Ford to Debut New Explorer | Covert Ford Austin TX

The 2016 Explorer will go on sale in North America next year with a new look and some of Ford's latest technology.

The current Explorer debuted in the 2011 model year and made the dramatic change from being a body-on-frame truck to a car-based crossover.

The Explorer helped define the SUV segment and sales in the U.S. peaked at 445,000 in 2000. Nearly 7 million have been sold since the SUV debuted in 1990. But gas prices forced Ford to rethink the family vehicle to make if more fuel efficient and nimble to drive. Crossovers of all sizes have surged in popularity because they fill that bill.

Global demand for SUVs is up 88% since 2008, making utility vehicles the fastest-growing segment around the world, according to IHS Automotive. Utilities now comprise 19% of the global vehicle market.

For the Ford brand, utility vehicles accounted for 23% of global sales in 2013, up from 17% a year earlier; and sales are forecast to grow to 29% by 2020.

"As utility vehicle demand rises around the world, our global lineup of vehicles, like EcoSport, Escape/Kuga and Edge, is helping us grow our share," said Jim Farley, head of global marketing, sales and service. "The global desire for new utility vehicles is driving expansion in developing markets like China and helping the Ford brand reach more customers."

Ford is trying to distinguish itself in China by offering four different crossovers for sale — the only region where Ford offers so many utility choices.

The expanded portfolio in Europe now includes the new and tiny EcoSport and the Edge will be added in late 2015. They augment the Kuga (known as Escape here). The utility market in Europe has grown from 9% market share in 2008 to 19% last year.

In the United States, small crossovers are now the largest segment. Ford reported record Escape sales last year.

Is The 2015 Ecoboost Mustang More Fun Than A Fiesta Or A Focus ST? | Covert Ford Austin TX

Máté Petrány
The first turbocharged Mustang in more than three decades is certainly a huge step up from the rental car that the V6 Mustang is, but is it fun enough to provide a real alternative to the GT?

This 2.3 is not that 2.3 you might remember from 1984. The 2015 Mustang's Ecoboost comes with a twin-scroll turbo, direct injection, forged connecting rods and a forged crankshaft, a high-pressure die-cast aluminum block and piston cooling oil jets. That's why it has a lot of torque at lower revs and in the midrange, but it's also tuned to lose most of its grunt as you get closer to the redline.

The claimed 310 horses are more like 279 at the wheel according to Motor Trend's dyno test, and they have to move roughly 3600 pounds which means the turbo Mustang is far from being the wildest pony out there.

It certainly wasn't built for the track, but let's see what's it like to drive one at speed for the first time:

Five Habits that will Ruin your Vehicle | Covert Ford Lincoln Austin TX

Avoiding these habits can go a long way in preventing an expensive repair bill.

Most things you own will last longer if you take care of them and treat them well. Your car is no exception to this rule. While neglecting your car may seem harmless in the short term, regular neglect and mistreatment will add up and will reduce your car’s lifespan. To keep your car running longer and stronger, avoid these five harmful habits.

1. Delaying regular maintenance

Regularly maintaining your car is vital to your car’s longevity. Regular maintenance includes oil and filter replacement, as well as transmission fluid, air filter and brake pad care. Every vehicle manufacturer specifies a different maintenance routine, which can be found in your owner’s manual. While regular maintenance requires you to invest some time and money, it’s peanuts compared to the cost of a new engine or transmission.

2. Ignoring dash warning lights

When a warning indicator lights up on your dash panel, it’s important to address the problem immediately. If you don’t know what the light means, check your owner’s manual or call your mechanic. Dash warning lights can alert you to some very serious problems, such as a coolant leak, which can cause your engine to overheat. A simple preventative repair can often prevent a large problem down the line.

3. Shifting while moving

The transmission is one of the most complex and expensive parts in your car and it’s important to use is as it was intended. Be careful not to shift from drive to reverse or vice versa while the car is still moving. This “jerky” shifting places excess strain on the transmission’s internal gears and can instantly destroy it.

4. Jerky driving

We all know someone who accelerates wildly on every straightaway only to brake hard at a traffic light or stop sign. This type of driving won’t destroy your car immediately, but will cause your engine, transmission and brake system to deteriorate much more quickly than intended. Cars that have been abused will have premature fluid leaks, broken seals and mechanical problems.

5. Putting off tire replacement

Tires for some cars can be expensive, so replacing them is an unwelcome cost. Driving on bald tires is very risky, however. If a tire blows out while you’re driving, you can lose control of your vehicle and have a serious accident. And if you drive with bald tires in the rain, the risk of hydroplaning goes up tremendously. A new set of tires may seem pricey, but probably costs less than your car, and even less than your insurance deductible.

Ford adds 850 jobs to build 2015 F-150 | Covert Ford Austin TX

By Noah JosephRSS feedGoogle+

Pickup trucks tend not to advance at quite the same pace as the rest of the industry. That's what makes the new Ford F-150 so remarkable, jettisoning its old steel construction in favor of aluminum. It's a game changer that Ford is betting big on, and in anticipation of surging demand, the Blue Oval automaker is adding 850 new jobs to put the thing together.

Those 850 new employees will be centered at Ford's Rouge complex in Michigan – with 300 at Dearborn Stamping, 50 more at Dearborn Diversified and 500 at the Dearborn Truck facility, the latter of which has already kicked off what Ford describes as "the largest manufacturing transformation in decades." Old manufacturing equipment is being replaced with the latest technologies, and even the Ford Rouge Factory Tour is undergoing a complete overhaul.

The new jobs come as part of the commitments Ford made to the UAW in 2011 to create 12,000 hourly jobs in the United States by 2015 – a number which Ford has already exceeded at 14,000. Over 4,000 of those are centered in southeastern Michigan.

Building a 10 second 2010 Mustang | Covert Ford Austin TX

Nice clip from 2009!

In this "Mustang Payback" bonus clip, shop teacher Bill Rosenblum discusses being in charge of installing all of the Ford Racing Parts in his 2010 Ford Mustang GT for his drag race showdown against his student, Derek Murrell.

The New Old Reliable | Covert Ford Austin TX

Ford Social Member,

9/19/2014

For Loveland, Ohio lawyer Doug Nienaber, Ford has always been a family name. “We’ve had Fords in my family for as long as I can remember,” says the 38-year-old father of two. “My dad was a business manager at a Ford dealership, and he was always bringing home demo vehicles. We got a lot of attention. One time he brought home an early Taurus. Sometimes he’d bring something even more exotic.”

He brought home a Mustang in 1979, the year it was the pace car at the Indy 500. “That was amazing,” Nienaber says. “The car had a graphic logo on the side, and everybody wanted to know more about it.”

And while Nienaber loved the glitz and glamour that rolled into the driveway with each new Ford his dad brought home, he always felt a deeper connection to the Blue Oval.

“We’ve always been attracted to the quality,” he explains. “The first car I ever had was an Escort that I bought from my dad back when I was in college. It wasn’t a muscle car by any stretch, but it served me well for a long time, gave me a lot of great memories—I dated my [now] wife, Jennifer, in that car—and it never let me down.”

That Escort carried Nienaber to the purchase of his first Focus in 2002—a car that, he says, became a trusted member of his family. “I bought it the year I graduated from law school, and it was the first time I bought a new car with my own money. It endured 130,000 miles and took me through everything my twenties had to offer. I brought my daughter home from the hospital in that car!”

In fact, he loved that Focus so much that he didn’t want to part with it. “I cared for it like it was one of my kids. I changed the oil, did the repairs. I didn’t want it to leave the family, so I sold it to my cousin. It still rides like it’s brand new.”

What’s new in his garage is a 2013 Focus ST. He wanted something that he could depend on, but that would also be exciting to drive. “It’s a lot more powerful and a lot faster [than my 2002 Focus], but it’s got a similar feel and the same reliability,” Nienaber says. “It’s reminiscent of the old car, but it’s modern. My kids love it.”

“It’s also great for hauling around all the kids’ stuff and friends,” he explains. “I coach my son’s T-ball team, and we can fit all the equipment in the back.” The five-door hatchback makes loading and unloading the kids easy.

No matter the task at hand, the Focus ST always adds a little Ford fun for the Nienaber family.

Ford begins testing right-hand-drive Mustang

Ford has officially kicked off testing of the right-hand-drive variant of its sixth-generation, 2015 Mustang, according to a statement issued by the company, which came with the above photo.

According to Ford, this will mark the first time a right-hand-drive 'Stang has traveled down the company's assembly line alongside its LHD brethren. It is far from the first of the legendary pony cars to feature its wheel on the wrong side, though, as converters in RHD markets across the globe have been making swaps for years.

Ford is planning on using the white, droptop Mustang for RHD development ahead of the car's arrival in the UK, Australia and South Africa, among other markets. Scroll down for the official press blast.

AUG 15, 2014 | DEARBORN, MICH.
TESTING ON ALL-NEW RIGHT-HAND-DRIVE MUSTANG BEGINS
Ford's new Mustang goes on sale this fall in the U.S. and globally in more than 120 countries next year
This is the first time in 50 year history that the Ford Mustang will be available in a factory-built right-hand-drive configuration
More than 25 new right-hand-drive markets will be able to purchase the new Mustang, including the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa
For the first time ever, a right-hand-drive Ford Mustang will roll off a Ford assembly line when global production begins. The addition of a right-hand-drive Mustang to Ford's lineup of global vehicles will allow the iconic pony car to be exported to more than 25 right-hand-drive markets around the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa.

Mustang engineers recently finished construction of the very first right-hand-drive sixth-generation Mustang. The prototype Mustang will be used to conduct various development tests in preparation for the car's entry into the global market in the coming months.

While the United States is the largest market for Mustang with more than 9.2 million sales since the car's debut in 1964, more than 161,000 Mustangs have been sold outside of North America in that time. In 2012 alone, more than 4,000 Mustangs were sold in 35 countries outside of North America, ranging from the United Arab Emirates to Chile to the Philippines.

While Mustang has more than 100 fan clubs around the globe, and was recently voted "Europe's Most Wanted Classic Car" by AutoScout24, bringing a right-hand-drive Mustang to market will allow more enthusiasts to experience the car than ever before.

50 years of Mustang
Ford Mustang is the newest member of a very exclusive club – vehicles in continuous production for 50 years. The car has a worldwide base of fans, including more than 7.6 million on Facebook – the most of any vehicle nameplate. From the beginning, Mustang's unique combination of style, performance and affordability established an entirely new class of sporty cars, and it has led the segment ever since.

The sixth-generation Mustang goes on sale in the United States this fall, and will eventually be available in more than 110 countries worldwide.

Source: autoblog.com

Ford Fusion getting substantial refresh for 2017

It's only been a couple of years since Ford rolled out the current Fusion, but if these spy shots are anything to go by, it's already planning what appears to be a substantial update for the mid-size sedan.

According to our paparazzi on the ground, the new Fusion is being prepared for launch late in 2016 or early 2017. Although heavily camouflaged to keep it from prying eyes such as ours, it appears that the updated Fusion will tone down the Aston Martin-style grille, ditch the small corner window with revised front side glass and tweak the vehicle's overall shape. But there's more to the new Fusion than a styling adjustment, and our spy photographers have caught a glimpse inside and taken us along.

Apparently the new Fusion is to get a completely overhauled interior with soft-touch surfaces and matte wood trim to make it seem more upscale. There's an all-new rotary gear selector (like you'd find on a Jaguar, for example) hinting at the implementation of a new nine-speed automatic transmission. The prototype appears to be packing the Microsoft SYNC system, suggesting that the new Blackberry QNX system isn't ready quite yet – though that doesn't necessarily mean it won't be ready by the time the new Fusion is.

Source: autoblog.com

Your official Ford Transit specs are here, $29,565* to start

Ford has released the full list of pricing and specs on its new Transit, the replacement for the long-lived E-Series cargo van. Prices are set to start at $29,565 and can increase rapidly from there, depending on length, engine and wheelbase, among other options.

Let's talk first about those new engines. The base is the familiar 3.7-liter, naturally aspirated V6. It boasts 275 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque and can return up to 14 miles per gallon in the city and 19 mpg on the highway. This engine can also be adapted to run on LPG or compressed natural gas. Of course, there are better alternatives, for a price, the first of which is Ford's well-received, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. It packs 310 hp and a best-in-class 400 lb-ft of torque (available at just 2,500 rpm) while matching the naturally aspirated engine in both city and highway fuel economy.

Then, there's the diesel. With a 3.2-liter, five-cylinder diesel mill at its disposal, the Transit generates 350 lb-ft between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm, along with 185 hp. This engine hasn't been rated by the EPA, although we'd be really, really surprised if it didn't handily best either of the gas-powered engines in fuel efficiency. A six-speed automatic is standard, regardless of engine.

For hauling, the max payload is 4,650 pounds, a 600-pound increase over the E-Series and more than the Ford's cross-town competitors. The new Transit can also tow up to 7,500 pounds.

Regardless of how good the new trio of engines is, they all mark a substantial improvement over the old 6.8-liter V10 of the E-Series, which could only muster 10 mpg in the city and 13 mpg on the highway. The automaker has thoughtfully provided fuel-saving estimates in the press release you can find below.

Ford has launched an full, very deep configurator for the new Transit, allowing businesses to really access the full range of customization options available in the new van. That's available on Ford's consumer page. 

Source: autoblog.com

Ford gets its Movement on, releases 'Sounds of Focus' tracks

Ford has, for at least the second year in a row, teamed up with techno promoter Paxahau and a couple of artists to make music in recognition of the Detroit Movement music festival. This time, Movement performers Ataxia and Secrets were selected by Ford, and were invited to spend some time at the automaker's Michigan Assembly Plant, which gives birth to the Ford Focus and Focus Electric models.

Now that we know the what, how about the why? According to Ford, "Detroit is uniquely tied to the origins of the electronic music scene. In the 1980's variations of electronic music stemmed from inspirations of industry, including the automotive sector." So, there you go. If you're interest is piqued, feel free to read the press release, watch the video and listen to the tracks below.

Source: autoblog.com