2007 ford mondeo
Yesterday, we talked about Ford’s EcoBoost technology in their Start Concept. Now at the Beijing Auto Show, Ford has announced that they will also include their EcoBoost Technology in Europe’s Ford Mondeo. The Mondeo will receive the 2.0L I4 EcoBoost engine mated with the new Ford Powershift six speed automatic transmission. This single turbocharger with a direct fuel injection delivery system delivers torque comparable to a V6 engine while fuel economy is boosted by 10%.
“Customers have embraced EcoBoost technology because of its ability to deliver power and performance with uncompromised fuel economy,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president for global product development. “We’re committed to bringing this technology to multiple vehicles so that more customers can take advantage of the no-compromise Ford EcoBoost combination of power, performance and fuel economy. Ford EcoBoost works in any gasoline engine, so adding a 4-cylinder engine to complement our V6 line-up was a logical development.”
Along with that announcement, Ford also announced that the 2.0L I4 EcoBoost will be the first EcoBoost engine to go global with the 1.6L and the 4 cylinder following shortly thereafter. They have already revealed the Europen lineup featuring the 2.0L engine: Ford S-Max, Galaxy, and Mondeo will start off the transition. The Ford Edge will receive the engine later this year while Australia’s Ford Falcon will inherit the 4 cylinder engine in 2011.
This announcement comes as no surprise to us. We figured Ford would be running full steam ahead with this technology that cuts CO2 emissions by 15% compared to larger displacement engines with similar power. Cutting CO2 emissions seems to be an important trend and we are sure Ford will be taking advantage of that as any other automaker would.
Press release after the jump.
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Lamborghini unveiled the special edition Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce China Limited Edition at the Beijing Auto Show. As its name suggests, this will be a Murcielago built exclusively for the Chinese market and will be limited to only 10 units. Somewhere in China, probably at the auto show, a bunch of Chinese people are saying, "Nani, Nani, Booboo".
The LP 670-4 SuperVeloce China is painted in flat gray with an orange stripe that symbolizes the strength of an erupting volcano (think Icelandic eruption). Also, in a touch of superior identification, all units will feature a numeration badge with the name of its owner.
The LP670-4 SV is powered by a 6.5 liter V12 delivering a total of 670 hp. With a weight reduction of 220 lbs, the Murciélago LP 670-4 SV boasts a power-to-weight ratio of 2.3 kg (5.1 lbs) per hp. It vaults itself from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.2 seconds and hits top speed at 212 mph. This little sassy sportscar is faster than the Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera. Nice.
There will definitely be 10 very ecstatic people in China when they come face to face with their unique vehicle. There might also be 10 very paranoid vehicle owners putting added security on their magnificent rides.
Press release after the jump.
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While waiting for the production version of the Volt, Chevrolet decided to tease us with a new electric concept carrying the same nameplate. This time, it’s a crossover. It made its world debut at the Auto China 2010 and comes to demonstrate the potential of the Voltec propulsion system.
The MPV5 concept features the same design as the Volt: a closed grille and aero-optimized lower air dam, a full-underbody belly pan, along with rocker claddings, creased tail lamps and specially designed blades on the rear quarter. The crossover is painted in Sonic Blue Metallic paint and sits on 19-inch Volt-inspired wheels.
And, of course, under the hood there is the same propulsion system with a total of 150 Hp and an autonomy of 300 miles on a full tank of gasoline. The MPV5 can hit a top speed of 100 mph.
We are curious to see what other Volt-like creations are up Chevy’s sleeve, especially since this crossover looks quite dashing. Check out the interior shots.
Press release after the jump.
Full story
There’s no end in sight to China’s auto-cloning ways, is there?
Chinese automaker Huatai is on its way to debuting yet another piece of work: the B35 SUV, or as we’d like to refer to it as the part-Porsche Cayenne, part-Bentley SUV.
Seriously, we can’t, for the life of us, figure out why China auto brands can’t seem to develop styling elements of their own and rely mostly on combining elements between two pre-existing cars to make it look like they came up with something so grandiously unique. This B35 is no exception to that. If the similarities to the Porsche Cayenne isn’t enough, they had to make it look a wee-bit more updated by installing a large chrome grille that, we’re quite certain, came straight out of a Bentley.
In any case, there’s pretty much nothing we can do about it and we’ll just have to wait for the Beijing Auto Show to see how the car-loving public reacts to these China-made vehicles, though as far as we’re concerned, we kind of hope that they’d stop with all the rip-offs and copycats and make their own designs.
We’re beginning to wonder if the Chinese automakers are enjoying being labeled as the world’s foremost copycat car makers because we can’t comprehend how they can continue to produce these kinds of ’cloned’ models with a straight face.
The one we’re putting under the spotlight this time is Huatai. This specific Chinese automaker has a few offerings in line for the Beijing Auto Show, including two sedans they’re calling the B11 and the B21. If the stylings of the two cars look eerily familiar to you, it’s because you’ve probably seen them in one or two Bentleys before.
While the car’s exterior is pretty much a Bentley off-shoot, though not a particularly good one, the B11 and the B21’s respective engines are far from being ’Bentley-esque’. The two sedans from Huatai come in a choice of either a 1.8-liter turbo or a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that are both far cries from what original Bentleys would have under their hood.
Nevertheless, the two sedans are primed to make their debuts at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show and we’re quite certain that they, along with a lot of other China-cloned vehicles, will receive their fair share of attention. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is entirely subjective.
