The Ford Tourneo family made its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show

With all the super cars presented there is now more time to write about some of those vehicles that are a little bit less exciting. Ford brought to Geneva the European EcoSport, and a bunch of versions based on the Tourneo, which in turn is similar to the Transit; the Courier, Connect and Custom. But let's concentrate on the Tourneo family.

First we have the smaller family member, the Courier. Based on Ford’s latest global small-car platform used by the Fiesta and B-Max, it measures 4.16 meters long. It comes with two sliding doors and has room for five people inside. You will be able to choose between a 1.5 liter (75hp) and a 1.6 liter (95hp) Duratorq TDCi diesel engine, and the 1.0 liter EcoBoost petrol engine with 100hp.

Then we have the Connect that uses the same C-segment platform that is also used by the Focus and the new Kuga/Escape. The regular version of the Connect has five seats and is 4420mm long, while the Grand Connect has seven and is 400mm longer (4820mm). Because it is a larger vehicles, therefore it is heavier, it also needs more powerful engines. The range of choices include several versions of the 1.6 liter Duratorq TDCi diesel engine (75hp, 95hp and 115hp), and the same 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine also used in the Courier. There is also available the 1.6 liter EcoBoost engine with the optional six-speed automatic transmission.

Finally we have the Custom, the larger Tourneo is also available in two versions, one with 4970mm and another with 5340mm that can sit eight or nine people, depending on your choice. The Custom also comes with sliding doors and like the rest of the Tourneo range it has available several things that make your life easier while driving like Ford'ss SYNC, Rear View Camera, Driver Alert, Speed Limiter, Auto High Beam, Lane Keeping Alert and SYNC Emergency Assistance. Power comes from the latest 2.2 liter Duratorq TDCi diesel engine with several power outputs; 100hp, 125hp and 155hp. You can only have a manual six-speed gearbox and it comes with the Auto-Start-Stop system.

Source: ford

Short News: Here's the European Ford EcoSport

What you see here is the European version of the Ford EcoSport which is already sold in several "emerging" markets, like Brazil and Argentina, and will soon become a "Global Model". The premiere in Europe will take place next month at the Geneva Motor Show.

Not much else is known for now but according to some sources Ford will bring the EcoSport to Geneva with the 1.0 liter EcoBoost with 125hp and will upgraded the interior to better suit the European tastes.

Besides that engine a few more petrol and diesel units will be borrowed from the Fiesta, since the platform is the same with some minor changes. Outside the only changes are the LED lights on the front.

Spain will get another major investment from a carmaker

The German company Volkswagen said last week it would invest around 785 million euros ($1 billion) in a plant in northern Spain over the next five years, making it the third company in recent months that announced a major investment in that country with severe economy problems.

First it was Ford that said they were going to move production from their Belgium factory to Spain, then Renault announced it was hiring 1.300 new people, but just last week Nissan canceled the plans to expand production of a new model in Spain because they didn't reach an agreement with union workers adding that Spain was losing 4.000 jobs and an investment of 130 million euros.

The Volkswagen plant is in Pamplona in the region of Navarra, can produce up to 1.400 vehicles every day and provides work for 4.600 people, so this was good news for the struggling country. But the Spanish government boasted that these investments happen because "they are the result of a labour market reform that makes the country more competitive for businesses and also makes it cheaper for companies to hire and fire employees.".

I am not sure if its a good thing to make it cheaper to fire people but it seems that's what the companies want.

Source: reuters

Ford Atlas concept: Is this the future of pickups?

Ford unveiled the Ford Atlas Concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and promises this will be future of all the pickups thanks to its "innovative design, fuel efficiency and smart technologies".

The design is not that innovative, it looks like a regular Ford pickup, but has a few useful features like Active Grille Shutters and Active Wheels Shutters to improve aerodynamics at high speeds, next-generation EcoBoost engines, LED headlamps and taillamps plus LED illumination in the cargo box.