.9L/100km.

For the entire trip the ECOnetic’s emission rating was just 84.47 grams per kilometre.

Next month the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic hits the showrooms but what can we expect in such a car? For a sub-compact it comes with a very credible list of features.

• 1.6 litre Common Rail diesel engine with a Diesel Particulate Filter
• 5 speed manual transmission
• Driver and passenger airbags and a driver’s knee airbag as well as side head and thorax airbags
• Dynamic Stability Control with emergency brake assist and traction control
• ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution
• Bluetooth with voice control
• USB input
• Green shift indicator
• Airconditioning
• Cruise control

And the only option is the paint scheme.

Image courtesy of Ford

Ford is contacting all known Territory model owners by mail and for further information you should see your local Ford dealer.

Not only will the plant stay open but Ford will invest $21 million to upgrade the plant to the point where its products will meet tough European standards.

Of course the study just happened to be commissioned by Ford.

Perhaps this is a case where a second opinion, from someone not commissioned by Ford, might be helpful.

Ford’s Victorian operation produces larger vehicles that are out of favour with the marketplace so it’s possible that even more positions might go in the future.

When we look at a car manufacturer’s performance we begin to look at how much money they’re making … or not making as the case may be. And in America the case is that the homegrown manufacturers are not making any money at all. GM, Ford, Chrysler are all making losses that are measured in dollar terms that few of us can really comprehend.

But here’s one measure of performance that’s easier to understand and it relates to Chrysler. Chrysler are selling just 3 cars per month per dealership. Is it any wonder that Daimler are now looking to sell of their remaining share of Chrysler?

It makes you wonder how Ford Australia and General Motors Holden measure up on the basis of new cars sold per dealership per month.

Ford have announced that they’ll be cutting 350 jobs due to the sluggish sales of its new Falcon and the weak outlook for the vehicle industry and the former chariman of Toyota says that the move by Ford to reduce the workforce is just the beginning.

So which company i going to be next to shed jobs? I expect we’ll soon see an announcement from Holden although it could be Toyota.

Oh wait … I’ve just named the two remaining players in the Australian car industry haven’t I?

Perhaps the real concern isn’t going to be which company will be the next to shed jobs but rather whether or not we’ll still have three players in the industry by mid 2010.

The JD Power Group are well-known in the United States for their annual surveys of car buyer satisfaction. Big brand-names like Mercedes have not faired well when consumers are asked to comment on how satisfied they might, or might not be, with the car they’ve purchased and the service they have received.

Now JD Power is doing their surveys here in Australia and Holden and Ford have not faired well. In fact they have done so poorly in the survey they’re at the bottom of the list … in positions nine and ten.

The response by both manufacturers was pretty much what you would expect.

Earlier this month fully restored red version of this classic Australian muscle car was stolen from a collector in Perth. Sadly this car is now right out of circulation and, unless the thieves are caught, it’s unlikely it will ever be seen again. With only 300 of these cars ever produced these days such a vehicle could never be re-birthed.

I had the good fortune of being able to photograph (and listen to) this 1970 version of the Falcon GT here in Queensland earlier this year. You can read more about this particular car here

But times change, pain in your hip pocket can cause you to make decisions that reflect on your manhood and your patriotism and now we’re beginning to see change in the buying habits of Australian motorists … and the local manufacturers have been caught flat-footed.

Sales of Imported Cars Surge
In the period January to June this year – at a time when new car sales were increasing substantially – less than 20% of cars sold were actually built in Australia. Ford and Mitsubishi were the hardest hit as Australian car buyers looked overseas for their next new car.

Sales of light and small cars continued to climb as did sales of smaller 4WDs. Sales of small 4WD models are up by over 18% while sales of big 4WDs have dropped by over 13%.

And this trend will only continue to become stronger. The strong Aussie dollar means that imports from overseas are cheaper, the rising cost of fuel – tipped to be $100 a barrel by year’s end – will reinforce the appeal of smaller cars and another rise in interest rates tipped for August will further impact on the sales of big cars.

Manufacturers’ Response
And where are the manufacturers in all of this. Toyota is doing very well with it’s Aurion and Camry models but Holden has the VE Commodore with a fuel consumption that hasn’t improved in years. Ford has a new Falcon coming out next year that is just another big car and Mitsubishi is revamping its 380 – a car that hasn’t sold well in the past and probably never will.

It seems that there’s just more pain on the horizon for the local manufacturers. Admittedly Ford has announced that it will begin production of the Ford Focus here in Australia but that won’t begin to happen till 2011 – the first smalal car to be built in Australia since 1999 – and you might be forgiven for wondering if, in today’s ever-changing world, Ford Australia can last that long.

Meanwhile more and more small cars are coming in from overseas as savvy manufacturers take advantage of the Australian car makers inability to respond to market trends and things are only set to get worse for the big car makers when Kia launches it’s new cee’d range later this year. Trendy economical small cars like the Kia cee’d hatch and cabrio will become even more appealing to Australian car buyers.