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| Glorious new UK prices from Ford announced at Goodwood |
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The Company had done the same in April with their Blue Tag Pricing strategy for their larger models, Mondeo S-Max and Galaxy. From August 2, the recommended list price of a Ford Ka Studio will be £7,995; the recommended list price for a Ford Fiesta Studio will be £9,995, the recommended list price of a Ford Focus Zetec will be £15,545 while the recommended list price of a Ford Kuga Titanium will be £22,495. This compares with recommended list prices of £9,360, £11,645, £18,345 and £23,795, respectively, for the outgoing models. Nick Thomas, strategy manager for Ford of Britain, said, “The company has had had to deal with a 30% devaluation of the Pound against the Euro but Ford has also had to respond to competition, particularly following the end of the UK's scrappage scheme.” "In March we re-priced our large cars down 12-13% and worked on the residual values which has been very successful but it has put our price list out of kilter making a Focus more expensive than a Mondeo.” "From August 2 we will reduce the list price on our small and medium cars, lowering discounts and dealer margins. The will not mean prices are haggle-free - there will still be some negotiating room." Thomas said, “We are not interested in a crazy discount market, this is not the start of a price war. It is a move towards more realistic list prices on the company's small and medium cars which account for 85% of Ford's business in the UK. We need to be clear about our transaction price and get more customers into the showroom." As well as appealing to showroom customers, Thomas said the lower recommended list prices will also reduce P11D tax liability, increasing the appeal of Ford's small and medium cars to company car drivers. Seasonal promotions featuring discounts of up to 15% were first introduced across the Ford UK dealer network in March. In April, these promotions effectively became permanent on Ford large cars and now they are being applied across the entire range to make pricing more transparent. Nigel Sharp, managing director Ford of Britain, said: "The traditional way that the car industry has operated in the UK - with high recommended list price matched to high discounts - is causing confusion for consumers. "Together with our dealer partners we are determined to change that formula and make the whole purchase process more transparent and the value of Ford cars more obvious." Mondeo new engine/transmissions added
In addition significantly improved 2.0-litre TDCi turbodiesel engines with 115 and 140PS power outputs join the Mondeo line-up. Kuga SUV range changes Launched in 2008, in the UK over 20,000 have been sold putting it in the number two sales position in its crossover SUV segment behind the Nissan Qashqai. Palmer said, “65% of Kuga sales are to retail customers, 97% are diesel powered models, 65% are Titanium specification and 20% of customers choose an automatic transmission. The new powertrain combinations include a powerful 163PS version of the 2.0-litre Ford Duratorq TDCi turbodiesel engine, a new 140PS 2.0-litre TDCi unit (previously 136PS) and the availability of the new PowerShift, six-speed, twin clutch automatic transmission for the popular all-wheel drive models. Overall, more power, more torque improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions. The 2.5-litre, five-cylinder petrol engine with all wheel drive and with manual or conventional torque converter auto gearbox remains in the new model year range, priced from around £25,745. The headline change for the new Kuga range is the 163PS turbodiesel unit which has 20% more peak power with a broader spread of torque, 350Nm delivered between 2,000 and 3,250rpm with much stronger response below 2,000rpm as 250Nm is produced at just 1,250rpm. Top speed is increased from 112 to 121mph and 0-62mph is cut from 10.7 to 9.6 seconds. The combined cycle fuel economy is 47.1mpg - a 6% improvement and CO2 emissions are reduced to 159 from 169g/km. A new Kuga ‘Individual’ trim is to become available on Titanium specification models. These additions include body-coloured side skirts and wheel-arch lips, 19-inch alloy wheels and premium leather upholstery. Prices are to be announced closer to the August on sale date. At Ford’s pre Goodwood media event we had the opportunity to drive on and off road the new 2.0-litre, 163PS Kugas with the six-speed, twin clutch PowerShift auto gearbox and all wheel drive. Priced at an estimated £25,995 this model for most people should be the pick of the range. The engine is strong and very responsive and the really smooth operation auto gearbox gave seamless changes. The fuel economy could have been better, just 31.9mpg but that did include some nursery slope off-road driving. CO2 emissions are 179g/km so this means a First Year VED road tax cost of £300 and then £200 per year onwards. During on road driving conditions the smart on-demand all wheel drive system provides 90% of the drive to the front wheels. As grip changes this is automatically adjusts to a maximum 50/50 split front to rear. There is no downhill descent control but the Kuga relies on the AWD system and smart ABS anti-lock braking. Ground clearance off-road can be an issue, it looks a tall vehicle but it ‘ground-out’ easily. Driving on tracks and fields, or more likely caravan or boat towing, or taking the children to school and the Kuga is in its element. Miles Better News Agency – Girlracer Magazine Worth Checking - Motoring news - Test drives
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