15 Passenger Van In Excellent Condition on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford confirms 1.5-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine for 2014 Fusion

Earlier this week, reports were swirling 'round the internet about the 2014 Ford Fusion getting a new 1.5-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine. That was... half correct. Ford today confirmed that the 2014 Fusion is, in fact, getting a new 1.5-liter EcoBoost mill, but it has four cylinders, not three.
The new 1.5-liter engine will be the fifth EcoBoost powerplant from Ford Motor Company. Initially to be built at the automaker's Craiova, Romania plant, it will also be offered in the Fusion's twin, the Mondeo, in other markets. This engine will debut at the Shanghai Motor Show next month, and the 1.5-liter is of particular importance in the Chinese market - there is significant tax relief in the People's Republic for vehicles powered by engines with a capacity of 1.5 liters or less.
At a media briefing Thursday, Ford declined to divulge exact power or fuel economy numbers, though Joe Bakaj, vice president of powertrain engineering, told Autoblog that power output should be similar to that of the current 1.6-liter inline-four, and that overall efficiency will be "better than the 1.6." Our earlier report stated that the 1.5-liter four will produce 177 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque - losses of 1 hp and 7 lb-ft versus the 1.6-liter engine. Ford states that the 1.5-liter four will feature many of the same technologies used on the company's 1.0-liter EcoBoost inline-three, including an integrated exhaust manifold that recaptures much of the engine's heat.

UK Mustang buyers want big American V8s

Just before Ford ended its marketing partnership with Europe's UEFA Champions League soccer tournament last year, it showcased the 2015 Mustang during the event final in Lisbon, Portugal. Ford put 500 Mustangs up for pre-order to viewers in 20 countries, 130 of them right-hand-drive models for the UK. It didn't take 30 seconds for every car to be snapped up because almost 10,000 people tried to buy them. That's how hungry Europe is for the Mustang. That helps explain why orders for the pony car in the UK already number almost 2,000 units, which ties up production past July 2016. Ford UK released a few details on the order habits of that kingdom united, saying 80 percent have taken the coupe over the convertible, and 70 percent have gone for the 410-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8. That compares to 52 percent of US buyers taking the V8 instead of the V6 or the 2.3-liter Ecoboost. The UK V8 output number is 25 ponies down on our US model because of the switch to right-hand drive, the steering assembly location requiring a new exhaust manifold. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost is the only other engine offered there. The row-your-own set nips the slushbox crowd, 55 percent of buyers choosing the six-speed manual, and Race Red is the most popular of the ten available colors with 23-percent uptake. The graphic above breaks it all down, the press release below spells it all out. Related Video FIRST UK DELIVERIES IN SIGHT AS FORD MUSTANG ORDERS ACCELERATE TOWARDS 2,000 BRENTWOOD, Essex, UK, August 24, 2015 – Almost 2,000 Ford Mustang orders have been taken in the UK since January as the first right-hand drive cars begin to roll off the production line at Flatrock Assembly Plant in Michigan, North America. The Ford Mustang – introduced in the U.S. more than 50 years ago – has excited fans across the globe, but has never been available to order with right-hand drive, until now. The first UK customer deliveries are expected from November, with extra supply secured to meet the greater than expected demand. So far, 80 per cent of UK customers have opted for the fastback body style over the convertible and 70 per cent have specified the 416PS 5.0-litre V8 engine over the more fuel-efficient 317PS 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine. Mustang's six-speed manual transmission is the slightly more popular choice (55 per cent) over the six-speed automatic, which comes with sporty SelectShift paddle control.

Watch live as Mark Fields is officially named Ford's next CEO

We've heard rumblings of a changing of the guard at Ford, and this live stream from The Blue Oval itself is set to confirm the rumors: Alan Mulally will be succeeded by the automaker's current Chief Operating Officer, Mark Fields.
Mulally, who is 68 years old, has served at the head of Ford for eight years, and his official retirement date will be July 1st, 2014. Fields, who is 53 this year, has been with Ford for 25 years and has been groomed to take the helm from Mulally for the last several of those years.
There's an official press release that you can read, but if you're more of a visual person, you're welcome to watch the live video feed of the announcement down below.