New Ford Focus

The new Ford Focus has just been recognised by Euro NCAP as the first car to receive four Euro NCAP Advanced safety awards, as its Driver Alert and Forward Alert technologies are also recognised. This follows on from recent news that the new Ford Ranger is the first pick-up to achieve a five star Euro NCAP safety rating.

The Euro NCAP Advanced awards recognise car manufacturers that make new safety technologies available and Ford is only one of two car manufacturers to hold four of these awards.

Ford’s Driver Alert system is designed to combat driver fatigue using advanced camera technology and on-board sensors to evaluate a driver’s control of the vehicle. It monitors the vehicle’s position relative to lane markings and if any deviation is found, it sends out a warning signal. This feature is available on the new Focus, C-MAX, Grand C-MAX, Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy.

The Forward Alert accident management system scans the road ahead using radar technology and if it detects slower or stationary traffic ahead and determines a collision is likely, it alerts the driver by an audible chime and flashes a warning signal in the instrument cluster. If you take no action (i.e. you fail to brake immediately) the system triggers another function called brake support. The Forward Alert system has three sensitivity settings and can be switched on or off. This feature is available on the new Focus as well as the Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy ranges and if you are interested, we have the latest Ford contract hire on all models on the site now.

Ford Fiesta

Ford has extended its market share in October as the UK’s overall sales leader in car sales (compared to October 2010) as the latest car and van registration sales data is released by the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders). Total car sales year-on-year for the overall market were up 2.6% at 134,944, however Ford’s car share was 13.7%, selling 18,476 units in October.

Ford Transit

The Ford Fiesta was the UK’s best seller in October and the Fiesta and Ford Focus were the number 1 and 2 best sellers, year-to-date. Ford also topped the UK commercial vehicle (CV) sales with the Transit, capturing 21.7% of sales in the medium CV sector in October and 24.8% for the year to date sales position. Ford’s whole product range also performed well with strong sales reported for the C-MAX, Ford Kuga and Ford Galaxy as well.

Mark Ovenden, Ford of Britain managing director, said,”Ford comfortably beat the positive trend in the UK car market in October, which is a great credit to our strong dealer network. Against intense competition our best-ever vehicle range is helping to strengthen Ford’s continued UK market leadership. Particulary pleasing is the success of our most recently launched models such as the Focus and C-MAX, which are boosting customer appreciation of the distinctive attributes of the blue oval brand”.

Ford Kuga

One of our leasing partners, FordRetailOnline, has just loaded a batch of special offers with some great discounts. The Ford car lease special offers are based on three year contracts, 10,000 miles per annum, non-maintained contract hire with an initial rental of only three in advance. Availability on these models is on a first come first served basis.

Here are their offers – which have been loaded today

1. Ford Fiesta 1.25 Edge 3-door 60 PS with metallic paint FOC now from £137.17+VAT per month
2. Ford Focus 1.6i 105PS Zetec 5-door hatch with metallic paint FOC from £219.90+VAT per month
3. Ford Kuga TDCI FWD Zetec with metallic paint from £267.07+VAT per month
4. Ford Mondeo 1.6i Ecoboost Zetec with Start/Stop 5-door with metallic paint FOC from £228.55 +VAT per month
5. Ford S-Max Zetec 2.0 TDCi 140PS MPV from £281.96+VAT per month
6. Ford Galaxy Zetec 2.0 TDCi 140 PS from £327.29 +VAT per month

Vans – 4 year contracts (3+47 payment profile)

1. Ford Transit 280 SWB Low Roof 2.2 TDci 85PS from £227.70+VAT per month 
2. Ford Transit Connect 200 SWB Low Roof 1.8 TDCi 75PS from £199.29+VAT per month

Ford Kuga

Ford has announced that their Ford PowerShift electronically controlled twin-clutch transmission is now available in six of its model range. The PowerShift transmission was originally launched in the Ford Focus and C-MAX, however it is now available in the Ford Kuga, S-MAX, Mondeo and Galaxy range as well.

The PowerShift transmission is standard on the 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine in the Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy and can be specified with the 2.0-litre Duratorq diesel engine in all six models, with CO2 emissions as low as 149g/km.

The Ford PowerShift system is explained below and Ford business contract hire prices on all new models will be on the site soon.

New Ford Mondeo

The new Ford Mondeo will be unveiled to the public at the Moscow Motor Show on August the 25th and will be on sale in the UK in October. The new Mondeo has a restyled exterior, uprated interior and comes with the new high-efficiency Ford EcoBoost petrol and TCDi diesel engines, that have appeared in the new Ford S-MAX and Galaxy models earlier this year.

Key changes include a new grille, new front bumpers, LED running lights (front and rear), revised rear lights, new flow-through centre console design, revised door treatment and new overhead console. The specification now includes a satellite navigation system, Premium Sound System with 17-litre subwoofer.

Ford at Wimbledon

Hertz has chosen a range of Ford vehicles to move tennis stars around Wimbledon over the next two weeks, like Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and the Williams sisters. The fleet is made up of top-of-the-range Ford Galaxy, S-MAX and Kuga models – all finished in blue and silver, in line with the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s requirements.

Neil Cunningham, General Manager UK & European Strategic Projects, Hertz UK Ltd said,” We were delighted to partner with Ford again for the Championships; having a spacious and reliable fleet is essential to provide the very best service to players and coaches”.

Last year, over 15,000 journeys were made over the two weeks, covering an estimated 228,000 miles, which is the same as driving round the globe a remarkable nine times. Hertz is hoping to save circa 2 tonnes of CO2 compared with previous fleets by using the latest CO2 efficient Ford models.

Ford

Ford is the official vehicle suplier to the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest which will be held in Oslo, Norway on Saturday. They are providing a fleet of 40 vehicles to transport organisers, artists and celebrities to be used around the event.

The vehicle line-up includes the new S-MAX and Galaxy, Mondeo, Kuga and Transit Buses and all the fleet are either painted white or black wth the Eurovision Song Contest logo “Share the Moment” on the side. Hanne Krogh is pictured handing over the keys and was a member of the Norwegian group, Bobbysocks, which won the event in 1985.

Radar system

Ford has a useful accessory on its new Ford S-MAX and Galaxy range called the Blind Spot Information System which uses advanced radar technology to detect vehicles hidden in their blind spot. An LED warning light illuminates in the corresponding wing mirror to indicate that a vehicle is present.

Dr Torsten Wey, Ford’s driver assistance technologies supervisor said,”In busy traffic, it’s very easy to lose sight of vehicles when they move into your blind spot. With its distinctive warning light, this system helps drivers think twice before switching lanes or changing direction without checking their blind spot, hopefully preventing a collision or a near miss.

Ford

The new Ford S-MAX and Galaxy go on sale next month and will the first models in the Ford range to offer this cost option at £325. It will also feature on the next generation C-MAX and Focus which are set to be launched during the next 12 months.

The system uses two sophisticated multi-beam radars which are mounted in outer corners of the rear bumper. The radar unit monitors around three metres either to the rear of the car and around three metres either side of the vehicle and operates at speeds from as low as 6mph.

Ford Kuga

The weakness of Sterling against the Euro has forced Ford to announce that from the the beginning of July 2009, they will be putting up the prices of their UK range by about 4 per cent. This will apply to all orders placed after the 30th June, so if you are thinking about contract hire leasing a Ford then now is the time to act, before these changes take effect.

Nigel Sharp, managing director of Ford of Britain comments “ In common with most of the UK auto industry, Ford is reacting to the sustained weakness of the £ against the Euro. Raising prices in difficult times, and when a scrappage scheme has been introduced, may seem counter-intuitive but with so many of our costs priced in Euros, there is no choice if we are to maintain a viable business”.

The exchange rate for the £ to the Euro has been stable for about ten years, with the £ worth around 1.43 Euros. However with recent exchange rates as low as 1.16 Euros to the pound, this was an unavoidable increase according to Ford. The increase on the cost price for the most popular models, will be about £600-£650 (Ka, Fiesta, Focus, C-Max, Kuga and Mondeo) with Ford S-Max up by approximately £700 and £800 for a Ford Galaxy.