Sunday, January 10, 2010

2010 Ford Flex with EcoBoost



"With the 2010 model year, Ford is marking the start of its EcoBoost initiative, a plan that will dramatically effect the company's entire lineup in the coming years. By using turbocharging and direct injection with smaller-displacement engines, Ford says it can offer better performance and fuel economy. The company expects it will put 1.3 million EcoBoost engines on the road by 2013 and offer the technology in 90 percent of its models.

The Flex crossover is one of the first Fords to get EcoBoost. Using a 3.5-liter V-6, the Flex achieves V-8 performance with V-6 fuel economy. The Flex EcoBoost (which is only available with all-wheel drive) achieves the same fuel economy as the base all-wheel-drive Flex, which is rated at 16/22 mpg.

Powertrain
The technology in Ford's EcoBoost engines isn't revolutionary, but the company's plan for such widespread adoption is unique. In the 3.5-liter V-6, two turbochargers spin as fast as 170,000 rpm to force more air into the engine while fuel injectors spray gasoline into the cylinders at 2175 psi. Adding more air and fuel allows extra power to be squeezed out of each combustion event.

There are plenty of automakers that might detune a performance engine by 10 to 20 hp in the family crossover, but the Flex receives the same 355 hp that will move the Ford Taurus SHO, the Lincoln MKS, and the Lincoln MKT. Ford has decided that its first EcoBoost engine needs to place more emphasis on performance than fuel economy in order to build a positive impression of the technology. Future Ford engines using turbochargers and direct injection may focus more on the fuel economy side of the equation. Torque is rated at 350 lb-ft and spans from 1500 to 5250 rpm. It's that plateau-flat torque curve that creates an exciting and effective blast when the throttle is planted. Ford estimates 0-to-60-mph acceleration occurs in about 7 seconds.

EcoBoost Flexes all receive a manual-shift mode for the six-speed automatic transmission, along with steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles. The paddles are a great addition for the performance engine but could use some refinement. When the gear selector is left in drive, the paddles can't be used to effect a downshift. In manual mode, the transmission is happy to provide downshifts at a fairly quick pace but sometimes isn't restrictive enough (yes, we just said that). Multiple times, we asked for one too many downshifts, and the Flex obliged by dropping down a gear - right on top of redline. To top it off, the coarse, dull finish on the plastic paddle shifters looks out of place compared with the rest of the well-trimmed cabin."

2010 Audi A5 Sportback



"Do you lust after an Audi A5, but need something with some extra doors and space to handle the family? Good news: Audi has just the car for you.

Well, not quite. Such a car--the 2010 Audi A5 Sportback shown here--is indeed destined for production, but not the New World. Audi says the shapely fastback doesn't mesh well with its U.S. market plans, and as such, the car will essentially be forbidden fruit for the time being.

Although it looks quite similar to the new BMW 5-series Gran Turismo, the A5 Sportback is considerably smaller. At 15.45 feet long, the A5 is a foot shorter than the Bimmer, and is closer in size to an A4.

Those accustomed to riding in the back of an A4 will complain the rear seat is slightly smaller (it's been pulled forward in light of the rakish roof), but luggage space isn't compromised one iota. The Sportback offers 16.9 cubic feet of cargo space, but that number expands to 34.6 cubic feet--nearly two-thirds of that offered in the A4 Avant--with the rear seats down. Unlike the 5-series GT, access to the cargo bay is available only through a full-size hatch.

Although it's labeled as an A5, the Sportback's engine offerings have more in common with the A4 range. The 180-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 is the A5 Sportback's base engine, available in a front-wheel-drive model with either a six-speed manual transmission or a CVT. A 211-hp version is also available, but only with Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The A4's direct-injection 3.2-liter V-6 serves as the premium gas engine, and is available only with Quattro and the S-tronic dual-clutch transmission.

As the A5 Sportback is tailor-made for Europe, a number of diesels are also part of the model mix. Volkswagen's ubiquitous 2.0-liter turbo-diesel I-4 serves as the base engine, while 2.7-liter and 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6s offer buyers additional power. To further boost fuel economy, both the 2.0-liter gasoline and diesel engines come with a start/stop system on models with manual transmissions.

Europeans should see the A5 Sportback in dealers this September, but we'll have to wait until 2010 to see a Sportback--a larger A7 model--arrive on our shores."