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V6 offerings make up 50% of retail Ford F-150 sales in April

Filed under: Truck, Ford

ford f-150 ecoboost

2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford sold 45,435 F-150s in April, up 11 percent versus the top-selling truck’s April 2010 totals. That’s a solid month for truck sales with soaring fuel prices, but the finer sales details show that truck buyers are very mindful of prices at the pump.

Ford announced in its monthly sales totals release that V6-equipped F-150s accounted for 50 percent of retail sales, up considerably from the 40 percent mix in March. The 3.7-liter V6 offers truck buyers 305 horsepower and 23 miles per gallon on the highway, so it’s not surprising that some owners are opting for the smaller mill.

But the more popular V6 offering is the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, which boasts 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. Ford says 75 percent of those V6 sales are of the EcoBoost variety, which makes sense, given the fact that the boosted mill accounted for 36 percent of all F-150 sales in April. The EcoBoost F-150 gets up to 22 mpg on the highway, which is still as good as or better than the other pickup trucks on the market.

Gallery: 2011 Ford F-150: First Drive

2011 Ford F-150

V6 offerings make up 50% of retail Ford F-150 sales in April originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 May 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Subaru predicts 50% sales hike for 2012 Impreza

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Hatchback, Subaru

2012 Subaru Impreza

2012 Subaru Impreza – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to Ward’s Auto, Subaru brass are expecting the 2012 Impreza to sell around 60,000 units a year, or half again as many as the car’s current 40,000-unit total. Subaru executive vice president of North America Tom Doll says the car fills gaps in the company’s lineup that prevented it from being as competitive as it could have been.

Subaru claims the new Impreza will return 36 miles per gallon on the highway, a figure that would put the car on the top of the all-wheel-drive pile for fuel economy. The gas mileage figures come courtesy of a new-for-2012 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder reigning in 148 horsepower. The upcoming Impreza will also be lighter than the outgoing model, making fuel-sipping a little easier.

With all the new tweaks, Subaru is hoping Impreza sales can push the brand’s overall total from 264,000 vehicles last year to closer to 300,000. That’s a heady goal to be sure, but the company is confident enough in the new car’s appeal to make a bold prediction. Only time will tell if such hopefulness is well founded.

Gallery: 2012 Subaru Impreza Five-Door: New York 2011

2012 Subaru Impreza Five-Door: New York 2011

Gallery: 2012 Subaru Impreza: New York 2011

2012 Subaru Impreza: New York 2011

[Source: Ward’s Auto – sub. req.]

Subaru predicts 50% sales hike for 2012 Impreza originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Florida cancels online learner’s permit test after finding over 50% can’t pass test in real life [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Videos

Person waiting in line at the DMV

No more online Learner’s Permit option for Florida drivers – Click above to watch video after the jump

If you live in Florida and are getting ready to take the test to get you’re learner’s permit, you better head to Google Maps and find the location of the nearest DMV. For the past decade, potential new drivers had the option of taking their permit test online. This practice just came to a screeching halt when they found that a large percentage of drivers passing the online test failed the in-person version. How large? Over 50 percent.

Emotions are predictably mixed, but we’re all for fine-tuning a program that gives people the privilege of piloting two-ton murder mobiles. Having smarter drivers on the road leads to a better motoring experience for all of us. It’s even plausible that a more knowledgeable pool of drivers could lead to fewer accidents and reduced insurance premiums.

Hop the jump to view My Fox Orlando’s segment on the matter.

[Source: My Fox Orlando]

Continue reading Florida cancels online learner’s permit test after finding over 50% can’t pass test in real life [w/video]

Florida cancels online learner’s permit test after finding over 50% can’t pass test in real life [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford offers $50 gift cards to customers facing late Fiesta deliveries

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Sedan, Hatchback, Ford

2011 Ford Fiesta – Click above for high-res image gallery

Due to circumstances reportedly beyond Ford’s control, many customers are having to wait a bit longer to receive their new 2011 Fiesta sedans and hatchbacks. After Hurricane Alex and Tropical Storm Bonnie rolled through Northern Mexico earlier this summer, railroads were damaged that provide shipments to the factory where Ford builds the Fiesta.

Customers may have to wait up to two weeks longer than expected to receive the hot new subcompact, and as a token of appreciation for being patient, Ford will be giving these customers a $50 MasterCard gift card. That’s a free tank of gas and a smattering of delicious coffee drinks… or a fancy dinner for two!

In speaking with Automotive News, Ford sales analyst George Pipas says that Ford has “about 6,500 to 7,000 [Fiestas] in transit to dealers” and that the cars should start to be fully stocked within the next couple of months. For now, customers will have to wait patiently and take solace in the extra $50 in their pockets when it finally comes time to take delivery.

Gallery: Review: 2011 Ford Fiesta SES

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Ford offers $50 gift cards to customers facing late Fiesta deliveries originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM will increase Volt production by 50% – to 45,000 units – in 2012

President Obama toured the General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck facility where the automaker will build (can we say “is building” yet?) the Chevrolet Volt today, and as any good PR person will surely agree, you can’t let an opportunity like that go by without making an announcement of some sort. So, GM has something to say and it’s big news, too: GM will increase Volt production capacity by 50 percent in 2012.

Details are as follows: Instead of making 30,000 Volts in the U.S. in 2012, GM will now make 45,000. These numbers are lower than production numbers we heard rumors of in years past, but they’re good news for fans of plug-in vehicles. Is the increase a response to positive reaction to the Volt’s $33,500 after-tax-rebate price tag? Maybe, GM said in a statement that, “In the past few weeks, more than 25,000 people have joined the Chevrolet Volt enthusiast list.”

The news is good for the President, too, since the White House is pushing The American Auto Industry: A Comeback Story message this week. Part of that is an interactive version of the White House map showing places where the government has supported automakers, which you can find here.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

[Sources: General Motors, WhiteHouse.gov]

Continue reading GM will increase Volt production by 50% – to 45,000 units – in 2012

GM will increase Volt production by 50% – to 45,000 units – in 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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