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Company veterans promoted to set a course for the future of Ford

Ford on Wednesday named two company veterans to lead its auto and mobility businesses as the No. 2 U.S. automaker shifts its focus to autonomous vehicles and realigns its automobile portfolio. Joe Hinrichs was named president of Ford's automotive unit, and Jim Farley will be president, new businesses, technology and strategy, effective May 1. Both will report to Chief Executive Officer Jim Hackett. Hinrichs' goal will be a sustainable EBIT margin (earnings before interest and taxes) of at least 8 percent, Ford said. He'll have responsibility for all of Ford's global business units, and both the Ford and Lincoln brands. And he'll lead all of the automotive skills teams, from product development through customer experience. "Joe Hinrichs possesses the knowledge, experience and leadership to now take our Automotive business to world-class levels of product excellence, customer satisfaction, efficiency and financial performance," Hackett said. "As we enter a busy period for new product launches and further restructuring in underperforming markets, Joe's leadership in transforming businesses through focused execution will be key." Farley is charged with leading Ford's strategic transformation, in which it hopes to gain higher margins through smart/connected vehicles. He'll oversee corporate strategy, global data analytics, global partnerships, research and advanced engineering, including initiatives in smart mobility and autonomous vehicles. "Jim Farley's job is to drive us into the future, both strategically and operationally, from AVs to mobility experiences to leveraging AI and big data. Jim combines an innate feel for what customers want and need in vehicles and the ability to translate this into the vehicles and services of the future," Hackett said. Marcy Klevorn, president of Ford Mobility, plans to retire Oct. 1 after 36 years at Ford. Until then, she will report to Hackett in a strategic role. "I have asked Marcy to work with me and the senior team to accelerate our transformation," Hackett said. "Marcy's decades of experience working with many of the leading companies in the tech space as well as the work she has done with the transformation of Ford IT and the establishment of Ford Mobility gives her unique knowledge to drive these initiatives."

Ford Mondeo with 1.5-liter EcoBoost debuts in China

Does the car above, posing fancifully in white, look familiar? Well, it should. Although it wears Mondeo badges in the form you see above for the Chinese market - as it does in Europe - the car is basically the same thing sold in the US as the Ford Fusion. Of course, it's what's under that shapely skin that counts.
Ford has chosen the Shanghai Motor Show as the venue with which to unveil its 1.5-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine. We'd heard about the engine before, but now we have a few performance estimates to share: 133 kW of power (about 178 horsepower) and 240 Nm of torque (about 177 pound-feet).
Those numbers pretty much confirm previous rumors indicating about 177 in each category, and it's right on par with what Ford's own 1.6-liter EcoBoost produces. Ford is claiming best-in-class fuel economy as well, but no specific figures have yet been provided. In any case, we'll surely have all the data soon enough, as the 1.5-liter mill is destined for the US Fusion in 2014.

Detroit 3 to implement delayed unified towing standards for 2015

Car buyers have a responsibility to be well-informed consumers. That's not always a very simple task, but some guidelines are self-evident. If you live in a very snowy climate, you generally know a Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro might not be as viable a vehicle choice as an all-wheel drive Explorer or Traverse, for example. If you want a fuel-efficient car, it's generally a good idea to know the difference between a diesel and a hybrid. But what if it's kind of tough to be an informed consumer? What if the information you need is more difficult to come by, or worse, based on different standards for each vehicle? Well, in that case, you might be a truck shopper.
For years, customers of light-duty pickups have had to suffer through different ratings of towing capacities for each brand. For 2015 model year trucks, though, that will no longer be a problem. According to Automotive News, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler Group have announced that starting with next year's models, a common standard will be used to measure towing capacity. The Detroit Three will join Toyota, which adopted the Society of Automotive Engineers' so-called SAE J2807 standards way back in 2011.
The standard was originally supposed to be in place for MY2013, but concerns that it would lower the overall stated capacity for trucks led Detroit automakers to pass. Ford originally passed, claiming it'd wait until its new F-150 was launched to adopt the new standards, leading GM and Ram to follow suit. Nissan, meanwhile, has said it will adopt the new standards as its vehicles are updated, meaning the company's next-generation Titan should adhere to the same tow ratings as its competitors.