(Posted on May 20, 2019 at 12:36AM by Danielle Smyth)
At its May 9, 2019, shareholder meeting, Ford CEO Jim Hackett confirmed a hybrid Bronco is in the works and will be available in 2020, two years after it was first announced. Whether the first hybrid Bronco is the small, Escape-based off-roader known affectionately as the “baby Bronco” or the full-size version is still up in the air.
Recently filed Ford trademark applications have requested both the Scout and Bronco Scout names—one could be for the off-roader, which is being designed to take on the Jeep Renegade.
The new full-size Bronco will have to compete with the Jeep Wrangler’s removable hardtop and doors, and it will do that with doors that can be stored in the trunk and mirrors mounted to the A-pillars—you’ll still have mirrors when the doors are off. The new Bronco’s EcoBoost engine should have at least 325 horsepower.
So we’re afraid you’re just going to have to wait a while longer for the Bronco family. But if you’d like to stop by Sound Ford just outside Seattle, Washington, to talk about what we’ve got to offer when it comes to off-roading options, we’d love to take you for a test ride in one of our new or pre-owned vehicles like the 2019 Ford Escape SE. You’re sure to be impressed!
(Posted on May 18, 2019 at 08:34PM by Danielle Smyth)
An autonomous self-driving robot called Survival shares Ford’s LiDAR technology and saves Ford Spain workers up to 40 hours a day by delivering spare parts and welding materials to them, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks. With an automated shelf and 17 slots, workers can access the parts assigned to them while the slots open and close automatically.
Developed by Ford engineers and the first of its kind to be used in Ford European facilities, it has learned the entire plant floor. Its sensors mean Survival can now navigate the entire facility with external guidance. “While at first workers stopped and stared at Survival as it went by, the bot is now part of the team and people get on with their day letting the bot work.”
Survival has been on trial for nearly a year at the facility that manufactures Kugas, Mondeos, and the S-MAX. It’s performed flawlessly so far and has not replaced a single employee.
Ford’s autonomous cars aren’t going to be here for a while. But if you’d like to test drive a new or new-to-you vehicle in the meantime, stop by Sound Ford in Renton, Washington, so we can show you some of the other innovative technology Ford’s known for. How about the 2019 Ford Escape S, for instance? It’s got lots of modern tech, like variable speed intermittent wipers, an mp3 player, and an outside temperature gauge. You’re going to love it!
(Posted on May 11, 2019 at 01:46PM by Danielle Smyth)
Ford is decreasing production of its 5.0-liter V8 Coyote-equipped Ford F-150s in Canada as demand for the EcoBoost V6 option ramps up. With down shifts every week since January at Ford's Canadian Windsor Engine Plant, there are four more down weeks scheduled between now and the end of September as sales of the 5.0-liter engine continue to drop.
That doesn’t translate to job losses though, as employees will be able to work at the Windsor Engine Plant Annex on 7.3-liter EcoBoost engine production. Ford is working hard to get electric and hybrid powertrains available for the F-150 series on the market.
Here are the stats on current F-150 motor options:
3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 450 hp at 5,000 rpm and 510 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm
5.0-liter Coyote V8 395 hp at 5,750 rpm and 400 lb-ft of torque peaking at 4,500 rpm
3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 375 hp at 5,000 rpm and 470 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm
2.7-liter EcoBoost 325 hp at 5,000 rpm, and 400 lb-ft at 2,750 rpm.
3.3-liter naturally aspirated V6 290 hp at 6,500 rpm and 265 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm
Powerstroke 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 250 hp at 3,250 rpm and 440 lb-ft of torque at 1,750 rpm.
(Posted on May 11, 2019 at 01:25PM by Danielle Smyth)
Whatever it ends up being called, a Mustang-inspired SUV is in the works and it’ll only be another six months before details are available. “Not the Mach 1” 2021 models should be available sometime in 2020. Consumer response to the proposed Mach 1 name was negative, so Ford will have to come up with something else.
Ford Authority’s got some Russian renderings of what that Mustang SUV might look like that use the Mustang’s front and rear ends and its rear hips to envision what Ford might build.
While the drawings of the Mustang SUV may look more like a four-door wagon (think Subaru Outback or VW Golf Alltrack), it’s all just speculation at the moment. One thing is for almost-sure though: the Mustang SUV will only come with an electric drivetrain—there won’t be a 460 hp, 5.0-liter Mustang look-alike SUV.
Instead, Ford will probably offer two electric drivetrain variants, one powertrain with more than a 300-mile driving range, the other offering closer to 400 miles (373). And there may be a high-performance version too.
While you’re waiting till November to see what the Mustang SUV’s really going to look like and find out what Ford’s calling it, come in to Sound Ford near Seattle, Washington, to see our variety of new and pre-owned SUVs. Or to test-drive a 2019 Ford Mustang EcoBoost!
(Posted on Apr 30, 2019 at 04:49PM by Danielle Smyth)
With its strategy of improving European sales by discontinuing underperforming product lines, Ford Europe has decided to discontinue production of its entry-level European car, the Ka+, in September 2019, although it will be available until supply runs out.
By focusing on three business groups (commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles, and imports) and only its best performing lines, Ford Europe avoids penalties for CO2 emissions being imposed in Europe in 2020. Those penalties would have negatively impacted the base price of the Ka+.
The entry-level Ka+ was priced at £4,000 less than the base Fiesta in Europe, but still had trouble competing against the Renault Twingo and the Renault/Romanian subsidiary Dacia Sandero. While the Dacia Sandero is larger than the Ka+, it’s also cheaper. Whether Ford Europe will discount the Ka+ to get rid of inventory or not isn’t known. But that leaves the Fiesta as the entry-level European Ford, and that may mean producing a cheaper Fiesta with fewer features to get the price down.
Ford Europe has already announced the discontinuation of the C-Max in Europe and job cuts in the UK and Germany, and is closing two assembly plants and an engine factory in Russia that it operated jointly with Ford Sollers.
Want to check out a Ford Fiesta here in the States? Stop by Sound Ford in Renton, Washington, and take a test drive of the 2019 model. It’s got loads of features and a chic exterior that will turn heads wherever you go. Hurry in!
(Posted on Apr 21, 2019 at 08:54PM by Danielle Smyth)
After announcing job cuts and cost-cutting measures in 2018 as part of a restructuring plan that includes a complete revamp of the Ford lineup and ambitious plans to bring 40 EVs to market by 2022, the company’s profit margin in 2018 was only 4.4 percent, down from 6.1 percent in 2017.
Of course $11 billion in investments can eat into profits. So it’s probably too soon to tell whether the company’s turned the corner or not, but the move to drop sedans and most cars—including the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, and Taurus—from its lineup to make way for more crossovers, SUVs, and EVs is the strategy in a nutshell. A Ford Mustang performance EV will start production at one of the Ford Mexico plants in 2020 for sale the same year.
“Just trust me on this. You’re going to be reading a lot about Ford performance going forward,” Ford CEO Jim Hackett told guests at the Detroit Economic Club April 12. There’s no question that this is going to mean great things for the automaker in the future.
A few days later, the company announced leadership changes that included promoting Joe Hinrichs president, Automotive, effective May 1. He’s tasked with achieving sustainable global earnings before taxes and interest of at least 8 percent.
Want to test drive an awesome Ford vehicle, like the 2019 Mustang EcoBoost? Swing by Sound Ford near Kent, Washington, today!
(Posted on Apr 12, 2019 at 01:42PM by Danielle Smyth)
With the Chinese government implementing policies to curb emissions, electric vehicle sales are booming. China, where Ford operates a 50/50 joint venture with Changan Automobile called Changan Ford, is the U.S. manufacturer’s second-largest market. While overall Chinese auto sales are slowing, EV sales continue to grow.
And that’s why Ford has recently announced it will introduce 30 new models in China, one third of which will be electric and all designed to meet local needs.
Truck sales are also rising in China, and Ford China plans to add a new, as yet unnamed model, to meet demand. The F-150 Raptor and Ranger are already available.
China will also see Ford vehicles that incorporate Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything or C-V2X communications technology before anyone else. The platform lets Ford cars communicate with each other, as well as with traffic infrastructure, as part of its ongoing mission to reduce both traffic jams and accidents. Forward collision warning, intersection movement assist, roadworks warnings and notifications about emergency vehicles approaches are all part of the C-V2X system. C-V2X also enables platooning, which can decrease the distances between vehicles and lets them to brake or accelerate simultaneously.
To see all the new safety features on current models, however, take a test ride at Sound Ford just outside Seattle, Washington. Take, for instance, the 2019 Ford Fusion SE. It’s got a wonderfully sporty exterior and all the comforts inside that you crave, including dual-zone air conditioning and auto-dimming mirrors. Hurry in!
(Posted on Apr 7, 2019 at 09:41PM by Danielle Smyth)
The 2020 Ford Bronco may have unique removable doors. A new patent filed by Ford with the United States Patent and Trademark Office has led to speculation that the 2020 Ford Bronco will have removable doors with a separate center impact beam. This would mean you could remove the door completely or leave the impact beam in place, making door-less driving a little safer. The doors can be stored in the trunk.
There’s more speculation that the 2020 Bronco will come in both two- and four-door versions, although the patent filed shows only removable front doors. The Bronco and the 2019 Ford Ranger XL will share a platform.
Ford ended production on the Bronco in 1996 but announced in 2017 it was going to start making the popular 4x4 available again. It looks like 2020 is the year. The new Bronco will apparently have a retro design with round headlights and might have a removable hardtop too. Mounting side view mirrors to the A-pillars rather than to the doors means you won’t be driving without mirrors if you decide to take the doors off.
We’d be happy to take you for a test drive in any of our new or pre-owned vehicles, like the 2019 Ranger XL. Stop by Sound Ford just outside Seattle in Renton, Washington.
(Posted on Apr 5, 2019 at 04:41PM by Danielle Smyth)
Seattle, the Emerald City, is green in so many different ways. If you want to subtly virtue signal your environmental commitment, your Irish heritage, or the fact that you live in a temperate rainforest, Mustang buyers can now choose three new shades, two of them green. While it may be closer to a Kelly green than an emerald, the new Need For Green 2019 Ford Mustang is pretty spectacular
Need For Green “would be just as comfortable gracing the bodywork of a Lamborghini,” said one automotive journalist. Green is also one of the three paint colors that holds its value best. Need For Green is included in the base price of the 2019 Ford Mustang and can be ordered with all but four interior color combos. It’s available for all trim levels except the Shelby GT350 and GT350R models. That includes the EcoBoost, EcoBoost Premium, GT, GT Premium, and the Bullitt.
Dark Highland Green and Velocity Blue are the other new options. Ford’s been producing its 2019 model year units for several months now in Flat Rock, MI, so these colors are already available at the retail level. Check out a brand new 2019 Ford Mustang GT at Sound Ford near Seattle, WA. We’d love to take you out for a test drive in one of our new or pre-owned vehicles.