2011 Ford Focus on Video Plus Real-Life Photos from Detroit Show

We’ve already shared with you the initial details on Ford’s European flavored 2011 Focus that was unwrapped at this week’s Detroit automotive gathering, but now we’ve got three new videos as well as real-life pictures of both the five-door hatchback and four-door sedan variants that you can check out right after the jump. The all-new Focus will be almost identical in all markets and is set to go on sale on both sides of the pond in early 2011.

DUB Magazine Tricks out 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 V8 for Hip-Hop Artist Nelly [with Video]

As part of its never-ending marketing efforts, Ford has announced that a widebody conversion of the 2011 Ford Mustang GT will make its hip-hop debut alongside Grammy Award-winning rapper Nelly as part of the artist’s upcoming album’s artwork. The album, which is set for a release this spring, will feature a tricked-out 2011 Mustang GT modified by DUB Magazine.

“I’m itching to get behind the wheel of my Mustang and really take it out on the streets,” said Nelly. “This vehicle being a part of my album artwork is just a reflection of the direction and feel that the album has. To be able to partner with Ford again on another vehicle that is going to change the automotive game is exciting,” he added.

Nelly’s blacked out “5.0″ gets a custom gloss black paint job with flat black racing stripes and a Street Scenes wide body kit complete with custom 22- and 24-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli tires. Other features include a billet grille, hood scoop, tinted taillights, angel eyes headlights and a Borla exhaust.

The Mustang GT’s interior has also been upgraded comes with a complete suede and leather design as well as a custom JL Audio system that includes two 12-inch subwoofers, amps and speakers.

There are no changes under the hood with Nelly’s GT retaining the stock model’s new 5.0-liter V8 engine with 412 horsepower and 390 ft.-lb. of torque.

“Nelly is a true car guy, there’s no denying that. When Nelly expressed interest in wanting to partner with Ford on the all-new 2011 Ford Mustang GT, we knew it was a perfect fit,” said Crystal Worthem, Ford’s Multicultural Marketing communications manager.

We say that Ford’s marketing team always manages to discover “car guys and gals” in all but the most obvious places…

Ford S-MAX and Galaxy MPV Facelift Photos Leaked

The first official shots of Ford’s European market 2010 S-MAX and Galaxy MPV have hit the web ahead of an anticipated unveiling in January 2010. Looking at the photos it appears that the slightly shorter S-MAX gains a new lower grille design that brings it in line with Ford’s latest offerings such as the Fiesta hatch along with a reshaped front bumper that houses a pair of LED lights.

The new tail lamps and alloy wheel designs round off the exterior changes on the S-MAX while there don’t seem to be any visible updates to the interior.

We’ve only got one photo of the 2010 Galaxy MPV, but from what we can tell, changes are limited to the revised upper grille, the new alloys and the restyled front bumper.

It is reported that both minivans benefit from a new diesel engine, however, this has not been confirmed by Ford.

We’ll have more on the restyled S-MAX and Galaxy MPVs as soon as Ford comes out with an official announcement.

Ford Galaxy MPV Facelift gets New 2.0-Liter EcoBoost Turbo Petrol with 203HP

This is the subtly facelifted Ford Galaxy MPV that will be making its world debut at the 2010 Brussels Show on January 13. Aside from some minor cosmetic and equipment upgrades, the revised seven-seater minivan marks the debut of Ford’s all-new, high efficiency, 2.0-litre EcoBoost turbocharged petrol engine while the company also tweaked the 2.0-liter turbo diesel units.

The new 2.0-liter EcoBoost STCi petrol with turbocharging and direct injection churns out 203HP at 5,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 300Nm or 221 lb-ft, which is delivered across a broad 1,750-4,500 rpm range.

Linked to a standard dual-clutch transmission, the 2.0-liter unit propels the Galaxy MPV to 100km/h (62mph) from standstill in 8.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 217 km/h or 135mph.

The 2010 Galaxy will also be available with an upgraded 2.0-litre Ford Duratorq TDCi diesel engine in 115, 140 and 163HP variants that come equipped with a standard 6-speed manual gearbox and optionally, with Ford’s Powershift dual-clutch transmission.

On the outside, the new Galaxy features a subtly redesigned snout with a more sculpted bonnet, revised lower and upper grilles along with new silver roof rails and LED tail lights.

The refined climate control and the introduction of a Blind Spot Information System, a new Adjustable Speed Limiter Device (ASLD), a keyless system and Ford’s EasyFuel capless refuelling system complete the changes.

The new Galaxy will go on sale in Europe in early 2010.

Ford S-MAX gets a New Snout and 203HP 2.0-Liter Turbo Gasoline Engine

Along with the revised Galaxy MPV , Ford -officially- unveiled today the minivan’s ‘sportier’ sibling, the facelifted 2010 S-MAX that will also make its public debut at the 2010 Brussels auto show next January. Being twin-models, the two people carriers share most upgrades including the introduction of Ford’s new 2.0-liter EcoBoost STCi petrol engine and the new diesel lineup.

However, the S-MAX’s makeover is a little more noticeable that that of the 2010 Galaxy. At the front, the new S-MAX gains a redesigned bonnet, bumper and upper and lower grilles, with the high series models now featuring distinctive LED daytime running lights.

Meanwhile, at the back, the seven-seater minivan gets a more dynamically profiled tailgate, a tweaked lower fascia, and reshaped LED tail lights.

Interior upgrades concern the new multifunctional overhead console, an available one-piece panorama roof equipped with power sun blinds, a new LED interior lighting system and revised upholstery colors, graphics and materials.

Like the Galaxy, the S-MAX will be offered with Ford’s new 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost petrol engine featuring direct injection that delivers 203 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 300 Nm of torque from 1,750 to 4,500 rpm.

The new powerplant is linked to Ford’s dual clutch transmission that drives the front wheels. According to Ford, the S-MAX EcoBoost accelerates from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 8.5 seconds and has a top speed of 221 km/h or 137 mph.

Ford says that the new gasoline motor will produce 189g/km of CO2 with a combined fuel of 8.1lt/100km or 29.0mpg US / 34.8mpg UK.

At the same time, Ford’s diesel offering for the new S-MAX have has been improved with the upgraded 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi engine family now complying with Stage V emission regulations. The diesel unit is available in three power levels with 115, 140 and 163 horsepower.

The 2010 S-MAX and Galaxy will go on sale across Europe early year.

2011 Ford Mustang GT with 412HP 5.0-liter V8: First Photos Leaked

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The 2011 Ford Mustang with its spanking new 5.0-liter V8 is proving to be the 2010 Detroit Show’s worst-kept secret, as following an earlier leak on its powertain specs, we now have the first official shots of the car and its engine. From what ‘dam crackers’ told us, the new 5.0 will deliver an output of around 412 ponies at 6,500 rpm and 390 lb-ft of torque, up from the current 4.6-liter V8′s 315HP and 325 lb-ft.

As previously reported, the V8 will be matched to your choice of a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, with the Mustang GT allegedly returning a fuel economy of 25mpg (9.4lt/100km), most likely on the highway.

Ford is expected to release initial details and pictures of the 2011 Mustang GT early next week.

Via: Jalopnik and Autoblog.com

Ford Confirms Deal with China's Geely on Volvo Sale

While General Motors is still trying to figure out what it’s going to do with its Saab division, Ford Motor Company announced today that it has settled all substantive commercial terms with China’s Geely Holding Group Company Limited on the prospected sale of its Volvo unit.

Ford added that while some work still needs to be done before the deal is sealed such as final documentation, financing and government approvals, the company anticipates that a definitive sale agreement will be signed in the first quarter of 2010, with closing of the sale likely to occur in the second quarter of the same year.

“The prospective sale would ensure Volvo has the resources, including the capital investment, necessary to further strengthen the business and build its global franchise, while enabling Ford to continue to focus on and implement its core ONE Ford strategy,” Ford said in a statement,

The Detroit automaker added that it would continue to cooperate with Volvo Cars in several areas after the sale, but it does not plan to retain any shares in the business.

It is said that Geely is offering the U.S. automaker somewhere around $2 billion dollars for Volvo Cars which is less than a third of what Ford paid for the Swedish brand a decade ago.

With the prospected sale of Volvo, Ford will offload the last brand in the Premier Automotive Group that also included Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin.

Ford Confirms All-New Focus and 2011 Lincoln MKX for Detroit Show

On Monday, January 11 at 8:45 am EST, Ford will take the wraps off its brand-new 2011 Focus at the Detroit auto show, while on Tuesday morning, the company will reveal the less significant, 2011 Lincoln MKX midsize crossover. The Fiesta’s new big brother -both in terms of size and styling- is quite possibly one of the most important Fords of the past few decades as it will be a truly global car.

Unlike the current Fiesta which had to be redesigned for North America to address safety, emissions and powertrain issues thus sharing only 60 per cent of parts with its European counterpart, the 2011 Focus has been engineered for all international markets right from the beginning.

According to Ford, around 80 percent of the2011 Focus parts by value will be common between the North American and European versions.

Depending on the market, the new Focus will be offered in various body styles including three- and five-door hatchbacks, four-door sedan and a hardtop convertible (CC).

Ford has already unveiled the MPV variant of the new Focus in the form of the new five-seat C-MAX and its longer, seven-seater sibling, the Grand C-MAX at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show – pictured below. The Grand C-MAX has been confirmed for the U.S. with sales set to start in late 2011.

In Europe, the new Focus and the C-MAX models will be offered with several diesel and petrol engines including Ford’s new 1.6-liter EcoBoost turbocharged petrol with outputs ranging between 150 and 180 horsepower while in North America, there’s talk about a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline unit with direct injection.

Both of these petrol units will be offered with Ford’s dual clutch transmission.

We’ll have the full story on the new Focus on Monday.

All-New Ford Focus Hatchback and Sedan Officially Revealed, Identical in All Markets

The next-generation Ford Focus made its worldwide debut today at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. One of the key highlights is that Ford’s new C-segment competitor with rivals such as the VW Golf / Jetta, Chevy Cruze, Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, is that it will be nearly identical in all markets sharing 80 per cent of its parts around the world.

At Detroit, Ford showed off the five-door hatchback and four-door sedan versions of the new global Focus. Both models share the same styling that marks the next evolution of Ford’s kinetic design form language.

That translates to a crispier and more dynamic design that combines styling features seen in the new Fiesta and the European Mondeo.

The same can be said about the Focus’ interior design that was previewed through the MPV variants of the car, the five-seat C-MAX (Europe) and seven-seat Grand C-MAX (Europe and North America).

Ford says that one of the key elements of the interior is the quality of craftsmanship with the soft-touch materials and the choice of trim all helping to give occupants “the feeling that they are travelling in a higher-class car”.

The new Focus has been developed by a global team, led from the firm’s European small and medium vehicle centre in Merkenich, near Cologne, Germany, with powertrain development spearheaded by the company’s technical centre in Dunton, England

Underneath, the 2011 Focus makes use of Ford’s new mid-sized architecture. The company claims that the Focus will raise the benchmark in handling once more blending “outstanding steering precision and road feedback with significantly improved refinement and ride control.”

The 2011 Focus sticks with front-wheel drive, powered by a new family of engines. European buyers will get 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter Ecoboost turbocharged petrol units as well as improved Duratorq TDCi common-rail diesels offering reductions in fuel consumption between 10 and 20 per cent over the outgoing models.

In North America, the Focus will be offered with a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) and direct injection (DI) delivering an estimated output of 155-horsepower and 145 ft.-lb. of torque.

Depending on the market, the engines will be linked to either manual gearboxes and Ford’s new dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission designed to deliver better fuel economy than comparable automatics.

Production of the next-generation Ford Focus will begin simultaneously in Europe and North America in late 2010, with sales set to start globally in 2011. Ford said that initial production will be concentrated at the Saarlouis (Germany), Michigan (United States) and Chongqing (China) Assembly Plants.

Within the next two to three years, the Focus range will expand to include a three-door hatchback, a station-wagon and quite possibly, a coupe-convertible model, though it remains to be seen if these variants will be sold in all markets.