Ford Focus RS for April arrival: FORD HAS released details of its new Focus RS, which will arrive in Ireland from mid-April with a price tag of €43,565.
The final production model of the new Focus RS will debut at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show next week and Motors will have a full test drive in next Wednesday’s edition.
At the heart of the new Focus RS is its turbocharged Duratec RS 2.5-litre engine with 300bhp. The previous Focus RS had peak power of 212bhp.
It’s capable of 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds and has a top speed of 263km/h.
Stability control to be included in EuroNCAP
THE INCLUSION of stability control on new cars sold in Europe rose by 3 per cent last year to 53 per cent, according to figures from the EuroNCAP.
The organisation, which uses simulated accident situations to test vehicle safety, has said that stability programmes will be incorporated into its new evaluation process from this month.
As of 2010, the new guidelines mean that vehicle models will only be given the maximum five-star rating if they are equipped with stability programmes as a standard feature.
In the US the inclusion of stability control systems are stipulated for 2012. The EU is considering the gradual adoption of ESP systems towards making them a mandatory feature on all cars by October 2014.
US motorists abandon the road
US MOTORISTS reduced driving by the most in 66 years in 2008 and car dealerships closed in record numbers, reflecting a deepening recession.
Vehicle distance travelled in the US last year fell by 107.9 billion miles, or 3.6 per cent, the Federal Highway Administration reported yesterday.
The Detroit-based consultant Urban Science said 881 dealers closed, most in the fourth quarter. The figures illustrate the toll on companies such as General Motors and hotel-chain Marriott International from the fall-off in household spending, which accounts for about 70 per cent of the economy.
The deterioration in miles began in November 2007, a month before the start of the current economic slump.
"Recession and the worst job losses in a generation have turned anything on wheels into roadkill," said Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi in New York. "Americans are sticking closer to home and saving. . . just the sort of consumer behavior that can turn a recession into a depression."