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This is what the 2013 Ford Focus ST sounds like [w/audio]
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Performance, Hatchback, Ford
To say that we’re eager to drive the 2013 Ford Focus ST is one of the understatements of the year. After seeing lots of photos and videos, we can’t wait to get Ford’s new hot hatch out on the road, and now, we have a pretty good idea of what sort of aural stimulation the turbocharged Focus will provide while we’re tossing it about.
Ford understands that a good engine and exhaust note is an important part of any performance car’s overall experience, and to that end, the automaker has implemented some interesting technology with its Focus ST. Engineers have added a special sound tube – called a sound symposer – to the ST, which specifically enhances the throaty, low-end frequencies of the exhaust. This sort of sound tube has been used before (on the Mustang and Mazda MX-5 Miata), but here in the Focus ST, there’s an electronically controlled valve that opens and closes based on specific driver inputs. What’s more, this valve is mapped more aggressively in lower gears for great sounds during acceleration, but stays shut more often in higher gears to allow for quieter highway cruising.
But enough of the technical mumbo-jumbo. Click the play button below to hear what the end result sounds like during an acceleration run in the Focus ST.
We like what we hear, though we’ll wait to see just how it sounds when things like road and wind noise are factored in during the overall driving experience. Scroll down for Ford’s official press blast.
Continue reading This is what the 2013 Ford Focus ST sounds like [w/audio]
This is what the 2013 Ford Focus ST sounds like [w/audio] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
2013 Ford Escape 1.6L EcoBoost officially rated at 23/33 MPG
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When we drove the all-new Escape recently, Ford was still awaiting official EPA certification for fuel economy. Now, though, the numbers are in, and the Blue Oval can confidently state that it offers the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the small crossover segment… with an automatic transmission, that is.
The hero engine for the new Escape is Ford’s new 1.6-liter EcoBoost inline-four, offering up 178 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. Combined with a six-speed automatic transmission, this engine is good for 23 miles per gallon in the city and 33 mpg highway, besting the highway numbers of the Chevrolet Equinox, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and others. At 33 mpg, this means the new Escape is not only more efficient than the outgoing four-cylinder model, but it bests the numbers of the old Escape Hybrid, too.
But again, this only pertains to automatic transmission-equipped vehicles (the Escape does not offer a manual transmission with any of its powertrains). The 2013 Mazda CX-5 with its 2.0-liter Skyactiv inline-four and six-speed manual ‘box is rated at 35 mpg highway, but opting for the six-speed auto drops that number to 32 mpg.
The other powertrains offered in the Escape are returning some pretty impressive fuel economy numbers, too. The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter base engine is rated at 22/31 mpg, and the range-topping 2.0-liter EcoBoost with 240 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque is good for 22/30 mpg. Scroll down for the full details in Ford’s press release.
Continue reading 2013 Ford Escape 1.6L EcoBoost officially rated at 23/33 MPG
2013 Ford Escape 1.6L EcoBoost officially rated at 23/33 MPG originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Ford releases photos of Focus Electric NASCAR pace car
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Motorsports, Hatchback, Ford, Electric
Last week, Ford announced that it would be creating the world’s first all-electric pace car in the form of the Focus Electric hatchback. Set to lap the oval at the Richmond 400 at the end of this month, the official Focus Electric NASCAR pace car was unveiled to the public at Richmond International Raceway today, showing off the battery-powered vehicle wrapped in its decidedly modest racing livery.
We recently had our first opportunity to drive Ford’s all-electric Focus and find it to be a pleasant and engaging – if inconspicuous – EV. These large decals certainly help the BEV to stand out, and we’re interested to see how the Focus Electric looks while its whirring along in front of some power-hungry NASCAR racers.
Scroll through our high-resolution image gallery above to see a few shots of the zero-emission Focus pace car, and scroll down for Ford’s original press release.
Continue reading Ford releases photos of Focus Electric NASCAR pace car
Ford releases photos of Focus Electric NASCAR pace car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
2012 Ford Focus Electric
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Hatchback, Ford, Electric, Quick Spins
The EV Incognito
You know those “spot the difference” side-by-side photos that are commonly reserved for Highlights magazines in a dentist’s waiting room? “Can you find seven differences between these two pictures?” Park a 2012 Ford Focus Electric next to its gasoline-powered kin and you’ll essentially be playing a three-dimensional version.
But that’s exactly why we like this zero-emission, battery-powered compact. It doesn’t have a funky name, it isn’t all bubbly shaped, and it’s still as functional as any new Focus we’ve sampled to date.
So, does this whole package of anonymous electrification work? It looks like a Focus, but does it drive like one and offer the same refinement, too? We headed to the southern California coast to find out.
Continue reading 2012 Ford Focus Electric
2012 Ford Focus Electric originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.