Land Rover Freelander Wins Best 4x4
The Land Rover Freelander Td4 has won the title of Best 4X4 of the year, awarded by the UK magazine 'Diesel Car.' The
Freelander Td4 was launched in September last year and has been acclaimed by the press and customers alike.
Transmission on the Freelander Td4 is via a new, five-speed manual gearbox, with a five-speed automatic gearbox with
Steptronic. The automatic option allows the driver to select normal automatic, sport mode or Steptronic for maximum
control in all conditions.
Other improvements introduced with the latest Freelanders include improved suspension, brakes and a revised interior.
The Freelander Td4 combines a responsive engine with good economy in a versatile package, and the availability of the
five-speed automatic gearbox with Steptronic adds to its driver appeal.
New Transit Wins Arctic Van Test
The new Ford Transit has won Europe's toughest driving challenge, the Arctic Van Test. Coping with snow, ice and subzero
temperatures, the Transit was pitted against other participating vehicles on a demanding five-day series of driving
tests in Finland and Lappland.
Volkswagen, Toyota, Fiat, Peugeot, Citroen, Hyundai, Iveco, Mercedes and Mazda also took part in the challenge. After a
wide-ranging and detailed assessment of all the models, journalists from Scandinavia, Belgium, Germany and Russia gave
the Transit top marks.
The judges were particularly impressed with the Transit's comprehensive equipment, modern technology and driver-friendly
work environment. Other areas which scored highly were the vehicle's driver airbag, anti-lock brakes, easy accessibility
and fuel economy.
Ford and Cosworth Team Up on High-performance SVT Focus Engine
Ford Motor Company's Special Vehicle Engineering Team (SVE) and Cosworth Technology have teamed up to deliver a special
breed of high-performance engine that will debut in the upcoming 2002 SVT Focus.
This Focus, the most powerful version of the popular hatchback yet to be released, benefits from a redesigned version of
the 2.0L Ford Zetec engine.
"This is a high-performance engine that will deliver a high level of customer satisfaction because of its good
drivability characteristics," said Karl Kollin, SVE powertrain engineer.
The new engine in the SVT Focus represents several technological "firsts" for Ford and is designed to provide smooth,
almost effortless acceleration, while emitting a growl from the finely tuned engine that is sure to appeal to any
performance enthusiast.
Modifications to the engine include a dual-stage intake (DSI) manifold, variable cam timing on the intake camshaft and
an under-body-only catalyst system.
Land Rover Launches New Commercial Vehicles
Land Rover UK is aiming to increase its impact in the commercial vehicle sector with the launch of two new commercial
vehicles.
The new Discovery Commercial is based on the Series II model that first made its appearance in 1998 and will be
available powered by the 2.5-litre, five-cylinder Td5 diesel engine. There is also a wide range of options available
with the Discovery Commercial.
The Freelander Commercial is now available in 2001 model year form with a 1.8-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine or the
new 2.0-litre, four-cylinder common rail diesel Td4 engine.
Both the Discovery and Freelander commercials will go on sale this month.
Ford Announces 'TH!NK @bout London' Electric Vehicle Programme
Ford has announced plans to launch "TH!NK @bout London," a pilot sustainable mobility programme that will see the
introduction during the Northern Hemisphere summer of a fleet of electric cars onto the capital's roads.
Ford is now looking for modern, creative and innovative businesses and organisations based in central London to take
part in the programme. These businesses and organisations will be offered one of 15 TH!NK City electric cars at a highly
attractive rate and asked in return to provide feedback on how the vehicles are used, ways in which they help to solve
city transport problems and report on the car's general performance.
The two-seater TH!NK City car is silent, contemporary and environmentally sensitive -- producing zero emissions when
used, and has an acceleration of 0-50 kph in less than seven seconds and a top speed of 90 kph.
Land Rover Increases Share in a Competitive UK Market
Land Rover is celebrating figures showing an 8-percent increase in sales for the first quarter of 2001 for its
Freelander, Discovery and Range Rover
Star performer for Land Rover is the Freelander, the class leader in the 4x4 market that recorded an increase of 22
percent. Land Rover puts this performance down to the major revisions introduced to the Freelander range for 2001.
These revisions include a new model with a 2.5-litre, V-6 petrol engine and a new 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel
engine. Also new is a five-speed, automatic gearbox with Steptronic gear change. This is standard on the V-6 and
optional on the diesel. The Freelander lineup is completed by a 1.8-litre, four-cylinder petrol version.
Sales of the Range Rover luxury off-road vehicle also saw a 4-percent increase.
New Ford Mondeo Scoops an Astonishing 21 Trophies in the UK
The new Ford Mondeo has enjoyed more critical acclaim in the UK in its first six months on sale than any previous Ford
model, including the Ford Focus.
"From the moment the new Mondeo was launched, it was clear that we had a very special product. To have won 21 awards in
six months is testimony to this," said Ian McAllister CBE, chairman and managing director, Ford Britain.
In addition to the many regional awards the car has won, the new Ford Mondeo has secured some of the highest-profile
accolades that are awarded within the motor industry.
Amongst the tally of 21 awards, the new Mondeo has become the outright European winner of the Auto Express AUTO1 awards,
BBC Top Gear's Car of the Year, Fleet News' Car of the Year, Fleet Week's Fleet Car of the Year, What Car? Car of the
Year and Channel 4 Driven's Car of the Year.
The Ford Mondeo has redefined the medium-car class since its original launch in 1993, with more than 2.5 million sales
across the world. Mondeo's acclaimed vehicle dynamics and driving quality have been the inspiration for successive cars
in the Ford range, and like the new Mondeo, the original scooped numerous accolades over its seven years of production.
Ends