As car security systems become increasingly sophisticated, thieves are turning their attention to car parts instead. This is bad news for owners of vehicles fitted with alloy wheels, but Ford now offers a way of keeping those wheels yours – and the solution is guaranteed to get car owners talking.
What Car? has named the new Ford Puma as its 2020 Car of the Year during its 43rd annual awards ceremony.
The first Ford to use the Puma name in almost 20 years, it took the top prize after triumphing in the Small SUV category, where it saw off competition from models including the Audi Q2 and Skoda Kamiq.
New to range Klarius emission control components include DPFs for the latest version of Ford’s iconic Transit. All-new aftermarket exhausts have also been developed for popular Hyundai hatchbacks, BMW saloons, compact MPVs from Citroen, a Honda SUV and Toyota hybrid – all available with next-morning delivery in the UK.
Ford’s introduction of an electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) in 2020 is “a bold move” according to David Leggett, automotive editor at data and analytics company GlobalData. “The idea is to promote the traditional Mustang brand’s strengths of performance and flair for a vehicle that will be fun and exciting, rather than merely created to help meet future compliance standards. The Mach-EE is no econobox.
Hankook Tire has extended its original equipment supply activities, this time in North America with tyres for the new 2020 Ford Explorer. America’s best-selling SUV will wear Hankook Kinergy GT all-season tyres in size 255/65R18.
Quick Lane Reading, the tyre and autocentre chain’s first franchise branch, has made a £40,000 investment into new MOT test equipment.
Ford is launching a new scrappage scheme to take older, less fuel- efficient vehicles off UK roads, replacing them with cleaner and more fuel-efficient new Ford models.
Emma King, Ford’s senior purchasing manager at the forefront of the marque’s $11bn investment in EVs, has been named the winner of Autocar’s Great British Women in the Car Industry – Rising Stars 2019 initiative, held in partnership with the SMMT.
Several tyre makers have received new silverware of late, with OEM partners in the vehicle manufacturing sector handing out awards to honour their suppliers. We’ve already shared news of awards Hankook Tire received from Honda and General Motors; more recently, Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Maxxis and Pirelli have commented on the accolades they’ve gained.
We were told that 29 March was the Brexit deadline. As we go to press in the week after that deadline passed, it is clear that we don’t know either when or how we are going to Brexit. As we discussed last month, the consensus amongst analysts and the automotive industry is that there will be a massive negative impact on vehicle manufacturing (and therefore automotive suppliers) in the UK. But what else do we have to look forward to?
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) is expanding its vehicle export operations by adopting a multi-port strategy with the first shipment of 1000 locally assembled Ford Rangers from Port Elizabeth to markets in Europe.
In the USA, Ford Motor is supplying Michelin Selfseal tyres for the new Ford Explorer. The 2020 Explorer is the first SUV to offer Michelin Selfseal tyres, according to Ford.
Ford’s new Focus Active is available from the factory with Hankook tyres, reports the tyre maker. As of December 2018, the crossover wears Hankook’s Ventus Prime 3 in sizes 215/50R18V and 215/55R17V.
The recently announced partnership between Ford and Volkswagen in the commercial vans and medium pickup trucks arena served to highlight the strong global demand that both companies foresee in these two segments. The partnership was made public on the sidelines of the just concluded North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2019, in Detroit. It marks the first step in a partnership that seeks to leverage the complementary strengths of both automotive giants in a bid to boost their competitiveness.
