Treeduck

Upside

We first saw the Ford Fiesta Econetic at this year's Melbourne Motor Show. Half a year later, Ford has released all the pertinent details: it will go on sale on 1 December 2009, at a price of AU$24,990 drive away, significantly undercutting the AU$40k Prius. Critically for headline writers, it's been officially rated as more fuel efficient than the Toyota's hybrid Prius.

At first glance the Econetic looks like any other Fiesta, but peer closely and you'll notice a more aerodynamic set of bumpers, lowered suspension and low rolling resistance tyres. Inside there's an eco-tuned five-speed manual gearbox paired with a shift light which, unlike the kind found in sports cars, flashes green when it's the optimum time to change up for improved fuel efficiency. Weight has been kept down, with the spare tyre being junked in favour of an emergency inflation kit.

Peer beneath the bonnet and you'll find a reworked version of Ford's 1.6-litre turbo-diesel (66kW/200Nm), which when combined with all the other details nets a fuel combined economy rating of 3.7L/100km — 4.6L/100km in the city and 3.2L/100km on the highway. By comparison, the Toyota Prius has received a 3.9L/100km combined rating in the same testing — 3.9L/100km in the city and 3.7L/100km on the highway. Although the new Prius has the edge in CO2 emissions — 89 grams of CO2 per kilometre versus 98g/km in the Fiesta.
Downside

The Fiesta Econetic is only available in five-door form. While you'll also have to do without alloy wheels or the option of an automatic, you do get a six-speaker audio system with USB and auxiliary inputs, traction control, Bluetooth hands-free, cruise control, and front, side and knee airbags.
Outlook

The more high economy cars that make their way down under the better, especially ones that are as affordable as this Fiesta.

Ford Motor Company is using new technology to fine-tune sound inside a vehicle's cabin, part of a continuing effort by the U.S. automaker to deliver industry-leading quietness and refinement with minimal noise, vibration and harshness.
The Virtual Vehicle Sound Simulator can shave valuable time and cost out of the vehicle development process. Calibrating cabin sound in the virtual world reduces the amount of real-world testing needed in the wind tunnels and on the test track once vehicles reach the prototype stage.
The new technology gives Ford sound engineers capabilities similar to their visual counterparts, who are doing groundbreaking work with virtual reality and animation software--creating immersive experiences that allow designers to virtually sit in vehicles during the computer design process.
With the audio technology, engineers also predict sounds based on digital drawings of the vehicle and then combine those sounds into a realistic simulation. For the first time, engineers can hear what a vehicle would sound like under different road conditions, at various speeds and in a range of gear and throttle conditions as the simulated vehicle shifts, accelerates and decelerates.
Previously, Ford engineers would test the sound quality of specific components one at a time, playing back and measuring the sound of each component under a single drive condition. Now engineers can hear the way a vehicle's interior sounds in real-time under dozens of drive conditions simply by clicking through them. This ensures that the sound quality of the individual parts work in harmony with each other for a holistic analysis of the sound data.
Ford engineers also can make comparisons against competitive vehicles with a simple click of the mouse. It allows them to perfect and enhance interior sounds from the earliest stages, which will help Ford to improve vehicle sound year after year.
Based on software from the aerospace and video gaming industries, the sound simulator also is proving to be the ideal tool to gather consumer research. Ford asks consumer test groups to don the headphones and provide feedback on the sound of vehicles. In past testing, vehicles stripped of their branding would be put to the consumer test, but consumers often still recognized the make of the vehicle they were driving. Now, consumers can rate Ford vehicles they can't even drive yet in the real world.

Ford Chairman and CEO Alan Mulally will be the featured speaker on the opening day of the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show, the Consumer Electronics Association announced Monday.
His keynote address will open the show the morning of Thursday, January 7. Although it's not Mulally's first time at the Las Vegas event--he also spoke last year--it will be his debut as the main keynote speaker. Recent opening keynotes have been given by Sony's Sir Howard Stringer and Comcast's Brian Roberts.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will speak the night before, as he did last year, taking over the slot traditionally given to Bill Gates.
Although he's not a technology executive, per se, Ford has made it a point to come to CES with lots of gadgets in the past. This year looks to be no different, as Mulally is scheduled talk up in-car tech like GPS navigation, location-based services, and video, according to the CEA.
Corrected on 9/22/09: This post initially had the day of the week on which Mulally will be speaking wrong. January 7 falls on a Thursday, not Friday.
Originally posted at Business Tech

Ford Chairman and CEO Alan Mulally will be the featured speaker on the opening day of the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show, the Consumer Electronics Association announced Monday.
His keynote address will open the show the morning of Thursday, January 7. Although it's not Mulally's first time at the Las Vegas event--he also spoke last year--it will be his debut as the main keynote speaker. Recent opening keynotes have been given by Sony's Sir Howard Stringer and Comcast's Brian Roberts.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will speak the night before, as he did last year, taking over the slot traditionally given to Bill Gates.
Although he's not a technology executive, per se, Ford has made it a point to come to CES with lots of gadgets in the past. This year looks to be no different, as Mulally is scheduled talk up in-car tech like GPS navigation, location-based services, and video, according to the CEA.
Corrected on 9/22/09: This post initially had the day of the week on which Mulally will be speaking wrong. January 7 falls on a Thursday, not Friday.
Originally posted at Business Tech

Brabus added its own touches to this Tesla Roadster.
(Credit: CNET)

Electric cars at the Frankfurt auto show

As is becoming common at auto shows these days, a number of electric cars were on display at the Frankfurt auto show, with automakers showing off research into next millennium's generation of vehicles. On hand were concepts from Peugeot, Renault, Audi, Volkswagen, and Ford. Two entrants from Tesla were on hand, one a Roadster tuned up by Brabus, the only current production car available out of this lot, and the other the upcoming Model S, expected to begin production in 2011.
Originally posted at Frankfurt Auto Show 2009

Ford's marketers and PR types have a tremendous task ahead of them: Educating the American consumer on what company's new Taurus is all about. It's a Herculean task that amounts to nothing more than rebuilding a brand that was once broadly considered an icon – not just of the auto industry – but of American business at large.

Fortunately for the Blue Oval team, they may have an ace-in-the-hole. As we learned driving the 2010 Ford Taurus through Tennessee and North Carolina's Smoky Mountain roads, this new bull shows promise and takes the marque upscale like never before. But be under no illusions – this is a risky move. The Taurus name has never been extended upmarket like this before (let alone in such a waterlogged economy), and it isn't immediately clear who the model's competitors are – a detail that could prove problematic when trying to target customers.

The Chicago-built Taurus is no longer a logical Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Chevrolet Malibu cross-shop – that's the Fusion's turf now. In size, technology, and aspirations, Ford is pushing its new sedan several of rungs up the ladder. Is it the right product for the right time? Perhaps of more immediate concern, is it carrying the right name and will Ford be able to overcome the Taurus brand's baggage and sell America on its virtues?

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2010 Ford Mustang Glass Roof - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Unsurprisingly, FoMoCo has added a glass roof option to the 2010 Ford Mustang, offering sun worshipers with an aversion to cowl shake a panoramic view of the skies. The glass top cuts out 90% of UV rays, shielding occupants from the blinding sun while reducing cabin temperatures, limiting the energy required of the air conditioning, protecting the interior from fade and deterioration and reducing the amount of NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) inside the cabin. The glass roof is available on both the V6 and 4.6-liter V8-powered GT for $1,995, and if history is any indication, around 10% of all new Mustang owners will opt for the glass top with a manually operated roller blind. Make the jump for all the details.

PRESS RELEASE

READY FOR SUMMER: MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE GOOD FOR THE SOUL, GLASS ROOF PROTECTS FROM HARMFUL RAYS

Panoramic glass used on the 2010 Ford Glass Roof Mustang filters almost all of the sun's harmful rays and reduces cool-down time and wind noise while offering a convertible-like driving experience
Scientific studies show increased exposure to sunshine or bright light – like that provided in the convertible and Glass Roof Mustang – is therapeutic because it regulates the body's mood-regulating hormone and circadian cycle of sleep and wakefulness; also triggers a natural remedy for "the blues"
Panoramic sunroofs have doubled in popularity during the past five years; tilt/slide type sunroofs will remain dominant, followed by panoramic and spoiler types through 2011
The 2010 Mustang – including Glass Roof and convertible versions – builds on the safety success of the 2008 Mustang – the first sports car and first convertible to earn five-star ratings in U.S. government frontal crash, side impact and rollover tests

CONTEXT / BACKGROUND:

The 2010 Ford Glass Roof Mustang and Mustang GT convertible, which are arriving in dealerships now, offer consumers sun-soaked driving and top-rated safety heritage. Fans of open-air motoring have made the Mustang convertible a perennial bestseller. Those who love the sun but want to cut back on sunscreen use can choose the pony car with the panoramic glass roof, which filters nearly all of the sun's harmful rays.

DETAILS:

The 2010 Mustang builds on the safety success of the 2008 Mustang, which became the first sports car and the first convertible to earn five-stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for frontal crash, side impact and rollover tests.

The Mustang's considerable body stiffness contributes to its driving performance and has an added benefit in accident protection. While the coupe's body structure is 31 percent stiffer in torsional rigidity than its predecessor, the convertible's is more than twice as stiff – creating a "safety cage" that helps protect the cabin from deformation and intrusion during an impact.

The front structure is designed to absorb and help dissipate it before it can reach the passenger compartment. The Mustang's front rails have an octagonal shape designed to spread forces evenly at the firewall and progressively deform for increased protection in offset frontal crashes.

Protective sun-drenched driving
The 2010 Ford Glass Roof Mustang offers consumers convertible-like driving without the need for sunscreen, because its factory-installed panoramic glass roof filters 90 percent of the sun's heat-generating infrared (IR) rays and 96 percent of burn-causing ultraviolet (UV) rays.

The UV-filtering capability of the new Mustang's fixed glass roof is comparable to sunscreen lotion with a sun protection factor (SPF) of approximately 50, which exceeds the dermatologist-recommended sunscreen strength of at least SPF-15.

The glass roof's ability to filter IR rays reduces heat load in the cabin so that occupants remain comfortable while enjoying the sun. The reflective glass also reduces energy used by the vehicle's air conditioner system while protecting the interior fabric from fading and deteriorating.

Good for the soul
Sun-soaked cruising is the convertible and Glass Roof Mustang's top appeal factor. Scientific studies show that increased exposure to sunshine or bright light is therapeutic because it regulates the body's synthesis of melatonin, a mood-regulating hormone that modulates the circadian cycle of sleep and wakefulness. Sunshine also triggers the body's conversion to active vitamin D, considered to be an effective natural remedy for "the blues."

Health experts caution that cool breezes in convertibles can misleadingly mask the sun's harmful rays as occupants may not feel as hot as when they're stationary under the sun. Therefore, dermatologists recommend the use of sun-block lotion or moisturizer with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher prior for top-down drives.

Roof glass popularity rising
According to J.D. Power feature content research, 62 percent of buyers in the sports car segment wanted a sunroof/moon roof on their next vehicle. Since its introduction in 2008, the Glass Roof Mustang – which is available as a $1,995 option on both the V-6 model and the GT – has accounted for 10 percent of all Mustang sales. The convertible accounts for 25 percent of Mustang sales, and sell most strongly in California, Florida, Texas and Georgia.

Mustang is just one Ford model that features ample sunlight and generous views. The 2010 Lincoln MKS and 2009 Ford Flex, Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX also offer sun-splashed driving enjoyment with an optional panoramic roof glass that is privacy tinted for the occupants' comfort and protection.

According to CSM Worldwide, over the last five years panoramic sunroofs have doubled in the popularity in North America. The installation of tilt/slide type sunroofs will remain dominant, followed by panoramic and spoiler types throughout 2011.