It’s always a big moment when BMW reveals its next 3 Series – the most important car to BMW and to many the company car and executive car benchmark. It doesn’t look like anyone will be disappointed – there’s more specification, functionality, choice, but the same low company car tax EfficientDynamics model – from the off. Read the story here.

Not, of course, that BMW will have the market all to its own – the choice for your next car extends to the updated Audi A4 which was announced last week (see story below). Both cars will be on sale in early 2012 – what a decision!

But if you are considering a new car – maybe for yourself or for one of your staff – make sure you manage the change, as we outline in our special report on planning your next company car.

In our last newsletter we asked you for your opinions about the proposed rise in the motorway speed limit: 78% thought it good for business; 17% not; and 5% raised the safety aspect. Clearly, you think the rise worthwhile. This time we’d like to know whether you think putting the clocks back affects your business. We think it does and puts business drivers at greater risk. VOTE on our Facebook page here – Does you business suffer more accidents when the clocks go back?

All-New Ford Ranger makes history as first pick-up to earn five Euro NCAP stars

The all-new Ford Ranger has made motoring history by becoming the first ever pick-up to achieve a maximum 5 Star rating under the Euro NCAP crash test protocol.

Ranger scored 89 per cent for overall safety – the best score ever earned by a pick-up and one of the highest scores recorded by Euro NCAP for any type of vehicle. Moreover, the new Ranger achieved the highest rating of any vehicle ever tested by Euro NCAP for pedestrian protection (81 per cent).

“Vehicle safety is a core value at Ford Motor Company and these independent test results confirm that not only is Ranger the highest rated vehicle in its class, it is also one of the highest rated vehicles ever assessed by Euro NCAP,” said Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe. “No one wants to be involved in an accident but if the worst were to happen, the new Ranger is proven to provide outstanding protection to occupants of all ages as well as pedestrians.”

Find out more about new Ford Ranger

INDUSTRY NEWS

Ford vehicles top their classes in MPG Marathons

UK market leader Ford demonstrated the class-leading efficiency of its vehicles in this year’s MPG Marathon based in Gloucestershire.

The all-new Ford Focus, driven smoothly round a 370-mile course, returned 56.3mpg – an improvement of over 17.6 per cent on Ford’s published figures. Winner of its class (petrol with CO2 emissions of over 120g/km), the Ford Focus Zetec 125PS with UK-built 1.6-litre engine has a declared fuel economy of 47.9mpg on a combination of urban and out-of-town routes.

But smart driving in the Ford Focus by rally stars Andy Dawson and Andrew Marriott, anticipating the road ahead, accelerating smoothly and changing gear correctly, squeezed an extra 8.4 miles out of every gallon used on the marathon.

The three Ford Transit vans entered in the MPG Marathon won two best-in-class titles and another achieved 59mpg – almost 41 per cent ahead of the short wheelbase 2.2-litre 100PS Ford Transit ECOnetic’s normal fuel economy.

The two class winning Ford Transits – a medium wheelbase 2.2 Transit 86PS and Euro Stage 5 long wheelbase 2.2 Transit ECOnetic 125PS – improved their homologated figures by 50.78 and 40.51 per cent respectively. Ford’s commercial vehicle engineers, based at Dunton Technical Centre, in Essex, piloted two of three Transits entered.

In a separate event on the Continent, a 65.6mpg Ford Mondeo 1.6 TDCi covered 1,343 miles on a single 70-litre tank. The drive, which averaged 88.3mpg overall, was undertaken by two Norwegian ‘hypermilers’ travelling from Russia to Sweden via Norway.

The 1.6 diesel Ford Mondeo features ECOnetic Technologies including Auto-Start-Stop, Active Grille Shutter which opens and closes through 90 degrees to maximize cooling, or closes to reduce drag, a gear change indicator and longer final drive ratio of 1:3.69 (compared with 1:4.06 for the standard Mondeo).

Find out more about Ford Commercial Vehicles

MARKET UPDATES

Ford leads September market with top sellers in cars and commercials

Ford was the clear UK market leader in September, the month when sales are boosted significantly by the registration plate change.

Official figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that total UK car sales in September, compared with September 2010, were down marginally 0.8 per cent at 332,476 units. Ford’s total vehicle market share for September was 14.4 per cent and it sold 54,133 units. For the year to date Ford’s total vehicle market share is 15.2 per cent, up 0.1 of a percentage point compared with the same period in 2010.

The Ford Fiesta and the Ford Focus were No 1 and 2 at the top of the UK car sales chart for September and the year to date. Ford Transit continues its reign as UK commercial vehicle (CV) sales leader, capturing 24.4 per cent of sales in the medium CV sector in September and 25.1 per cent for the year to date.

Ford car sales in September totalled 43,350, down from 46,389 in September 2010. The successful launch of the new Ford Focus was underlined by a significant sales increase in September, compared with September 2010, up from 10,100 to 14,754. The Ford C-MAX, up from 1,190 to 2,755, and the Ford Galaxy, up from 897 to 1,070, also recorded sales increases compared with September 2010.

For the year to date, Ford total car sales are 214,628 and its market share is a leading 13.8 per cent, while Ford’s share of retail car sales is 12.4 per cent, up from 11.8 per cent compared with the same period in 2010.

Ford’s UK CV sales leadership, now in its 46th consecutive year, was stronger than ever in September with increased sales across the entire range, compared with September 2010. Total Ford CV sales increased in September from 9,972 to 10,783, compared with September 2010, and for the year to date have increased from 46,984 to 56,480, compared with the same period last year.

Ford’s 24.5 per cent share of the total September CV market was unchanged compared with September 2010, while for the year to date Ford’s 24.2 per cent share is up 0.4 percentage points compared with the same period in 2010.

Ford Fiesta Van, Ford Transit Connect, Ford Ranger and Ford Transit all recorded sales increases in September, compared with September 2010. Ford Transit sales were up from 7,879 to 8,623. For the year to date, Transit sales have risen from 34,683 to 44,765, compared with the same period in 2010.

Find out more about Focus

Ford Fiesta range just gets better

The availability of Ford’s low emission ECOnetic engine has been expanded to now include the mid-range Zetec and top-of-the-range Titanium models. The extra-frugal ECOnetic Fiestas now only emit 95g/km CO2, down by 3g/km.

The addition of Zetec and Titanium models to the current Edge ECOnetic means a three-model “green” line up for customers to choose from. All three ECOnetics have the Dagenham-built, specially calibrated version of the 1.6 litre, 95PS Duratorq TDCi engine with Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) which gives a combined 78.5 mpg. This amazing fuel economy coupled with zero road tax (Vehicle Excise Duty) can now be combined with more in-car features for a great driving experience.

The ECOnetic models in the Fiesta range start with Edge ECOnetic, priced from £13,895 (£14,095 from October 31st), which includes Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), air-conditioning, lowered suspension, aerodynamic improvements and low rolling resistance tyres.

The Zetec ECOnetic, priced from £14,445 (£14,645 from October 31st), has 14″ 6-spoke alloy wheels, front fog lights, rear wheel air deflectors, chrome surrounds on headlights, lower front grille, tailgate handle and belt line finisher, three-spoke leather steering wheel and ambient lighting.

The Titanium ECOnetic, priced from £15,645 (£15,845 from October 31st), adds Sony DAB Radio, Bluetooth voice control and USB connectivity, cruise control, front upper grille chrome strip, power-operated folding door mirrors, privacy glass, electronic automatic temperature control (EATC). automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, two rear speakers and a perimeter alarm.

Aerodynamic body styling, lowered suspension, low resistance tyres and low friction oil all help the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic achieve ultra low CO2 emissions. Additionally a green shift indicator in the instrument cluster highlights the optimal point to change gear to maximise fuel economy.

• Aerodynamic rear air deflectors
• Lowered suspension
• Optimised rolling resistance tyres (175/65R14) and low friction oil
• Green shift indicator light
• Modified engine calibration
• Transmission final drive ratio changed from 3.37 to 3.05

Mars Red and Fashionista have been added to the ten colour options, DAB radio is now an option on many models and standard on Titanium. Bluetooth, voice control and USB connectivity are available from Edge to Titanium models. Keyless entry is a new convenience addition usually reserved for large cars but now on supermini Fiesta.

Find out more about Fiesta

What’s your take on government proposals to raise the motorway speed limit to 80mph? Is this just an easy route to legitimise the ‘unofficial’ limit of what’s euphemistically called ‘motorway speeds’? Or is it a genuine attempt to reflect the modern day car – and its business use? Certainly getting to destinations quicker would help business immeasurably; but having a higher speed limit and being able to use it is another thing if congestion doesn’t allow traffic to move more freely. And what about the additional cost in fuel? Is that worth paying? Let me know what you think and VOTE on our Facebook page here – 80mph: good for business, or not?

One of the reasons the government thinks that the speed limit should change is down to the fact that 70mph was set in 1965 when the safety and technology of cars was far removed from what it is today. And how different they are now. Even superminis now, such as the new Toyota Yaris which we’ve tested below, are becoming mobile offices with its ‘Touch & Go’ connectivity technology. But questions are now being raised about the distractions such connectivity brings. What’s your view? See our story below.

Finally, we’ve produced another video road test, this time of the new Kia Rio – the car with the lowest CO2 emissions in the UK, without the help of electric assistance. And it’s not a bad business car either! View our test on our Business Car Manager Video Reviews page.

Ralph Morton - editor, Business Car Manager

Firstly, the total Annual Investment Allowance will drop from £100,000 to £25,000.

Your capital allowances

Basically, capital allowances are generally claimed on purchased assets based on the purchase price. For cars, the amount is dependent on CO2 emissions. The amount claimed for cars and commercial vehicles is referred to as the Writing Down Allowance.

The current Writing Down Allowance

Cars with CO2 emissions of 110 g/km and below have an allowance of 100% p.a.

Cars with CO2 emissions of 111 g/km to 160 g/km have an allowance of 20% p.a.

Cars with CO2 emission of above 160 g/km have a 10% allowance p.a.

The Writing Down Allowance for next year

>From April 2012, the rates for cars with CO2 emissions above 111 g/km will be reduced by 2%. This means:

a) The Writing Down Allowance for vehicles with CO2 emissions of 111-160 g/km will drop from 20% to 18%.

b) The Writing Down Allowance for vehicles with CO2 emissions of more than 160 g/km will drop from 10% to 8%.

How the Annual Investment Allowance will work

All commercial vehicles are claimed at 20% p.a. on a reducing balance basis except for the tax year 2011/12, when 100% allowance can be claimed on the first £100,000 of expenditure. However, from April 2012 this will be reduced to the first £25,000 of expenditure.

Where a business has a chargeable period that spans the operative date of the decrease, the maximum allowance for that business’s transitional chargeable period comprises two parts:

a) the AIA entitlement, based on the previous £100,000 annual cap for the portion of a year falling before the relevant operative date.

b) the AIA entitlement, based on the new £25,000 cap for the portion of a year falling on or after the relevant operative date.

Leased and Contract Hire

Revenue allowances that can be claimed on leased and contact hire vehicles are based on operating and finance leases. The amount claimed is based on the rentals paid and the car’s CO2 emissions. Cars emitting over 160 g/km are subject to a 15% rental disallowance.

MAKE sure that you are paying the correct business mileage rates to your company car drivers. That way you and they won’t incur any unnecessary – and unwanted – additional taxation. The HMRC’s published Advisory Fuel Rates changed in June earlier this year, moving from a six monthly period to quarterly publication so as to ensure the mileage rates keep in line with the cost of fuel. The latest quarter commenced on 01 September. Check you’re using the correct rates here: Latest company car business mileage rates.

We’ve added something new to the site: video road tests. Bit of a departure I know – and it does mean you have me spouting at you for which I apologise right now – but instead of reading about the cars you can see them in action too. Or do both of course! So far we have the Hyundai i40 and the MINI Cooper SD Hampton on video test, but we’ll be adding more to these as we go along. You can reach the tests on our Business Car Manager Video Reviews page.

Ralph Morton- editor, Business Car Manager

Ford launches All-New entry-level Ford Focus Studio for September rush

Access to the all-new Ford Focus range becomes easier with the arrival of the all-new Focus Studio which goes on sale in September, as customers rush for new “61-plate” cars.

This latest addition extends the all-new Ford Focus range to five series, with prices from £13,995 for the Focus Studio to £24,000 the top-of-the-range Titanium X with six-speed Powershift automatic transmission and 163PS TDCi engine.

This newcomer replaces the popular Ford Focus Sport, a final special edition of the previous model which has been on sale since October 2010 and reached sales of 15,000.

Standard equipment on the all-new Focus Studio includes 16in sports-style alloy wheels, body-coloured rear spoiler, radio/CD player, USB connectivity, air-conditioning, electrically-operated body-coloured door mirrors with integrated turn indicators, electrically-operated front windows, Ford Easy Fuel ‘capless’ refuelling, and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with torque vectoring control.

The Studio will be offered as a five-door hatchback with 85PS 1.6 Ti-VCT powertrain, delivering a fuel efficient 47.9mpg. There will be three colour choices – Panther Black, Moondust Silver and Frozen White.

Ford moves towards all-digital in-car entertainment as CD sales drop

Cassette tapes that once revolutionised in-car audio entertainment were driven out of the dashboard by the compact disc revolution. Now in-car CD players are poised to follow a similar path as Ford and other automotive companies respond to customer demand for all-digital systems with increased connectivity.

With the all-new Ford Focus, Ford has scrapped once-popular multi-disc CD changers, while a USB connection and Bluetooth are standard equipment in the UK – both of which cater to the increasing popularity of iPods and other digital music players.

According to figures from the British Phonographic Industry, the number of CD albums sold in the UK fell 35 per cent between 2006 and 2010, while the number of digital album sales increased more than seven-fold.

As music-lovers relocate their CD catalogues to digital storage and move to digital download purchasing of music, Ford plans a targeted move towards “all-digital” in-car entertainment.

Music purchasing revolution accelerates CD’s demise

Across Europe, Ford currently offers USB and Bluetooth audio connectivity, as well as auxiliary inputs for MP3 devices, to supplement the existing CD player. But as CD usage becomes less prevalent, these digital devices will become the norm.

“Ford will obviously continue to offer CD players while there is demand,” said Ralf Brosig, multimedia manager, Ford of Europe. “However, over time we expect customer preferences will lead us quickly into an all-digital approach to in-car audio entertainment.”

Find out more about Ford Entertainment

MARKET UPDATES

Ford ups July share across its range and strengthens UK market lead

Ford increased July UK market share in each sector in which it competes – cars, light commercials and medium commercials – compared with July 2010. Ford’s total vehicle share for the month, 15.5 per cent, and for the year to date, 15.4 per cent, were both up compared with the same periods in 2010.

The Ford Focus closed on the Ford Fiesta at the top of the July car sales chart as they once again held the first and second spots both for the month and for the year to date. Ford Transit continues as the best-selling commercial vehicle in the UK.

Ford car sales of 18,245 were down 1.1 per cent compared with July 2010, while Ford’s share of total car sales was 13.9 per cent, up from 13.5 per cent. For the year to date, Ford total car sales are 162,726 and its share is 14.0 per cent. For the year to date the Ford share of retail car sales is 12.5 per cent, up from 11.7 per cent compared with the same period in 2010.

Boosted by the introduction of the all-new model, the Ford Focus is narrowing the gap to the best-selling Ford Fiesta. Ford Focus sales in July were 6,235, up from 4,208 in July 2010, and its share increased from 3.1 per cent in July 2010 to 4.7 per cent last month. Ford Fiesta sales in July were 6,695, identical to July 2010, and share was 5.1 per cent, up from 4.9 per cent last year.

Total Ford commercial vehicle sales increased in July to 5,436 from 5,242, compared with July 2010 and for the year to date have increased to 42,713 from 34,674, compared with the same period last year.

INDUSTRY UPDATES

Ford at 2011 Frankfurt Show

Ford Motor Company is planning four global product reveals at September’s Frankfurt show, including a major new design concept and details of the next Focus performance car.

The reveals will all take place on an expanded 3,200 sq. m stand – Ford’s largest ever at Frankfurt. Just outside will be a 2,800 sq. m track where visitors can take part in Ford’s ‘Drive Experience’, testing out innovations such as Active City Stop and Active Park Assist.

Ford Fiesta and high-tech Focus scoop honours at the Auto Express New Car Awards

The Ford Fiesta was declared Britain’s Best Supermini for the third consecutive year at the Auto Express New Car Awards. The new Ford Focus also made its mark with the top selling weekly motoring magazine by winning the Special Award for its advanced driver assistance features.

The Ford Fiesta and the Ford Focus have been Britain’s number one and two bestsellers every month so far this year. The Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus both secured increased sales and market share in June, compared with June 2010.

Ford Fiesta – Best Supermini

When it first drove out of Ford dealer showrooms in October 2008, the award-winning Ford Fiesta signalled a new era in small car design, performance and functionality. Available in three- and five-door bodystyles and a range of fuel-efficient powertrains, it shot up to the top of the sales charts within four months to become the best-selling car in the UK and Auto Express’s Car of the Year 2009 and Best Supermini in 2010.

Ford Focus – Special Award

Also presented on the Auto Express Awards stage, was a trophy for the all-new Ford Focus and its Driver Assistance Pack. The Ford Focus features an innovative digital camera system which supports seven driver assistance features that help deliver improved confidence and safety behind the wheel.

Find out more about Ford Fiesta

Find out more about Ford Focus

Ford car sales beat the downward market trend in June and again boosted its UK leadership with increased sales and share, compared with June 2010. The Ford Fiesta and the Ford Focus were once more the number one and two bestsellers in June, and for the year to date, with the Ford Transit continuing its 46th year as the best-selling commercial vehicle in the UK.

Official figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that total UK car sales in June, compared with June 2010, were down 6.2 per cent to 183,125 units. Ford car sales of 24,461 were up from 23,716 in June 2010 and Ford’s share of total car sales was 13.4 per cent, up from 12.1 per cent. For the year to date, Ford total car sales are 144,481 and its share is 14.0 per cent.

Ford’s fresh and exciting car range continues to boost sales to individual customers as indicated by a June retail market share of 11.8 per cent, up from 10.9 per cent in June 2010. For the year to date the Ford share of retail car sales is 12.7 per cent, a full 1.1 percentage points better than the same period in 2010.

The Ford Ka, Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus and Ford C-MAX all secured increased sales and share in June, compared with June 2010. For the year to date C-MAX sales, at 9,383, are more than double the sales of 4,044 recorded for the same period last year.

Ford total vehicle sales and share were up for the month, increasing from 29,163 and 13.3 per cent in June 2010 to 30,628 and 14.6 per cent last month. For the year to date total vehicle share is also up from 15.2 to 15.4 per cent, compared with the same period last year, with a large contribution for this improvement coming from CV sales, which are up across the whole range with light and medium CV sales and share up for the month and for the year to date compared with 2010.

Ford Transit, for example, increased its sales in June from 4,007 to 4,778 compared with June 2010, while for the year to date Transit sales were up from 21,082 to 29,303 and its medium CV share increased from 23.4 to 25.0 per cent, compared with the same period in 2010. Total Ford CV sales increased in June from 5,447 to 6,167, compared with June 2010 and for the year to date have increased from 29,432 to 37,277, compared with the same period last year.

Find out more about Ford Fiesta
Find out more about Ford Focus

Stylish All-New Ford Focus Estate lifts sales

The all-new Focus estate which has joined the Focus five-door, is set to be a popular choice among British customers with 2,000 orders already confirmed.

Since Ford Focus launched in October 2008, selling over 1.4 million to end of May, 2011, Focus estate sales of 179,000 have accounted for around 12.5 per cent. The all-new Focus estate is a stylish addition to the range and expected to increase this mix to 18 per cent.

The Ford Focus estate brings the same class leading levels of technologies as that of the five-door, with many of the features new to the mainstream medium car market. These include the optional £750 Driver Assistance Pack comprising seven advanced technologies – Active City Stop, Traffic Sign Recognition, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Aid, Blind Spot Information System, Auto High Beam and Driver Alert.

The estate is also available with the same choice of low-CO2 powertrain options. These include the 1.6-litre TDCi 115PS engine which comes equipped with standard Auto-Start-Stop and has CO2 emissions starting at just 109g/km. Sales of this powertrain account for 43 per cent of all-new Focus in the UK.

The new Ford Focus range also includes the state-of-the-art new 1.6-litre Ford EcoBoost 150PS turbo-charged direct injection petrol engine, which debuted on the C-MAX last year. This is one of a new generation of global, downsized, high-efficiency, low-CO2 petrol engines which deliver the strong low-end torque and responsive performance of a large capacity engine, but with the size, weight and fuel economy of a much smaller unit.

The Ford Focus estate is both dynamic and practical, offering the extra space and flexibility customers expect. It is 20cm longer compared to the five-door, has 10cm greater width between the wheel arches and a maximum load capacity of 1,502 litres (in two-seat mode). The estate therefore provides generous interior accommodation for both passengers and their luggage.

Priced from £17,100 on-the-road, the all-new Focus estate comes with over £1,000 additional standard equipment versus the equivalent outgoing model, including Bluetooth and voice control, USB connection, DAB, Thatcham Category 1 alarm, aluminium roof rails, tonneau cover, driver lumbar adjust and torque vectoring control all as standard.

Find out more about All-New Focus

Ford increases production to meet strong demand

Ford’s all-new Ford C-MAX and Grand C-MAX are surpassing sales expectations, recording more than 100,000 sales and orders since their launch in late 2010.

In 2011 through to May, UK sales of the Ford C-MAX and Ford Grand C-MAX stand at 8,132, which is more than double the sales over the same period a year ago.

To meet demand for the five-seat C-MAX and seven-seat Grand C-MAX, Ford has increased the line speed at its plant in Valencia, Spain. The result has been an almost 18 per cent increase in daily production at the plant.

“We expected a strong customer demand for the Ford C-MAX and Ford Grand C-MAX, but demand has exceeded our expectations,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe. “Sales of the all-new Ford C-MAX will contribute to our expectation that around 40 per cent of all the new vehicles we sell in Europe this year will be totally new or significantly freshened models.”

Over, 65 percent of Ford C-MAX sales have been high-series trim levels, such as the Titanium models, compared to 32 per cent over the same period a year ago.

Of the 8,132 UK sales through to May, the most popular powertrain proved to be the 1.6 TDCi 115PS which represents 45 per cent. Coupled with the 1.6 105PS, 1.6 125PS and 1.6 150PS petrol powertrain sales, 80 per cent of the C-MAX and Grand C-MAX’s chosen by customers include engines that are built at the Bridgend plant in Wales or at Dagenham, Essex.

Find out more about Ford C-MAX
Find out more about Ford Grand C-MAX

Ford’s 1.6-Litre EcoBoost ‘Hero’ engine in huge demand

Since the introduction of the 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine in late 2010, Ford’s Bridgend Engine Plant in the UK has been working flat out to meet customer demand.

Available in the new Focus, Mondeo, C-MAX, Grand C-MAX, S-MAX and Galaxy, the versatile 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine has been a huge success thanks to its impressive performance, excellent fuel economy and low CO2 emissions.

Ford is already celebrating building 50,000 of the engines at Bridgend in South Wales.

“Demand for the EcoBoost engine is at record levels and the plant is fully focused on increasing capacity to ensure we can support the ever-growing customer demand,” says Kieran Cahill, Bridgend Plant Manager.

The Ford-built and designed engine can rightly claim to be a ‘hero’ engine for the company – offering customers a winning combination of performance and economy, and the versatility to power cars as different as the Focus and the Galaxy.

Despite its relatively small capacity, the 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine delivers impressive performance. The Focus can reach 62mph from a standstill in 7.9 seconds, achieve a top speed of 138mph and return an excellent combined fuel consumption of 47.1mpg – helped by Auto-Start-Stop, which is standard fit on all Focus, C-MAX and Grand C-MAX 1.6-litre EcoBoost models.

Even in the larger Ford Galaxy, the 160PS engine achieves a combined 39.2mpg while still reaching 62mph in less than 10 seconds.

The low CO2 emissions are a key feature of the 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine, achieved by some clever innovations such as Ford Auto-Start-Stop and the Active Grille Shutter.

With CO2 levels from 139g/km in the new Focus and 149g/km in the Mondeo, the 1.6-litre EcoBoost proves to be very affordable to run while still delivering a great drive – in short, more power and less fuel consumption.

“Ford EcoBoost engines actually provide customers with many of the benefits offered by the latest diesels, including impressive torque at low engine speeds and reduced CO2 emissions,” says Graham Hoare, executive director Powertrain Development, Ford of Europe. “At the same time, these engines retain the free-revving driving character and cost advantage of a petrol unit – effectively giving customers the best of both worlds.”

Find out more about Ford EcoBoost