2012 Ford Explorer 2.0L EcoBoost, MT Slams Says: it's Slow, Clumsy, Pricey and Thirsty

Now here's a review that is bound to get the conversation heated up. Motor Trend's senior editor, Jonny Lieberman of former Jalopnik, The Truth About Cars and Autoblog fame, tried out the new 2012 Ford Explorer with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four that produces 240-ponies. And well, let's just say he didn't like it one bit.After testing the Explorer, Lieberman states, among other things, that the 2.0-liter model is "slow, clumsy, pricey, thirstier than we would have thought, and a packaging disaster".
But wait; there's more from where that came from and we're not only talking about Lieberman, but the other Motor Trend editors as well: "It's like driving a large overstuffed armchair," says Executive editor Ed Loh, while Todd Lassa notes that it "Handles like an oversize, overweight Volvo."
More or less, the entire Motor Trend team seems to agree with the assessment that the Explorer EcoBoost is a mediocre vehicle that's "hard to find anything good to say about".
You can watch MT's test in the video below, or follow the link to read the full review on the magazine's official website, and tell us what you think in the comments section below.
Story References: Motor Trend

VIDEO

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Ford Fiesta New Metal Special Edition with 134HP in the UK

Looking for a more special Fiesta supermini? Ford has you covered in the United Kingdom with the launch of yet another limited edition model, called the Fiesta Metal of which only 1,000 examples will be built.The new car is based on the three-door variant and is powered by a 1.6-liter Duratec petrol engine that generates 134-horses at 6,700rpm and 160Nm (118 lb-ft) of torque at 4,250rpm allowing it to complete the 0-62mph (100km/h) sprint in 8.7 seconds.
Available in three exterior paint finishes (Panther Black, Midnight Sky or Frozen White), the Fiesta Metal boasts chrome twin exhaust pipes, silver-painted front grille surround, front apron and front fog light bezels, plus 17-inch Black alloy wheels and a lowered ride height.
Inside, the new Fiesta gains Piano Black painted centre stack bezel, air vent rings and door pulls, Ebony Black leather sports seats with silver contrast stitching, unique floor mats with silver piping and stainless steel door scuff plates.
Standard features include Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Home Safe headlights, Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS), front, side and knee airbags and anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).
The Fiesta Metal is available for order now with on-the-road prices starting from £15,695.

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Ford will Build Electric Cars and Selling Lincolns in China

Ford Motor Company’s CEO, Allan Mulally, recently told Bloomberg Television that his company might build electric cars with its partner in China while the automaker is also looking to introduce the Lincoln brand into the market.

“As we move towards electrification, you’re going to see more hybrids, plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars”, said Mulally while on a trip to Chongqing, China, for the founding of a new transmission plant in partnership with Changan Automobile Group.

The CEO did not specify when or which EVs Ford is considering to make in China in cooperation with its local partner, only that it depends on infrastructure and progress in battery pack technology. The Chinese government’s intention is to have at least one million electric cars on the streets by 2015 in order to reduce emissions.

Mulally added that Ford, which aims to double its presence in all segments in the local market, is considering bringing the Lincoln brand to China: “We have a great luxury brand in Lincoln. There’s going to be tremendous pull from China to have access to these great vehicles.”

Introducing Lincoln to the Chinese market might prove a profitable movement, since JD Power estimates that luxury car sales will increase by 15% in 2011 alone.

Ford came a little late to the China booming car market party, but intends to make up for it by investing $1.6 billion USD in the construction of four new plants in order to achieve its goals. Currently its share in China is just 2.7%, while GM’s is more than triple, at 10%.

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Study Shows that New Porsche 911 is the Most Web Buzz from the Frankfurt Motor Show

Now that the 2011 International Auto Show in Frankfurt has passed into history, analysts are crunching the numbers to see which carmakers and models sparked the crowd's interest the most.

UK-based Kantar Media Precis released the results of a study that looks into the number of online stories from websites, Tweets, blogs and other social media starting from two weeks before the first press day of the Frankfurt Motor Show on Aug. 30, 2011, until the end of the second press day on Sept. 14, 2011.

The study reveals that the most talked about model on the internet was the new Porsche 911 sports coupe, while next up was the Mercedes-Benz B Class small MPV, followed by the BMW i3 Concept hatch, the Audi Urban Concept studies and the Ford Evos Concept.

According to the findings of the study, Audi and Ford were the most popular brands among bloggers and YouTube users, with the Audi A2 Concept taking first place followed by the Ford Evos Concept.

The statistics show that from August 30 to September, a total of 19,549 online news stories and 5,666 social media posts talked about the 2011 IAA in one way or another, with 59 percent of those discussions taking place before the first press day on September 13.

For what it's worth, the most viewed 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show story on Carscoop in the same time period was the Ford Evos Concept followed closely by the new Porsche 911 and the Jaguar C-X16.

Most Viewed Frankfurt Motor Show Posts [August 30 to September 14]
1) Ford Evos Concept
2) 2012 Porsche 911
3) Jaguar C-X16
4) 2012 Honda Civic Hatch
5) New Mazda CX-5
6) Land Rover DC100 Concept
7) New Hyundai i30 Hatch
8) 2012 Toyota Avensis Facelift
9) Citroen Tubik Concept
10 Maserati Kubang Concept

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Ford's Transit SportVan Limited Edition

Like clockwork, Ford of Britain has just unveiled another version of its special edition Transit SportVan, this time 180 examples if the commercial model finished in a new livery with metallic silver bodywork and graphite racing stripes.
Color is the only differentiating factor among the previous versions of the Transit SportVan, which was first launched in 2007.
Up until now, Ford has released six models/colors, all of which have been sold out. These include the Performance Blue with white stripes (500 examples), Sea Grey with silver stripes (80 units), Panther Black with silver stripes (500), Frozen White with blue stripes (80), Ink Blue with silver stripes (150) and Colorado Red with white stripes (250).
The seventh edition in the SportVan range is based on Transit 260 short wheelbase model with a 140HP 2.2-litre TDCi diesel engine driving the front wheels through a six-speed transmission.
On the outside, the commercial model stands out thanks to the Silver paintwork with Le Mans-style graphite bonnet stripes, twin exhausts, 18-inch graphite colour alloy wheels shod in low profile 235/45 tyres, front and rear lower spoilers, side skirts and wheel arch extensions.
On board, standard features include air conditioning, Sony radio/CD with DAB with remote steering-column-mounted controls, Bluetooth, cruise control, power windows, powered and heated mirrors, leather steering wheel, tinted glass, leather gearshift knob and a perimeter alarm.
The new Transit SportVan is on sale now at Ford dealers with pricing set at £23, 670, or a little over £1,000 than last year's model.

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IAA 2011: New Ford Evos Study

The Frankfurt Motor Show is renowned for its concept models and automakers didn't disappoint at this year's event. One of the most impressive studies is the new Ford EVOS that displays the Blue Oval's first truly global design language, while also opening the discussion for a compact size sport model.
While we still don't have a name for Ford's new design direction, we do know it replaces the Kinetic DNA and that key styling elements found on the EVOS concept will be applied to forthcoming Blue Oval vehicles including the next generation of the Focus.
“We wanted the Ford Evos Concept to give a clear message about where Ford design is heading – shaping vehicles that are fun to drive, have a strong premium visual appeal, and above all, are stunningly beautiful,” said J Mays, group vice president, Design and chief creative officer.
Ford said that the first of the new generation of production cars developed using the new design vocabulary will be given its public debut in 2012 without, however, elaborating further.
The concept itself measures 4.50m (177-in) long, 1.97m (77-in) wide and 1.36m (53-in) high, with a wheelbase of 2.74m (108-in). Even though the fastback model looks like a coupe at a first glance, the entire rear section of the car incorporates another pair of doors that open in the same upwards way as the front doors.
The EVOS is motivated by a lithium-ion plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain that includes a 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle gasoline engine.

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