2010 Ford S-MAX with all-new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost SCTi engine

2010 Ford S-MAX with all-new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost SCTi engine

When the S-Max was launched back in 2006, the model was a winner for Ford of Europe from the start. It promptly took the European Car of Year Award prize and went on to be a sales success and a favorite of consumers and auto journalists alike. Now the S-Max is due for a mid-generation facelift and Ford needs to keep the model fresh without compromising its hard-won credentials with the public.

The 2010 Ford S-MAX will be available with significant detail changes to the exterior including a strongly sculptured bonnet and all-new front fascia, emphasised by the bolder graphic of the gloss black lower front trapezoidal grille. This gives Ford S-MAX a distinctive new presence on the road and a new lower front bumper which, on high series models comes with distinctive LED daytime running lights (optional for Trend series), further strengthens the car’s purposeful stance. From the side, Ford S-MAX is instantly recognisable and now stands out even more with its window profile enhanced by a chrome strip, which surrounds the whole glass area to enhance the car’s sleek and sporty lines.

2010 Ford S-MAX with all-new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost SCTi engine

The rear of new Ford S-MAX has also been re-designed with a more dynamically profiled tailgate, a lower fascia, and new LED tail lights that extend deep into the rear side flanks, creating an even stronger athletic appearance. Peer at the nose and slightly repositioned air intakes with adjacent foglights coming into view. Above them, a shapelier hood with twin design lines adds a sporty flavor to the otherwise bland van. Boosting its premium appeal while further distinguishing the new car is a horizontal satin chrome bar, which runs between the LED tail lights and is embossed with the distinctive S-MAX logo.

2010 Ford S-MAX with all-new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost SCTi engine

The Ford S-MAX offer an all-new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost SCTi engine. Featuring lightweight all-aluminium construction, the latest-generation high-pressure direct injection system, low-inertia turbocharging and twin independent variable cam timing. The 2.0-litre EcoBoost SCTi engine has a maximum output of 203 PS (149kW) at 5,500 rpm, combined with maximum torque of 300 Nm, which is delivered across a broad 1,750-4,500 rpm range. With this new powertrain, the Ford S-MAX achieves 0-100km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 221 km/h (137 mph).

Ford GT90

Ford announces dual clutch PowerShift gearbox

Ford Motor Company announced today it will introduce an advanced dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed transmission in North America in 2010 for the small-car segment.

The new gearbox will deliver the fuel efficiency of a manual gearbox with the convenience and ease of a premium automatic transmission,making it a key enabling technology as Ford targets best-in-class or among-the-best fuel economy with every new vehicle it introduces in North America.

Overall, Six-speed transmissions already have helped vehicles such as the 2010 Ford Fusion achieve best-in-class fuel economy, while at the same time allowing the Ford Flex and Ford Escape to achieve unsurpassed fuel economy in their respective segments.
Ford is leveraging six-speed transmissions, advanced internal combustion engines such as EcoBoost, hybrids, full electric vehicles, vehicle weight reduction and electric power-assisted steering to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions fleet-wide by 30 percent by the year 2020.

Compared to traditional automatic four-speed transmissions, PowerShift can help reduce fuel consumption by up to 9 percent depending on the application.

PowerShift provides the full comfort of an automatic with a more sophisticated driving dynamic, thanks to uninterrupted torque from the dual-clutch technology, which consists essentially of two manual transmissions working in parallel, each with its own independent clutch unit. One clutch carries the uneven gears – 1, 3 and 5 – while the other the even gears – 2, 4 and 6. Subsequent gear changes are coordinated between both clutches as they engage and disengage for a seamless delivery of torque to the wheels.PowerShift, unlike conventional automatic transmissions, does not need the heavier torque converter or planetary gears. In addition, the dry-clutch derivative eliminates the need for the weighty pumps, hydraulic fluids, cooling lines and external coolers that wet clutch transmissions require. As a result, the dry-clutch PowerShift transmission can weigh nearly 30 pounds less than, for example, the four-speed automatic transmission featured on today's Ford Focus.

Differentiating PowerShift even further in terms of its customer appeal is its shift quality, launch feel and overall drive dynamic, which are all facilitated by an expert blend of Ford-exclusive electro-mechanical systems, software features, calibrations and controls. These unique driving features include:

• Neutral coast down – The clutches will disengage when the brakes are applied, improving coasting downshifts and clutch robustness as well as reducing parasitic losses for increased fuel economy.

• Precise clutch control in the form of a clutch slip to provide torsional damping of the engine vibration – This function improves noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) at low engine speeds and enables lower lugging limits for improved fuel economy.

• Low-speed driving or creep mode with integrated brake pressure – This function simulates the low-speed control drivers are accustomed to from an automatic transmission. The amount of rolling torque in Drive and Reverse is precisely controlled, gradually building as brake pressure is released.

• Hill mode or launch assist – Prevents a vehicle from rolling back on a grade by maintaining brake pressure until the engine delivers enough torque to move the vehicle up the hill, providing improved driver confidence, comfort, safety and clutch robustness.

source:ford