Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi Powershift – short test drive

At first glance, this looks like just any other facelifted Ford Focus done up in white sitting in Sime Darby Auto Connexion’s car park by the Federal Highway. But it’s actually something new – find out more on what it is after the jump.

It’s a Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi! I know alot of us more educated motorists have been asking for a new era where we can enjoy the really nice low rev kick of torque and the better mileage that the turbodiesel engines that Europeans seem to love in our daily rides.

When the government upgraded our diesel to Euro 2 last year, it opened some doors for some better diesels to be brought in. Diesel engines that are lighter, smaller and more refined – a newer generation of diesel engines compared to the truck engines that we get in our sub-100K pickups. I know of a friend who bought a Nissan Frontier purely for its diesel engine as he had to travel alot, he wasn’t really interested in a truck.

And then BMW introduced their 320d. It had loads of shove over the 320i and could go over 1,000km per tank if driven frugally. Finally, a diesel compact executive to be enjoyed. You needed deep pockets but not as deep as pockets as 530d or X5 3.0d owners. But it was still priced over RM250k, though during promotions you could get pre-registered units for lower than that.

The Ford Focus TDCi is expected to be priced a tad lower than RM130k, which means a pricetag of about the same as a Honda Civic 2.0S and a Honda Civic Hybrid. This will make it the most accessible turbodiesel-powered passenger car to date.

While its petrol sibling is available in both hatch and sedan form, the Focus TDCi will only be available as a hatchback, CBU from Thailand in two colours – black or white.

The interior looks pretty much standard Focus. There are just a few changes. Firstly, you get leather seats in the TDCi hatchback. With the petrol version, you only get leather in the sedan, while the hatchback makes do with cloth seats. There is a small extra strip of trim wrapping around the front door armrests.

The most obvious change you’ll notice when you sit in the driver’s seat is the RPM meter, which has a redline much lower than the petrol version. This is usual with diesel engines – they don’t rev as high because of the self-ignition combustion but they deliver all of their massive punch under 3,000rpm.

With the 2.0 TDCi engine here we’re talking about 134 horsepower and 320Nm of torque at only 1,800rpm, with the ability to overboost to 340Nm briefly whenever the engine management decides its needed.

The shift knob area is also slightly different. The petrol version has the letter “M” in place of the “S” you see here. This is because the 4-speed auto in the petrol has your regular “D” drive mode, and a “M” manual mode for you to swap cogs manually – not that there’s really many gears to shift in that 4-speeder.

The diesel version uses a 6-speed Powershift unit – similiar to the transmissions you’d find in the S40 Powershift and V50 Powershift launched by Volvo recently. In addition to the “D” drive mode and manual mode, you also get a “S” mode which is essentially an automatic mode with a sportier shift pattern.

When you start the engine up, you do hear some typical soft diesel clatter from the front of the car as you idle. This disappears as you get moving as the other sounds begin to overwhelm it and it disappears. Thanks to the Powershift technically connecting to the engine via mechanical clutches instead of a torque converter, throttle response is very crisp and nice, something you only feel in an automatic when the torque converter locks up mechanically at cruise speeds. Unlike in pickup trucks where there tends to be vibrations especially in the manual versions where the whole shift lever and 4X4 selector shakes like crazy, the Ford Focus TDCi had no diesel engine vibrations or anything in the cabin. Gear lever and steering wheel remained calm.

Shifts are very smooth and driven sedatedly, the car shifts gears at just over 2,000rpm smoothly and rapidly. Gearchanges are pretty quick, faster and smoother than what a single clutch automatic can do but Volkswagen’s DSG implementation is still the leader in terms of quick upshifts (VW DSG is quite average on downshifts though). There are no jerky shifts and you do not need to lift the accelerator pedal slightly to ensure a smoother shift as with AMT products.

In this new economy where co-development between is needed for viability it’s no surprise to learn that the Duratorq TDCi engine was developed together with PSA Peugeot Citroen and is also used by PSA as their “HDi” engines. If we ever see a Peugeot 308 2.0 HDi here in Malaysia, it’ll have a similiar engine as this Ford. The engine actually sounds like growlier and more ganas than the petrol version and surprisingly sounds quite good for a 4-potter diesel. It’s sweeter and I kinda feel also quieter than the 2.0 4-potter in the 320d and 520d but it’s nothing compared to the great 6-potter BMW diesels.

I probably don’t need to say this, but 320Nm is alot of torque so charging along empty roads can actually be quite addictive. Because there are 6 gears and so much torque, when you accelerate off from a standstill there’s actually alot of gearchanges happening until the transmission settles down in one of the higher gears.

There is a short bit turbo lag when you take off, and if you shift high up the revrange on full throttle you also feel a short half-second lag once the next gear engages before things pick up in full force again. Ford’s 2.5 liter TDCi in Ranger actually does better at eliminating lag. Overtaking is also no issue, just downshift and ride the surge of torque, even going through two gears through an overtaking maneuver is no issue as once you get over that split second of lag that wave of torque comes again.

Other than lots of low-end torque, the only other thing that will probably remind you that you’re driving a diesel is that when you shut off the engine, the engine shivers a little before turning off. And I wish I could say confidently that your fuel bills will also remind you that it’s a diesel but I only took it for a short spin around the Sime Darby Auto Connexion office, up to Bangsar and back so there wasn’t really an opportunity for a fuel consumption test. Once the car is finally launched here in Malaysia I’m quite eager to get a proper test drive and see what the car consumes in terms of liter per 100km.

Thumbs up to Sime Darby for being the first to being in a diesel passenger car for under RM150k. I know alot of us have been asking for this over and over and finally we have one choice, hopefully more to come. The previous ‘cheapest diesel passenger car’ (at over RM250k list price) in our market was the 320d, which also so happens to be sold by Sime Darby since their company Auto Bavaria is a BMW dealer and BMW Malaysia is a Munich-Sime Darby JV. I hope one day Proton will be able to give us our first diesel passenger car under RM80k.

But for now, too bad the Focus TDCi will only be available as a hatchback, from what I’ve heard so far. That’s one reason for people to turn away from it – our love for the 3-box sedan. The other issue with the current generation Focus – both sedan and hatchback – is that it’s interior spaciousness falls behind its rivals like the Civic.

I have a feeling there will be more people looking at passenger diesels come 1st May when our petrol prices will be revised. This is because although petrol prices will go through a revision, the government has hinted that it could leave diesel prices alone. I wonder if I can turn my E39 into a 525tds through a halfcut or something!

http://paultan.org/2010/02/02/ford-focus-2-0-tdci-powershift-short-test-drive/

Continue reading...

NHTSA says it has "no reason to challenge" Toyota throttle fix

That's right, more ThrottleGate! Even though the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) doesn't have to approve Toyota's solution to fix its recalled gas pedals, the NHTSA could offer up an objection. 2.3 million Toyota cars and trucks have been affected by the pedal recall in the U.S., with other pedals being recalled in other cars around the world.

Since Toyota's remedy is not being challenged, this gives the green light for the Japanese car-building giant to resume production of the eight vehicles halted by the recall. The target date for this is February 8. Additionally, Toyota dealers should be able to resume selling the eight prohibited models, including the hottest-selling Camry and Corolla, one they get the parts. And finally, NHTSA says that customers who receive a fixed pedal now will be eligible for a new pedal once said pedals reach dealerships. We're not sure if Toyota's down with that claim, though company president Jim Lentz did indicate that customers could work with dealers on a case-by-case basis if they want an all-new pedal instead of the fix.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/02/report-nhtsa-says-it-has-no-reason-to-challenge-toyota-thrott/

Continue reading...

America Needs More Guns

We know the criminals have them. That's how we can tell they're criminals. That guy pointing a gun at you? Probably a criminal. Unless, of course, he's a cop. They have guns too. But they usually wear uniforms and let you know they're a cop by yelling out something like, "Police! Stop!" Unless, of course, he's an undercover cop. He could be an undercover cop. Unless, of course, he's just an ordinary citizen, and he feels threatened. It could be that. But, probably, he's a criminal.

So, there are criminals, citizens, cops, security guards, body guards and any number of pseudo cop-like people with guns. We have guns in our homes, guns on our streets, guns in our national parks, guns in our airplanes, guns in the hands of our children and guns where drunk people hang out. Occasionally, we have guns at our political rallies, guns on our NFL players and soon, hopefully, on Amtrak.

But, still, we do not appear to have enough guns. The tragic shooting yesterday on our largest military base indicates that even when almost everyone in the vicinity has access to a gun, we are still not safe. Just one day later, the latest disgruntled employee rampage demonstrates that people aren't even safe in a state where you can own a gun, carry it in public and shoot anyone you think is dangerous.

So, with guns everywhere, what are we to do to protect ourselves? The answer is simple. Guns are not everywhere. Guns are in lots of places, but they are certainly not everywhere. We can change that.

We can begin by installing guns on every floor of every building, residential and commercial, churches and schools, like fire extinguishers. Break glass. Remove gun. Shoot the bad guy. But we cannot be sure that someone will be able to get to these guns in time. So, we should develop new technologies that embed computer controlled guns in walls. Giant supercomputers would then determine if a threat warrants retaliation and, if so, would automatically aim and discharge the firearms.

The same auto-fire mechanisms should be installed in trees in our parks, lampposts overlooking our streets and lifeguard stands on our beaches. You know what might be cool? Maybe we could even find a way to attach them to birds. Though we'd have to be careful to only use pigeons and sparrows; not ducks. We wouldn't want them firing back at duck hunters. As an added bonus, developing these technologies will be a boon to our economy. We'd get personal and economic security wrapped up in one program.

Undoubtedly, some tree hugging, soft on crime, Second Amendment hating lefty will use today's latest tragic shooting to, once again, make a case for what they'll call sensible gun laws. But do not listen (as if anyone will). The right answer is not less guns, but more. For the last decade, politicians and the NRA have been making it easier and easier for people in almost every state to obtain, carry and use guns, and yet our criminal gun violence is not stopping, or even slowing. It seems to be getting worse, actually. So, if what we're doing is not working, the answer is clear. Do more of it. Much, much more.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-tenenbaum/america-needs-more-guns_b_348953.html

Continue reading...

Car Buyers Come Back, but Not in Droves

THE American love affair with cars seemed to come to a sudden end this year, when car sales became less important to the economy than at any time since the government began counting more than 40 years ago. So far, there are only limited indications of a renewal of the relationship.The cash-for-clunkers program, in which the federal government offered cash to people who got rid of old, inefficient cars and bought new ones, helped cause a small increase in purchases by consumers. But as the accompanying charts show, there are only the slightest indications of a gain in purchases by businesses.

The government figures on car purchases relative to gross domestic product go back to 1967. In no quarter from then until 2006 did auto sales account for less than 3 percent of G.D.P. But earlier this year, that proportion fell to less than half that figure.

In the third quarter of this year, helped by the cash-for-clunkers program, that percentage climbed back to almost 2 percent, but it is still well below the historic range.

In one way, that plunge provides hope for rapid growth, someday, as sales rise to levels appropriate for an economy with 300 million people.

Figures released this week indicated that vehicles sold at an annual rate of fewer than 11 million in October. But, as Larry Summers, the director of President Obama’s National Economic Council, pointed out in a speech at the Economic Club of New York last week, the country needs more than 14 million new vehicles each year to replace cars that are wearing out and to keep up with population growth.

Therefore, he said, sales would come back. But he offered no forecasts as to timing.

One delaying factor could be that the auto companies in recent years engaged in major discounting, particularly in sales to rental car companies and other corporate fleets, to keep volume up. The extra cars produced then may delay the need for increased production now.

The plunge in auto sales this year was a major factor in the sharp reduction in the American trade deficit. Adjusted for inflation, the deficit in motor vehicle trade fell from an annual rate of more than $110 billion a year in 2006 to an annual rate of just $36 billion in the first three months of 2009, in large part because automobile imports plunged. With imports again rising, the deficit has moved back to $56 billion. The figures are in 2005 dollars.

Continue reading...

Auto-pedestrian stories are needed

The Utah State Health Department is looking for stories of people who have been affected by an auto-pedestrian crash.

Those with a personal story are asked to share it online with the Utah Health Story Bank at health.utah.gov/bhp /sb/. By doing so, citizens can increase awareness of pedestrian safety issues and encourage others to be safe, officials said.

Each year in Utah an average of 860 pedestrians are injured and 30 are killed in collisions with motor vehicles.

Utah police officers will conduct Operation Crosswalk Enforcement Campaigns in April and May to educate citizens about pedestrian safety. Officers dressed as civilians will walk back and forth in crosswalks while fellow officers watch for drivers who fail to yield the right-of-way (either by not stopping or stopping within the crosswalk).Last fall, officers in 17 jurisdictions issued 4,126 citations and warnings to both drivers and pedestrians who failed to obey pedestrian safety laws.

Continue reading...

The Right Subprime Car Dealer

Locating the right dealer for a bad credit car loan can be the most important step in the car buying process if you have bad credit.

Business trends

At Auto Credit Express, we’ve been involved with subprime car finance for the past 17 years. One thing we’ve noticed in particular is that over the past few years, auto dealer profits, especially those of the domestic car dealers, have been declining. In fact, it’s quite common these days for new car dealers to sell a vehicle for the invoice price just to move the unit and satisfy their sales targets with the manufacturer.

Another thing that we’ve witnessed: when auto sales are slow, dealerships look for additional ways to move more inventory off their lots. One of the ways in which to do this is to get a higher percentage of their floor traffic – especially those customers with bad credit - approved.

Special finance

That being said, many of these car dealers jump into the bad credit car sales arena without the proper training and, quite frankly, many of these dealers make a mess of it. With bad credit auto sales, the finance department has to do more work than it may be used to. As an example, it’s a good idea for dealers to verify employment and income before they finalize a bad credit auto loan. Here is why:

When a subprime lender first approves an auto loan, they assume all the information on the credit application is correct. After the car has been delivered and they receive the finance package from the dealer for funding, they begin the verification process. If the application was misrepresented, the lender may refuse to finance the vehicle.

When this happens, often a week or more after the sale, the dealer contacts the customer and asks them to return the vehicle (although in some states the dealer is now responsible for the loan). When it’s all over, everyone is upset; the dealer is mad because they lost the sale, the customer is mad because they wasted a lot of time and still have to buy a car, and the lender is mad because they had to return the deal (after spending a great deal of time and money processing the customer in their system).

Other mistakes

Dealers can also get tripped up even before they begin processing deals. When car dealers first begin bad credit auto sales, most do so with only a few subprime lenders. If you are a consumer with bad credit, it is much better to buy a car from a dealer that has numerous subprime lending sources at their disposal. The big advantage is that with a broad spectrum of lenders, you have a better chance of getting the best auto loan based on your credit (most car dealers that specialize in bad credit auto sales use special finance software to compare your credit profile and their new and used car inventory, against hundreds of subprime lending programs to get you the best deal possible).

The Bottom Line

If you have bad credit and need a loan to buy a car, make sure you do business with an auto dealer that specializes in bad credit auto sales. How can you accomplish this? You can either contact numerous dealers in the area until you find the one that that has the lenders and technology in place to best handle your credit needs or you can use a car buying service like Auto Credit Express.

At Auto Credit Express, our business is to help people with bad, blemished, bruised and tarnished credit buy cars and reestablish their credit at the same time. Our national network of affiliate dealers specialize in bad credit car loans. If you have any additional questions, our web site will help you determine how much car you can afford and, unlike other sites, our toll free number is listed on every page in case you have any additional questions.

http://www.autocreditexpress.com/blog/2009/08/27/the-right-subprime-car-dealer/

Continue reading...

Tire-testing facility seeks space in Charlotte region

A consortium of auto and motorsports companies has committed to finance a tire-testing facility in the Charlotte region that could require an investment of “tens of millions of dollars.”

The project, called Camber Ridge, will help drive research for the industry as it prepares for federal electronic stability control requirements. The new mandate hits the auto industry in 2011.

Carmakers and motorsports companies will have other needs for testing facilities such as Camber Ridge, says James Cuttino, director of the N.C. Motorsports and Automotive Research Center at UNC Charlotte.

“It’s driven specifically by the needs of industry,” he says. Cuttino is taking a leave of absence from UNCC to start the business.

Humpy Wheeler, chairman of Charlotte Regional Partnership, says the facility will become “another anchor for the development of the auto industry” in the Charlotte area.

Specifics of financing, location, size and employment were not disclosed. One source suggests Camber Ridge’s search in the region would be for a site that could accommodate a 50,000-square-foot building.

Cuttino says he expects the first tests will be run in the facility in two years.

Ronnie Bryant, partnership president and chief executive, says the building and site will need room for expansion. He also mentioned that Camber Ridge may need only about 5 acres to build the facility.

Cuttino says automaker and tire manufacturers need a test laboratory such as Camber Ridge because no single manufacturer could afford to develop it. Initial investment will involve “tens of millions of dollars,” he says.

Entities that Cuttino calls his affiliates will provide financing. He declines to name those financial partners.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that mandating stability controls on cars will save up to 9,600 lives annually and prevent as many as 323,000 crashes.

The controls take over braking and other automobile capabilities when a vehicle skids or tips on the highway.

Cuttino says he’s spent the past 18 months investigating the need for such a test facility. Wheeler says Camber Ridge’s computer-driven equipment will in some cases replace a need for auto test sites that cost up to $150 million to develop. Such automobile-research facilities include test tracks that can measure seven miles.

Continue reading...