2007 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Sport Utility 4x4 on 2040-cars

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Ford paying $750 million just to close plant in Belgium

According to a report from Reuters, Ford is shelling out $750 million in a severance deal that will see the automaker close its facility in Genk, Belgium. The automaker reached this deal with the 4,000 hourly workers employed at the plant last week, which means the company will pay out an average of $187,500 per worker.
Ford is still negotiating with the 300 salaried workers at the factory, which currently produces the Mondeo sedan. All told, Ford expects to lose around $2 billion in Europe thanks in no small part to the region's ongoing economic downturn, and two more plants are scheduled to be shut down in Europe this year. The company will log its $750 million payout under "special items" for this quarter.
As you may recall, Ford took a similar path in the US back in 2009 when the domestic market took a spill. Back then, the company shelled out around $50,000 per employee with at least one year of experience, plus either $25,000 toward a new car or an extra cash payment of $20,000. It would seem the cost of closing plants in Belgium is a much harder pill to swallow than in the States...

Ford Transit Skyliner Concept does discreet luxury in NYC

There's something to be said for luxed-out vans. They're cool, and as a means of getting chauffeured about, they're extremely comfortable and far more low key than your typical executive luxury sedan. For the 2014 New York Auto Show, Galpin Auto Sports has shown the potential of the new-for-the-US Ford Transit as an ultra-luxurious people hauler.
The Transit Skyliner Concept, which we previewed last week, sports four finely crafted captain's buckets that can be moved into different formations based on need. Want to watch a movie? The seats can be swung around to face a 52-inch screen. Riding along with some business associates? A table can be popped up. There's even a configuration for tailgating.
The materials are, unsurprisingly, pretty plush. The leather seats and wood floors (yes, wood floors in a van) look great, while the trunk and its customized luggage are a nice touch, as well.

Ford unveils all-new 2016 F-650 and F-750 at NTEA

Medium-duty work trucks might not be the most exciting vehicles, but they perform necessary jobs everyday. Ford is in the process of a complete refresh of its entire commercial vehicle lineup over the next 18 months, and it is debuting the all-new versions of its F-650 and F-750 trucks at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, IN.
"The all-new F-650/F-750 allow us to leverage our strengths and sales leadership in Classes 1 to 5 to create a better F-650/F-750 that's designed, engineered and built by Ford in the USA," said Ford spokesperson Mike Levine to Autoblog via email.
Huge amounts of torque is vital for trucks like these, and both models are offered with some of Fords biggest engines. Buyers can opt for either the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel with TorqShift 6-speed automatic with available power takeoff or a gasoline-fueled 6.8-liter V10 with a 6-speed automatic. The V10 can also be ordered from the factory to be fueled by compressed natural gas or liquid propane gas.