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.

Nissan Qashqai 1.6 Visia

The Nissan Qashqai has just been awarded the title of “What Car? Used Car of the Year 2011” with the British built car being praised for its styling, price, family-friendly cabin, Euro NCAP 5-star safety rating, low running costs, comfortable ride and dependability.

In addition, the Jaguar XF won the award for the best used car in the Executive and Luxury class, beating off rivals from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The winners in their respective sectors are listed below and the seven-strong What Car? judging panel was made up from all areas of the motor industry, including car dealerships, British Car Auctions, Warranty Direct, Lex Autolease and experts from What Car?

They looked at a number of factors when considering buying a used car including running costs, reliability, driveability, quality, longevity, safety features and desirability. Don’t forget if you are thinking of buying a used car to also consider the new MoT rules that come into effect on the 1st January 2012, as items like ESC (Electronic Stability Control) will now form part of the MoT test and repair costs for used cars may become more costly with these features.

What Car? Used Car Winners

• Supermini – Ford Fiesta 1.25i Style+ 5-door
• Small family car – Nissan Qasqhai 1.6 Visia
• Family car – Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Zetec 5-door
• Estate – Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI SE
• MPV – Ford S-Max 2.0 TDCi Zetec
• SUV – Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 CRTD CDX 7-seater
• Executive and luxury – Jaguar 2.7D V6
• Sports car – Porsche Boxster 2.7
• Green car – Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI SE 5-door

Overall winner- Nissan Qashqai 1.6 Visia.

If you are a small business and may be looking at buying a used Nissan Qashqai, you might also be interested in leasing a brand new one? We have the Nissan Qashqai 1.5dCi Acenta 110bhp 5-door on the site now on Nissan Qashqai car leasing from only £185.59+VAT per month. This is based on a 2-year contract, 6 rentals in advance, 10,000 miles per annum and non-maintained car leasing.

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 C-MAX

Ford is the only car manufacturer in the world with the official TUV allergy-tested certification and the new C-MAX and Grand C-MAX are the latest models to achieve certification. There are over 80 million people across Europe who suffer from some form of allergy and Ford has invested a considerable amount of time and money in ensuring their cars offer hayfever and other forms of allergy protection.

Over 100 materials and components have been allergy-tested and approved and other models in the Ford range that offer this unique protection, include the Fiesta, S-MAX, Galaxy, the outgoing Focus, Mondeo and Kuga. All the results of the TUV measurements and assessment results for Ford’s cars can be found at the TUV website. Ford contract hire leasing is also available now for both business and personal users.

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 increases market share

Ford increased its market lead in February to 8,084 cars for the year to date after selling 9,915 cars in February, according to SMMT data. The Ford Fiesta takes the number one position with the Ford Focus coming in second place. 

Nigel Sharp, Ford Britain managing director said,”February is traditionally a curtain raiser to the plate change month of March, when Ford customers will benefit from the company’s best-ever vehicle range and its Spring marketing campaign, which establishes lower price points for its most popular models.

Ford’s ongoing freshening of the range will be unrelenting in 2010 with the new Ford S-MAX and Ford Galaxy range appearing in April, the new Ford C-MAX and Ford Grand C-MAX later in the year as well as a number of new engine and transmission introductions.”