Ford Selling Main Project

Professional Selling- Saluja (Ford)

UNIVERSITY OF THE FRASER VALLEY Page 1


Bachelor 0f Business Administration

Business 221- Professional Selling

Instructor’s name:- Dr. Shyam Vyas

Group Project

Group Number:- 4

Date of Submission:- March 28, 2012

Date Due: - March 28, 2012

Name Email-Id Phone Number Student Id

Gitish Bhalla [email protected] 9888882611 200098591

Aashwin Bhatt [email protected]

a

9888753888 200068423

Anubhav Beri [email protected] 9780626497 200098441



Table of Contents Page No

1. Acknowledgement 5

2. Objective of Report 6

3. Research Methodology 7

4. About NPS 8

5. Executive Summary 9

6. Company History 13

7. Facts of Ford 15

8. Current Position and Working of Ford 15

9. Products of Ford 16

10. SWOT Analysis 17

11. Customer Analysis 19

12. Competitor Analysis 20

13. Conclusion of Focused group discussion 22

14. 10 Steps of Sales Process 23

I. Prospecting 24

II. Pre-approach 25

III. Approach 26

IV. Presentation 27

V. Trial Close 29

VI. Determine Objections 30

VII. Meet Objections 30



VIII. Trial close 31

IX. The Close 32

X. Follow up 32

15. Annexure 34

a) Map of Chandigarh 34

b) Demographics of Chandigarh 35

c) In-depth interview 1 39

d) In-depth interview 2 40

e) In-depth interview 3 42

f) In-depth interview 4 43

g) In-depth interview 5 44

h) Focused Group discussion 1 45

i) Focused Group discussion 2 48

j) Focused Group discussion 3 50

k) Focused Group discussion 4 52

l) 25 articles on Ford 54

m) 10 articles on Toyota 114

n) 10 articles on Hyundai 134

o) 10 articles on BMW 156

p) Interview with Mr. Gaurav Mishra (Head of sales) at Toyota 176

q) Interview with Mr Mahesh Gupta (Sales Consultant) at Hyundai 177

r) 30 Day Action Plan 177

16. Additional Information (Project on BMW) 179

17. Bibliography 183



Acknowledgement

Our group have taken efforts in this project. However, it would not have been possible

without the kind support and help of many individuals and many automobile companies. I

would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of them.

I am highly indebted to Prof. Shyam Vyas for their guidance and constant supervision as

well as for providing necessary information regarding the project & also for their support in

completing the project.

I would like to express my special gratitude and thanks to Mr K.C Pandey (General

Manager) and Mr Rajiv Sharma (Finance Manager) of Saluja Ford for giving me such

attention and time which really help our group in making our report.

My thanks and appreciations also go to my colleague in developing the project and people

who have willingly helped me out with their abilities.



Objective of the Report

Professional Selling

Selling is one of many marketing components. The interpersonal communication process in

which a seller uncovers and satisfies the needs and wants of a prospect to the mutual, long-

term benefit of both parties. The major professional selling topics are organized into ten

modules and presented in a logical sequence from the perspective of a professional sales

person.

Professional selling in India

In India professional selling is increasing day by day, as the organised business in India is

only 5 percent. Businesses have now started using more ethical ways to do businesses.

Moreover, International import and export have being increasing every day.

After reading this report a person will get to know about the history of Ford, its current working

and its future plan. Moreover, competitor, customer and SWOT analysis with 10 step series of

action in professional selling. We have also provided the demographics of Chandigarh and our 30

day action plan.



Research Methodology

Our group has done both primary and secondary research in making this report.

In primary research –

I. We went to Ford Motors, Chandigarh 5 times to do in depth Interview.

II. We also did 4 Focused group discussions with the customers.

III. We also met the employees of Ford motors and gathered much information from

them.

IV. We also had our interviews with Ford’s competitors Hyundai and Toyota.

In Secondary research –

I. We have 25 articles on Ford Motors 10 articles on Toyota and 10 articles on Hyundai.

II. We also have population information of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula.

III. We also reached the map of Chandigarh with its literacy information and sex ratio.

About NPS



Our Non Paying Sponsor is K.C Pandey who is th General Manager of Saluja Ford in

Industrial Area, Chandigarh. He has done specialisation in marketing and is post graduate. He

has been indulge with Saluja Motors since 2007. He has shared many information about the

company and its working.

Executive Summary



The objective of this report is to analyze and evaluate the current Professional Selling

scenario and techniques. For the project, we selected Ford Motors and took its non-paying

sponsorship from its General Manager Mr. K.C Pandey.

Selling is one of the main components of marketing. In India professional selling methods are

becoming more commonly as more and more MNC’s are entering the potential country’s

market. In India unorganised businesses are 95 percent more than the organised. In Canada

businesses are more professional as compared to Indian scenario. Nowadays, online selling is

also becoming an essential part of selling in Canada as well as in India.

Ford India began operations in the year 1995. A year later, South Korea's Hyundai Motors

entered the market and didn’t waste much time targeting the small car sector where formerly

state-run Maruti Suzuki had a virtual monopoly.

The report provide the in depth information about the strategies and its working of Ford and

its competitors. Saluja Ford in Chandigarh is located at Phase-1, industrial area Chandigarh,

which is virtually the industrial hub of the city of Chandigarh. The company pays a rent of Rs

200000 per month. They have their plant in Chennai and its Head office in Delhi. We got to

know that the main competitors of Ford in India are Maruti, Toyota and Hyundai. The

training period for the employees of Ford is of 3 months respectively in which they train their

employees by giving its employees details of its cars and the understand the company better.

Marketing here is done through Road Shows and advertisements through newspapers and

television.

After reading this report a person will get to know about the history of Ford, its current

working, its future plan competitor, customer and SWOT analysis with the 10 step series of



action in professional selling. We have also provided the demographics of Chandigarh and

our 30 day action plan.

Ford has 14 sales professionals and an average foot fall of 60-70 per day and from these

footfalls Ford incurs its monthly revenue of about 72 crore per annum. In addition, to this the

Unique Selling Preposition (USP) is the price bracket they have. The company’s marketing is

effective enough to generate footfalls. The base of the showroom is 3 foot above the ground

level, so that every passing by can have a look at the cars standing in the Showroom. Saluja

Ford provides the corporate discount in the form of extended warranty of 2 years with a

purchase of more than 2 cars at one time. During this period, if there is any problem in a car,

then it is replaced within the time duration of 2 days for free.

Ford uses the market strategy of Road shows, as mentioned above in which there shows are

conducted in attractive places and customer hub like shopping malls and complexes. We got

to know that the primary area from which the store acquires its customers is the areas from

sector 10 to 38. The proportion of revenue from these sectors is about 60%

Secondary area from which 30% of the revenue is generated is from sectors 1 to 10.

Tertiary area – Mohali and Panchkula are also the areas from which the company gets some

of their sales revenue. From Mohali 3 % of customers come from phase 10.Whereas, from

Panchkula the customers generally are targeted from areas from sector 8 to 15. We also did

an analysis which indicated that the strength of the company lies in the after sales services

provided by the company.

The only threat that Saluja Motors finds is, that there are many other automobile companies

located in the same area, the industrial area. This gives the customer with wide variety of

choices and options available to make their purchase decisions. Currently, the bestselling car



of Ford is Figo, after it overtook Ford Fiesta. In addition to this, we also got to know that the

future plan of Ford is to launch New Fiesta Hatchback by the end of 2012.

Out of five focused group discussions, we analysed that the customers of Ford are very much

satisfied with selecting Ford. As per the feedback of the customers, we got to know that Ford

Figo is the most preferred car of Ford as it is luxurious and at the same time reasonable in

price with very economical mileage. The company gives an utmost importance, in the the

long term relationship building. So, in order to maintain and retain their customers there is a

team of human resource personnel. The function of this team is to send mails and take the

customer feedback. Moreover, the after sale services provided by Saluja Ford gives a

competitive edge to them.

We also discovered that an industrial hub, phase-1 Chandigarh attracts huge customers as

customers are to an extent forced to do the purchase process for cars from the same market

where Saluja Ford is located. This is the reason of most of the footfalls as it is located at a

very competitive place.

The general training period of the sales staff is about 1-2 months. The way of entering Black

box of consumer is to allow the customer to speak. We also got to know about the Features

Advantages Benefits (FAB) Approach used at Saluja Ford. In case of features we were told

that the characteristics of the cars are the features, that is, characteristics like the size, sitting

capacity and the type of engines. In addition to this the advantages of this is that a potential

gets new technology. Moreover the company takes the customer feedback of the employees

by calling the customers and by having small telephonic interview with them.

This type of short interview helps in gathering the information about the potential customer

and helps in problem solving. Ford advertises in India with the help of television. Other than

this, it also uses the promotional tools like cites posters, Radio, Magazines and newspapers.



The reason behind the success of Ford Figo over Fiesta being that it consists of all the

features that a luxury car has. Moreover, the selling price of this car is very reasonable.



Company History

Ford Motor Company is an American automaker and the world's third largest

automaker based on worldwide vehicle sales. Henry Ford first attempt at a car company

under his own name was the Henry Ford Company on November 3, 1901, which became the

Cadillac Motor Company on August 22, 1902 after Ford left with the rights to his name.

The Ford Motor Company was launched in a converted factory in 1903 with $28,000

in cash from twelve investors. The Ford Motor Company has been in continuous family

control for over 100 years. Ford now encompasses several brands,

including Lincoln and Mercury.

Ford is the second largest automaker in the U.S. and the fifth-largest in the world

based on annual vehicle sales in 2010. In 2010, Ford earned a net profit of $6.6 billion and

reduced its debt from $33.6 billion to $14.5 billion lowering interest payments by $1 billion

following its 2009 net profit of $2.7 billion.

Ford in India

Ford India began operations in 1995. A year later, South Korea's Hyundai Motor entered the

market and immediately began targeting the small car sector where formerly state-run Maruti

Suzuki had a virtual monopoly. Ford exported 30,000 cars from India in 2011, a fifth of its

total production. While car sales growth in India slowed last year as high interest rates and

fuel costs deterred buyers, Ford expects passenger and commercial vehicle sales to hit 9

million by 2020, from less than 3.5 million in 2011. Ford imported steel panels from Thailand


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_industry#By_manufacturer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(automobile)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_(automobile)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Motor_Company

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ford_Company

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldwide_vehicle_sales

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_automobile_manufacturers#World_Motor_Vehicle_Production_by_Manufacturer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_automobile_manufacturers#World_Motor_Vehicle_Production_by_Manufacturer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Motor_Company


before opening a local facility in 2007 to make them. Indian steel saves around $100 per car.

Local products make up 85 percent of the Figo.

Ford in Chandigarh

Ford Motors in Chandigarh gives rent of Rs 150000 – 200000. They have their plant in

Chennai and Head office is in Delhi. Their main competitors are Maruti, Toyota and

Hyundai. The training period of them is of 3 months in which they train their employees by

telling them the details of the cars and the company. Marketing is done through Road Shows

and advertisement through newspaper and television.



Facts of Ford

On June 2, 2008, Ford sold its Jaguar and Land Rover operations to Tata Motors for

$2.3 billion

In January 2009, Ford announced a $14.6 billion loss in the preceding year, making 2008 its

worst year in history.

Ford was one of those big brands who survived in Great depression.

In 1921 — $5 million Ford built

In 1937 — $25Millionth Ford built

In 1964 — Introduction of Mustang “pony car”

In 1996 — $250million Ford vehicle built

Current Position and working of Ford

Currently Ford has Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki and Toyota as its main competitors.

Company’s USP is their Price Bracket.

Ford’s target market are both service and business people

They employee 14 salespeople and for service and maintenance they employee

around 40 people.

Ford’s Turnover is 6 crore per month.

For marketing Ford adopts various methods, for instance they call the customers and

tell them about their new car or features, they advertise in cites through posters,

Radio, Magazines and newspapers.

Currently, bestselling car of Ford is Figo, before it was Fiesta.

Ford’s Future plan is to launch New Fiesta Hatchback by the end of 2012.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Motors


Products of Ford

Our group collected the information about the types of products sold by Ford. Some of them

are listed below:

1. Ford Fiesta

2. Ford Figo

3. Ford Endeavour

4. Ford Ikon

5. Ford fusion

6. Ford Mustang

7. Ford Taurus

8. Ford Expedition

9. Ford Flex

10. Ford Focus

11. Ford Escape

12. Ford Explorer.

Out of these cars Ford Figo is the best-selling car of Ford. In addition to this it was

awarded as the car of the year in the year 2012.



SWOT Analysis

Strength

1. The strength of the company lies in the after sale services provided by the company.

2. The company has wide variety of products available for the customers.

3. The company posses with well-trained and qualified sales staff which can helps the

company to increase its revenues.

4. The mileage of the products made by Ford is very nice. Moreover, industrial area is

hub of automobile industries, so therefore we found that it’s a best and suitable place

to have a store.

5. They offer corporate discounts in a shape of extended warranty to the customers

who purchase more than 3 cars. Moreover, Saluja Ford has over its competitors is that

it has footfalls of 60-70.

Weakness

1. The space of the showroom is congested as compared to our competitors.

Opportunity

Our group found that, there is an industrial hub at phase-1 Chandigarh. This attracts a lot of

customers because every customer has to come to purchase the car from the same market

where Saluja Ford is located. This is the reason of most of the footfalls as it is located at a

very competitive place.



Threat

1. The only threat that Saluja Motors finds is, that there are many other automobile

companies located in the industrial area. This gives the customer with wide variety of

choices and options available to make their purchase decisions.

2. Competition is very strong which has made the customers more demanding.



Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of Saluja Ford provides a detailed analysis of the customer

market. Typically a few markets segments are already quickly identified and these are the

focus of an analysis. But there are times when it makes sense to broadly consider many

different market segments.

Understanding customers helps the company to segment the market and determine target

markets and in developing a marketing mix that meets the customers’ needs.

Types of Customers

Saluja Ford targets both business and service class customers in regions of Chandigarh,

Mohali and Punchkula.

Customer Relation management

The company knows, that the long term relationship building is very important for them. So,

in order to maintain and retain their customers there is a team of human resource personnel.

The function of this team is to send mails and take the customer feedback from the

customers. Moreover, the after sale services provided by Saluja Ford gives a competitive

edge to them.

Customer Segmentation

The customers of Saluja Ford are segmented according to the different segments of car. The

targeted customers consist of both service and business people of the Chandigarh region. In

addition to this the segmentation.



Competitor Analysis

Comparison of Saluja Ford and its Competitors in the industrial area

is given below.

Ford Maruti

Suzuki

Hyundai Toyota

Sales

Professional

14 15 12 20

Footfalls

(Daily)

60-70 80-100 80-100 100-120

Target Market Middle and

High Class

Middle

Class

Middle and

High Class

Middle and

High Class

Rent(Monthly) 2 lacs 1.5 lakh 3 lakh Self

Purchased

Hyundai



Hyundai is one of the world’s largest leading automobile company. Its main competitor is

Ford and Toyota. Hyundai also promotes it’s products through mass media, that is by

television advertisement. In addition to this it uses the local advertising and other promotional

tools like newspaper advertising and road shows in a multi-national company. As mentioned

above the company has 12 sales professionals. The target market of the store is within the age

of 22-45. Moreover, there is about 80-100 footfalls on an average per day. It’s average sale is

about 8 crores per month and they pay about 3 lakhs per month as rent for the showroom.

Maruti Suzuki

The showroom of Hyundai is located at Phaze1, industrial area Chandigarh. The average foot

falls at Maruti Suzuki is about 80-100. The company generally targets everyone including

Youngsters, Old and teenagers. Moreover, the age group at which Hyundai targets is 20-35.

There are 15 well qualified sales professionals working in the company. The monthly rental

paid by Maruti is very low as compared to the space it has acquired in the industrial area.

Toyota

Toyota is a major competitor of Ford in some segments of the automobile industry. In a

segment like SUV Toyota is the strong competitor of Ford. As mentioned in the tables there

are 20 sales professional working at Toyota. The showroom of the store is not rented.

Moreover, there is Footfall of about 100-120 per day due to its prime location. The target

market of Toyota is both youth and the aged people that is the age limit within 20-55.



Conclusion of Focused group discussion

Our group did 4 focused group discussions, from which we concluded that Ford can improve

its sales by working on the following segment:

After Sales services

After a brief discussion with various customers, we found that the customer are very

satisfied with the after sale services of the Ford, as the company takes the regular

feedback from its potential customers.

Sales staff

We also found that the customers of Saluja Ford are extremely satisfied with the sales

staff of the company. Almost every customer of the Ford told us that the sales staff of

the company is really good as they possess with the qualities of etiquettes like

welcoming the customer and attending them.

Accessories of Ford

70% of the participants in the discussion told us, that the accessories of Ford are not

easily available in the market. We suggest that the company should work on this

aspect of the business.

Delivering product on time

Everyone in the discussion told us that Ford really delivery all its products on time.

But still 5% of the people told us that sometimes the delivery of a car is delivered.

However, 95% of the people are satisfied with the products of Ford.

Service of the Ford

We concluded, that most of the participants in the discussion were happy from the

services of Ford. Our group also found that the services of the Ford are really

satisfying.



Customer Satisfaction

Our group analysed that the customers of Ford are really very satisfied. Everything

mentioned above lead to all the satisfaction. As per the feedback of the customers, we

analysed that Ford Figo is the best car of Ford as it is luxuries car with economical

mileage. Moreover it is available at very reasonable price in the market.

Sales Process has 10 steps

I. Prospecting

II. Pre-approach

III. Approach

IV. Presentation

V. Trial Close

VI. Determine Objections

VII. Meet Objections

VIII. Trial close

IX. The Close

X. Follow up

1. Prospecting



Prospecting identifies potential customers. Lead generation is a step prior to

prospecting. A lead is also referred to as suspect. The term suspect indicates that a

person is suspected of being a prospect. For every lead (or suspect), a salesman has to

ask some questions and satisfy himself that there is chance that he may become a

customer. Then that lead is categorized as qualified prospect. The sales process refers to

the sequential series of actions by the Salesperson that leads towards the customer taking a

desired action and ends with a follow up ensuring purchase satisfaction.

Presenting a professional appearance, giving an impressive presentation and closing like

a master are not enough to prevent failure if too little attention is given to prospecting.

For marketing Ford adopts various methods, for instance they call the customers and tell

them about their new car or features, they advertise in cites through posters,

Radio, Magazines and newspapers.

In Ford, the sales person with the entry of any customer, answers a few questions, like

Does the person need the products or services that I am offering?

Can this person’s need be converted into a want for the products that I am

offering?

Does the individual have the ability to pay?

Will the transaction with this person be profitable?



The sales person will generate a list of prospects or qualified prospects for each period

say for each day and make sales visits that help him boost his career and eventually in

increasing the sales of their showroom. Ford uses the method of e-prospecting and

direct mailing for their prospecting.

2. Pre-approach

A salesman has to meet the prospect and interact with the customer to offer his product

as a solution to the prospect’s need and want. Getting an opportunity to meet the

prospect is the first step in this process. Planning for pre-approach is very important

because the first several seconds of the presentation are very important and if one fails to

make the presentation smooth the chances are that the customer will be dissatisfied.

Ford’s target market are both service and business people. In Ford, once the customer

enters the showroom he gets assisted by a salesperson , who gets to know him, by

listening to him and approaching him the right way, with the product he would love to

buy but if unavailable, then his contact details along with his likings are understood for

approaching the customer before the launch of a new model or any related service that

can be offered to him.

Cold calling can be tried, but in case of automobiles, it is preferred that invitations can

be given to come to the customer base to visit the showroom for a test drive, as the

prospect may not be able to spare time at the instant the salesman barges in explaining

about the new launch. The practice of making an appointment before calling on a



prospect is followed in Ford as it can save the salesperson hours in time wasted in

traveling and waiting to see a person who is absent or busy. If the prospect gives an

appointment, he will spare more time to interact with the salesperson and listen to his

point of view, his presentation.

All salespeople in Ford do ensure that the presentation/interaction that they have

planned has statements, exhibits, and actions that result in attention, interest, desire and

action on the part of the prospect. The presentation that is planned must capture and

maintain the prospect’s attention. It has to lead to prospect’s showing interest. It then

has to increase his desire to own the car or to avail the service offered. Then only the

action to buy will be undertaken by the prospect.

3. Approach

The first impression a salesperson makes is important. If this impression is favorable,

the prospect is more likely to welcome and listen to the salesperson. If it is not

favorable, he may not cooperate and may erect communication barriers even though it is

a prearranged meeting. Approach is a very critical factor that ensures our prospect’s

attention and interest. It is very necessary that the buyers need gets identified and all his

problems are solved.

The first impression is centered on the image projected by the salesperson’s appearance

and behaviour, thus in Ford, all salesperson are required to wear appropriate

conservative business clothes, be neat in dress and grooming, stay confident ,

enthusiastic and Smile impressing the potential customer.



It is important for them to approach the customer at the right time and with the right

product that suits him, by getting an idea about what he wants, like showing Endeavour

instead of fiesta to a person who loves touring and camping.

The staff in a Ford showroom provides warm welcome to all its customers, usual with a

welcoming note and greeting them in a pleasing manner.

At times, when the customer seems to be in hurry, opening with a demonstration is

considered a good move and with customers who seem to have no clue and are

depended upon the store staff for their final decision, usually Opening with a question

or questions is preferred as it gives a proper understanding of what the customer exactly

wants from them.

4. Presentation

The main goal of interaction with the prospect many times is to sell the product or

service to him. The first few minutes of the meeting with any customer is spent in

determining the prospect’s mood and situation, his need and effort is made to capture

his attention and interest in the conversation that is going to follow about the product or

service. Attitude of a salesperson during the approach is very important. It is very often that

the salesperson has a preconceived idea that the things might go wrong or they experience

stress but the successful salespeople have learned a relaxation and concentration technique

called creative imaginary that allows them to cope up with stress at time of difficulty

As a part of the interaction, a salesman is going to intensify the need of the prospect,



convert it into a want, and create a favorable attitude for the specific product he is

offering. To create the want for his company product, the sales man presents the

features, advantages and benefits of his product, and his business proposal for the

transaction.

Ford’s USP is their Price Bracket, that gives it an edge. When it comes to automobiles,

then India is a country where people are obsessed with mileage, so the best point to

emphasise upon in this field is how well the car performs, in terms of mileage and how

much can a person save, even if he makes a slightly larger investment at this moment,

Description about all special technologies that have been used and long term benefits

along with the payment details, how they can be modified to suit individuals.

The salesman has also the job of convincing the prospect that not only he has to buy this

particular model, but buy it and get serviced from them because it is the best suited

option for them and they are getting customised offers made for them all suited to their

needs.

Ford also believes in following SPIN questioning technique in which series of questions

are asked to bring out the need of the customer, intensify and convert it into a want for

the product being offered.

In SPIN, ‘S’ stands for situation questions. ‘P’ stands for problem questions. ‘I’ stands

for implication questions. ‘N’ stands for need payoff questions. Thus SPIN questions set

the background for a presentation of the features, advantages and benefits of the

salesman’s offer giving it a 360 degree view to the customer and then deciding what

suits him best and giving him reasons to buy more.



In Ford, first a full discussion of the features, advantages, and benefits of the offer

(product or service) are provided along with the

Customer value plan i.e. Explanation of how the customer is going to use the product

and what benefits it has.

Then, relating the value of the product to the cost of the product.The presentation of the

offer includes, apart from the persuasive communication from the salesman,

participation of the prospect, visual aids, proofs or proof statements, demonstration of

the working of the product.

5. Trial close

In the presentation at various points of time whenever the prospect shows strong

conviction about the merits of the product or offer, salesman needs to try for a close.

Closing is the process of helping people make a purchase decision that will benefit

them. Salesmen help people make that decision by asking them to buy. Trail close is the

actual test of the salesperson, as it tests the prospects reaction about the product. . It is one of

the most underutilized strategies of selling. Trial close is a valuable and low risk strategy.

The very fact that a prospect is meeting a seller and having a conversation with him

means the prospect has an interest to buy the product. And in automobiles when a

person’s focuses on more and more detailing’s of the features, and compares it with

other cars, it is an indication of his genuine interest in that particular model. People do



come to purchase a vehicle after research work, hence many times the prospect may be

ready to make the buying decision very early in the meeting.

As the prospect is ready,and gives buy signals or willing-to-buy signals like asking

questions regarding full and final payment and adjustments that can be made to it or the

delivery dates, Ford salesmen are ready with a purchase order form and close trial after

clarifying objections if any.

6. Determine Objections

Objection or resistance to the request of the salesperson is labeled a sales objection.

Salesmen have to welcome the objections because toughest prospects are those who do

not say anything. One cannot make out whether they are interested, bored or just being

polite. An objection shows that prospect is involved in the conversation.

Objection or resistance to the request of the salesperson is labeled a sales objection. In

Ford, Salesmen welcome the objections because they believe that the toughest prospects

are those who do not say anything. One cannot make out whether they are interested,

bored or just being polite. An objection shows that prospect is involved in the

conversation.

7. Meet objectives



There can be Hidden objections, Stalling objections, No-need objections or Money

objection, but in Ford, all sales men are prepared for giving a satisfactory reply to the

objections raised by prospects. This technique clear the mindset of the prospect several

times the prospect is in a confusion about the product, that they might have hidden objectives

which even he / she might not be familiarized.

They try to rephrase the objection as a question or ask questions regarding the

objection, at times directly deny the objection or even if required compensate for it.

If they find it difficult to handle it on their own, they pass up the objection or anticipate

it or obtain a third-party answer to the objection. Questions relating to a prospect’s

demands show that a salesperson is concerned more with the prospects needs than with just

making a sale.

8. Trial close


them. Salesmen help people make that decision by asking them to buy.

In Ford, usually,it is seen that salespeople try to do the trial close as soon as they give a

satisfactory response to an objection, but there are times that objections arise only after

the salesman tries trail close. They make all efforts to keep the buyers attitude toward

your product positive by Let buyers know you are on their side by helping them with

objections or by giving a multiple choice question to display an attitude of genuine care.

They bring out any or all of the customers main selling benefits now and keep on

selling.



This response, adds value with a cluster of satisfactions, by pointing out the relationship

between price and quality and explaining the difference between price and cost. Along

with this they stress the product's exclusive features, giving it the name of

customization. They do justify how they sell quality, exclusivity and differential

features at best rates.

9. The Close


them. Salesmen help people make that decision by asking them to buy.

The very fact that a prospect is meeting a seller and having a conversation with him

means the prospect has an interest to buy the product. Hence many times the prospect

may be ready to make the buying decision very early in the meeting.

Closing Techniques be it Alternative choice close, Assumptive close, Compliment close

or ant other are all managed well by Fold sales people. By closing they move the

customer to the final desirable, ie. Purchase so they make sure that at this point of time

when they have almost reached to the final it should all work smoothly.

10. Follow up



For Ford, a satisfied customer is the best advertisement, but they believe that if you

make a sale and runaway, you do not know the feelings of your customer. The prospect

became your customer after buying from you. High performing salespersons do the

follow up and provide any service the customer requires and convert this interaction

into further sales to the customer or to his friends and acquaintances through referrals.

Ford has a work culture that says and believes that service will keep customers and

increase sales. Company’s goods return policies judiciously to replace defective

products with customers should be used properly. They go back to the customer, check

the product that you have sold and make sure that the customer is getting the expected

services from it and therefore now are a customer benefit oriented company, with profits

swelling through their efforts to make the benefits of customers swell. They have

developed your their reputation from providing benefit to customers. Providing service

above and beyond the call of duty. Always scheduling sometime in the daily sales plan

for delighting customers as delight comes to a customer when you deliver something

beyond expectations.



Annexure

Map of Chandigarh Ford showroom



Demographics of Chandigarh



The official census 2011 of Chandigarh has been conducted by Directorate of Census

Operations in Chandigarh. Enumeration of key persons including Chief Minister of

Chandigarh was also done by officials conducting population census.

As per details from Census 2011, Chandigarh has population of 10.54 Lac, an increase from

figure of 9.01 Lac in 2001 census. Total population of Chandigarh as per 2011 census is

1,054,686 of which male and female are 580,282 and 474,404 respectively. In 2001, total

population was 900,635 in which males were 506,938 while females were 393,697.

The total population growth in this decade was 17.10 percent while in previous decade it was

40.33 percent. The population of Chandigarh forms 0.09 percent of India in 2011. In 2001,

the figure was 0.09 percent.

Description 2011 2001

Approximate Population 10.54 Lakh 9.01 Lakh

Actual Population 1,054,686 900,635

Male 580,282 506,938

Female 474,404 393,697

Population Growth 17.10% 40.33%

Percantage of total Population 0.09% 0.09%

Sex Ratio 818 773

Child Sex Ratio 867 819

Density/km2 9,252 7,900



Density/mi2 23,970 20,469

Area km2 114 114

Area mi2 44 44

Total Child Population (0-6 Age) 117,953 115,613

Male Population (0-6 Age) 63,187 62,664

Female Population (0-6 Age) 54,766 52,949

Literacy 86.43 % 81.94 %

Male Literacy 90.54 % 88.42 %

Female Literacy 81.38 % 75.37 %

Total Literate 809,653 643,245

Male Literate 468,166 382,686

Female Literate 341,487 260,559

Description Rural Urban

Population (%) 2.75 % 97.25 %

Total Population 29,004 1,025,682

Male Population 17,155 563,127

Female Population 11,849 462,555

Population Growth -68.51 % 26.86 %

Sex Ratio 691 821

Child Sex Ratio (0-6) 862 867

Child Population (0-6) 4,255 113,698



Child Percentage (0-6) 14.67 % 11.09 %

Literates 20,217 789,436

Average Literacy 81.69 % 86.56 %

Male Literacy 86.68 % 90.65 %

Female Literacy 74.17 % 81.55 %

Literacy rate in Chandigarh has seen upward trend and is 86.43 percent as per 2011

population census. Of that, male literacy stands at 90.54 percent while female literacy is at

81.38 percent. In 2001, literacy rate in Chandigarh stood at 81.94 percent of which male and

female were 88.42 percent and 75.37 percent literate respectively.

In actual numbers, total literates in Chandigarh stands at 809,653 of which males were

468,166 and females were 341,487.

Total area of Chandigarh is 114 sq. km. Density of Chandigarh is 9,252 per sq km which is

higher than national average 382 per sq km. In 2001, density of Chandigarh was 7,900 per sq



km, while nation average in 2001 was 324 per sq km. By 2021 the population of Chandigarh

is projected to be around 19.5 lacs (at current rate of growth).

Sex Ratio of Chandigarh is 818 i.e. for each 1000 male, which is below national average of

940 as per census 2011. In 2001, the sex ratio of female was 773 per 1000 males in

Chandigarh.

In depth Interview-1



The in-depth interview was conducted with Mr. K.C Pandey, general manager of Saluja

Ford on March 9, 2012. He told us that there are 40 employees working in his company in

which 14 are salespersons. Saluja Ford has a substantial turnover of 6 crore.

He also told us that one major bottleneck that restrains the company’s growth is the

Market/Consumer Resistance. When asked what he means by market, he replied that it’s just

the use of four P’s in correct format and is very important in order to target its market and

achieve its goal and to convince the customers.

He further added that on the other hand Ford is planning to launch a better technology ridden

car, it would maintain the image of the company coming up with luxurious affordable cars

not only providing customers ease to buy and drive, but accompanied by a technology they

can flaunt.

For the purpose of acquiring customers, Ford advertises in India with the help of television.

Other than this, it also uses the promotional tools like cites posters, Radio, Magazines and

newspapers.

Currently, bestselling car of Ford is Fiego, before it was Fiesta. The reason behind the

success of Ford Fiego is that it consists of all the features that a luxury car should have.

Moreover, the selling price of this car is very competitive.

In-depth Interview-2



This interview was held on March 11. Our group talked with Mr. Upkar Singh, finance

executive of Saluja Ford.

This interview was held to know the USP, competitors, employee training period, targeted

customers and to know their future plans. Below is the chart that gives a light to some of the

salient of Saluja Ford.

Foot Falls 60-70 persons per day

Competitors Hyundai, Maruti and Toyata

Target Market 24-40 age

USP Price Bracket

Rent 2, 00,000 Rs. Per month

Turnover 72 crores

Employees 40

The finance executive of Ford, told us that they are known for selling the quality products at

economical prices. When we asked him about their USP, he replied by saying that their USP

is the Price Bracket they have. As, they are selling the similar products like their competitors

at affordable prices to their potential customers.

We also asked him about their main Competitors in the market. He replied that they make

different cars for different potential customers. So, the competitors in each segment of the

product are different. But the major competitors of Ford are Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki and

Volkswagen.

Another question that we asked was about the Training period of the employees. He told us

that the employees are trained for 1 to 2 month. Saluja Ford offers various products for Ford

and it’s Targeted customers consist of both service and business people of the Tri city.



He also told us that for the purpose of the Customer feedback, the employees of Ford calls

the customers and have small telephonic interview with them. This type of short interview

helps in gathering the information about the potential customer and helps in problem solving.

He also told us the daily Foot falls of Saluja Ford is about 60-70 people.

In depth Interview-3



This interview was held on March 16, 2012. We talked with Mr. Manish Khanderwal, the

sales consultant of Saluja Ford to collect the information the marketing strategies used by

them.

We got to know that the primary area from which the company acquire its customer sector

10 to 38. The proportion of revenue from this sector is about 60%

Secondary area from which 30% of the revenue is generated is from sector 1 to 10.

Tertiary area – Mohali and Panchkula are also the areas from which the company gets some

of their sales revenue. From Mohali 3 % of customers come from phase 10. Whereas, from

Panchkula the customers come from the region of sector 8 to 15.

Mr. Manish told us that marketing is very crucial for Ford to increase its revenue. Most of

the marketing is done by advertising. But however, Saluja Ford also puts their effort in

marketing at the local level. They do some road shows in the multi-national company like

Infosys and also promotes through the promotional tools like Radio.

In addition to this he told us that their Future plan is to launch New Fiesta Hatchback by the

end of 2012.




This interview was held on March 22, 2012. In this interview we talked with Mr. KC Pandey

(General Manager), Upkar Singh (Finance executive) and Manish Khanderwal (Sales

consultant). This interview was conducted to know about strength, weakness, finance,

incentive plan, and FAB approach of Ford.

Mr. K.C Pandey told us about the FAB Approach used at Saluja Ford. In case of features he

told us that the characteristics of the cars are the features. In other words characteristics like

the size, sitting capacity and the type of engines. In addition to this the advantages of this is

that a potential gets new technology,

Incentive plan

Sales professionals at Saluja Ford work on both on the basis of salary and commission. The

percentage split for salesman at Saluja Ford is 70% base salary and 30% incentive. The

percentage of the salary is more for the employees, so that the sales person can have security

about their compensation.

Other Benefits – Other benefits gained by the sales profession at this company is that they

get 50 % of the fuel expenditure for free. Moreover, Saluja Ford also tends to provide foreign

trips to their best sales person.

On the other hand, the company shows its care by providing free health insurance to its

salespeople.




This interview was held on March 25, 2012. In this interview we talked with Mr. Yashpal

Chandel, sales consultant of Saluja Ford.

Mr. Yashpal told us that he was is trained to use some of the Selling tricks, that is by asking

the questions to which the reply is yes. According to him, by asking 6-7 “yes questions” the

chance of purchase by the potential customer increases.

He also told us that that the general Training period of the sales staff is about 1-2 months.

But, he got a training of 3 months as he wanted to know about the every product which is

sold at Saluja Ford.

Mr. Yashpal told us, that the way of entering Black box of consumer is to allow customer to

speak. After entering the black box of the potential customer, asking him the questions to

which the reply would be “yes” is the best approach.

The sales presentation approach used by the company is canned presentation. As this

presentation is preplanned by the sales staff, every salesperson at Saluja Ford.

Focused Group Discussion-1



Our group met different customers who are currently using Ford Cars. We met 6 customers

till now with whom we have discussed about the customer satisfaction, its product and

company’s after sale services.

This following group discussion was held on March 11, 2012 around 4 pm. Six of the

potential customers of Ford participated in the discussion. Participant’s name and contact

information is as follows-

Sahil Kapoor - 07837173571

Govind Kalra - 09878909239

Sangam - 09915506668

Rohit Gupta - 09501415005

Manpreet - 09501696582

We asked six questions from this group, and we have received different views from each of

the group member. After an immense argument we came to some common results. The

questions asked were as under follows-

Quest-1) Comment on the products that Ford offers?

Ans-1) Six of the participant in the group told us about the products that Ford offers. Some of

them are Ford Fiesta, Ford Figo, Ford Endeavour, Ford Ikon, Ford fusion, Ford Mustang,

Ford Taurus, Ford Expedition, Ford Flex, Ford Focus, Ford Escape and Ford Explorer.

To start a discussion we asked them that what according to them the best product that Ford

offers. Everyone agreed to it that Endeavor and Figo are the best products offered by Ford.

Quest-2) What do you think about the sales staff of the company?



Ans-2) Everyone in the group agreed to this that sales staff of the company is good. Sangam,

added to it that the sales staff of Ford uses a questioning policy in which the reply by the

customer is yes. For instance a salesperson can ask that, are u interested in purchasing the

best car. So, these types of techniques help Ford to attar new customers.

Quest-3) Comment about the after sales services provided by Ford?

Ans-3) Almost everyone in the discussion agreed to it that the company shows a sincere

interest in solving problem after the sale. But, Govind had some different point of view in

this. He told us that he was annoyed by the after sale services that Ford offers. He stated that

once he had some problem with his car, which was rectified 20 days later of the day the

company promised to repair.

Quest-4) Are the accessories of Ford easily available in the market?

Ans-4) Manpreet agreed that the accessories of Ford are easily available. But rest everyone in

the group told us that the availability of the accessories that Ford offers is not easily available

in the market. They told us that this is the biggest reason of the failure of Ford Ikon in the

Indian markets.

Sahil Kapoor stated that Ford Figo was the car of the year in 2011 because of its look and

engine.

In addition to this Rohit Gupta the owner of Ford fiesta that he is very satisfied with the

newly launched model of Fiesta as it has come with the better look. Moreover, it’s pick up

has also improved.

Rest all told us that they like Ford Endeavor because it a symbol of status nowadays and it

never losses balances and high speed.




In order to gather more information we had another group discussion which was held on

March 13. The questions we asked in this discussion were same that we asked in the first

group discussion to have a common view of the customers. We had discussion with 5

customers of Ford.



Sahijpal singh- 9464667855

Rohan Sharma- 9872409565

Shubhika- 9888495544

Rajvir- 9914865674

Sudhir- 9815064496

Quest-1) Comment on the products that Ford offers?

Ans-1) We got to know the various types of products offered by Ford in India by Rajvir and

Sudhir. Ford Ikom, Fiesta, Endevour, Figo were seem to be very popular among the

custoemers. Some other cars told by the participants are Ford Mustang, Ford Flex and Ford

Fusion. This questions was asked to know, how popular are the products of Ford are in the

market.

Quest-2) What do you think about the sales staff of the company?

Ans-2) Shubhika told us that the salesperson at Ford are not pushy as they do not forece

anyone to buy their products .On the other hand Rajvir told us that the salesstaff behaves in a

very professional way. Whereas Rohan further added by saying that he is impressed by the

way the staff communicates with their customers.

Quest-3) Comment about the after sales services provided by Ford?

Ans-3) Everyone in the discussion agreed that the after sales services of Ford are very nice.

Sahijpal told us that once there was a problem in his eingine after 10 days of his purchase. So,

therfore he requested the company to provide him with the new car. Within 2 days an

employee of Fod took his car gave him a new car. So this increased the satisfaction level of

Sahijpal.



Quest-4) Are the accessories of Ford easily available in the market?

Ans-4) Everyone in the discussion strongly disagreed about this question. Rajvir told us it is

very difficult for a customer to get accesorries of Ford available in the market on time. He

further stated that that even if the accessories are available, then they there is not much

variety to make the purchase.



March 16. 5 of the Ford’s customer participated in this discussion. Below are the names of

the customers which participated in this discussion:

Varrtika Bhatia - 9765254914

Sourav Aggarwal - 9888885545



Shrey - 9988027880

Sushant Sehghal - 8806544888

Sandeep Singh - 9464643921

Below is the list of the questions that we asked from them in the discussion:

Ques-1) Does Ford delivers the product on time?

Ans-1) Most of the people in the discussion agreed to this, but Sushant was not satisfied with

the delivery services of Ford. He told us that he ordered Ford Figo and was told that the

delivery would be within 5-10 days. But he received the car after 10 days, when he told this

to the general manager, he was told that due to the new car registrations being released his car

and other cars are delayed as new cars take priority over them. This annoyed him a lot. But

after that incident the manager do calls Sushant after every 5 months to know his satisfaction

level.

Ques-2) Comment on the customer service of the Ford.

Ans-2) Sandeep told us that he is really pleased with the his new car Ford Fiesta. The

salesman at Satluj Ford were very helpful and he would recommend about Ford to anyone.

Shrey also further added in it by saying that from the moment that he entered the showroom,

it was a fast efficient simple service. Varrtika Bhatia told us that she is using Ford Figo and is

very satisfied with the customer services of Ford.

Ques-3) Comment about the purchase decision of the car of Ford.

Ans-2) Almost everyone had wonderful buying experience of the car they purchased from

Ford. But everyone on the discussion told us that the car acceseries of Ford are not easily

available in the market. On the other hand Sourav Aggarwal told us that he had excellent

buying experience as the car he ordered to the salesperson reached his house before time. If



Ford can work on increasing the availability of accreies than the customer satisfaction level

can be increased.



March 17 of the Ford’s customer participated in this discussion. This discussion was done

with some of the second year students of Ford. Below are the names of the customers which

participated in this discussion:

Harman Rathore - 9888889403



Parneet Singh - 9855530573

Roopleen Gill - 9876397432

Angad Dhaliwal - 9888834566

Sukul Bansal - 9988525552

Ques-1) Are you satisfied with the cars of Ford?

Ans-1) Almost everyone was very satisfied by the services of Ford. Only Harman and

Roopleen were not satisfied by their cars purchased from Ford. Angad told us that he own

Ford Figo, the petrol variant. Two months earlier he went to U.P. (Agra, Mathura, and

Fatehpur Sikri) and the car gave the mileage of 21KM/Per Liter. On the other hand Harman

Rathore told us that He had been using Ikon 1.6zxi for the past 3 years and is getting a

mileage of about 13 in Chandigarh. Further Roopleen stated that she bought a Ford Fiesta on

October 2011 and could not be more displeased with it. It has spent more than a month of the

past year in the service department of Ford and still it has some glitches in it.

Ques-2) Comment on the customer service of the Ford.

Ans-2) Sukul Bansal and Angad Dhaliwal told us that they are extremely satisfied by the

services of Ford. In addition to this Harman also told us that they call him to remind about the

services due and the new cars available at their outlet. On the other Hand Roopleen did not

look much satisfied about the services of the Ford, as her car is not functioning properly even

after the service of one month. Except her everyone in the discussion seems to have high

satisfaction level from the customer service of Ford. Parneet in the discussion told us that as

it provides a warranty of 1 year which can be extended further and this reduces the risk of

purchasing it.



Ques-3) What do you think about the sales staff of the company?

Ans-3) Everyone in the discussion told us that the sales staff of the company behaves very

well. Sukul told us that the sales staffs of Ford behave in a very decent manner. Moreover,

Angad told us that the tone of every sale people is same. He further added that by tone he

meant to say, that every sales man has the complete knowledge about every product they sell,

which shows that the employees are so well trained. Everyone in the discussion agreed to it.

25 Article’s on Ford

Psychological Selling: Why Ford Motor Company Should Target Their Texting SoftwareBy Dean Hambleton



People buy, they are seldom sold. Few times does a person buy something they need. When

you are sick and the doctor prescribes medicine, this is one of the few times that something is

bought because it is needed. Most other times people buy things because they want them. The

psychological component of sales is critical for a sales person to understand if they are to be

successful. To sell successfully a brand must be trusted and it must develop a personal

relationship with the buyer.

In our social media era, there is a term that sales people should become comfortable with.

That term is "friend". In a social media context, we "friend" each other. We develop

relationships with each other and we recommend products.

People don't trust brands any longer---they trust their friends. There is a natural wall between

seller and buyer. To sell, this wall must be torn down, and a relationship developed. Ford is

attempting to do this with its in car software.

The InSync software allows texting to be done inside the car. No longer do young people

have to take their hands off the wheel to text. They can do it safely, now, with both hands on

the whee. From a psychological standpoint, this is a critical factor in how fathers decide to

buy cars for their kids.

A rite of passage is for a father to buy a car for his daughter when she turns 16. He has to

know that this daughter will text. Telling her not to will not do any good. To be safe, a car

has to have software that allows her to text while she drives. Ford has done this with InSync.

No longer is Ford a car; it is now the means by which young girls are kept alive while they

drive and text. InSync breaks down walls between buyer and seller. Ford is no longer a car

brand----Ford is now a friend that is watching over a father's daughter as she and her friends

drive, text, and have fun. Ford, through their product and software development has broken

down walls between themselves and their customers. Ford's texting software makes Ford the

car that fathers want to buy for their daughters.

Ford, in their advertising and marketing, should target their texting software. This would

break down the walls between customer and make Ford an attractive car for fathers to buy for

their daughters. I have no professional relationship with Ford Motor Company.



The Ford Motor Company Finds Success With Online Social NetworksBy Rob Gillingham

Cleveland Ford and area dealerships have gone social! Ever since Facebook released its

social scene to businesses, Ford has created Fan Pages for each one of their new cars and new

trucks. Ford dealerships across the country have also found a way to connect to Ford owners

and buyers by creating a fan page for their dealership. However, it wasn't enough for this

American automaker; Ford also is active on YouTube, Twitter, Flickr as well as top social

bookmarking sites such as Delicious.



Ford Motor Company and dealerships have been very successful with active profiles on

Facebook. Ford has the solution for engaging its fans and attracting more people, whether

they are new or classic Ford owners or are just car enthusiasts. Do you want to know the

secret to successful social media campaigns? Just look at what Ford does with its Facebook

fan pages.

5 Ways the Ford Motor Company Engages Fans

1. Frequent polls - This is an example of one poll posted on Ford Motor Company's fan page

recently: "LA Lifeguards and Hybrid Escapes on the beach at Portraits of hope yesterday-

what's not to like? We'll post pictures soon but now we're wondering- will you be laying on

the beach or by the pool this summer?" (Posted on May 27, 2010) - Each wall post includes a

link on Facebook, where fans can vote. The results are given just a few days later or sooner.

The results for this poll? The results of this particular poll were posted the next day: "We

polled Ford fans: pool versus beach and you voted... beach. Let this photo get you in the

mood. Here is the L.A. County Lifeguard Services' fleet with their 45 Escape Hybrids which

have been used in more than 19,754 rescues and nearly 3 million rescue preventions. Have a

great Memorial Day weekend!"

2. Wall posts with pictures - What's more engaging than reading a wall post with a great pic

of a new Ford Hybrid Escape or Fusion? Pictures sell. There's even a picture of an assembly

line.

3. Daily updates - Want to keep your fans and friends engaged? Write fun, light and

interesting wall posts, discussions, polls, and links to keep fans interested in Ford trucks and

cars.

4. Public updates - Yes, let your fans post their pictures of new, preowned or classic Ford cars

and trucks, after all that's why Ford is in business - selling cars to people. The best way to get

fans engaged in conversation is allowing them some freedom to post their stories, comments,

questions, pictures and links too. One fan posted the picture of his Ford Focus from the Czech

Republic.

5. Add apps - Facebook has almost every kind of app available for businesses to utilize and

promote their products, services and information. Ford has a video app with several short

videos about its new Ford cars and trucks' features including the Ford SYNC, inflatable rear

seat belts and the AppLink for the all new 2011 Ford Fiesta. Also, check out the Ford

Webcasts, a new application for companies that have such media online.

In today's competitive automotive marketplace, it pays to be found both on TV and online,

and with YouTube's video social network, Ford can be in two places at once. Ford's YouTube



channel not only advertises its newest vehicle, the Ford Fiesta scheduled to debut sometime

this summer, but also other new Ford cars and trucks, Drive Safe and Drive Smart videos.

Videos are added often featuring the most recognized features of Ford's line of vehicles as

well as recent auto shows and national commercials.

The Ford Story also has its own channel, which reaches out to communities as well as

provides that extra personal touch for Ford fans and enthusiasts across the country and around

the world. The Ford Story channel touts it is "Your Story," Ford fans can tell their own story

about how Ford helped them or how Ford helps communities. Ford does community service

too.

Ford's Facebook and YouTube social networks wouldn't be complete without the ever

increasing popular micro-blogging aka social network, Twitter. When people search for Ford

on Twitter, Ford is always number one with its recognizable blue and chrome oval logo. How

many people are following the Ford Motor Company, let's try 31,407 as of this writing.

Ford's Twitter account may not beat out Ashton Kutcher's 5 million plus followers, but Ford

is still quite happy that it has loyal followers. Ford offers timely tweets about production, new

features, news, dispels rumors and offers safety advice for all its new cars and trucks.

Other verified Ford sites that are found on these popular social networks include:

Ford Driving Skills For Life on Twitter as FordDSFL and

Facebook.com/FordDrivingSkillsForLife - Ford took the opportunity to educate young and

newly licensed drivers about the driving safely and how to handle various road conditions.

FDSFL knows it's never too early to teach teens about proper driving skills, even more than

what many driving schools offer. Two of the best ways to reach young drivers is through

social networking and Ford has found success here.

As long as social networking trends continue, Ford's new trucks and cars will continue to be

active online in order to keep fans and owners' loyalty across the nation. Online social

networks have more power and diversity to reach more people, and this American auto

manufacturer has a captive and active audience.



How Should Ford Motor Company Create A Brand For Its InSync Technology?By Dean Hambleton

Ford and Nuance Communications of Burlington, Mass have recently co-created a

technology called InSync. This is a game changing technology because with it, Ford has been

able to redefine the car market. No longer are cars transportation brands.

A Ford car is now a social media content platform. It is now a social media housing brand in

the same category with Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube With InSync drivers are able to take

all their social media devices and plug them into the car dashboard and create material and

then share it.



They can do this safely. They can create material while driving with both hands on the wheel.

The thing that makes InSyn unique is that the technology is now coming INTO the car. A

driver makes the decision what social media material they will use.

This is how Ford differentiates itself from GM's technology, OnStar. OnStar is located inside

the vehicle and the technology only does what GM wants it to do. OnStar can't do everything.

Before, technology for a car was located INSIDE the car and drivers had to adjust to it. Now,

Ford's InSync comes into the car, and the CAR must adjust to the driver.

In a social media era, many people spend more time in their cars than they do in their houses.

Ford has now redefined its brand. Ford is no longer a car company. That's the good news.

The bad news is that the general public doesn't know that InSync exits. To be successful and

to create a world class brand, Ford must create a brand strategy that clearly differentiates

Ford from GM.

How should Ford do this? This is the purpose of this article. Originally, it began as an

assignment for a salesmanship class at JWU in Providence, R.I. This project is about how I

would create a brand for Ford and sell Ford's top management on my branding strategy. For

the assignment, I take the position of CEO of a social media branding house trying to sell

Ford that they should select my company as its branding strategist. This is how I would create

a brand for Ford.

SALES PRESENTATION

OPENING QUESTIONS:

1. Speaking to you ladies, do you remember your first car?

2. Did you have your dad with you, and did he place a high regard for safety in purchasing

the car?

3. Speaking to you gentlemen, have you ever helped a daughter, wife, or girlfriend purchase a

car? Was safety a critical issue in the ultimate purchase decision?

4. Would you be willing to pay a little more for a car for your daughter, wife, or girlfriend

that had great safety software?

5. Suppose Ford created a perfect car, but no one knew the car existed, would that car do

Ford any good?

6. If you came across a branding strategy that would make Ford the most beloved brand in

American business, would you use it?

OBJECTIVE OF THE ARTICLE: Ford Motor Company has redefined the entire auto

industry with its InSync and MyFord technology. That is the good news. The bad news is that

no one knows about this technology. For this redefinition to be of any good to Ford, the



technology must be branded with a social media campaign that absolutely redefines Ford as

the dominant brand in cars. This is my objective. To do this we will target High School girls

because they text a lot,and their dads, because it is they who actually buy the car.

BACKGROUND: The present situation at Ford is analogous to the Union army as they

prepared to fight the battle of Gettysburg. The original Union General, John Buford quickly

realized that the army that occupied the hills around Gettysburg would win the battle. Buford

repositioned his army to the elevated heights around Gettysburg. The reason why the Union

won the Battle of Gettysburg is that Buford redefined his marketplace (the battlefield) and

repositioned his brand (the Union army). When he did this, it was now impossible for Lee to

defeat him. The InSync and MyFord technologies are critical software because they allow

drivers to take all of their social media devices and plug them into their Ford dashboard. A

critical point to be made is that the software allows texting to be done with both hands on the

wheel, by using voice commands. You listen to texts, and respond. The texts are transferred

to your friend's devices outside the car. This technology takes the danger out of texting.

Ford must leverage their technological strengths and reposition the car. The Ford brand must

no longer define the car as a means of transportation, but as a social media platform. If Ford

can create this brand, they will become the dominate car brand, perhaps even the dominate

brand in American business. This is why this brand strategy is so critical to Ford.

CURRENT SITUATION. Ford has a technology that will redefine the auto marketplace, but

no one knows about this technology exists. The car buying public sees no difference between

Ford and other models. More importantly, the public sees no differentiation between Ford

and General Motors. People must see that InSync is a far better and far safer technology than

On-Star, GM's technology. For Ford to become the leading brand, the market place must feel

a significant difference between Ford and GM.

DESIRED RESULTS. InSync offsets the dangers of texting. This will be an important

purchasing factor when parents buy cars for their kids. The desired result that Ford has for

InSync is very simple. FORD WANTS TO SAVE KIDS. Texting is a major problem among

high school young people, especially amongst girls.

Targeting high school girls is a critical factor in our branding strategy. High School girls

seem to have a wider texting net than do boys. High School girls seem to have a higher need

to stay connected with their friends. This has created all the dangers that texting creates. Girls

text while they drive. They take their hands of the wheel and they take their eyes off the road.

Each year, we hear of families devastated because a daughter, sister, child was killed, and her

friends with her, because an inexperienced driver was texting, InSync takes this danger away.



InSync a high school girl can text while she is driving. InSync is a game changing software

when placed in a car. With the addition of InSync, Ford as redefined the auto market. No

longer is a car a means of transportation. With InSync, a car has now become a powerful

social media platform brand, on a plain with Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. InSync has

allowed Ford to have the potential to become the pre-eminent brand in Social Media.

High School girls and their dads is our target. Dads are an important target, because in many

cases, it is they who ultimately buy the car. High School girls are a critical market for several

reasons. It is imperative that Ford establishes brand loyalty with women early in their lives.

The most important reason in targeting high school girls is because they give Ford strong

long-term brand loyalty. This brand loyalty translates into longer and deeper revenue streams

for Ford. The average person buys a new car every 4 years. Women live longer than men;

they buy and influence the purchase of more cars than men. Throughout their lives women

will purchase many personal cars. They will be a significant influence in the purchase of their

husband's car as well as their own. This means that each fourth year, a woman will influence

the purchase of two cars. As business owners and executives, women will influence the

purchase of many commercial vehicles over the course of their professional lives.

BUSINESS IMPACT. Our goal in our social media strategy is for Ford to become the pre-

eminent brand in American business.

DECISION CRITERIA. The criteria is that Ford wishes to redefine their brand. Ford no

longer wishes to be seen as a "car company". It wishes to be seen as a social media content

brand. Ford wishes their cars to be seen as a place where content is created and received and

then shared with the community. Ford cars will now be used to create and share blogs,

videos, and music. People, in some cases spend more time in their cars than in their private

homes. With InSync, they now can place their social media devices inside their cars and

create content.

DECISION PROCESS, TIME, AND BUDGET. This will be an ongoing campaign, but it

will be redone each year to adjust to the market place. The means that the campaign will be

done is to give 1,000 Focuses, equipped with InSync, to a targeted group of 1,000 high school

girls.

This is a significant part of the campaign. The girls that we want are a particular type of girl.

We want "It" girls. We want "the big girl on campus", someone who is very active socially.

We want the head of the cheer leading squad, the Prom Queen. We want girls who are very

active with and who love social media. We want women who text A LOT, naturally. We

want women who go places with their friends, where a lot of people are, like football games



on Friday Night in Texas. We want our girls to text, blog, and create videos and to place them

on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Our advertising will be customer created. It will be free.

It will be users talking about the car and the technology and how it affects their lives.

The selection process will also be important. We will run a contest to select our 1000. It will

be in different sections of the country. The girls will have to audition. They will have to

convince us that they are the young ladies we are looking for. They will have to demonstrate

their comfort and familiarity with social media.

The tryouts will be an important part of our strategy because we will encourage our ladies to

post their interviews and the selection process on their social media sights. This will give the

Focus and InSync many touchpoints that help Ford create its brand. We will call our project,

The Focus Project.

The budget will be $0. I will charge Ford absolutely nothing---I am going to do this project

Pro Bono because if you create a marketing campaign for Ford, and you make Ford the pre-

eminent Brand in American business, your picture will on the cover of every major Business

magazine. You will be in demand throughout the industry for social media branding, and you

can name your fee. A precedent for this is Chris Atkins. He branded the Obama campaign in

2008 for a small or no fee. Today, he is one of the most sought after social media branding

consultants in the business, with his fees sometimes going over a million dollars for his

projects.

The campaign will cost Ford nothing. Ford will give out their own cars. The advertising will

not be on conventional print or TV media. Rather, the content will be customer created and it

will be placed on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Material placed on these sights is free.

CLOSING STATEMENT. What good does it do knock down a 12 story oak in the forest if

no one is there to see it come down. Products must be branded. Ford has created this great

technology that is game changer, but no one knows it exists. Ford has to brand InSync for

InSync to do Ford any good. This is the best solution because it creates incredible upsides

and no downside. Ford is not paying any money and at every step in the process, it is

receiving large numbers of touch points with the marketplace, AT NO COST. To offer 1000

Focuses for a year's use at no cost will attract tens of thousands of applicants. Each applicant

is going to post her experience on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Think of all the videos

and posts that this will create for Focus and InSync. This will create the brand that Ford is

seeking for its Focus and InSync software.

There is a precedent for this. The Fiesta was introduced in this manner, and with no money

spent on conventional media, the Fiesta became the largest selling car in American.



Ford Motor Continues to Grow in ChinaBy Jim H Crow

The Chinese auto market is one of the fastest growing markets in the world, so it is very

important that all automakers pay close attention to the trends in China and fight to offer what

one of the largest countries in the world wants. The management at the Ford Motor Company

has recognized the opportunities available for Ford in China and has been aggressively

marketing their cars overseas.

The Ford Motor Company has sold a record 301,524 vehicles in China in the first half of

2010. With the tremendous growth that has been happening in China every year, this number

is up a massive 53 percent from the same period in 2009. The company has stated that part of

the reason for the huge growth in China this year is due to the release of the new Fiesta

subcompact car which has been popular among Chinese buyers.



With an unforeseeable end to the tremendous growth in demand for cars in China, it is

foreseeable that Ford auto sales in the country could top those of the company's home

country, the United States. So far sales for automakers in China have grown by 26 percent

this year over last. Ford's joint ventures within the country include, but are not limited to

Changan Ford Mazda Automobile and Jiangling Motors Corporation. The Ford motor

company is poised to continue to be on the rise in China with these ventures helping it along

the way. The Jiangling Motors Corporation joint venture is focused on growing the sales of

commercial vehicles in China, a sector of the market with an enormous potential for growth.

Recent Changes In Ford Motor Company's LineupBy Jacqueline Star

Ford has made a few exciting to its current lineup of cars with a completely revamped

Taurus, the powerful MKT and the fuel efficient Ford Fusion. For a few years now Ford has

been mainly focusing on its luxury brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo. These

divisions have been sold off due to the state of the economy and started to give some

attention to Lincoln. The result of this is the gorgeous and powerful MKT.

The design of the MKT is based on the Ford Flex but its appearance is still unique due to its

unique front grille. The interior is on the upscale side with seats crafted out of fine leather and

there is walnut trim throughout the cabin. The panoramic sunroof is truly amazing. The MKT

is powered by a new Eco Boost engine. This vehicle sports a ton of power at 355 hp and 350

lb feet of torque. It's probably best to opt for the all-wheel drive option. Fuel economy stands

at 23 mpg on the freeway and 17 mpg in the city.



Hybrids are quite popular now due to their eco consciousness and excellent fuel economy and

Ford's Fusion has been one of the hybrids to make waves in the hybrid niche. Gas mileage is

very impressive with 36 mpg on the highway and 41 mpg in the city. This is one eco-

conscious car; the interior is made out of recycled materials plus there is an eco gauge in

place which encourages you to be a more efficient driver by giving you positive feedback

when you reach optimum efficiency. The base cost of the Fusion is around the $28k mark.

The 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine has an electric motor that combines to make 191 hp and 136

lb-ft. of torque.

The Taurus is another vehicle which has received an update on both the inside and the

outside. The new model is much more contemporary and improved over the older model.

Around ten years ago the Taurus was one of the most popular sedans around. However, the

older models weren't too innovative or exciting and as a result many ended up being used as

cabs or as fleet vehicles. But the Taurus did its job and did it well. After a short stint as the

Ford 500, the Taurus is back and better than ever before. The new model is completely made

over and much better than ever before. The roofline is lower and the belt line has been raised,

which seems to follow the other recently redesigned American muscle cars.

There are three trims you can choose for the Taurus which includes the base SE model which

starts at $26k to the top of the line SHO model which costs approximately $38k. The base

model vehicle has a 3.5 liter V6 engine which puts out 263 hp and 249 lb-ft. of torque

through a front wheel drive. If possible, opt for the SHO version as it is decked out with the

latest and greatest new technology offerings from Ford. The eco boost engine fuels the SHO

model which has a twin turbo six cylinder engine. Putting down 365 hp and 350 lb-ft of

torque through an all wheel drive system can produce some great acceleration times; it

reaches 60mph in just 4.8 seconds and reaches one fourth of a mile at a mere 13.3 seconds.



Ford Turns to the Midsize Car to Challenge Japan

DETROIT — It’s rare for an auto company to undertake a total makeover of one of its best-

selling models, from the styling to the seats to the selection of engines.

But that’s exactly what the Ford Motor Company did with its new Fusion sedan, to be

introduced Monday at the annual Detroit auto show.

The current Fusion ranked third in sales among all cars in the United States last year. Yet

virtually everything was changed on the version that goes on sale later this year — even how

the “blue oval” Ford badge was embedded into the hood of the car.

That attention to detail surprised even William Clay Ford Jr., the company’s executive

chairman. “At first, I thought the blue oval was off-center or something,” Mr. Ford said in an

interview. “But it’s actually quite beautiful.”

The new look is just one aspect of Ford’s all-out bid to gain share in the competitive midsize

car segment dominated in recent decades by the Japanese automakers. To further differentiate


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the Fusion, the company will offer four engine options, including a plug-in hybrid it promotes

as the mostfuel-efficient family sedan in the world.

The revamped Fusion underscores just how hard Detroit’s automakers are pushing to solidify

their turnarounds with improved passenger cars. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler

accounted for 60 percent of trucks and S.U.V.’s sold in the United States in 2011 and make

most of their profits from bigger vehicles. But they still have only about one-third of the car

market.

That could change if their Detroit show models attract new customers. Besides Ford’s Fusion,

G.M. will reveal a new small Cadillac, as well as its own contender in the midsize market, the

restyled Chevrolet Malibu. Chrysler plans to show the compact Dodge Dart, which is built off

of a vehicle platform developed by Fiat, its Italian parent company.

With Toyota and Honda struggling to recover from last year’s earthquake-related supply

disruptions, the conditions are ripe for the American companies.

“With the Japanese in a bit of a bind, the time is now for Detroit to conquest new customers,”

said Joseph Phillippi, an analyst with the consulting firm Auto Trends.

Both G.M. and Ford have made big gains in the small-car market with new products like

the Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Focus, part of their effort to meet new fuel standards as well as

attract people to showrooms. Now they are focusing on the midsize segment, long the

stronghold of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

The Camry was still the top seller in the segment last year, followed by the Nissan Altimaand

the Fusion. But models from the Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia are steadily gaining

share, and the German carmaker Volkswagen is gearing up for more production of its midsize

entries.

Honda plans to show a concept version of a new Accord at the Detroit show. But most of the

attention will center on the Fusion, which promises to shatter the old Detroit stereotype of

bland, middle-of-the-road passenger cars.

The Fusion is the latest Ford car to be overhauled for sale in a variety of global markets,

following the Focus and the subcompact Fiesta. Development of the new Fusion began four

years ago, just when Ford and the other Detroit companies were spiraling into financial crises

which led G.M. and Chrysler into government-sponsored bankruptcies.

At the time, Ford was determined to invest heavily in new, fuel-efficient cars despite the

company’s mounting losses. “Even in the dark days, we decided to keep investing,” Mr. Ford

said.


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Ford’s chief executive, Alan R. Mulally, urged the design and engineering team to reinvent

the Fusion rather than simply update it. Traditionally, the Detroit companies often settled for

incremental improvements, particularly on the design side.

They were hardly alone in that regard. Toyota, for example, had stellar success with the

Camry year after year without changing its basic styling. “Detroit looked at the competition

and saw that the plain, white-bread look was what worked,” said Mr. Phillippi.

Yet the Ford team was urged by management to wipe the slate clean for the new Fusion. It

was not an easy call. “You can start with a clean sheet of paper, and still screw it up,” Mr.

Ford said.

The exterior design staff was headed by Chris Hamilton, a 43-year-old Briton who had spent

most of his career in Europe. His team interviewed consumers from the United States,

Europe, China and Australia to get ideas.

“We didn’t look at the midsize car as just a boring segment,” Mr. Hamilton said. “We looked

at it as an opportunity to create a beautiful product.”

What they ended up with was a muscular-looking, four-door sedan that stands apart from the

midsize crowd. And with its trapezoidal grille, elongated headlamps, and sculptured trunk lid,

the new Fusion looks nothing like the current model.

During a preview of the car at Ford’s design studio, Mr. Hamilton stressed the changes, both

big and small. Chrome accents on the body panels are slimmer than before, and side mirrors

are mounted on the doors to allow for larger windows. The roof was stretched and sloped to

create a sleeker silhouette. And instead of attaching a standard-issue blue oval badge onto the

hood, a slightly smaller emblem was designed and integrated into the sheet metal.

“The proportions are everything,” Mr. Hamilton said. “We want this car to look expensive,

even if it isn’t.”

Ford has not announced any prices for the new Fusion, except to say they will be comparable

to the current model, which ranges from about $20,000 to $30,000.

There are more changes in the interior of the car, like lighter-weight seats and an unusual

center console supported by pillars rather than layers of hard plastic. In addition to a voice-

activated communications and navigation system, the Fusion also has sensors that detect

when the car gets too close to other vehicles or is straying into other lanes of traffic.

Ford will offer two, four-cylinder engines in the Fusion that can achieve 37 miles a gallon in

highway driving. It also has a hybrid gas-electric model, and the first plug-in hybrid available



in the midsize segment. While it has not yet been rated by federal regulators, Ford expects the

plug-in to deliver the electrified-vehicle equivalent of more than 100 miles a gallon.

Its striking new design will attract potential buyers, but the technology and fuel-efficiency are

critical to the Fusion’s success in the long-run, said James D. Farley Jr., Ford’s head of sales

and marketing.

“The family sedan is still the heart and soul of the American garage,” Mr. Farley said. “The

design is so evocative that it invites customers to look beyond the surface to our quality and

our fuel economy.”

Lexus LF-LC Concept and Ford Fusion Win Eyes On Design AwardsBy PHIL PATTON

DETROIT — Jack Telnack, the former Ford design chief who led this year’s committee for

the EyesOn Design Awards, said that voting was facilitated by the iPads that judges could be

seen tapping throughout Cobo Center on Tuesday.

His fellow iPad-toting judiciary included current design bosses and other figures in the

profession. Among them were Alfonso Albaisa from Nissan; Karen Davidson of Harley-

Davidson; Chrysler’s Ralph Gilles, who presented a homage to John Herlitz, the Chrysler

designer who died in 2008 at age 65; Derek Jenkins of Mazda; Stewart Reed from Art Center

College of Design; and Tom Matano, formerly of Mazda, from Academy of Art University.

The EyesOn awards, presented by the Detroit Institute for Ophthalmology, are historically

bestowed after the second day of press previews to one concept and one production vehicle.

The Lexus LF-LC hybrid sports car concept, designed under Kevin Hunter at Toyota’s Calty

studio in Newport Beach, Calif., prevailed over the other finalists, the Chevrolet Tru

140S and Lincoln MKZ concepts.

“It was a great exploration of design themes,” the judges said in a statement. Mr. Hunter and

several members of his team were on hand to accept the award.


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The award for best production vehicle was accepted by Moray Callum, the head of design for

Ford in North America, for the Fusion sedan. The commendation released by the judges said

that the sedan was a “clean, well-executed statement, demonstrating effortless design.” Mr.

Callum accepted the award with other Ford designers.

The other finalists were the BMW 3 Series and the Cadillac ATS. Conspicuous by its absence

in both categories was Audi, which had won four EyesOn awards in the last three years.

Ford Adds Plug-In Hybrid to Fusion ArsenalBy CHRISTOPHER JENSEN

What is it? The redesigned Fusion is Ford’s all-in bet in a hypercompetitive midsize class.

With Camrys, Malibus, Accords, Passats and Sonatas all striving to strike an optimal — if not

terribly stirring — balance of fuel economy, sound driving dynamics and premium features at

a reasonable price, it’s a huge challenge by any measure.

Is it real? The Fusion, which will carry the Mondeo name in Europe and Asia, is a critical

component of the so-called One Ford strategy. It’s every bit the global car that the Fiesta,

Focus and C-Max are, and it carries big expectations.

What they said: Discussing the wide-ranging Fusion line-up, Ford’s chief executive, Alan R.

Mulally, predicted a coming shift in market tastes. “The majority of people near-term are

going to hybrids. They’re just so flexible,” Mr. Mulally said at the automaker’s press

conference here Monday morning. He added that Ford would build gas-only, hybrid and

plug-in Fusions on the same production line, giving it greater flexibility to meet market

demand.

What they didn’t say: This is a mainstream car, designed to sell in the hundreds of

thousands every year against formidable competitors. Consequently, Ford will get a huge

benefit if the Fusion is a blockbuster. But it would be a serious blow to the automaker if the

car failed to gain traction with buyers.


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What makes it tick? The front-wheel-drive Fusion, assembled at Ford’s plant in Hermosillo,

Mexico, offers a fistful of powertrains, though Ford is only offering estimated output figures

for each. The standard engine, a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, is projected to generate 170 horsepower.

Optional engines include a 179-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder and a

237-horsepower turbocharged 2-liter 4-cylinder EcoBoost. All-wheel drive will be available

with the 2-liter engine.

With lithium-ion batteries replacing the outgoing model’s nickel-metal hydride units, Ford is

promising class-leading fuel economy from the Fusion Hybrid, with an estimated E.P.A.

rating of 47 miles a gallon in city and 44 m.p.g. in highway driving. But the real efficiency

showcase is the Fusion Energi, a plug-in hybrid said to be capable of returning the equivalent

of 100 m.p.g. or higher when operating solely under electric power; it uses the same non-

turbo 2-liter 4-cylinder engine supplements as the Fusion Hybrid to assist the electric motor.

Ford did not reveal specifications for the Energi’s battery pack or motor, or what the car’s

estimated purely electric range would be.

How much, how soon? The gas models and hybrid will arrive in the summer, with the

Energi scheduled to arrive in showrooms this fall. Although prices haven’t been released, for

the Fusion to be competitive, it would be expected to fall in the $21,000-$28,000 realm —

the Energi being the wild card, which would probably list for over $30,000.

How’s it look? The design manages to be clean and uncluttered while projecting a strong

personality. Buyers put off by the previous-generation car’s slatted chrome bars on the grille

should be pleased by the new, slightly trapezoidal treatment, evocative of the Focus

Electric and the Evos conceptshown at the Frankfurt auto show last September.


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New Ford Fusion Will Warn Drivers Who DriftBy PAUL STENQUIST

The Ford Motor Company offered on Thursday a taste of some advanced technology that will

be featured in the all-new Fusion, which is scheduled to be introduced at the Detroit auto

show in January. The technical tidbit is a tracking system that can help prevent drowsy or

inattentive drivers from wandering out of their lane. While similar technology has previously

been offered on some automobiles, Octavio Navarro, a Ford spokesman, said in a telephone

interview that the Fusion would be the first affordable nonluxury vehicle to offer this type of

system.

The Fusion’s Lane Keeping System monitors the vehicle’s position with a windshield-

mounted digital camera that can track lane markings. If the car drifts close to the edge of the

lane without the turn signal on, the driver will be notified by a vibration in the steering wheel

that feels much like the pulsing caused by rumble strips in the road. A system that Ford calls

Lane Keeping Aid can steer the car back toward the center of the lane if the driver doesn’t

respond to the warning.

If the Lane Keeping System calculates that the driving pattern over a period of time suggests

that the driver is drowsy, a chime sounds and a coffee cup icon warning appears on the

instrument panel. If the driver continues to nap, a second chime is issued.

According to a Ford news release, the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration estimates that 100,000 reported accidents are caused annually by drowsy

drivers, resulting in 1,500 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary loses.


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The system must be turned on by the driver, who can choose to employ just the alert function

without the steering assist. The intensity of the warnings is also selected by the driver. The

switched-on system becomes active at speeds over 40 m.p.h. when lane markings are visible.

“Fusion’s Lane Keeping System combines a digital imaging sensor with our own state-of-the-

art control software to process images and determine what level of warning or assistance to

provide to the driver,” Michale Kane, Ford development engineer, said in a statement.

The all-new Fusion is an important car for Ford, because it will determine how big a role the

automaker plays in the large and lucrative midsize marketplace. Few will be surprised if more

details are disseminated before the big reveal at Detroit’s Cobo Hall.

Ford Recalls 450,000 Vehicles in Two Separate ActionsBy CHRISTOPHER JENSEN

According to documents filed earlier this week with the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, Ford is recalling about 450,000 minivans and crossovers in two actions.

The first recall, which Ford resisted for more than two years, covered about 206,000 Ford

Freestars and Mercury Monterey minivans from the 2004-5 model years. The vehicles’

torque converter may fail, resulting in a loss of power, Ford said. The other action involves

about 244,000 Ford Escapes from 2001-2 because brake-fluid leaks could lead to corrosion

and potentially a fire.

The agency began investigating the problem with the Freestar and Monterey in July 2009

after receiving complaints from owners who said the vehicles would suddenly lose power,

sometimes when traveling at highway speeds.

Ford responded by telling the agency that even if the converter were to fail, it wouldn’t be a

safety problem because the vehicle would remain controllable and could still coast, “during

which it can be safely maneuvered and stopped because the engine continues to run.”

The agency, however, investigated. Late in 2009 it said there was enough reason for concern

that it intensified its investigation, noting at least 227 owner complaints and one claim of an

accident.


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As recently as last November, Ford was still resisting a recall, telling the agency that there

was a “lack of real world data to support any conclusion that this subject presented an

unreasonable safety risk.”

In complaints filed to the safety agency, one owner said his Freestar lost power “suddenly

and unexpectedly on a busy highway and rendered my van powerless with my wife and three

young children aboard. Luckily she was able to get to the side of the road and avoid an

accident.”

Documents show that the agency continued to pursue the issue, and late in December, Ford

agreed to the recall, saying it was doing so only “to avoid a protracted dispute with the

agency.”

Ford attributed the problem to a part that did not meet specified heat-treatment requirements,

which could cause premature wear and the failure of the torque converter.

Daniel Pierce, a Ford spokesman, wrote in an e-mail that the recall came about from

collaboration between the automaker and the agency. “Both N.H.T.S.A. and Ford have

cooperated with each other over the past two years, sharing information, reports and data,” he

wrote.

Ford will also reimburse owners who had the repair done before the recall, Mr. Pierce wrote

in an e-mail, if they can provide an original receipt. Some owners who complained to the

agency said the repair cost about $2,000.

The Escapes were recalled because the cap on the brake fluid reservoir might leak, Ford told

the agency in a report filed earlier this week. That fluid could contact the antilock brake

module and ignite, the automaker said.

In an e-mail, Mr. Pierce of Ford said the automaker had some reports of vehicle fires and “a

few reports” of damage to property other than the vehicle.

The Mercury Mariner is a sibling of the Escape, but wasn’t introduced until the 2005 model

year, and is consequently not affected by the recall. It was unclear whether the Mazda

Tribute, another sibling of the Escape that was introduced as a 2001-model vehicle, would

also be recalled.

Ford described each recall as voluntary, but once an automaker determines there is a safety

problem, the law requires that it be reported to the safety agency within five working days.


http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/safety-recalls-may-be-voluntary-but-are-required-by-law/

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http://autos.nytimes.com/2011/Mercury/Mariner/265/3115/327272/researchOverview.aspx?inline=nyt-classifier


Why Ford Motor Company Is Losing Market Share Fast To HyundaiBy David Maillie

Hyundai is fast taking over the American automotive landscape. They originally targeted GM

and Ford, but now have Honda, Toyota and even luxury automotive names like Lexus and

Acura in their sites. Ford has tried to keep up by purchasing Jaguar and reinventing the

classic GT40, but it cannot keep up as these are small profit areas and Fords bread and butter

was its Taurus in the 80s and early 90s. It lost this market share to Honda and Toyota in the

90s. Ford is trying to reinvent itself and find a new profitable niche, but it appears that the

time for its demise is soon approaching.

Ford Motor Co. announced just this last week that it was going to cut another 30,000 or so

workers, shut down several plants and cut production by over 20 percent. That is not a good

sign. They even announced that they will be giving some dealers the boot. That is an even

worse indicator. A cardinal rule of business according to the Harvard Business Review is that

you never cut your sales force except to replace them with a more effective sales force. Else

all you will do is reduce your sales. While Ford is closing down and circling its wagons,

Hyundai is opening more dealers and rewarding and paying its sales staff better than ever.

If you have a good sales staff or organization and you reward them properly they can sell

anything to anybody. Look, when Hyundai started selling in America, people were leary,

there were new upstarts Kia and Daewoo was going down the drain. People did not trust or

even want to consider Hyundai. Even with great incentives and a longer warranty they were

not selling well. Then Hyundai revamped things and focused solely on its sales. According to

Hyundai Motor America (HMA) President and CEO, Ok Suk (Owen) Koh:



We knew that our sales would make us or break us so we made that our number one issue.

We took every thing positive that was being done in the entire industry and brought it all

together at Hyundai. From innovation and new technology like Toyota to owner loyalty like

Lexus. We knew that if we did this and kept sales as our top priority that we would come out

on top.

Basically, Hyundai is gunning for top sales in America and worldwide and companies that

cannot keep up, like Ford, are destined to fall unless they take drastic steps or measures.

Instead of cutting its production and, more importantly, its sales staff and dealerships, Ford

should focus on fixing the problem. By cutting back you will only make it worse. What Ford

needs to do is rekindle itself with the younger generation. It has tried and failed miserably.

Expensive ads on American Idol didn't work, reinventing the mustang has not yielded the

results that were expected. It is time to get help. What Ford needs is a new leader. One that

could easily revamp their product line and reputation and bring them back from the brink.

Lee Iacocca, was the wonder boy of Chrysler. He brought them out of the same identical

financial hole. Bill Ford is not and will not ever be capable of this. This is true in most mega

rich and entrepreneurial families, the kids will never attain 1 millionth of the

accomplishments of their fathers. They don't have the ability or the drive. It isn't in them. It

isn't something you are born with, its something you learn through experience. What Ford

desperately needs is Steve Jobs.

Steve Jobs has become one of the greatest success stories of all time. In the 70s and 80s he

created Apple Computer and dominated the personal computer market. In the 90s he came

back and brought Apple back from the brink and then he created and dominated the personal

music player industry with the iPod. He also created Pixar animation studios and has

dominated that area. Steve Jobs has the uncanny ability to take companies in entirely

different fields and make them super successful. Ford and the automotive industry would be a

cake walk for him. So, Ford, here is a bonafide guaranteed solution to your problems. Get rid

of Mr. Ford and do whatever it takes to get Steve Jobs on board. You will then be able to

open plants, increase the number of dealers, and increase jobs. Someone should email this

article to Ford before it is too late.



Ford Motor May Collaborate With Toyota MotorsBy Ryan Thomas

The drive to reduce the dependency on non-renewable sources of energy has been the focus

of most government agencies and private sectors in the global community. In the forefront of

the battle to reduce the harmful emission of greenhouse gases is the automotive industry.

Different car manufacturers are taking it upon themselves to develop new ways to decrease

the emission of harmful gases by vehicles out in the roads of the world. There have been

partnerships between car makers and companies in the alternative fuel industry too. And

more recently, there are talks that Ford and Toyota will be joining forces to do battle against

the global warming issue via the use of hybrid technology which will make their vehicles

cleaner and safer for the environment.

Recently Kyodo News, a non-profit cooperative news agency based in Tokyo reported that

the Chief Executive Officer of Ford Motor Company has shown strong interest in making

their company's alliance with Toyota stronger. The news cited that the partnership might be

in order to further develop the existing hybrid technology used by both car makers in their

vehicles.

In connection with this, Ford CEO Allan Mulally said that a working agreement between the

two companies in the development of alternative fuel powered vehicles will be beneficial to

both parties. "I anticipate that the automobile manufacturers will increase their collaboration

and their partnership on developing the enabling technology for even more fuel-efficient

vehicles going forward. It is a kind of natural thing for us to do, to accelerate the

development of the enabling technologies", Mulally said.

It can be remembered that Toyota has already hinted that they are open to the idea of working

with other car manufacturers in the development of technologies that can be used on vehicles

to decrease or even eliminate the greenhouse gases being emitted by these automobiles. In



2004, Toyota has already shown that they are looking for ways so as to help the environment

more than competing with other car manufacturers. This is evident in the agreement between

Ford and Toyota that allowed Ford to use Toyota's hybrid system technology patents. Instead

of keeping it for themselves, they shared the technology that they were able to develop with

Ford and this now helps in the popularity of environment friendly hybrid electric cars.

Both parties know that the development of technologies that will help reduce the dependency

of vehicles on fossil fuel will cost them heavily. But both of them also knew that such is the

price for the development of current technology especially if the result is beneficial to the

entire human race. Toyota is currently working with another US based car maker, General

Motors, but the working agreement does not include the development of fuel cell as

alternative source of energy for vehicles. This is the direction that Ford wants to go since they

have already proven themselves in the production of hybrid electric vehicles just like Nissan

Altima parts proved to be reliable in the long run.

It can also be remembered that last December, Toyota Chairman Fujio Cho had talks with

Mulally. The move was seen to be the start of something new in the automotive industry.

While Mulally had talks with the chairman of Toyota, he said that he has yet to meet with

Cho but he has no specific plan yet. He added however that he is interested in having further

talks with Toyota's leadership team.

While Ford is interested in working together with Toyota in the development of technologies

that will make cleaner vehicles, they are not as interested in an alliance with Chrysler. When

asked about that, Mulally was quoted to say, "I don't think so."



For Ford, Three Years of Profit in a RowBy NICK BUNKLEY

The Ford Motor Company reported its third consecutive full-year profit on Friday and its

largest in 13 years, ensuring its hourly workers one of the biggest profit-sharing bonuses in

the company’s history.

Ford said strong sales in North America overshadowed higher commodity costs and losses in

other parts of the world. The North American results mean 41,600 hourly workers in the

United States will receive $6,200 in profit-sharing bonuses for 2011, up from $5,000 the year

before.

Ford made an unusual accounting adjustment in the fourth quarter worth $12.4 billion that

increased its 2011 earnings to $20.2 billion, the second-highest total ever for the carmaker.

But excluding that one-time gain, Ford’s fourth-quarter operating profit declined.

The accounting change eliminated most of a tax allowance created when the company was

bleeding billions of dollars in 2006 and saw little likelihood of making a profit in the coming

years. By making the adjustment, Ford is now signaling that it expects to continue earning

substantial profits.

“It’s a very positive signal,” said the company’s chief financial officer, Lewis W. K. Booth.

“In our judgment, we’re going to be profitable enough in the foreseeable future to use up the

deferred assets.”

The hourly workers received a $3,750 advance on the 2011 bonus after signing a new four-

year labor agreement last fall and will receive the remaining $2,450 in March. Thelargest

profit-sharing bonus at Ford came for the year 1999, when workers received an average of

$8,000.

The accounting gain means that, on paper, Ford has recovered nearly all of the $30.1 billion it

lost from 2006 through 2008. In the three years since, the company’s profit totaled $29.5

billion.



Ford created the tax allowance in 2006, when Alan R. Mulally, the chief executive, joined the

company as its performance was in a downward spiral and it mortgaged most assets to raise

money. The losses meant Ford could no longer keep many deferred tax assets on its books,

but after posting 11 consecutive profitable quarters, it was able to release nearly all of that

allowance.

Doing so lets Ford offset taxes on about $35 billion of future profits, said James Hines, a law

and economics professor at the University of Michigan.

“You would only do that if you were expecting a lot of pretax profits,” Professor Hines said.

“It’s not a shock, given how well they’ve been doing.”

By region, the company earned a pretax operating profit in North America in 2011 of $6.2

billion but lost a total of $119 million in its Europe and Asia-Pacific-Africa regions. Its

fourth-quarter loss in Europe nearly quadrupled to $190 million, from $51 million in 2010,

and Mr. Booth conceded that Europe “may stay challenging for some time.”

In contrast, North America, the epicenter of Ford’s past troubles, has become “the engine for

supporting our growth worldwide,” Mr. Mulally said.

The net profit was equal to $4.94 a share, up from $1.66 a share a year earlier, when Ford

earned $6.6 billion.

Excluding the accounting change and other special items, Ford earned an operating profit of

$8.8 billion for the year, or $1.51 a share, 6 percent more than its 2010 operating profit of

$8.3 billion, or $1.91 a share.

Revenue increased 13 percent to $136.3 billion, but profit margins declined to 5.4 percent,

from 6.1 percent in 2010.

In the fourth quarter, Ford reported an operating profit of $1.1 billion, or 20 cents a share,

down from $1.3 billion, or 30 cents a share, a year ago. Analysts were expecting earnings of

25 cents a share, and consequently, Ford shares fell 4 percent on Friday to close at $12.21.

Including the accounting gain, Ford had net income of $13.6 billion. Revenue for the quarter

rose 6 percent to $34.6 billion.

Ford ended 2011 with $13.1 billion in automotive debt, $400 million more than at the end of

the third quarter but $6 billion less than it had a year earlier.

It had $22.9 billion in automotive cash, up $2.4 billion for the year.



Mr. Booth said the challenging economy in Europe and flooding in Thailand hurt fourth-

quarter earnings. Commodity costs also ended up being higher than expected, he said.

With the auto market in the United States improving, Ford said it expected operating profit to

increase in 2012 and for profit margins to be equal to or better than in 2011. The company

said it planned to contribute $3.5 billion to its underfunded pension plans, including $2

billion in the United States.

The projections are “encouraging to us given all the industry headwinds,” Adam Jonas, an

analyst with Morgan Stanley, wrote in a note to clients Friday. He added, “2012 may be

shaping up to be a very good year for Ford.”

Ford sold 17 percent more cars and trucks at American dealerships in 2011, with big gains for

its redesigned Explorer sport utility vehicle and year-old Fiesta subcompact car. This year, it

is bringing out revamped versions of the Fusion midsize sedan and Escape crossover vehicle,

along with several plug-in vehicles and hybrids.

Mr. Booth said Ford would be able to improve its performance in the years ahead by

increasing sales and by operating more efficiently, which is a central focus of its turnaround

plan, known as One Ford.



After Ratings Drop, Ford Reworks Touch ScreensBy NICK BUNKLEY

DEARBORN, Mich. — The Ford Motor Company began adding touch-screen control

systems to some of its most popular models two years ago as a way to stand out from the rest

of the industry and draw in new customers.

But after many buyers grew frustrated with flaws in the system, known as MyFord Touch and

developed with Microsoft, Ford’s quality ratings plunged and a feature meant to increase

loyalty instead damaged perceptions of the company.

MyFord Touch replaces many of the traditional knobs and buttons in a vehicle with touch

screens, steering wheel-mounted controls and spoken commands.

“I think they were too willing to rush something out because of the flashiness of it rather than

the functionality,” said Michael Hiner, a former stock-car racing crew chief in Akron, Ohio,

who bought a Ford Edge Limited last year largely because he and his wife were intrigued by

MyFord Touch.

Now Ford has issued a major upgrade that redesigns much of what customers see on the

screen and tries to resolve complaints about the system crashing or rebooting while the

vehicle is being driven. Ford said on Monday that the upgrade made the touch screens

respond to commands more quickly, improved voice recognition capabilities and simplified a

design that some say had the potential to create more distractions for drivers who tried to use

it on the road. Fonts and buttons on the screen have been enlarged, and the layouts of more

than 1,000 screens have been revamped.

“We expect that these improvements will put us back on track in the quality ratings,” said

Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president for global product development. “It’s more than

just an update. This is a substantial upgrade.”

Ford is taking the unusual step of sending the upgrade directly to customers, who can install

the new software in about an hour by plugging in a USB flash drive.



Dealers, which can perform the procedure if customers prefer, received the upgrade kits

Monday, and the more than 300,000 customers with MyFord Touch in their vehicles can

expect their USB drive in the mail later this week, Ford said.

Irritation with MyFord Touch was cited last week by Consumer Reports as a big reason that

Ford fell to 10th place on this year’s Automaker Report Card, from fifth in 2011. Ford

dropped 10 places in the publication’s predicted reliability survey last year and plummeted to

23rd place, from fifth, in the most recent initial quality survey by J. D. Power & Associates.

Both surveys showed poor scores for models with MyFord Touch.

David Champion, the senior director of auto testing for Consumer Reports, said improving

the software should resolve some customer issues, but he said he believed a touch screen

would always be harder for drivers to use than traditional knobs and switches, even if it

looked more exciting to shoppers.

“It’s an idea that I don’t think really belongs in a car to a certain extent,” Mr. Champion said.

“It is a very complex system that they’ve put in, that works great if you’re in a showroom and

not having to look where you’re going.”

Ford has been among the industry’s leaders in introducing communication and entertainment

technology in recent years. Rivals like General Motors, Chrysler and Toyota have been

adding similar features, though they are generally less complex and have not generated as

much negative feedback.

Ford’s system incorporates the car’s climate controls, hands-free communication, navigation

and entertainment into one screen on the console and has another customizable display where

the speedometer and other gauges are usually located.

Ford insists it is committed to the touch-screen approach and that customers love it, aside

from the issues targeted by the new upgrade. It said MyFord Touch and its underlying

software, known as Ford Sync, were an important part of the purchase decision for 56 percent

of Ford buyers and that 77 percent of owners now used voice commands to control their

vehicle’s audio and information system.

Roughly four out of every five people who have bought a 2012 Ford Explorer or Edge chose

one with MyFord Touch, which is available only on configurations that cost at least $5,000

more than the base model.

The basic version of Ford Sync, which was introduced in 2007 and does not use a touch

screen, costs $295 and now comes standard on some models.



MyFord Touch is included in nearly 10 percent of the vehicles Ford has sold in the United

States since introducing the system in late 2010. It is currently available on the Edge,

Explorer and Focus and on the Lincoln MKX as MyLincoln Touch.

Mr. Hiner, the Edge buyer, said he had always driven and been involved with racing General

Motors products, and his wife was loyal to Toyota. The couple considered aToyota

Highlander sport utility vehicle but settled on the Edge because of MyFord Touch. “It was the

deciding factor in us buying that over the Highlander,” he said. “We just felt like the Edge

offered more.”

But a year later, Mr. Hiner, now a stay-at-home father, has run out of patience with MyFord

Touch, having taken the car repeatedly to his dealership for help, to no avail. He said the

navigation system often malfunctioned, the rearview camera frequently stayed on while the

vehicle was moving forward and the system randomly rebooted. The voice controls typically

do not work until the vehicle has been on for five to 10 minutes, meaning short trips require

dialing phone calls by hand, only to have the call cut off when the system finally starts up, he

said.

Ford officials say they have listened to customer feedback in developing the upgrade, a

process that started as soon as the system was introduced.

Graydon Reitz, Ford’s director for global electronics and electrical systems engineering, said

the new software eliminated error messages and was now usually able to fix problems on its

own when they occurred.

Another change moves the switch for controlling the heated seats onto the home screen.

Previously, a driver had to press the screen several times to reach the correct menu option.

To ensure both the software and the upgrade process work as expected, Ford had 1,700

employees and dealers try it out for three months to collect feedback.

Ford is adding MyFord Touch as an option to seven more models this year. In doing so, it

addressed another common problem that current owners cannot fix with new software: a

touch-sensitive area under the touch screen that activates the hazard lights has been replaced

with a mechanical button, because Ford learned that drivers were inadvertently turning on the

hazard lights as they rested their hand while waiting for the system to respond.



With Energy Department’s Encouragement, Ford, G.M. and Ram Unveil Natural Gas PickupsBy TUDOR VAN HAMPTON

INDIANAPOLIS — Speaking here this week at the Green Truck Summit, an event held in

conjunction with the Work Truck Show, Steven Chu, the head of the Energy Department,

called on commercial fleet owners to consider converting their vehicles to run on natural gas,

which he characterized as a “no-brainer” alternative to gasoline and diesel.

“We want to diversify our source of transportation energy,” Mr. Chu said. “If you are a meat-

eater, and beef is the only thing you ate, if the price of beef goes up, well, you got to pay for

it.”

Chrysler, Ford and General Motors readily obliged, introducing pickup trucks at the trade

show that would run on compressed natural gas and gasoline. The manufacturers expect this

niche to grow more appealing, particularly to fleet customers, as oil prices rise and domestic

reserves of natural gas are discovered and exploited.

On Thursday, a public pump here offered compressed natural gas, or C.N.G., for the

gasoline-gallon equivalent of $2.15, according to the Web site CNGprices.com. Gasoline

prices in Indianapolis, meanwhile, averaged $3.77, according to IndyGasPrices.com.

But pricing and supply advantages of C.N.G. have historically not been sufficient to convince

fleet owners of its utility and safety. Heavy tanks capable of holding fuel compressed to

3,600 pounds per square inch typically cut directly into a truck’s cargo space and payload

capacity. Limited access to filling stations and potential buyers’ concerns about the highly

pressurized tanks exploding in a crash have kept adoption low.

Tudor Van Hampton for The New York Times

Fred Diaz, president and chief executive of Ram, introducing the 2012 Ram 2500 Heavy

Duty CNG on Tuesday in Indianapolis.

To build buyer confidence, Ford, Chrysler and G.M. are covering their C.N.G. trucks under

standard warranties. The V-8 engine in each truck is fitted with hardened valves and seats to

handle the higher combustion temperatures of the natural gas.



Chrysler’s Ram brand seized bragging rights as the only manufacturer to offer a factory-built

C.N.G. pickup. Ford and G.M., after receiving customer orders, would send trucks to

manufacturers, or upfitters, who would configure them to run on natural gas.

Built on a three-quarter-ton chassis, the 2012 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty CNG is powered by a

5.7-liter Hemi V-8 power plant. A box containing two steel natural gas tanks sits in the bed,

and the stated range in natural-gas-only mode is 255 miles. When the tanks are depleted, it

automatically switches to gasoline, which adds another 112 miles of manufacturer-estimated

range.

Priced at $47,500, or about 30 percent more than a comparably equipped conventional 2500,

the Ram is only available for fleet owners. Ram officials here said they might eventually sell

to individual consumers, but an impediment is ready access to fuel stations.

“The biggest challenge is the infrastructure,” Jeff Johnson, a product planning manager for

the Ram brand, said in an interview here. He noted there were roughly 1,000 C.N.G. filling

stations in the United States. One project confirmed Wednesday involves Chesapeake Energy

and General Electric, which announced they would partner to build 250 C.N.G. stations.

Tudor Van Hampton

2013 Chevrolet Silverado HD bifuel pickup.

G.M, meanwhile, unveiled its 2013 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 HD bifuel

pickups, which could be ordered by fleet and retail customers in April, although pricing was

not disclosed. Like the Ram, G.M.’s 6-liter Vortec V-8 engine starts on gasoline, then quickly

transitions to natural gas when it is sufficiently warm, typically within two minutes, G.M.

said. It switches back to gasoline when the natural gas tank is empty.

G.M. builds the truck in Ft. Wayne, Ind., then ships it to a nearby facility of IMPCO

Technologies, where the gaseous fuel system is installed. The composite C.N.G. tank and

steel box occupy two feet of bed space but reduce payload capacity by only 450 pounds,

G.M. said. The total driving range of the truck is estimated at 650 miles.

Ford’s bifuel truck can be ordered in three-quarter-ton and one-ton sizes. On display at the

Indianapolis truck show was an F-250 Super Duty with a 6.2-liter V-8. Unlike the Ram and

Chevy, the Ford trucks’ engines start on C.N.G., then switch to gasoline when the

compressed tank runs empty.

Available this summer, the natural-gas F-250 and F-350 will leave Ford’s plant in Louisville,

Ky., to be adapted at a facility of Westport LD. The fuel package offers a combined 600

miles of range and commands a premium of $9,750, or roughly 25 percent over the base price

of the F-250.



Each automaker said fleet owners, which drive their trucks more frequently than private

customers and often have access to private filling stations, should see an average payback on

their initial investment in two or three years.

Possible Unintended-Acceleration Hazard Prompts Investigation of the Ford TaurusBy CHRISTOPHER JENSEN

Having received complaints that a loose cruise control cable caused throttles to become stuck,

resulting in unintended acceleration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is

investigating about 360,000 Ford Taurus models from the 2005-6 model years.

In a document posted over the weekend on the agency’s Web site, N.H.T.S.A. noted

receiving 14 complaints from owners, including some who said they had to shift the

automatic transmission into neutral or turn off the engine to slow the vehicle. The Web site

reflected more than two dozen total complaints.

There were no reports of accidents, but one owner told the agency when the vehicle stopped

it was “partially in an intersection after going through a red light.” The agency says a loose

cruise control cable may be causing the vehicles’ throttle to stick.

One complaint from June 2010 was filed by a man identifying himself as a service manager,

who found the problem and its cause, and urged an investigation. He told the agency that

after two owners complained of sudden acceleration, he investigated and found that the cruise

control cable end wore over time and came loose.

“When it becomes disconnected it will catch on the throttle linkage tab during deceleration at

times and cause the idle speed to stay elevated even if the accelerator pedal is not applied,” he

wrote.

There were several other complaints dated to 2010 in which dealers were said to have

investigated and found the cruise control cable was loose.

The agency’s action is called a Preliminary Evaluation. Should the agency find additional

reason for concern, a more serious Engineering Analysis would be opened, which would be a

significant step toward a recall. If the agency decides there is insufficient reason for concern,

it can simply close the evaluation without additional action.


http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/author/christopher-jensen/


Dan Pierce, a Ford spokesman, said the automaker was aware of the investigation and was

cooperating with the agency.

Ford Motor Co. Plans $2-Billion Stock

Buyback

Author: James Risen

DETROIT — In one of the largest corporate stock buyback plans announced since last

month's Wall Street crash, Ford Motor Co. said Thursday that it will repurchase up to $2

billion worth of its own shares.

When its latest repurchases are completed, Ford will have spent a total of $4.5 billion since

1984 on a massive stock buyback program designed to reduce its outstanding shares by 25%.

Ford, which currently has 248.7 million shares outstanding, previously announced plans to

repurchase 45 million of its own shares, worth about $2.5 billion, and has so far acquired 42.7

million shares.

Ford spokesman Tom Foote said the firm will begin the new round of purchases as soon as

the old program is completed. At Wednesday's closing price of $71.75 per share, Ford said its

new plan would cover the repurchase of more than 27 million shares. Ford did not say how

long it will take to complete its new buyback plan, however.

Good Financial Shape



But Ford has clearly accelerated its buyback efforts since the October crash. Ford officials

said they believe that the market meltdown depressed Ford's stock price to bargain basement

levels. The buyback announcement sent Ford stock up, however; on the New York Stock

Exchange Thursday, Ford closed at $74.50, up $2.75.

Industry analysts said they believe the Ford buyback announcement was a sign that Ford

remains confident that it can maintain its profitability even if the nation slips into a recession

next year and auto sales slump.

"They are putting themselves on the line, showing that they are confident of their earnings

power," said Michael Luckey, automotive analyst with Shearson Lehman Bros.

In fact, Ford is in very solid financial shape, reporting record net income of $703.2 million in

the third quarter.

At the end of the third period, Ford had $9.1 billion in cash and marketable securities on

hand. That allowed the company's board last month to increase Ford's quarterly dividend to a

record $1 per share and to approve a 2-for-1 stock split, to take effect in January.

The company's multibillion cash cushion will also be more than enough to cover the $2-

billion buyback program and the company's recent big acquisitions. In October, Ford said it

would pay $1.3 billion for majority ownership in Hertz, the rental car giant, and also

announced that it would pay another $512 million for United States Leasing International, an

equipment leasing firm.



Ford, Chrysler see a mixed second quarter

Author: Andrew Khouri

Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group made financial headway in a sluggish economy in the

second quarter, increasing sales and slashing debt.

Ford sales rose 13% to $35.5 billion, although profits fell 8% to $2.4 billion as the Dearborn,

Mich., automaker spent more money on materials such as steel and on designing and building

new vehicles.

Chrysler but losses widened to $370 million as the automaker repaid U.S. and Canadian

government loans taken out during the financial crisis. Excluding that repayment, Chrysler

earned $181 million.

"They are headed in the right direction" analyst Michelle Krebs analyst of Edmunds.com said

Tuesday, adding that the U.S. carmakers are rolling out new vehicles attractive to consumers.

"Many of us have long said, 'You cannot establish a turnaround without good, new product.'"

Ford said it decreased its debt to $14 billion, shaving $2.6 billion from the previous quarter.

The company borrowed heavily in 2006 to restructure operations.

"They are getting their financial houses in order to take advantage of higher vehicle sales,"

Krebs said.



Edmunds.com forecasts U.S. sales to rise by 1 million vehicles in 2012 to 13.9 million, with a

slow climb to nearly 16 million in 2015.

Through the first six months of this year Ford sales rose 12.2% in the U.S. to almost 1.1

million vehicles, according to Autodata Corp. Ford's share of the U.S. auto market essentially

remained flat, falling slightly to 16.9% compared with the same period last year, Autodata

said.

Chrysler saw sales jump 21.4% to nearly 640,00 vehicles, according to Autodata. The

Auburn Hills, Mich., automaker's share of the U.S. auto market rose to 10.1% from 9.4% in

the same period in 2010.

"There is no doubt that Chrysler Group has taken a huge step forward this quarter," said

Sergio Marchionne, chief executive of Chrysler and Italian automaker Fiat, which owns a

controlling stake in Chrysler. Marchionne said he would announce a new unified

management for Chrysler and Fiat within "a few days."

Ford's profit was also hurt by one-time charges, including $110 million in costs related to

personnel reductions.

Ford's North American sales jumped 15% to $19.5 billion in the second quarter, and despite

struggling European economies, the automaker's sales climbed 20% to $9 billion in Europe.

"Despite an uncertain business environment, we further strengthened our balance sheet and

continued to invest for the future," Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally said.

The company's investments in emerging markets trimmed earnings.



Ford is "using their cash flow to reduce debts and expand the business in regions where they

haven't had much presence before," said Efraim Levy, an analyst at Standard & Poor's Equity

Research. "It's not something that is going to pay off right away, but it's something that will

benefit their profits in the medium and long run."

The industry as a whole faces challenges as it tries to rebuild from the depths of the recession,

analysts say.

Higher prices for gas, steel and other commodities, as well as weak demand caused by the

struggling U.S. and European economies, pose a challenge to automakers. It is also uncertain

how the labor negotiations that begin this week between the Detroit Three — Ford, Chrysler

and General Motors Co. — and the United Auto Workers union will pan out.

In part because of higher commodity prices, Ford said it expected results to be lower in the

second half of 2011.



Ford Motor Co. Starts Up Its Own Plant in Russia

THE WORLD

Business: The facility is the first fully foreign- owned auto factory in the nation, which car

makers see as one of the last untapped markets.

July 10, 2002|JOHN DANISZEWSKI | TIMES STAFF WRITER

MOSCOW — Ford Motor Co. officially launched the first fully foreign-owned automotive

plant in Russia on Tuesday, a precedent that experts hope will pave the way for other global

businesses to set up manufacturing here.

The new $150-million plant outside St. Petersburg, which initially will employ 400

production workers and 400 support staff, is a signal to other manufacturers that Russia has

emerged from the economic downturn of the late 1990s and is safe for direct foreign

investment, officials and analysts said.

"We have a big fleet of 40 cars now on the street," declared Henrik Nenzen, a Swede who is

president of Ford Russia. The vehicles are being tested and evaluated, he said, with the first

Russian-built Fords making their way to consumers by late September.



Ford, the world's No. 2 auto maker, is not the only U.S. car company eyeing the Russian

market.

General Motors Corp. has entered into a $300-million investment with Russia's AvtoVAZ.

GM is helping AvtoVAZ produce an upgraded Niva sport-utility vehicle in the Samara region

of southern Russia. The vehicle will be marketed under the Chevrolet brand name.

Russians have long complained that the West has been quick with advice and promises but

slow with direct investment, especially outside the oil-and-gas industry.

In that sense, the Ford opening "is a really great event for the country," said Nina Oding, a

senior analyst at St. Petersburg's Leontief Economic Research Institute, because it offers new

industrial growth and employment. "We are talking here about direct investment, not simply

some form of credits like our governors enjoy bragging about.

"This means an exchange of technology and production and administrative discipline--things

important for Russia now," she added. "It also creates jobs for workers dreaming of good and

stable pay, a workable system of bonuses and other benefits."



Line workers will make the equivalent of $220 a month, and skilled engineers up to $600,

Nenzen said. For that pay level, Ford turned away many applicants and was able to put

together a highly educated, dedicated work force, he said. The average monthly wage in

Russia is $134, according to the World Bank.

The Ford plant is in Vsevolozhsk, about 15 miles northeast of downtown St. Petersburg. It is

believed to be the first case of a foreign company setting up a large industrial factory in the

country without Russian partners. Nenzen stressed that it is not simply an assembly plant,

putting together nearly completed portions of automobiles, imported from elsewhere, but a

full-fledged factory with its own body welding, paint and final assembly sections.

Despite reports of stifling bureaucracy and corruption on the Russian business scene, Nenzen

said, Ford's experience was no more or less difficult than inaugurating a plant in any other

European country. "The building here started to be built in the summer of 2000. So it is not a

long period," he noted.

The plant will manufacture four-door, hatchback and station wagon versions of the popular

Ford Focus. Since the vehicles will be made in Russia, the company will not have to pay the

25% duty applied to imported cars.

"Our prices will become much, much more attractive, and our sales volume will go up,"

Nenzen said.



The plant is able to produce 25,000 cars a year with a potential for further expansion to

100,000. Cars made in Russia will be priced from about $10,900, compared with nearly

$14,000 if imported.

In exchange for duty-free status, Ford agreed to make sure that 50% of the car components

come from Russia within five years, meaning the plant will have a ripple benefit for the

Russian economy. So far, the Russian component portion of each car totals only 20%, taking

into account plant investment and labor. Russian firms supply only the glass, seats and trim

for the cars rolling off the lines currently.

Nenzen said Ford decided to build the factory in 1999, just months after Russia's 1998

currency collapse and economic crisis. "The Ford board was convinced that in the long term

this very, very large country with a lot of inhabitants would have a strong automotive market

with a lot of consumers," he said. "I think others will come after."

About 1.5 million new and used cars are bought in Russia each year. About 1 million of those

are Russian cars, with new models selling for $5,000 to $8,000. About 95,000 are imported

new cars. The rest are imported used cars, mainly from Germany.



Given the size of the market and their paltry share, global car makers such as Ford and GM

see Russia as one of the last large untapped markets for their products.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union a decade ago, Western energy companies have

committed billions of dollars to help develop Russia's vast oil-and-gas resources, and there

also have been some investments in food processing products sold to Russian consumers.

But few have moved into industrial manufacturing, which is still dominated by post-

Communist enterprises, many of which have laid off workers and are still struggling to adjust

to free-market conditions.



Ames F. Neal dies at 81; formidable lawyer

won victories on both sides of courtroom

The stocky, cigar-chomping ex-Marine sent Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa

and top Watergate figures to prison, and saved film director John Landis

and Ford Motor Co. from serious criminal charges.

October 23, 2010|By Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times

James F. Neal, a formidable lawyer who won noteworthy victories on both sides of

the courtroom — as a prosecutor he sent Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa and top

Watergate figures to prison, and as a defense attorney he saved film director John

Landis and Ford Motor Co. from serious criminal charges — died Thursday at a

Nashville hospital. He was 81.

Neal's reputation for tenacity and brilliance in the courtroom began with the 1964

prosecution of Hoffa, who had successfully fended off two dozen indictments until

Neal, a stocky, cigar-chomping ex-Marine with a Tennessee drawl, was assigned to

his case. Hoffa called him "the most vicious prosecutor who ever lived," a slur that

Neal considered a badge of honor.



A decade later, Neal was chief prosecutor in the Watergate case, turning in a

virtuoso performance that resulted in the convictions of former Atty. Gen. John

Mitchell and top Nixon White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman.

When he returned to private practice in Tennessee, famous clients sought his

counsel, including Landis, who faced manslaughter charges when actor Vic Morrow

and two child actors were killed in a 1982 helicopter crash during filming of the

movie "Twilight Zone," and Ford, the first automaker to be charged with murder

when the rear-end crash of a Pinto resulted in three deaths.

Neal also successfully defended Dr. George Nichopoulous on charges that he

overprescribed medications to Elvis Presley, whose drug use was implicated in his

1977 death.

"I don't think any lawyer in this era had as many high-profile cases tried as

successfully as Jim Neal," Harwell said Friday. "The real thing that made him different

was if he had to work all night to examine a witness, he worked all night. He was

totally dedicated and absolutely committed to winning."

Time magazine wrote of Neal's unwavering focus preparing for the Watergate trial,

noting that he "often put in 10-hour days with a single Watergate witness, then

worked on into the night cross-checking each statement." He was in the midst of one

such marathon session with White House counsel John Dean when Dean's wife broke

in to ask about her husband's reaction to President Ford's pardon of Nixon that

morning. Neal, the magazine reported, asked, "What pardon?"

Born on Sept. 7, 1929, in Oak Grove, Tenn., Neal grew up on a small family farm,

where he rose at 4 a.m. every day to perform three hours of chores before school.

He earned a bachelor's degree in 1952 from the University of Wyoming and served

two years in the Marines before obtaining a law degree in 1957 from Vanderbilt

University. He also had a master's degree in tax law from Georgetown University.



He was diverted from his intended career as a tax lawyer in 1961, when Atty. Gen.

Robert F. Kennedy recruited him to investigate corruption charges against the

Teamsters union.

The first case Neal tried against Hoffa ended in a mistrial. The judge suspected Hoffa

of bribing a juror, which gave Neal something to work with for the government's next

prosecution.

"Hoffa was the toughest old bird I ever met," Neal told the American Bar Assn.

journal last year. "Every morning I would sit down at the prosecution table, look over

at the defense, and Hoffa would shoot me a secret finger message under the table."

The two trials with Hoffa were as dramatic as an episode of "Perry Mason." The first

trial, in 1962, was interrupted by a deranged gunman who shot up the courtroom

with a gas pellet gun. Everyone ducked except Hoffa, who, according to Neal,

charged the gunman and punched him in the face.

In the 1964 trial, the drama was supplied by the prosecution's surprise witness,

Edward Partin, secretary-treasurer of a Teamsters unit in Baton Rouge, La., and a

confidant of Hoffa. Partin, who had worked undercover for the government during

the previous trial, testified that Hoffa had told him he had at least $15,000 to bribe

the jury. Hoffa was convicted of jury tampering and received an eight-year sentence.

When special prosecutor Archibald Cox called in 1973 to ask Neal's help in the

Watergate case, Neal was reluctant to leave his private practice in Nashville. He

agreed to come to Washington for two weeks to help Cox get started but wound up

moving in for a year, unable to resist what he later described as "the fastest game in

town."

His final argument in the trial was so compelling that Haldeman's lawyer, John

Wilson, grimly joked, "Could you hear the prison doors clanking shut?" Wilson, in a



Time magazine interview, said Neal was "the greatest lawyer I ever saw in a

courtroom."

In 1990, he defended Exxon Corp. after the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spilled thousands

of gallons of oil in Alaska's Prince William Sound. That trial, which ended in a

multimillion-dollar verdict for victims of the spill, was one of Neal's few big losses,

and he hated defeat. "I just shrivel up; instead of 5 foot 8, I become 5 foot 6," he

once said about losing.

Watergate was by far his most important case, but he said that it was the only time a

victory made him sad.

"There will only be one Watergate case. Whether a man is a defendant or an

unindicted co-conspirator, you're trying him because you have to prove conspiracy,

so you're trying the president of the United States," he told People magazine in

1980. "That doesn't happen very often."

He is survived by his wife, Dianne; three children; and five grandchildren.

Ford Motor gets expanded credit, extended to 2015

Reuters Mar 15, 2012, 11.12PM IST



Ford Motor Co announced an expanded and extended revolving credit facility on Thursday, as the No.

2 US automaker tries to bolster its balance sheet and ultimately reach an investment-grade credit

rating.

Ford's revolving credit was enlarged to $9.3 billion from $8.9 billion. Of that figure, $9 billion now

matures on Nov. 30, 2015, two years later than before. The other $300 million will mature in 2013 as

previously planned.

The credit "represents an important source of committed liquidity and financial flexibility for Ford,"

Ford Treasurer Neil Schloss said. The offer was "significantly oversubscribed" by banks, Schloss said.

"This is an insurance policy that you hope you never have to use," Schloss said.

The revolver is a part of the more than $23 billion Ford borrowed in late 2006 to support its

turnaround, secured by assets including the Blue Oval logo. Initially, the line of credit was $11.5

billion.

Ford has since repaid nearly all of the $23 billion. The collateral pledged to lenders under the revolver

would be released when Ford attained investment grade ratings from at least two of the three major

ratings agencies.

Moody's Corp's Moody's Investors Service, McGraw-Hill Cos Inc's Standard and Poor's Ratings

Service andFitch Ratings, a venture of Fimalac SA and Hearst Corp, all rate Ford at one notch below

investment grade.

Banks participating in the deal understand that this revolving credit would shift to an unsecured facility

"in the near future" once Ford reached investment grade, Schloss said.

The company is implementing a "One Ford" plan, to simplify and unify product development and

supplies.

In 2011, Ford's U.S. market share was 16.8 percent, behind General Motors Co, which had 19.1

percent.

In afternoon trading, Ford shares were up less than 1 percent to $12.94.



Ford Motor drives into $2.3 bn Q2 profit

PTI Jul 23, 2009, 08.43pm IST



NEW YORK: One of the leading American car makers Ford Motor on Thursday posted a second

quarter profit of $2.3 billion even as its competitors are fighting hard to survive the global economic

turmoil.

Unlike its peers -- General Motors and Chrysler -- Ford refused to take Federal funds to tide over the

crisis, which has resulted in falling demand and sales.

In the year-ago period, the auto maker incurred a loss of $8.7 billion, it said in a statement today.

For the Q2, Ford raked in revenues of $27.2 billion, down $11 billion from the June quarter of 2008.

"The results for the second quarter 2009 include a special items net gain totaling $2.8 billion..., which

includes a $3.4 billion gain related to Ford and Ford Credit's recent debt-reduction actions," the

company said.

Ford noted that while the business environment remained extremely challenging around the world, the

company made significant progress on its transformation plan.

"Our underlying business is growing progressively stronger as we introduce great new products that

customers want and value, while continuing to aggressively restructure our business and strengthen

our balance sheet," Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally said.

In the Asia Pacific region and Africa, the car maker recorded a loss of $25 million in the said quarter

compared to a pre-tax profit of $50 million in 2008.

About 1,700 workers take Ford's retirement offers

AP Mar 17, 2012, 02.42AM IST



DETROIT: About 1,700 Ford Motor Co. factory workers have decided to take early retirement offers

and will leave the company by June 1.

The automaker says it will bring back about 250 laid-off employees and hire some replacements at

lower wages.

Ford offered the buyouts to all 41,000 factory workers last fall in an effort to cut its skilled trades and

production workforces. It offered skilled trades workers like electricians and plumbers $100,000 to

retire. Production workers were offered $50,000. The company has about 9,000 skilled tradesmen,

which it says is too many.

Spokeswoman Marcey Evans says Ford won't replace all of the retiring workers. New factory hires will

be paid around $16 per hour, a little more than half the wage of a longtime union worker. Skilled

tradesmen make above $30 per hour, but changes in factory equipment in recent years have cut the

number of workers needed.

Ford is adding thousands of workers this year to help satisfy growing US auto sales. Factories in

Wayne, Michigan, near Detroit; Louisville, Kentucky; Chicago and near Kansas City, Missouri, are

getting additional workers.

Ford Motor gets expanded credit, extended to 2015

Reuters Mar 15, 2012, 11.12PM IST



Ford Motor Co announced an expanded and extended revolving credit facility on Thursday, as the No.

2 US automaker tries to bolster its balance sheet and ultimately reach an investment-grade credit

rating.

Ford's revolving credit was enlarged to $9.3 billion from $8.9 billion. Of that figure, $9 billion now

matures on Nov. 30, 2015, two years later than before. The other $300 million will mature in 2013 as

previously planned.

The credit "represents an important source of committed liquidity and financial flexibility for Ford,"

Ford Treasurer Neil Schloss said. The offer was "significantly oversubscribed" by banks, Schloss said.

"This is an insurance policy that you hope you never have to use," Schloss said.

The revolver is a part of the more than $23 billion Ford borrowed in late 2006 to support its

turnaround, secured by assets including the Blue Oval logo. Initially, the line of credit was $11.5

billion.

Ford has since repaid nearly all of the $23 billion. The collateral pledged to lenders under the revolver

would be released when Ford attained investment grade ratings from at least two of the three major

ratings agencies Moody's Corp's Moody's Investors Service, McGraw-Hill Cos Inc's Standard and

Poor's Ratings Service andFitch Ratings, a venture of Fimalac SA and Hearst Corp, all rate Ford at

one notch below investment grade.

Banks participating in the deal understand that this revolving credit would shift to an unsecured facility

"in the near future" once Ford reached investment grade, Schloss said.

The company is implementing a "One Ford" plan, to simplify and unify product development and

supplies.

In 2011, Ford's U.S. market share was 16.8 percent, behind General Motors Co, which had 19.1

percent.

In afternoon trading.



Ford Motor Company Announces the Tentative Price of

the 2013 Ford Escape

By Marty Bay

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down payment offer.

Ford Motor Company has recently released the tentative pricing of the 2013 Ford Escape on

the company's site. This simply means that the figures included on the page will most likely

change since these were placed there for survey purposes. This particular move was actually

used by Ford as a means of gathering data from potential buyers. Ford Motors will surely use

the data obtained from potential buyers as the company's basis in deciding the final prices of

the existing trims of the 2013 Ford Escape.

Aside from the tentative prices that were found on the site, Ford has also provided some of

the specs of each trim to further generate pricing suggestions and recommendations from

buyers who would surely purchase their own unit of the 2013 Ford Escape as long as they

think that the prices are fair enough.

Since the 2013 Ford Escape is made up of 3 trim levels, Ford has come up with tentative

prices for each of these. The cheapest trim is the 2013 Ford Escape S. This model has a

starting price of $22,470. The price is applicable only to the S trim that is powered by a 2.5-

liter 4-cylinder engine with a front-wheel drive system and equipped with all the standard

equipments. The starting price does not include the destination charge and due to this the

price is expected to increase as soon as the additional charges are incorporated in this.



The 2013 Ford Escape SE that is offered with two engine options is more expensive

compared to the S-trim. Between the two versions of the SE, the model that is powered by a

1.6-liter EcoBoost engine with the front-wheel drive system is cheaper. It has a starting price

of $25,070, while the all-wheel drive version costs around $26,820. However, these prices

could possibly increase as soon as the destination charge and the other applicable fees are

added.

The 2013 Ford Escape SE that is equipped with a larger 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine and offers

greater horsepower has a starting price of $26,165 for the front-wheel drive model while the

all-wheel drive version is sold at a price of $27,915. Both of the SE models are equipped with

the Ford Sync infotainment system and this makes the prices of each version quite

reasonable.

Finally, the 2013 Ford Escape SEL which is available in four variants is considered as the

most expensive among the other two trims. The SEL trim that is powered by a 1.6-liter

EcoBoost engine with the front wheel drive system is sold at a starting price of $27,870 while

the AWD version's price begins at $29,620. On the other hand, the 2013 Ford Escape SEL

that is powered by a 2.0-liter and uses the front-wheel drive powertrain has a starting price of

$28,965. The all-wheel drive version is quite expensive compared to the front-wheel drive

model and this is given a tentative price of $30,715.

Marty Bay is an Automotive Journalist providing helpful tips and advice which powers the

Car Finder at the Car Finder Service website.



The Key Differences Between Ford and Mazda

By Marty Bay

Ford Motor Company and the Mazda Motor Corporation had previously established one of

the best alliances in the automotive industry, particularly in the 1960s. This alliance

developed when Mazda was experiencing financial problems. Ford Motor Company then

came to rescue. Their partnership lasted for years and within this period they were able to

conduct a lot of joint ventures, particularly in terms of developing several vehicle models.

Due to this partnership or alliance, most car buyers developed a notion that the vehicles

produced by Ford and Mazda were similar. However, this notion might not have always been

correct since there were many differences between the two car makers, as-well as the vehicles

that they produced. In order to help car buyers understand the differences between the two

companies, this article provides some of the areas where Ford and Mazda differed.

1. The nature of each company

One of the key differences between Ford and Mazda is the nature of each company. Ford

Motor Company is basically an American multinational car manufacturer based in Dearborn,

Michigan. Mazda on the other hand, is a Japanese car maker based in Hiroshima, Japan.

Mazda was established by Jujiro Matsuda and a small group of Japanese investors in 1920,

while Ford was founded by Henry Ford and other American businessman in 1903. Ford was

established more than a decade earlier than Mazda and this could be considered a great

difference.

In addition to this, Ford's early operation was confined to the US, before the company grew

and expanded its business in Europe and other parts of the world. The main focus of Mazda's



operation, at first, was Japan and other Asian countries, such as China. Its markets expanded

when the company became successful in developing the rotary engine and started exporting

their vehicles overseas. Mazda was then able to enter the US markets. Thus it might be

correct that the two car makers' alliance was formulated during the times when Mazda started

operating in the US and the company was having a hard time in its financed and in need of an

investor. But, the alliance did not incorporate the two companies into one and due to this, it is

correct to consider the two as separate entities helping each other.

2. The type and number of vehicles that they produce

Another key difference that separates Mazda from Ford is the type and number of vehicles

that they manufactured. Mazda's line-up is made up of cars, sports cars, and

crossovers/SUVs. Ford Motor Company on the other hand is into the production of cars,

crossovers/SUVs, trucks, hybrid and electronic vehicles as well as commercial vehicles.

Although some of the vehicles produced by the two car manufacturers usually shared some

key components, each of these vehicles were sold with different names and prices. Ford is

producing the majority of its vehicles in the company's North American assembly plants,

while Mazda on the other hand are assembling their vehicles in Japan and shipping to other

regions where the company operates.



Ford Hybrids and Other Eco-Friendly Cars

By Ernest Jarquio

Ford has already introduced two full hybrid vehicles in the market. These are the Ford Escape

hybrid, which is the very first hybrid SUV to be introduced commercially, and the Mercury

Mariner Ford hybrid.

Like its competitors such as Toyota, Honda and GM, Ford is also busy keeping up with the

market. Aside from the two commercially available hybrid vehicles, they already have three

more models that are expected to hit the market soon. The car maker has over 100 hybrid

patent applications on the way.

Why Go Hybrid?

With hybrid cars, you can enjoy higher fuel efficiency, same or even enhanced comfort

compared to conventional cars, a roomier vehicle and a performance that is incomparable.

What is more exciting is that with every innovation that car manufacturers make with their

hybrid models, they are usually able to offer them at a much lower price than the previous

model.

The Escape Hybrid

The Ford Escape hybrid has been named the 11th greenest vehicle and has been offered with

a price lower than the former models. It has added safety features and makes use of recycled

materials. As with other hybrid car makers, environmental concerns have been a

consideration in its design.

The Mercury Mariner



Another model of hybrid from Ford is the Mercury Mariner hybrid. This model is not as

popular as the Ford Escape hybrid. It is not easy to find this model in the market. To purchase

one, you have to directly order from Ford. This model was not the hit that it was expected to

be. The good news is that Ford will offer this model at a lower price than the previous model.

Technology of Hybrids

Many car makers now use the full hybrid technology. It means that their hybrid products can

run on both gasoline and electricity at the same time or choose between the two sources at a

given time. They can run fully on gasoline or electricity depending on the terrain that the

vehicle is traveling. Most city driving makes use of electricity. It is an efficient way to save

gas when prices are soaring.

Some hybrid cars run by combining two electric motors to a gas engine. These gasoline

engines are modified from running on Otto cycle to Atkinson cycle. This modification allows

the vehicle to utilize electricity better. The engine will produce lower horsepower due to the

less air and fuel, making the electric part more active. This feature is very efficient in city

driving, allowing the user to save a lot on gasoline.

Variable Transmission Technology

Hybrid vehicles make use of the variable transmission technology called Electronically

Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission or e-CVT. This technology is responsible for

the distribution of load between the gasoline engine and the electric motor. It allows the

hybrids to perform very well on both on road and off road terrains. Regenerative braking

technology is also used by these cars, allowing them to recover a lot of otherwise wasted

energy, thus making fuel consumption more efficient.



Whether you're eying Ford hybrids or cars from other manufacturers like Honda and Toyota,

you will find that the units that they offer might be a little more costly than with cars that run

fully on gasoline, but in the long run, greater savings can be realized by their use of the more

environmentally-friendly technology.



10 Articles on Toyota

Toyota may launch Lexus in India in 2013The Lexus range of luxury sedans and SUVs, which have a strong following in India, will have its own dealership network

Amrit Raj

New Delhi: Encouraged by the demand for luxury cars in India, Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corp. is set to introduce the Lexus brand in the country in 2013, according to two people familiar with the plan.

Top officials from the company’s Indian subsidiary are in Japan for a briefing about the project. They were not available for comment. A spokeswoman couldn’t be reached on her phone.

Shekar Viswanathan, deputy managing director (commercial) at Toyota Kirloskar Motor India Pvt. Ltd, said, “We want the Lexus brand to come to India, but I cannot give you any time frame.”

File photo of Toyota Motors workshop

According to a person directly involved in the discussions, an announcement was likely to be made in Japan on Monday. The person did not want to be named. There was no announcement at the time of going to press.

The Lexus range of luxury sedans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs), which have a strong following in India, will have its own

dealership network.

“We will be following the global practice as far as dealerships are concerned,” said another person familiar with the development. “The company does not want to dilute the brand quotient.”

While the Lexus models to be sold in India will be completely built-up units, it is unclear what models will be launched in the country.

Globally, the brand competes with Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), Mercedes and Audi AG.

Launched in 1989 in Japan, Lexus soon became America’s best-selling brand of luxury motor vehicles.



While the Indian luxury car market forms less than 1% of the total car market, increased income levels saw the segment growing 70% in 2010. In 2011, most luxury car makers have defied the slowdown that has hit the rest of the industry and have surpassed the previous year’s numbers.

Around 15,000 luxury cars were sold in India in 2010, and 20,000 units are expected to be sold this year.

According to BMW India president Andreas Schaaf, the Indian luxury car market is set to increase 10 times to 150,000 units by 2020.

“They will have to look at it from a long-term perspective. The sales numbers in the first year of operations may not be good, but this segment will continue to grow in future,” said Abdul Majeed, auto practice leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers, a consultancy firm. “They can’t ignore the market. It is better to come to India as soon as possible and start building the brand.”

Toyota is also considering a finance arm to boost its sales in India.

“With Toyota Financial Services coming in, the company should be able to ramp up sales of all its brands in India,” said the person quoted in the second instance.

Volkswagen AG, Mercedes-Benz India Pvt. Ltd and BMW India have finance arms, although they also have pacts with banks and other financial institutions.



Toyota to evaluate setting up diesel engine plant post-BudgetThe company, which is present in India through a joint venture with the Kirloskar Group, is investing Rs. 500 crore in setting up a petrol engine plant and expanding its transmissions capacity in Bangalore

New Delhi: Japanese car maker Toyota will consider setting up a diesel engine plant in India after observing the government’s policy decision on subsidy to the fossil fuel during the forthcoming Budget in March.

The company, which is present in India through a joint venture with the Kirloskar Group, is investing Rs. 500 crore in setting up a petrol engine plant and expanding its transmissions capacity in Bangalore.

“We will wait till the Budget. After that, we will look at the feasibility of setting up a diesel engine plant in India,” Toyota Kirloskar Motor deputy managing director (commercial) Shekar Viswanathan told PTI at the 11th Auto Expo here.

He said the company will wait till there is a clarity on policies related to continuation of subsidies on diesel pricing.

Shekar Viswanathan, deputy managing director-commercial, Toyota Kirlospar Motor Pvt Ltd., and GM, marketing, R K Ramesh (L) during the launch of New Prius (hybrid technology) at 11th Auto Expo 2012 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI

The company has seen demand for its diesel cars rising significantly, especially on its latest two models sedan Etios and compact car Liva.

During 2011, TKM sold 63,575 units of Etios and Liva, out of which 70% came from the diesel variants.

Viswanathan, however, declined to comment further saying “it is too early to say anything”.

Expressing similar views, the country’s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) managing director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi said till there is a clarity at the policy level, the company will not move ahead with any fresh investment on diesel engine front.

“We cannot go ahead and announce such a big investment unless there is some clarity. We are not saying that subsidy should be continued or withdrawn, but only requesting a clarity on long-term basis,” he said.

Usually an investment of around Rs. 1,000 crore is needed to set up a diesel engine plant having a production capacity of 1,00,000 units per year, Nakanishi said.



“This means it is decision with Rs. 1,000 crore at stake. Without a clarity, it is difficult to take a decision,” MSI managing executive officer (Marketing and Sales) Mayank Pareek said.

While inaugurating the 11th Auto Expo last week, heavy industries and public enterprises minister Praful Patel had said that there is a misconception in India that diesel is not a clean fuel.

“While in Europe and many advanced countries, we are seeing that a lot of automobile manufacturers are moving away from petrol technology to diesel versions. We in India still have misconceptions,” he had said.



Used Toyota Cars - Best Premium Cars

By Archana Unique Roy

Toyota Motors was introduced 6th October, 1997. It is a multinational corporation and

considered as the world's largest automaker. New Toyota cars always judged as a luxury

possession. However, people who cannot afford brand new car can easily purchase used

Toyota cars. 2 EXI, Accord, City, City ZX, Civic, Civic Hybrid and CR-V are some of the

best model offered by Toyota Motors.

Used Toyota Accord: This model is gaining immense popularity due to its leather interior.

Dual zone automatic climate control system, exclusive progressive self illumination LED

gauges, in dash 6 CD changers with advanced acoustics and multi functional keys with

integrated remote.

Civic Hybrid: It is one of the most remarkable premium category cars for fastidious Indian

car buyers. Beige and black interior color combination, 3-spoke leather wrapped steering

wheel, tilt and telescopic power steering, 6 CD Changer and rear glass printed antenna among

others. This car comes in five different variants such as Civic 1.8V MT, Civic 1.8V AT,

Civic 1.8S MT, Civic 1.8S AT and Honda Civic Hybrid among others.

CR-V: Meeting the speculations and expectations, CR-V is a product of Honda Siel Cars

India. HSCI has introduced the 'New Honda CR-V' in three different variants. Honda Accord

and Honda Shine are two different Variants of this model. If you are starting calculation of its

features, you will be really satisfied. Re-formed hood, Oval shaped fog lamps, a fresh 2-step

front grille and front bumper designing are some of the best features associated with this

model. Its safety measures include 6-airbags, Side-airbags and Side curtain airbags with

OPDS among others.


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Toyota Tops Among Car Brands

By Matthew Keegan

Despite having recalled millions of its vehicles in 2009 and 2010, and following a devastating

earthquake and tsunami that tested its Japanese infrastructure, Toyota Motors is recognized

by consumers as the top car brand in the world. Toyota's recognition comes as part of a

survey conducted by BrandZ which asked hundreds of thousands of consumers in 31

countries their opinion of many well known brands. Among automakers Toyota placed #27 in

a list headed Apple and Google. Runner up to Toyota was BMW, the German automaker.

BMW placed at #30 in the overall list.

Historic Changes

Toyota's strong placement comes as the entire automotive industry works through some

historic change including the near demise of General Motors and Chrysler, and the rise of the

Chinese automobile industry. The market is changing rapidly as new electric vehicles such as

the Nissan LEAF hit the market and as consumers demand safer, more fuel efficient and

environmentally responsible vehicles.

BrandZ noted that the auto industry is due to go through some enormous changes over the

next few years as China's own car industry flexes its muscles. As recently as 2007, the quality

of Chinese cars was a non-factor. Today, Chinese manufacturers have been working

diligently to close the quality gap and it is expected that by 2016, Chinese cars will be offer

comparable quality to American cars. We'll also see several Chinese automakers introduce its

cars to the American market beginning this year.


http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Keegan


The BrandZ survey recognized the Top 100 brands for 2011, valuing each brand accordingly.

Toyota's value is pegged at $24,128,000 or about $1.7 million ahead of BMW, last year's

leader. The third through fifth spots were occupied by Mercedes, Honda and Porsche.

Ford Brand

Occupying the sixth through tenth spot are Nissan, Volkswagen, Ford, Audi and Lexus.

About Ford, BrandZ noted that the automaker has been building up goodwill for itself as the

company avoided the bankruptcy fate of its American competitors, GM and Chrysler.

Moreover, the marketing company cited Ford for making use of social media, such as

Facebook, to introduce new products such as the Ford Explorer. Ford is also a huge TV

advertiser, sponsoring "American Idol" and "The Amazing Race," two of the more popular

reality shows.

Not on the list, but expected to rise are the two major Korean brands, Hyundai and Kia.

BrandZ noted that the two automakers have a ripped a page out from the Japanese playbook

and are bringing exciting new cars to the market including the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Soul.

Expect that the both brands will challenge the leaders even as the Chinese brands begin to

flex their muscles.



Toyota Motor Corporation

By Brenda Williams

The Toyota Motor Corporation was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937 with its

headquarters located in Aichi, Nagoya and Tokyo, Japan. As of current surveys and

estimates, Toyota is the world's largest vehicle manufacturing company. Toyoda founded the

company in 1937 as a spinoff of the Toyota Industries Company, founded by his father. Their

first product was an engine in 1936 and its first vehicle was the Toyota AA in 1936. The

Toyota AA was a passenger car. Toyota owns and operates Lexus and Scion while having a

stake in Isuzu and Yamaha.

As did every other vehicle manufacturing company did, Toyota played a part in World War II

transportation. They produced a line of trucks for the Japanese Imperial Army that were kept

simple in design because of the war shortages. These trucks had only one headlight on them,

in the center and front of the hood. There was a scheduled bombing raid on the

manufacturing plants in Aichi by the Allied forces but it never took place because the

scheduled date came after the peace treaty to end the war in the Pacific Corridor had been

signed.

Toyota became popular in the United States in the decade of the 1970s because of the fuel

shortage crisis. American were looking for smaller vehicles with better fuel economy or gas

mileage. The Toyota model called the Corolla was a perfect fit for Americans. Toyota has

sold over 30 million Corollas since its release in 1966. It is easily the most popular and

successful compact car on the market today throughout the world.


http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Williams


Toyota has been such a successful company since its founding in 1937 because its employees

follow a 14 point production system known as The Toyota Way.

Their 14 point philosophy is as follows:

"Base your management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-

term goals. Create continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface. Use "pull"

systems to avoid overproduction. Level out the workload. Build a culture of stopping to fix

problems, to get quality right the first time. Standardized tasks are the foundation for

continuous improvement and employee empowerment. Use visual control so no problems are

hidden. Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and

processes. Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work, live the philosophy, and teach

it to others. Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company's philosophy.

Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers by challenging them and helping

them improve. Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situation. Make

decisions slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all options; implement decisions

rapidly. Become a learning organization through relentless reflection and continuous

improvement."

Toyota employs roughly 316,000 people worldwide and all of them have to follow these 14

points to be a successful employee. Smart business transactions and strong customer service

has been the staple of the Toyota Company since its inception in 1937. Toyota also provides

financial advice under their Toyota Financial Services division and they also manufacture a

variety of robots and concept cars.



Toyota To Supply Engines To WilliamsF1 in

2007

By Mark Clarkson

Ford Fiesta PowerShift AT w/ Zero Maintenance Transmission. Book Now!

British Formula One racing team WilliamsF1 announced last Thursday, July 27, that Toyota

Motors will be the official engine supplier of WillilamsF1 for the next three consecutive

years. In accordance with this, WilliamsF1 will end its one-year partnership with Cosworth,

which is its current engine and transmission supplier. This will leave Cosworth without any

supported racing team in the upcoming 2007 season. Toyota will also have to make their final

decision on whether to abandon their own racing team to provide their full support for

WilliamsF1, or to continue their F1 team.

The agreement was signed by both companies and will take effect starting 2007. According

to the terms of agreement, WilliamsF1 will utilize engine specifications the same as the

engines used by Panasonic Toyota Racing or the Toyota F1. Both racing teams are looking

forward to attain essential benefits of their partnership.

"We are delighted to be supplying Williams with engines from 2007 and working alongside a

team rich in history and Formula One spirit," said Kazuo Okamoto, the Executive Vice

President of Toyota Motors.

John Howett, President of Toyota Motor sport also said: "We are pleased to be selected as the

engine provider to Williams and look forward to establish a strong relationship with them.

We look forward to both teams using each other as a comparative benchmark from which


http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mark_Clarkson


each can improve its own performance and to competing with each other at the front of the

grid."

The Team Principal of WilliamsF1, Frank Williams, stated, "This agreement is the

cornerstone of Williams' challenge for the World Championship. Toyota is an impressive and

remarkable industrial giant, with the most phenomenal reputation for achieving the goals it

sets itself. We are proud to have secured their support in our efforts to return to our

competitive best."



Toyota Motor Company Developing Low Cost

Car

By Jim H Crow

As far as automakers are concerned, the three most important emerging markets are China,

Brazil and India. Many of the world's largest automakers have started to focus their

expansion efforts on these three countries and for good reason. China has helped Audi

expand its sales growth the most, and the company has recently overtaken Mercedes-Benz in

sales this year. Most of this is thanks to its long time successful operations in an exploding

Chinese auto market.

Many automakers are making cars especially for their customers in these markets and the

Toyota Motor Company is following suit. Toyota is currently in the developing stages of a

new low cost car made specifically for customers in China, India and Brazil. The price of the

car is set to cost around $11,000 making it more affordable for the masses. With such a low

price car Toyota has the chance of gaining a massive amount of sales in these countries with

some of the largest populations in the world.

Toyota is known for affordable and reliable cars around the world, and I am sure their new

car will affirm this reputation. If successful, Toyota's new low priced car could help it

maintain its status as the largest auto manufacturer in the world and maybe even help the

company attain new heights in automotive sales that we never thought possible. The only

obstacle the company has to overcome is the fact that they currently have a very limited

presence in these countries. With such small brand awareness it will be a little harder for

Toyota to initially convince buyers to purchase their cars over ones from other manufacturers


http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jim_H_Crow


who already have a well established presence in these countries. The new car supposedly has

a targeted launch of 2012, but Toyota has declined to confirm any details.



Toyota Announces Plug-In Hybrid Electric

Vehicle will be Ready by 2010

(NaturalNews) The Toyota Corporation intends to develop a plug-in hybrid vehicle for its

demonstration fleet by 2010, according to an announcement made by Chief Executive Officer

Katsuaki Watanabe.

The planned plug-in hybrids are already under development, with two prototypes currently

undergoing demonstration tests by researchers at the University of California. But while

existing prototypes operate with nickel-metal-hydride battery packs, Toyota aims for its new

hybrids to be equipped withlithium-ion batteries.

Lithium-ionbatteries, already widely used in consumer electronics, provide more energy per

unit weight than older nickel-metal-hydride batteries, and can store a charge for longer when

not in use.

Watanabe cautioned that while successfullithium-ionbatteries have already been developed

for hybrid electric automobiles, it is premature to assume that such batteries can be mass

produced with existing techniques

"As of today in the lab, the small volume of lithium-ion we have already developed is closer

to the level we are satisfied with, but that is only in small quality," he said. "There is a huge

difference between small volume and mass production of lithium-ion."


http://www.naturalnews.com/lithium-ion.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/batteries.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/lithium-ion_batteries.html


The remarks were interpreted as a response to General Motors' (GM) alliance with battery

maker A123, which has so far failed to deliver mass production of lithium-ion batteries.

Toyota's other planned efforts in the area of fuel efficiency include the unveiling of new

hybrid-only models in 2009, increased investment in the production of ethanol from wood

waste, the expansion of a joint Panasonic-Toyota batter factory, the introduction of "clean

diesel" V-8 versions of the Tundra pickup and Sequoia SUV and the sale of 1 million hybrid

vehicles by 2012. In addition, Watanabe announced the company's intention to meet

California's 35 mile per gallon fleet standard "well in advance" of the 2020 deadline.

Unlike competitor GM,Toyotais conducting all of itsresearchin-house, rather than in

partnership with small or start-up companies. According to Watanabe, this will make

technological development "faster and more efficient."


http://www.naturalnews.com/research.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/Toyota.html


Toyota looking to develop ethanol-powered

vehicles for U.S. market

Wednesday, July 19, 2010 by: NaturalNews

(NaturalNews) As gas prices continue to soar, American drivers are desperate to find cheaper

solutions for the morning commute. Automaker Toyota -- famous for pioneering gasoline-

electric hybrid technology -- is prepared to supply that need by producing vehicles powered

by ethanol and other alternative fuels.

"We're already developing vehicles that can operate in ethanol-rich Brazil," said Toyota

North America President Jim Press on Tuesday. "We're optimistic that we can offer similar

vehicles to American consumers."

Press did not expand on the company's plans for flexible fuels, but noted that Toyota would

be expanding its hybrid technology, spearheaded by the Prius model, and is currently

developing a plug-in hybrid.

"Hybrid technology can be teamed with every other promising technology to make it even

more efficient and fuel-stingy, whether it's high-tech gas engines, clean diesels, biodiesel,

ethanol, plug-in hybrids or hydrogen fuel cells," Press said.

Interest in hybrids has grown proportionately to skyrocketing gasoline prices, but the vehicles

still represent a small portion of the overall U.S. market. Roughly 40 percent of the United

State's oil still goes to gasoline demand for traditional vehicle use, government figures state.



While Toyota is enjoying some success in the hybrid market, American-based competitor

Ford has reduced its focus on the technology, moving away from its proposed goal of

building 250,000 hybrid vehicles annually by 2010.

Ford seems skeptical of the ideas that hybrids will improve the environment, reduce

America's dependency on foreign oil, and that enough customers will participate to make it a

reasonable investment.

Congress is still being lobbied by some U.S. automakers that have already committed to

blended fuels. They want the government to provide tax breaks and other help in renovating

plants to make hybrid production more cost efficient.



Ford ditches hybrid car pledge amid profit

pressures; Toyota remains top hybrid producer

Friday, June 30, 2006 by: NaturalNews

(NaturalNews) Only nine months after pledging to build a quarter of a million hybrid cars,

Ford is going back on its promise. Instead, chairman and chief executive Bill Ford says the

company will commit resources to improving fuel economy and CO2 performance in its

conventional motors.

According to a Ford spokesperson, an internal panel of experts analyzed customer interest in

hybrid cars and did not feel that there was enough demand to warrant the expense of building

250,000 hybrids. These cars, which run on an electric motor and battery as well as gasoline,

cost significantly more to build than ordinary models.

The announcement comes as the Ford's financial woes continue to grow. This week Standard

& Poor's downgraded Ford's credit rating and warned that its two most profitable segments --

sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks -- are under pressure. Ford already plans to cut

30,000 jobs by the year 2012, although few details have been given about where reductions

will take place.

Environmental groups are not happy about Ford's announcement. This is the second time

Ford has changed plans to build more environmentally friendly vehicles -- in 2001, the

company backed out of a commitment to improve the fuel efficiency of sport utility vehicles.

Toyota continues to be the leader in hybrid cars. Worldwide, Toyota has sold more than

500,000 hybrids since 1997, and hopes to increase that number to 1 million hybrids each year



by the early 2010s. To achieve that goal, Toyota plans to cut the cost of manufacturing hybrid

powertrains in half.



10 Articles on Hyundai

Hyundai Motors Tops Four Segments In

Reliability

By Glady Reign.

The Next Gen i10 getzprime.co.in/Hyundaii10 Fully loaded with features End of the road for

the competition

The All New Sonata www.Hyundai.com/Sonata Above Expectation.Beyond Comparison

Check the Globally Acclaimed Sedan

Strategic Vision recently announced the winners in its Top Quality Index(TM) (TQI) which

showed the Korean car manufacturer Hyundai Motors having five segment leaders. The

Hyundai brand has three leaders while the Kia brand has two. This year marked the first time

that the Korean firm managed to take four segments. The California-based Strategic Vision

announced the leaders in 19 segments of the United States auto market in terms of quality.

The Hyundai brand posted the most wins with three and is equaled only by Japanese brand

Nissan. With Kia's two wins, Hyundai Motors has the most auto models awarded the top

spots on their respective segments. The Ford Motor Company and the BMW Group each has

three with MINI taking two segments for the BMW contingent. General Motors, Honda, and

Mercedes topped two segments. Dodge, Lexus and Volkswagen brands each took a segment.

BMW has the most points marking the eighth out of the past nine years that the German car

company has achieved the feat.



Top Quality Index(TM) is the measure of how car owners are satisfied with their vehicles.

The study involves questioning car owners on the different aspects of car ownership to find

out whether they are satisfied with their vehicle's reliability or not. This year's list is devoid of

any Toyota vehicle even though their TQI scores have increased and improved. While Toyota

and Lexus still leads the industry in reliability, they now shared this distinction with other car

brands such as Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti and even Ford.

The reliability of Ford vehicles is evident in the Expedition EL which tops the Large SUV

segment. According to Strategic Vision, the Expedition EL leads its class with a very wide

margin and has fewer problems than other vehicles in its class. The reliability of this SUV

can be likened to that of a Toucan cold air intake system.

Hyundai Motors vehicles which topped their segments according to Strategic Vision include

the Hyundai Azera. The Azera topped the Large Car segment in the study conducted by

Strategic Vision. The Kia Sedona and the Hyundai contingent were tied with the Nissan

Quest in the Minivan segment. The Hyundai Santa Fe meanwhile topped the Small SUV

segment. For the Medium SUV class, the winner according to Strategic Vision is the Kia

Sorento.

According to Dr. Darrel Edwards, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hyundai

Azera Strategic Vision: "Even though Hyundai is often overlooked by the US customer,

Hyundai's success in 2007 is not surprising given its' current products and press in leadership

that is looking to the near and distant future with new designs from styling to powertrain."

Meanwhile, Alexander Edwards, the President of Strategic Vision, has this to say: "With

automotive corporations now doing a terrific job in providing vehicles with minimal



problems, the Cues of Quality (those product attributes that signal quality and create

customer Trust) have a greater impact on the purchase decision. Perceived Quality has the

power to change customer's perceptions of a vehicle from being 'interesting' to eventually

considered and purchased." He added that: "In the past, one could count the number of

problems per vehicle; but for automotive customers today and tomorrow, a comprehensive

and integrated perception of the ownership experience will be what drives the decision

making process."

Glady Reign is a 32 year old is a consultant for an automotive firm based in Detroit, Mi. she

is a native of the motor city and grew up around cars hence her expertise in the automotive

field.You can also visit Toucan cold air intake

[http://www.coldairintakedirect.com/brands/toucan.html] for more information.



Excellent Product From Hyundai

Motors

By Archana Unique Roy

Perfect combination of style, luxury, power and performance, Hyundai Accent is an excellent

product from Hyundai Motors in India. It is midsized sedan looks very powerful and

attractive. Buyer can accomplish their vehicle needs easily and conveniently. This automobile

promises to provide smooth sailing driving experience to the driver. With advanced and

refined engine quality and perfect interiors, Hyundai Accent clearly running ahead from its

other competitors in sedan category cars.

Check the Engine Specifications of Accent

This car is powered with 1495cc SOHC in-line-4-cylinder engine that produces a power of 94

bhp @ 5500 rpm, with an outmost torque of 123 Nm @ 3500 rpm. Power modification and

economy is best demonstrates by its alpha engine, which is prepared with harmonically

balanced cranks. The engine is designed with high velocity intake and wear out ports, tumble

airflow, dual intake valves and asymmetric rockers.

Safety Specification in Accent

The passive and active safety specification of Accent offer high level of protection to its

passengers. The anti-lock disc brakes are outfitted with electronic-type brake power

distribution, which promise shorter stopping distance and keep away from accidents. You can

enjoy a safe driving with 3-point safety belts. Additional, safety features include collapsible



steering column, Airbags, child-safety rear door locks, rear defogger and central door

locking.

Hyundai Accent is available in five different variants which include GLE, GLS, Viva, Viva

CRDi and CRDi. You can also choose Hyundai i20 for your needs. It is another excellent

luxury car and perfect for family travelling and personal uses.



Hyundai Motor Company May Acquire Hyundai

Engineering and Construction

The Hyundai Motor Company was originally part of a much larger company called Hyundai.

Hyundai was founded as a construction company in South Korea and the company eventually

grew to have several large divisions which also included Hyundai Engineering and

Construction, a major construction company carrying projects out throughout the world.

Unfortunately, due to the founders death and a financial crisis in Asia in the late 90's, the

company's different divisions had to be split up. The Hyundai Motor Company division has

since grown to become one of the most successful company's in the world, and is now eying

the potential benefits of reuniting the automaker with Hyundai Energy and Construction by

purchasing the currently for sale construction company.

Hyundai's executives have been discussing the potential business advantages of purchasing

Hyundai Engineering and Construction, and insist that they are not looking to buy the

company just to simply reunite with the Hyundai Motor Company, although that would be a

nice bonus. The addition of a construction division to the company could help diversify the

company as well as help with the implementation of infrastructure of the company's electric

vehicles. Hyundai has been aggressively going after an electric vehicle program and has

recognized that in-home and commercial charging stations are an integral part of the success

of their electric vehicle sales worldwide. If Hyundai does find a way to utilize Hyundai

Engineering and Construction than it could definitely give the automaker a huge advantage

over other company's as they struggle to find out how to implement the infrastructure needed

for their own electric vehicles.



Hyundai - Fourth Largest Auto Maker Company

By Gurg Sumit Kumar

Hyundai Motor Company is a South Korean car maker. It is part of the Hyundai group of

companies. The group was founded by Chung Ju-yung as a construction company in 1947.

Hyundai Motor Company is the world' fourth largest auto maker. After the liberalization of

the Indian economy, the company came to India to do business. The company soon became

India's second largest car maker due to the success of its small car Santro. The company

remained the second largest player in the industry for long. In February 2010, Tata Motors

took back its second position in the market riding high on the record sales in January 2010.

Hyundai has been doing quite well in India for last some months. The company had recorded

41.60% growth in sales at 52, 635 units in January 2010. It sold 16,155 units in the same

period a year ago.

Hyundai's products like Santro, i10 and i20 have seen great successes in the Indian car

market. The compact car i10 was launched in India in 2007. The company launched a

premium compact car i20 in India in December 2008. The car was first showcased at the

Paris Motor Show in October 2008. The car also saw success in the Indian market. The

compact car 10 has become the best selling model of Hyundai in India after surpassing the

sales figures of another small car model Santro.

Hyundai Motors India had unveiled the electric version of its compact car i10 at the New

Delhi Auto Expo held in India in January 2010. The car may be launched a year or two.

Equipped with a 49kW motor, the car was fist showcased at the Frankfurt Auto Show in

2009.



Hyundai keeps launching new versions of its cars to keep the interest of car lovers intact in

the cars of the company. The company launched LPG version of Santro, known as Santro

Eco in 2008. The LPG version was priced slightly higher than the normal version. It came up

with with separate petrol and LPG tanks and users had option to choose LPG or petrol mode.

Hyundai recently inaugurated a new dealership in Mumbai in

February 2010. It was 46th dealership of the company in the Western

region.



Hyundai Motor Corporation's Researching and

Developing

By Thomas Gavaghan

Competitive Alternatives www.competitivealternatives.com Guide: International Business

Costs Download the study now!

It is becoming more evident of Hyundai Motor Company's continuous growth in the United

States automotive market. With the 2009 Motor Trend car of the year, Hyundai is quickly

picking up market share in hopes of taking more of the United States market that has been

dominated by giants such as Toyota Motor Corp.

With tough market conditions globally Hyundai has been able to perform extremely well in

2009. While sales have been on an increase, expense management has become a focal point

for all auto makers. One area where Hyundai is not reducing their costs is in research and

development in hopes of advancing their product. The company increased their development

expense from 3% of revenue in 2008 to 5% in 2009. With fiscal year ending December 31,

2009, Hyundai had increased revenue by nearly 17% in the first three quarters ending

September 30, 2009 then the previous year. In that same period, research and development

costs went up from 410.9 billion Korean Won to 585.7 billion Korean Won. That is a 43%

increase from 2008. Competitors of Hyundai however are not mimicking this increased line

item.

A much larger company, Toyota Motor Corporation noted in their 2009 annual review that

research and development costs were reduced by 54.8 million or 5.7% of revenue from 2008.

This was a part of their overall decrease in cost of products sold for automotive operations to



offset the decrease in units sold. Toyota's net revenues took a 21.9% hit for 2009. Toyota

Motor Corporation spent 904.0 billion total on research and development. The 5.4%

reduction is steep considering that the same expense was increased by 7.6% or 958.8 billion

in 2008. Seeing operating income for Toyota reduced by 2,731.3 billion for 2009 explains

why period expenses, like research and development, needed a cut. Toyota writes that it is

expecting to increase its funding for research and development considerably for the 2010

fiscal year.

Even with revenue being up for Hyundai, the increase in their research and development

spending must be offset, at least partially by other expenses. One notable expense cut was

director salaries. Through the end of June 2009, salaries for Hyundai executives were down

almost 14% from the same mark in 2008. Along with that reduction, Hyundai was able to

trim other selling and administrative expenses by 12%. These figures should be positive for

investors, as the company has taken a proactive approach at bettering their product at the

expense of executive salaries.

While Hyundai has taken a risk by increasing their research and development costs by 43% it

could prove to be of benefit in future automotive sales. That's the hope of Hyundai executives

at least.

Current market demands are forcing automakers like Hyundai and Toyota to develop the

most efficient automobiles, while also keep them cost effective for consumers. By increasing

the amount spent on research and development Hyundai is rapidly advancing their energy

efficient automobiles. Hyundai was able to thrive in a tumultuous 2009 year for auto makers

and looks to be rising fast. What was once seen as a sub-par automobile company could now

be researching and developing its way up the manufacturing ladder.



How Hyundai Is Shaping the Auto Industry

By Matthew Keegan

It should be as plain as the nose on your face that Hyundai Motors is a winner. When

combined with its Korean cousin, Kia, the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group is ranked as the

fourth largest automaker in sales, behind GM, Toyota and Volkswagen, but ahead of the Ford

Motor Company, Chrysler and Honda. Quite suddenly, the South Korean automotive

manufacturer is a force to be reckoned with, a company on a quest to overtake Toyota and

eventually lead the global automotive market.

Single handedly, Hyundai-Kia is shaping the auto industry, forcing competitors to reexamine

product offers to build cars that consumers want. The following are some ways explaining

how Hyundai is dictating how everyone else should build and sell cars:

Hyundai offers value -- Smartly, Hyundai continues to price its cars slightly below competing

models, offer sticker prices about 3 to 5 percent lower than comparable models. But, the

savings are even more significant because Hyundai cars offer higher content or trim levels

than similar models. For example, the Hyundai Elantra offers a six-speed automatic

transmission, heated seats and top of the range gas mileage, beating Toyota at its own game.

The Toyota Corolla, incidentally is getting updated faster because the current Elantra is quite

simply the better car.



Hyundai offers an amazing warranty -- What better way to tell customers that you back them

by offering a warranty that no else is matching? The Hyundai 10-year, 100,000 mile warranty

covers powertrain parts (engine and transmission) and its 5-year, 60,000 mile warranty covers

many other Hyundai parts. A 7-year rust warranty also included.

Hyundai guarantees trade-in value -- Buy a Hyundai today and the automaker will guarantee

what it will be worth two, three or four years from now. This guaranteed trade-in value is

something no other manufacturer is offering and is a "peace of mind" strategy for new car

buyers. No longer will customers have to worry that a car they purchase today will drop

precipitously in value tomorrow.

Hyundai offers excitement -- Hyundai has employed a European strategy for selling its cars

in America, one that seems to be working. In Europe, Mercedes and BMW sell a wide variety

of vehicles, not just luxury cars under the same label, but they wouldn't dare do that in the

United States. Hyundai has taken a bold approach by selling its Genesis and Equus lines

under the Hyundai brand and is successfully selling upscale, even luxury models in the same

showrooms as its small cars.

Hyundai certainly isn't perfect, but the automaker has proven that it has the right strategy in

place a winning formula other automakers should adopt. Sales of Hyundai and Kia models

continued to rise in the Great Recession, a feat only Subaru can claim. All three brands have

dared to exploit the market, by giving customers value, reliability and quality, something

every manufacturer should keep in mind going forward.



Matthew C. Keegan is editor and publisher of "Auto Trends Magazine." Matt is also a

contributing writer for Andy's Auto Sport and affiliated websites, an aftermarket supplier of

quality auto parts including bumpers and wings.



Blue Hybrid Concepts Reveal Hyundai's Direction

By Matthew Keegan

The 2010 Paris Motor Show has offered a number of interesting first time reveals, vehicles

just now hitting the market and others planned for release over the next 3-4 years. Major auto

shows are always good indicators where the market is headed and which vehicles we'll be

driving a few years out.

Korea's Hyundai Motors is on a tear, rising from the eleventh largest automaker in the world

in 2000 to the fourth largest manufacturer in 2010. The company has improved its image and

has expanded its product lines, building cars which offer more content and are priced slightly

less than what its competitors are offering.

Paris Motor Show

In Paris, the two vehicles creating much of the buzz for Hyundai are a pair of concepts.

Concept vehicles are just that -- ideas -- with no firm plans to build them. Yet, Hyundai has

indicated previously that several models they'll be showing at auto shows this year and next

will provide an excellent indication where the automaker is headed.

The two concepts offered at the Paris Motor Show are the ix20 Blue and ix35 hybrid models

which are expected to become part of the company's existing leading edge Blue DriveTM

program. These vehicles are part of Hyundai's effort to advance environmentally conscious

technologies and assume fuel efficiency leadership worldwide.

Gas and Diesel

Some of Hyundai's new models will utilize Hyundai's all-new 1.0-liter Kappa gas and 1.7-

liter U2 diesel engines. Likely not in the U.S., in Europe, Asia and wherever else small gas


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engines and diesels are likely to be embraced. However, that may soon change as far as the

United States and Canada are concerned.

Each engine features several environmental enhancements including the use of high-

performance, low-friction engine oil to improve combustion efficiency, optimize the gear

ratio and increase engine efficiency.

Stop and Go

Also revealed at the Paris Motor Show is Hyundai's new Idle Stop & Go (ISG) system. This

particular engineering innovation turns off the engine when the car is at a standstill and the

gearbox disengaged, such as at a traffic light. When power is needed, the engine instantly

restarts the moment the clutch pedal is depressed. Hyundai claims that this technology is

especially effective at reducing emissions and fuel usage in city traffic.

Along with ISG, Hyundai is including an alternator management system to maximize energy

regeneration while braking in a bid to provide good acceleration performance by decreasing

the alternator workload.

Other Changes

Hyundai is also making good use of underbody panels on at least one model, the i30 Blue, in

an effort to cover the drag-inducing areas found on vehicles which adversely impact fuel

economy. Some Hyundai models offer reductions on brake pad drag on the discs in addition

to wheels fitted with low rolling resistance tires, which are inflated to a higher pressure.

Yes, Hyundai is continuing its relentless push upward. Though they are far from having the

sales numbers enjoyed by the current Big 3 -- Toyota, General Motors and Volkswagen -- the

company has its eyes set on being number one, a possibility that was unthinkable just a few

years ago.



Matthew C. Keegan is a freelance writer who resides in North Carolina. Matt is a

contributing writer for Andy's Auto Sport an aftermarket supplier of quality parts

including coilovers and vertical doors.


http://www.grounddynamics.com/vertical-doors-s/4.htm

http://www.sportcompactonly.com/Dampening-Systems/Coilovers-Springs/Suspension/parts_c-134.htm


Hyundai Santa Fe Automatic Version Hits Domestic

Market

By Raja Ji

Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL), India's largest exporter and second largest manufacturer

of cars has launched the automatic transmission equipped variant of its luxurious SUV

Hyundai Santa Fe in India. Hyundai has already launched Fe last year in the month of

October and sold almost 1100 units of Santa Fe till date. This new version of the Santa is

available with a six-speed automatic transmission with more advanced features such as smart

key and push butting start that ensures convenience with one-touch operation and new

Supervision cluster in the instrument panel improves its clarity. Hyundai Fe price in India is

Rs. 24,36,500 lakh (ex-showroom price Delhi).

In the words of H.W. Park, Managing Director and Chief Executive at Hyundai Motors India,

the Hyundai has launched it's SUV Santa Fe last year in Indian auto market and has been

extremely well received by customers. With the new Automatic Transmission variant Fe

further improves the value of company in India. The new variant will continue using the same

engine as the current Fe 4WD.

Hyundai Santa review shows that the car adorns a a 2.2 liter Common Rail Diesel injected

engine that delivers a maximum power of 197 PS at 4000 rpm and 436 Nm of torque at 1800

to 2500 rpm. The hi-tech engine, with huge power and ARAI certifications, the car offers an

excellent mileage of 11.72 kilometers to a liter. The car has got a five star safety rating by

NCAP, New Car Assessment Program.


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The car is fully loaded with numbers of active and passive safety features such as electronic

stability program (EPS) and anti-lock braking system (ABS)with electronic brake force

distribution (EBD) to avoid skidding and to ensure greater driving stability. The six standard

Airbags and active head rests are also fitted in the car which greatly enhances the safety of

passengers and driver.

Santa AT variant comes with various advanced features such as navigation unit, steering

mounted audio and phone controls, automatic climate control with double air-conditioning

like in the manual transmission model and a 2-DIN in-car entertainment system with AUX

and USB. The four wheel drive Santa Fe AT variant is available in five different colors.

According to the Hyundai India, the addition of new automatic transmission system to its

popular four-wheel drive SUV Santa Fe, offers a smooth and stress-free driving.

The four wheel drive Santa AT variant is available in five different colors. According to the

Hyundai India, the addition of new automatic transmission system to its popular four-wheel

drive SUV Fe, offers a smooth and stress-free driving.



Hyundai Cars - The Second Largest Car Company

in India

By Suresh Sharma

a long way to go considering its population. The demand of cars is increasing, making the

Indian market a very competitive one. Many car companies from across the world have

launched their products here. Many multinational companies have succeeded in the market

with various products. Similarly, Indian car companies have made their mark in the market.

One such company is Hyundai Motor India Limited.

Hyundai Motor India Limited is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company. Hyundai is the

sixth largest car manufacturer in the world. Hyundai India ranks second in car manufacturing

companies in India. Hyundai India has huge and reputed automotive companies as

competitors. Companies like Honda, Maruthi, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra are

well established auto companies to name a few.

Hyundai Cars India has covered manufacturing most of the car types in the industry. It

manufactures sedan, SUVs and also Hatchback cars. This has proved useful for the Indian

market. It also plays an important role in increasing Indian economy.

Some of the Hyundai cars in India are listed below:

1. Santro Xing

2. Hyundai Getz Prime

3. Hyundai i10

4. Ascent


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5. Verna

6. Elantra

7. Sonata

8. Tucson

Hyundai India has two hatchback models: Santro Xing & Getz. Santro Xing has been popular

selling car among middle class Indian consumer. It has been Hyundai India's favorite and

largest selling car. Hyundai Getz Prime is a great combination of looks and power. This

model is equally popular among the middle class population in the country. The company has

both petrol and diesel variants in Getz Prime.

Hyundai has four Sedan models - Ascent, Verna, Elantra and Sonata:

1. Ascent GLE looks wonderful and has got pleasing interiors.

2. Verna is spacious and looks compact from outside.

3. Elantra is perfect if you are looking for an executive vehicle. Its body is designed with

European looks. The target consumers for this car would be upper middle class.

4. Sonata is again an elegant vehicle manufactured by Hyundai. Is has both petrol and diesel

variants. This is again targeted the upper middle class consumers.

Off late, there have been many launches in the market by lot of companies. Hyundai India is

also trying to make its mark in the market by launching new models.



Hyundai And Cadillac Receive Top Marks In

Safety Tests

By Jacqueline Star

Purchasing a new car can be a daunting task. There are so many things to keep in mind;

styling, amenities, options and pricing. One of the most important things to consider when

making a vehicle purchase should be its safety features and crash test results. The

government and the IIHS conduct annual crash tests and the results aren't always pretty.

However, three cars which passed the test with remarkable high marks are the Tucson SUV

and Sonata from Orange County based Hyunau and Cadillac's stylish CTS.

The Sonata from Orange County based Hyundai Motors has a reputation for being an

affordable and efficient family sedan. However, the Sonata really makes its mark by earning

a full five star rating in 2010 tests conducted by the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway

Safety). Passengers have the option of selecting from a four cylinder or a six cylinder engine.

Despite its low sticker price this auto offers a refined and well-designed cabin with

comfortable seating for all passengers. A relaxing atmosphere is emphasized via the blue

backlit gauges.

Hyundai Motors has another winner on its hand with the 2011 Tucson sport utility vehicle. It

is interesting to note that the Tucson actually received a "poor" rating in 2009 for roof

strength but due to significant changes Hyundai garnered praise for the exact same test in

2011. Not only is this SUV safe but it's reasonably priced with a base cost of around eighteen

thousand dollars. The base model comes with a four cylinder 2.0 Liter engine with 176 hp

while the GLS and Limited trims come with a 2.4 Liter engine with 176 hp. Features include


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a USB port, power doors and windows and a driver seat that can be adjusted for your

convenience.

The CTS from Cadillac also achieved top points and high scores with its CTS. In 2011 this

vehicle was awarded the distinction of being named "Top Safety Pick" from the IIHS. The

CTS is an upscale midsize auto with a stylish exterior and a thunderous engine with a lot of

power. The 3.0 Liter V6 outputs 270 hp and 22 lb feet of torque and the 3.6 Liter V6 puts out

304 hp. The cabin is luxurious and upscale thanks to wooden accents throughout the cabin.

The CTS is priced at the $34k range.



10 Articles on BMW

2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 5By Marty Bay

BMW has unveiled its first midsize sedan that uses the hybrid technology in the US at the

2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. This midsize hybrid sedan is

referred to as the "2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 5." Just like any hybrid model, this car was

specifically designed to consume lesser amounts of fuel and provide an impressive road

performance when driven. In addition to this, the ActiveHybrid 5 is also expected to compete

with other hybrid models in the segment.

With a starting price of about $61,845, this version of BMW's hybrid is equipped with a 3.0-

liter in-line 6-cylinder engine with TwinPower turbo. This is mated to an 8-speed automatic

transmission and this is capable of producing a maximum power output of up to 335

horsepower. Since this is a hybrid vehicle, the ActiveHybrid 5 is also using an electric motor

that provides an additional 55 horsepower and 155 lb.-ft. of torque to the 355 horsepower

produced by the in-line 6-cylinder engine. The electric motor derives its energy from the 96-

cell lithium ion battery installed on the vehicle. The electrical charges stored on the 96-cell

lithium ion batteries don't easily gets drained since this is automatically charged when the

vehicle is running if gasoline mode as well as through regenerative braking.

Since this hybrid vehicle is using both the gasoline engine and the electric motor as its power

source and the two power sources are usually taking turns in propelling the vehicle, the

overall fuel consumption of the car is reduced at a significant level. Thus, the vehicle owner

is given the chance to earn greater savings from reduced fuel expenses. Aside from that, its



fuel-efficient feature makes this car an ideal vehicle for car buyers who are after for greater

fuel efficiency.

The good with this car is that it is still capable of providing the best running performance

despite the fact that its fuel consumption was reduced. In fact, the ActiveHybrid 5 sprints

from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.7 seconds. However, the vehicle's most notable characteristic

is its capability of running in pure electric mode at a distance of 2.5 miles with an estimated

top speed of 37 miles per hour.

As soon as this vehicle is released into the market, this vehicle would surely provide a stiffer

competition for the Lexus GS 450h, the Mercedes-Benz E400 hybrid that was recently

released, and the Infiniti M Hybrid.



How to Remove a BMW 525I RadiatorBy Julio E Gonzalez

The radiator of your BMW vehicle is custom designed to feature a system that regenerates

the heat, sending it into different sections of the engine, which keeps the engine from

overheating. Poor maintenance of the system can result in the build-up of corrosion elements

in the radiator and heater core, creating clogs and leaks that decrease cooling performance.

Proper maintenance of your coolant will go a long way towards extending the life of your

radiator. The cooling systems on most cars are often much neglected, due to owner

misinformed owners. The most vulnerable components in the entire system are the radiator

and the heater core, which tend to be damaged by corrosion and electrolysis. If the engine

overheats, the heat from the coolant can also damage sensitive plastic attachments and

components.

When replacing your radiator, you want to make sure that you replace it with a quality

radiator due to their known overheating issues. Therefore, it may be a wise idea to install an

aftermarket performance radiator that performs a better job of cooling. It is also

recommended to replace your water pump, radiator hoses, thermostat, and any hose clamps.

Overheating can damage all of these components; therefore, it is also a good idea to change

out your old belts. In order to keep your engine functioning efficiently, you need to flush the

cooling system regularly to keep any dirt from collecting in the BMW auto radiator and

damaging the engine.

Find the drain plug at the bottom of the BMW's radiator and place a drain pan below the plug.

Take the cap off the top of the radiator, open the drain plug with an open end wrench and

drain the radiator completely. Remove the upper radiator hose from the top of the radiator by

unscrewing the hose clamp using a screwdriver and sliding the radiator hose away from the


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outlet tube of the radiator. With a screwdriver carefully loosen the overflow hose clamp that

is located next to the radiator cap and remove that hose. With an open end wrench unfasten

the two transmission cooler lines that are connected to the radiator near the bottom from the

radiator.

Locate the electric coolant level sensor that is on the left side of the radiator. Unfasten the

sensors with a screwdriver and then unfasten the sensor mount from the radiator. Then,

loosen the air filter assembly mount on the left side of the radiator, undo the hose clamp and

slide the hose off of the radiator. You will need to remove the bracket that sits on the top of

the radiator by pushing up until the clamps pop open and finally sliding the radiator straight

up until the unit is free from the vehicle.



BMW Electric Cars

By Enid Glasgow

BMW has long been a leader when it comes to producing high-quality, technologically

advanced cars, so it is no wonder that BMW owners have been waiting (sometimes rather

impatiently) for a BMW electric car. BMW has researched electric cars for decades, but, like

other companies, never made any real strides in the area because of all the politics around the

gasoline/electric debate.

For a long time, American emission and MPG guidelines were stalled. Companies were

allowed to continue to produce cars with low-MPR vehicles while other countries made

amazing gains in that area. Recently, though, new efforts have been made to reduce the

carbon footprints of American vehicles (meaning vehicles driven in America, not necessary

produced there). Now the Environmental Protection Agency is placing new, stringent

regulations in place that force companies to double their fuel economy within a set period of

time. As a result, companies are finally producing environmentally friendly cars that do not

pollute the air with their emissions.

Very recently, in 2011, BMW made a definite public commitment to finally produce and

release an all-electric car, the ActiveE. This is considered a gamble by some because the

company is well known for its powerful gasoline-powered engines. They think BMW owners

particularly like the gas-powered engines and will not be interested in switching to electricity.

Knowing the skeptics, BMW promises to produce a "BMW quality" electric car that is sure to

please owners who are used to great performance. The ActiveE will enter the market in the

fall of 2011 and afford the driver approximately 100 miles of gasoline-free riding on just one


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charge. This is exciting news for the many BMW owners who have grown tired of paying the

expensive premium gas prices.

The ActiveE will accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in about 9 seconds. This is not the

type of speed sports car enthusiasts are used to, but it is comparable to the average family

sedan. Because of the amazing MPC (miles per charge) rating, buyers should not be too

disturbed by the reduced acceleration.

All-electric cars are still very new to the market, so they are very expensive, so much so that

the average car buyer will not be able to benefit from the gasoline-free ride. However, as

industry leaders like BMW continue to create electric cars, lower-end companies will

eventually follow suit, offering up more scaled-down, budget-friendly versions of the electric

vehicles.



Leasing Makes BMW 1 Series Affordable

By Simon Norman

One of the popular choices people go for, especially on car finance, is the BMW 1 Series.

Now I've spoken with a few BMW 1 Series drivers, and all of them have nothing but praise

for them. One had already been through two M5's, a 540, a 740 and various Merc's and thinks

his 130i is the best car he's driven! People say it's a small car, okay, it's not the biggest, but if

you can think back to the older 3 series (like the ones featured in a recent Top Gear show), it

has more room, not to mention much better and safer handling!

Starting at £18,025 list price for the base model, the 1 Series isn't cheap for what is

essentially a small family car. So one of the reasons people lease BMW is the legendary low

depreciation. So despite the initial expense of the BMW marque, when you finance one based

on its future value they are surprisingly good value especially on a leasing deal. Running

costs are lower than average as well, with BMW's 'Efficient Dynamics' technology. On all

versions, fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions are among the best in the class. Diesels

are especially frugal and are still very quick for an oil burner.

As you would expect from a 'drivers' car, the driving position is spot on with plenty of

adjustment. Superb body control, loads of grip and a balanced feel provided by the front-

engined, rear-wheel-drive chassis, the 1 Series is sure to appeal to enthusiastic drivers. There

is a choice of 120bhp 1.6 or 141bhp and 168bhp 2.0-litre petrol engines. Four 2.0-litre

diesels, with 114bhp, 141bhp, 174bhp, or 202bhp are also available.


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The interior isn't as classy as the higher end BMW's but the build quality is still there. As is

usually the case with BMW, long-term reliability is very good and this is reflected in how

well the 1 Series rated in the 2010 JD Power survey.

Features such as driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags, traction and dynamic stability

control are standard on every model, as well as an alarm, immobiliser, remote central locking

and deadlocks for security.

As with most BMWs, the 1 Series has an excellent driving position, with a wide range of

adjustment. Entry-level models have a full set of powered windows and a CD player, but if

you want air-conditioning and alloy wheels you need to upgrade to the ES spec. Sport models

cost the same as ES cars but have a multifunction steering wheel and foglights. SE cars

include climate control and parking sensors, while M Sport models get a bodykit and firmer

suspension. The latest 2010 BMW 1 Series cars will feature the technologies such as brake

energy regeneration, start stop system, an electric water pump and an electric power steering.

On its way this year is the long awaited M version, although it won't be called the M1 as

BMW are keeping the name solely for the iconic M1 supercar of the late 70's. Instead it will

be termed BMW 1 Series M Coupe, with an upgraded turbo version of the inline six

promising an incredible experience. The standard 130i is plenty quick already!

So if you're thinking of buying a smallish family car, you can do a lot worse than look

at BMW 1 Series leasing deals. From just over £200 a month, you could be driving a very

well made car with the badge to match. Or for a bit more cash, you can get yourself into

trouble with the powerful sports variants! Whichever model you choose, a lease hire plan is

probably the most affordable way of driving a 1 Series.


http://www.financeacar.co.uk/car-leasing/bmw-1-series


What Makes BMW Special?

By Muhammad Ali Butt

In 1917 World War 1 was finally coming to an end after nearly 4 years of brutal suffering and

intense fighting; it was foreseen that the Germans would lose the war. BMW was originally

an Aircraft engine manufacturer, for the Luftwaffe no doubt, was forced to stop immediately

due to the 'Versailles Armistice Treaty'. This lead to the change of demographic as the

company moved towards producing motorcycles in 1923, only when the restrictions of the

treaty began to fade. It wasn't until 1928-9 that the manufacturer started to construct Auto-

mobiles.

After many years of hardships the company has barely changed, the logo still stands elegantly

above the likes of "FORD" with their new range of 'Focus' patrolling the streets soon. Fear,

isn't a factor when it comes to BMW; allowing the company to flourish and design crazy

compartments and wacky new wing-mirrors. It seems evident that the company itself has

provided many a family with years of comfort and leisure while driving the roads of Britain.

It doesn't just stop there BMW has revolutionised the way we perceive cars in our society; If

It's not sleek and smart it's not BMW. In 2010 alone the company produced roughly 1.5M

Auto-mobiles and nearly 120,000 Motorcycles; displaying BMW's confidence/dominance in

the "Motor-Market". It would appear that the company doesn't hide behind their sleek,

masculine designs as for last years 'April Fools Day' the company released information telling

customers that they could change the colour of the 'BMW' logo to suit correlate to their

political party - what a joke.

If producing some of the world's most comfortable cars wasn't enough, owning the right to

produce MINI's and ROLLS-ROYCE's just to add that little bit of salt to the recipe. Showing


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that they can exert works of brilliance to three completely different target audiences; the

MINI is for those sporty days when having a roof can be just too much and consequently

allowing your hair get all tangled and knotted becomes quite a pleasurable experience and all

because, one is in a 'MINI'. In contrast to the 'MINI' the Rolls-Royce is for those lazy days

where the rich and famous can drive aimlessly from A to B without a worry or care for the

environment or their, now comfortable, bottom. It then places the 'BMW' in between for

those middle-upper class customers who work so hard to look genuine and nonchalant.



High Mileage Maintenance Tips for Your BMW

By Carmine Cupani

If you have had your BMW for several years now, then it might be time to consider keeping a

closer eye on it. It is a simple fact that as cars (or anything for that matter) age they start to

require more maintenance and quality care to function properly. To help you make sure that

your high mileage BMW continues to perform to its highest ability for years to come, here

are some maintenance tips to consider:

• Spark Plugs: these are good indicators of engine condition. The removal and inspection of

spark plugs can tell you a lot about engine performance and where any problems may be

sourcing from. Spark plugs should be removed, checked, (and if necessary) replaced every

30,000 miles. This is especially important if you vehicle has over 100,000 miles on it.

• Distributor Cap & Rotator: both of these parts are typically plastic and and therefore they

tend to wear down with age and use. This makes the regular maintenance of these parts

important for a BMW with increased mileage.

• Spark Plug Wire Sets: these should be tested before being replaced. Resistance is key when

testing.

• Oil Filter: these are easy to replace and keeping them fresh and in good working order will

help to prevent unnecessary engine wear. As could be expected, this part filters out

contaminants such as dirt and soot from the oil in your car.

• Air Filter: this part protects your fuel injectors and should be serviced frequently to ensure

that your BMW operates properly.


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• Fuel Filter: This protects the you fuel and keeps it clean, and thus preventing clogs and

damage to the engine. This part should be replaced every 30,000 miles.

Those are just a few of the parts that should be checked frequently. Here is a complete list of

all the important high milage BMW parts that should be checked: spark plugs, ignition wire

sets, distributor cap, distributor rotor, oxygen sensor, oil filter, air filter, PCV breather filter,

fuel filter, transmission filter, vacuum hoses, temperature sensors, lubricants, coolant hoses,

and belts.

Besides part specific tips, there are some other things to consider when you own a high

mileage vehicle. First you want to make sure that you maintain the overall cleanliness of your

engine; this perhaps the best preventative measure that you can take for the overall health of

your BMW. A clean engine is cooler and is much less likely to cause or aid to the failure of

other parts or systems. Routine and regular replacement of all the parts, filters, and fluids

mentioned here is also critical. And lastly, know your cars individual systems and

requirements and make sure that you are letting professionals who are trained to work with

BMWs work on your vehicle. The key to an extended life for your high mileage BMW is a

good maintenance routine that is carried out by a professional service; so, find a high quality

shop and keep these tips in mind.



Understanding the BMW i ConceptBy Cedric P Loiselle

BMW has launched the Project i, which aims at introducing a new breed of cars into the

market. The new line of cars features a developed design, and the cars are said to be fuel-

efficient and eco-friendly. The new line of cars will redefine the concept of mobility. The

goal is to combine efficiency and dynamics. However, on the arrival of these vehicles, they

are expected to be really expensive. In 2013, BMW is expected to release BMW i3 and BMW

i8. And in 2015, it is said to release BMW i4 and BMW i5.

BMW continuously improves their vehicles, just like all the other automobile manufacturing

companies do. BMW's Project i is currently designing lightweight cars with modern

aerodynamic and fuel-efficient features. New automotive technologies are being developed to

come up with high performance cars that are environmentally friendly. It seems as though

that the quest of car companies to come up with fuel-efficient cars is a never-ending business.

The fuel-efficient tagline will always be expected in the next generation of cars. In fact,

today's new cars do boast lower fuel consumption for the same mileage than older cars.

Aside from fuel-efficiency, the new cars also have the so-called electric mobility. BMW i

cars can be powered by their batteries, just as the BMW i3 has been reported to be able to run

on battery alone. Expect that the BMW i5 specs will include an electric mobility feature too.

This removes the need for gas, but some people may miss the advantage of gas-driven car

engines. The BMW i3, for instance, is going to be first premium electric automobile in the

world. Its new design will change the way people drive cars. The i8, on the other hand,

combines both fuel engine and battery power, probably because it's a sports car, which cannot

rely solely on battery power to run at faster speeds.


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Of course, other car manufacturers will not be left out in the competition. People will have to

see a new variety of cars in the future that can run on battery power. An all-electric car seems

good for urban areas. It would lessen the problem with vehicle emissions, considering that

electric consumption does not cause the release of greenhouse gases.

BMW introduces the LifeDrive concept, which changes the architecture of future BMW cars.

The new cars feature separate modules. One is the Drive Module, which is made of an

aluminum frame that forms the solid structure of the automobile. The Drive module is where

the battery and drive system can be found. The LifeDrive architecture incorporates the battery

into the car's structure. The battery is the heaviest device in a car, and its placement affects

the center of gravity of the car. A low center of gravity gives vehicles a good stability while

on the road.

After the Drive Module, there is the Life Module, which simply is the section of the car

where the passengers sit. The passenger cell is made from a lightweight material, specifically

carbon fiber reinforced plastic or CFRB. This material is as strong as steel but it is not as

heavy. The lightweight materials used in the overall construction of the BMW i cars help

increase their efficiency.

The BMW i concept is just about increasing fuel efficiency and performance. In addition, it is

also about reducing emissions. The structure and design, on the other hand, may meet

modifications in the near future.



The BMW Project i Design

By Cedric P Loiselle

BMW's i lineup includes the BMW i3 and i8, which are going to be released in 2013. Their

lineup also includes the BMW i4 and i5, whose designs are currently being developed. While

none of the cars are in circulation today, there are reports already about their supposed

designs. Images for the i3 and i8 versions have already been released.

The kind of technology that will be incorporated into the future models is not clear as of

today, but the public now knows that the i3 and i8 concepts include lightweight, safety, eco-

friendly, and efficiency features. Similar elements may be incorporated in the future models.

As you may see in the pictures, the cars do have transparent surfaces and aerodynamic

shapes. Despite the new features and its new overall design, you can still see the familiar

BMW model.

Design

The exterior of the BMW i cars come with basic architecture. This is called the LifeDrive

construction, where the major parts of the cars are divided into the Life module and the Drive

module. The Life module is composed of materials made of CFRB. The Life module is where

the passenger compartment is. The Drive module is where the operating mechanism of the

cars is located. This includes the engine, motor, and battery. The LifeDrive design involves

the layering of these two major components.

Streamlined Exterior

The aerodynamic design of the new cars guarantees that they have an efficient driving force

and reduced pull. This optimized design allows air steam to move along the surface of the car


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smoothly, reducing the effects of air friction. This design is particularly important in the i8

concept. The vehicles have covered underbodies so that their undersides are smooth. This

removes too much air turbulence under the cars while on the road. The vehicle's "air curtains"

and "aero flaps" also enhance smooth movement of air along its surface. All these features

ensure efficiency whether the cars run on fuel or battery.

Colors

Light silver and glossy black are the most famous external colors of the BMW i vehicles. The

color combination gives the cars a technical and modern look, but not too stern. There are no

signs that the company will come up with i models that have different color combinations.

However, the silver-black combo matches the cars' exterior. But the color blue invades some

parts of the cars, like the kidney grille or the door sills. Blue also breaks the silver-black

monotony, and somehow treats the starkness. The Stream Blue color is also found inside the

car, particularly on the logo (though subtly). The seat stitching also has this blue color.

However, the interior color is dominated by warm tones, probably to provide a cozy feel.

Interior colors include dark brown and porcelain white to give a homely atmosphere.

Eco-friendly Materials

The concept of BMW on its new cars includes the use of renewable and naturally treated

materials. This may be evident in the i3 and i8 concept, which indicates the use of sustainable

materials. While there is still little information about the possible BMW i4 concept or i5

concept, the future cars may still incorporate the CFRB technology. There is a good chance

that these cars will use the same materials as the i3 or i8 does.



Looking Into BMW Cars

By Joseph Troyer

If you are privileged to be driving a BMW in Los Angeles, you will know the pleasure that

comes from driving a superbly handling vehicle designed with quality in mind. We are

coming close to a century long production run of these high performance cars. Those initials

are for Bavarian Motor Works. This is the original home of the firm and is a place in the

southern part of Germany famous for lovely scenery.

The Start Of BMW

1910 was the year of founding for this firm. It happened in Munich. At the start, the company

was basically an aviation company. The trademark logos still show signs of this. A white

propeller blade is cast on a blue background representing the sky. Blue and white are also the

colors of the flag for Bavaria. The region is famous both because of Alpine mountains and for

the Black Forest.

The First Car

The Dixi was the first car the company made. It came out in 1928 and kept selling nicely

through the depression. The 328 Roadster started winning the company victories in the racing

world. Over 120 titles were garnered from 1936 to 1940. Once the war ended, more titles

came its way.

In Comes Luxury Sedans

A market for luxury sedans enlarged in the 50's. To gain access, the company came out with

the roomy 501. The 502 that followed had a light alloy used for the engine block. This was

innovative and the firm already had a reputation for this sort of state-of-the-art design. The


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Isetta though held the lead in sales in this era. This mini-car had a motor with only 12

horsepower.

Then The Sports Sedan

A sports sedan termed the 1500 held sales up all through the 60's. In the decade that followed,

a slew of technical innovations became available. Among such were turbocharging and

advanced electronics. The 3, 5, and the 7 series came into production. They are all still being

manufactured and represent the company's assortment of luxury sedans. The M Division

consists of those cars that are considered the highest in performance.

Over Seas Production begins

Overseas production began in the 90's. During this decade, several plants were set up in the

U. S. People all over the world now recognized the brand. It seemed to speak to what a true

grand touring car ought to be in every respect. These cars were seen as leaders in design,

handling, and performance. They were regarded as top in their field with excellent styling.

Now: Motorcycles

You have also been able to obtain quality motorcycles from this firm since the 20's. SUV's

have more recently been an addition to the model make up. There are now a vast array of

models to select from, everything from small coupes to large luxury wagons. In production

are some of the most powerful and fastest models that have ever hit the road. It may seem

strange then that gas mileage is so good on these. This is testament to the care taken to

achieve the utmost in efficiency.



BMW Car Window Tint

By Piscespalio A

Most BMW owners would prefer to maintain the interiors of their car as luxurious as

affordable for them. It is a pride to own a BMW itself and hence they would not want to lose

the pride by having a shabby or a old company made interior for many years. BMW has a

great design and paints that can last long. So there is no need to worry about repainting your

car or changing the accessories to make it look new. Various accessories like alarm systems,

fog lamps, spoilers and rims are available both at factory outlets and from certain other

producers.

Window tints

One such accessory which is in huge demand is the window tint. Window tint not only adds

up to the design aspect of your car, it also gives you protection from the sun. Window tints

come in various shades and varying darkness. The darker the window tint is, the more hidden

the interiors of the car. Window tints are used in windshields, sunroofs and windows and

uniform shades are available for all parts. A new BMW will not come with any window tint

as the company would concentrate more on the shining aspect of the window and body.

Why is window tinting essential?

Window tints have heat rejection films to reduce the amount of harmful radiation from

entering through the window. There are two ways of applying the tint. In summer, when the

tint is pasted on the outer walls, it prevents the external heat from entering into the car. While

in winter, the tint is applied on the inner surface and it prevents the heat from escaping out

and hence keeps the interior warm.


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There are 6 major reasons for which you must opt for window tinting.

• To keep the interiors of your car cooler during summer

• To protect your skin from the harmful radiations that can easily pass through transparent

glass

• To maintain privacy and comfort

• To protect the interior leather and plastic parts from sunlight

• To prevent the glass piece from shattering after an accident

• To prevent dangerous glare and helps you stay focused on driving

Features of window tints

Each tint consists of several layers of thin films and each film has its own use. There is a

layer of hard adhesive scratch resistant film followed by UV blockers. One side is coated

with water activated adhesive for reducing pressure. All these films together constitute to the

tinted look of your windows.

Window tinting costs ranging from $100 to $400. This indicates there are various types of

tinting and various shops which offer tinting for your car. Choose the shop and type of your

window tint wisely as window tinting is mostly a permanent process. Removing tints may

remove the new shiny looks of your windows. Choose the shade which will best suit the color

of your car. A good established shop will have various shades and ideas to offer and they will

suggest much cooler designs which will impress you.



Interview with Mr. Gaurav Mishra (Head of sales) at

Toyota

On March 15th, 2012 our team members consisting of Gitish Bhalla, Anubhav Beri and

Aashwin Bhatt went to Mr Gaurav Mishra to get the information about their company. He

told that their products are Toyota Fortuner, Innova, Corrola, Etios, Land Cruiser and Prado.

Told that their main customers are from Mohali which have great trust in them. He told that

new models of Toyota Fortuner and Innova have been launched this year. Moreover, he told

that market is getting tougher and the salesperson needs to be very competitive and he/she

should get proper training for that.

He told that they have over all 50 employees in which 20 are sales professionals. A new sales

has to go to a 3 months training period before coming to the showroom in which he/she gets

the knowledge about the cars and the company.



Interview with Mr Mahesh Gupta (Sales Consultant) at

Hyundai

Our team went to showroom of Hyundai and meet Mr Mahesh who is Sales Consultant at

Hyundai to get the information of the company. The main selling cars of Hyundai are i20 and

Verna. The company have footfalls of 100-120 per month. To their sales person they

provide a training of 2 months. Their sales have been decreasing from few months since they

have stop producing their new Verna model. He told that nowadays competition is increasing

very fast so a person should have potential to face any critical circumstances.

30 Day Action Plan

1. Week 1 – In first week we made our NPS sign and also distributed our work among our team members, which was as follows:

Gitish’s Work-

Ford in world, India and in Chandigarh. Questionnaire Demographics In depth Interview Research Methodology SWOT analysis of Ford Ford’s Future and current Plans with its USP and FAB approach, Target Market etc.

Anubhav’s Work

Current Positioning of Ford in the mind of Indian Customers and also in Chandigarh Focused Group discussion Questionnaire Customer Analysis Articles on Ford



Ashwin’s Work

Relate the report to the 10 steps of Professional Selling. Competitors Analysis Market Research Market Analysis

2. Week 2 – We went to Ford twice and meet its GM (K.C Pandey) and Finance

Executive (Upkar Singh), he treated us very good and also shared some information

about his company and its working. He told that they have 40 employees with them

and their turnover is Rs72 crore annually. He also told the USP, Marketing strategies

of the company which was very useful to us. He shared the SWOT analysis of the

company and what are their future plans with some information about their customers.

3. Week 3 – We went to Toyota and Hyundai to get some information for competitor

analysis. Moreover, we collected some articles on Ford and demographic information

on Chandigarh. We also started our 10 steps of Professional Selling.

4. Week 4 - We again went twice to Ford Motors showroom to get remaining

information for our report and to do video interview. Moreover, we made our main

report and presentation.



Additional Information (Project on BMW)

BMW

In order to make another write up for our project. We group number 4 choosed to talk to Mr.

Ankit Rehalia the Assistant Manager Marketing of BMW (Bavarian Motor Works),

Chandigarh. We choosed this company because we got impressed by their technology and the

car models. We also wanted to know about their innovative strategies and how they have

increased their market share in comparison with their competitors.

Major Product lines of the BMW

1. BMW 5 series

2. BMW 3 series

3. BMW 7 series

4. BMW 6 series

5. BMW Z4

6. BMW X5

7. BMW X6

8. BMW X1

9. BMW X3

Major Competitors of BMW are Mercedes and Audi. They have launched their new car this

year which is BMW 6 series. BMW’s Targets complete northern region except Delhi, in

which mostly include high class people. Company’s Market Share is more than 70% in

comparison with the competitors. Market Size of BMW includes their showrooms which are

currently present at 17 main locations in the Indian market. Company’s headquarter is in

Gurgaon.



Their future plan is to launch a Hybrid (no fuel consumption) Car till 2014 having a price

estimation of Rs 3crore. Recently, BMW’s concept car was used in one of the most

successful series of the movie of Hollywood “Mission Impossible 4”, which was a great

success. Recently, BMW is facing problems with consumer resistance. However, customers

have alternatives also other than BMW, for instance, Mercedes, Audi and Jaguar.

Sales require profound knowledge of customers and competitors. Product should be of great

quality and services should be upper class when it comes to selling.

Importance of sales in achieving firm’s marketing success are:

Sales decides the overall turnover of the company, whether the company is many

profit or losses.

Customer gets attracted by analysing the incremental sales of a company.

More the sales more will be the company’s growth, as company will try to widen their

hands in other regions.

Sales helps in building the brand name of a company and it also become a helping

hand in gaining customer loyalty.

Salespersons must adopt some of these steps to make a transaction

successful and build a relation with customer:

Salesperson must understand consumer behaviour, and must also know what kind

for product and service satisfy them the most.



Salesperson must be friendly and polite in tone with convincing communication

skills

Salesperson must have the product knowledge what he/she are selling. They must

able to show their product better than their competitor.

Mr. Ankit Rehalia told that customer analysis is very point as it motivates us to launch new

products with different and innovative specifications. He also told that BMW’s sales are

going very smooth and customer oriented. Likewise, they are coming up with new models

after getting suggestions and recommendations from the customers. Recently, the company

has launched “BMW 6 series” in the market, which is getting positive hype in the market.

He also shared that, currently they are selling more cars monthly in comparison to their

competitors.

BMW (Chandigarh) have 8 sales people. Currently, BMW showrooms are in 17 main

locations which deals in cars but headquarter is in Gurgaon. For reporting structure of sales

professional gives monthly report to their senior managers, in which they include how many

cars they have sold with the list of the customer and their regions. Salesperson has to also

include the customer behaviour and what were the problems which they faced during selling.

Company send every sales professional to their headquarter in Gurgaon for training. It is

usually 15-20 days training and company spend Rs30000-40000 on it.

There are 17 dealers of BMW in India which have their showrooms. BMW have both sales

and marketing departments clubbed in one dealer department. Selling requires making oral or

written presentations for the decision maker because without knowing about the product and

its benefits fully, a customer will not make any positive decision. It depends upon the quality

of the presentation that customer gets convinced or not. They believe that relation selling is



very important because it helps in getting customer loyalty which shows customer trust.

Competition is getting tougher day by day so a company must try and create long term

relationship with customers.

Target market of the company is high-class people in Tri city. BMW focuses on

reliability and customer loyalty. However, if a customer has bought a car from the

company he/she should again come to try the next car.

All the four P’s are important to the company. For instance:

a) Product – Cars, Services, Spare parts and insurance.

b) Place - BMW showrooms are located in 17 main locations in India.

c) Price - Cars starting range is from 25lakhs to 3crore.

d) Promotion- Through Road shows, newspapers, BMW also have their ‘New product

launch parties’ in which all major customers are invited. They also organise events in

Hotel Taj or JW Marriot in Chandigarh.

Market is getting more competitive and diverse in nature. Customer has become more

demanding in terms of product quality and service; moreover, customer has become more

aware of what is available in market. Competition has become more advanced in terms of

technology and experience.

BMW tries to sell experience to the customer so that they get their highest satisfaction. Yes,

the main reason for betterment of this year will be due to sales effort. Last year company had

sports model 5 Series and luxury model 7 Series, but after receiving some request and

suggestions from the customers; this year the company have come up with a new model of

BMW 6 Series with comprises combination of both the models sports and luxury.



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