The New Ford S-MAX Boosts Sales in Europe

Since the release of the innovative Ford S-MAX at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, the Ford Motor Company has received more than 30,000 orders and has already distributed about 9,000 individual units of the Ford S-MAX in selected areas in Europe.

“We are delighted with the response to the new S-MAX from customers and the media. This confirms our belief that customers want innovative solutions to their driving needs. With 5+2 seats, a wide choice of engines and expressive styling, the S-MAX offers motorists a fresh approach that is proving hugely popular,” said Stephen Odell, Vice President of Ford of Europe.

"The fact the S-MAX is drawing new customers also demonstrates the broad appeal of the Ford brand. Ford delivers great-looking, well-engineered cars and driving enjoyment without compromises. That's what the S-MAX is all about," he added.

Built with quality Ford parts like Ford headlights, the S-MAX is the very first vehicle to feature Ford's innovative “kinetic design” styling, which Ford engineers describe as “expressing energy in motion”. With the kinetic design, The S-MAX emphasizes its dynamic driving capabilities in an emotional way. One of the major selling features of the Ford S-MAX is the “FoldFlatSystem”. This unique design enables the third and second row seats to completely fold flat into the floor. Because of the small third row seats, Ford classifies the S-MAX as “5+2”, which means that the rear seats are only for occasional use and can be replaced with sliding cargo trays.

According to Ford, the most popular model in the S-MAX Series is the Titanium model. Almost 50 percent of the customers had ordered this model. The Titanium model is equipped with a 1.8-liter Duratorq TDCi I4 engine that allows the S-MAX to accelerate from 0-60 mph in more than 11 seconds. Like the Ford Focus, the Ford S-MAX is also equipped with Ford's Intelligent Protection System, including the new driver's knee airbag, driver and passenger front airbags, side airbags and front seatbelt pyrotechnic pre-tensioners, and the standard anti-lock braking system with electronic brake force distribution.

The production of the new Ford S-MAX was first started last April 2006, and until now, S-MAX models are exclusively built at Ford's Genk plant located in Belgium.

By Jay Stevens.

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The Accelerated Ford Way Forward Plan

It is not a secret anymore. The Ford Motor Company is currently suffering from financial blows. The company that used to be part of the US automotive industry's Big Three is now on its knees and is now trying to get up and recover from the wounds that it has received.

Experts in the industry do say that this is not all about the products - from Ford vehicles like the Ford Focus and the Ford F150 pick up truck to other Ford products like Ford Granada parts and the like - that the Ford Motor Company offers. These experts suggest that the problems that Ford is currently experiencing are probably all part of a mismanagement of the company. They also do agree that the company now offers lots of products in the market which are no longer quite as hot and as popular as they used to be.

To answer such a problem, the company has now come up with what they call the Accelerated Ford Way Forward plan. This would be the company's battle plan and it would be their way of making sure that the company does totally go downhill and become just a memory in the auto industry.

According to the Ford Motor Company's Accelerated Ford Way Forward plan, the company is actually planning on cutting down the number of salaried workers that they have. Sources say that the company might be cutting down at least a third of the whole number of workers that the company currently employs. Plus, the company says that they would be offering what they call buyout packages to all of the company's 75,000 hourly employees for their Ford and Automotive Components Holdings arm.

In previous years, the company says that they would be decreasing the number of employees that they have come the year 2012. However, with the crisis hanging quite seriously over the company's head, the head honchos have now come to an agreement that the company would rather be able to finish such a giant amount of decrease of employees just by the year 2008.

By Jason Moore.