Ford Fiesta Named Scottish Car Of The Year

The all-new Ford Fiesta has been named "Scottish Car of the Year 2008" at the 11th annual Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW) awards dinner in St Andrew's, Scotland.

A jury of 17 Scottish automotive journalists reviewed every new car available and, in an exhaustive selection process, short-listed eight category winners. At the ceremony, the all-new Fiesta was crowned with the prestigious award thanks to its qualities of style, dynamic driving and value for money.

This is the second successive year that the ASMW has honoured Ford with the title of Scottish Car of the Year – in 2007 the award went to the Ford Mondeo. Also this year, recognition was given to the new Ford Kuga, which collected the category award for "best 4x4 crossover" vehicle.

The awards were presented by President of the ASMW, Bill Caven, who commented: "To win the Scottish Car of the Year once is a marvellous achievement for any manufacturer. However to triumph again the following year is absolutely unbelievable.

"The all-new Ford Fiesta was simply streets ahead of everybody else when it came to offering something fresh, dynamic and value for money. Within hours of getting our first drive in the car we were all blown away by the experience.

And when you consider the high calibre of the other new models up for consideration it is a truly tremendous feat by the Blue Oval." Continued

Bill added: "There is always a degree of trepidation amongst motor manufacturers when it comes to replacing a best-selling model with the next generation car. Will it live up to past reputation and appeal? Will it take the brand forward? Ford has maintained from the outset that the new Fiesta would set the benchmark in its sector. It has certainly delivered big time and been true to its word. This is going to be an enormous seller for them in the coming months, and deservedly so."

On receiving the award, Ian Slater, Vice-President Communications and Public Affairs for Ford of Europe, said: "We are delighted the new Ford Fiesta has been voted the 2008 Scottish Car of the Year. I am especially pleased for the Fiesta project team of designers and engineers, that their vision and hard work has been so generously rewarded. Everyone at Ford joins me in thanking the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers for this accolade."

Source: http://www.autonews24h.com/Auto-Industry/..2868.html

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When the going gets tough, the tough drive compact

by Jovir Amatong

As the global problem with the scarcity of fossil fuels runs deeper with each passing day, prices of oil and its by-products soar to levels that burn holes right through consumers’ pockets.

Everywhere these days, driving huge Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV)- for leisure and lifestyle enthusiasts, Multi Purpose Vehicles (MPV) for work and business – even luxury cars (For those who consider maximum comfort) for traveling in and around cities has now become a wasteful indulgence! Purpose and design has become irrelevant because of one thing – rising fuel cost.

Driving around in gas-guzzlers just doesn’t make sense anymore. Good thing car manufacturers are boosting the production of their compact, subcompact and even mini lines to meet this growing need.

Come to think of it, why would you choose to drive a compact in the first place? If you had asked that question a couple years back, the answer would’ve been laughable. Compacts were never taken seriously back then – as affordable as they are, they held true to their name where the values of safety, space and comfort is seen as compromised. While compacts may not come as comfortable as large vehicles for the car aficionado, owning one offers some big advantages: convenient parking, the much needed fuel economy and, of course, the cheeky look!

With recent trends however, engineers and designers have come up with design changes to accommodate the hip and younger market segments and even the older markets through added safety and security features. Engines have been redesigned for improved fuel economy. Car prices are made more competitive and a host of payment options are now offered to attract budget conscious buyers.

Major brands and car manufacturers worldwide now offer compact and subcompact model lines suited to individual or family needs and varied lifestyles. Stiff competition among the brands open even more opportunities up the highway for consumers.

For choices, one can always go for the brand new models, the advantages of which are: assurance of quality, getting the latest models and technologies, and excellent payment and financing schemes. The thrifty on the other hand, can always go for used models readily available online or through local dealerships which sometimes offer great financing schemes as well! A lot of compact models from the past still remain popular on the road to this day. Some are even available with improved features, proving they pack the kick and stamina like their bigger competitors. A few market favorites from the past decade include:

A. European

1. Volkswagen- Golf, Touran
2. Renault- Scenic
3. Opel- Zafira
4. Fiat- Multipla

B. United kingdom

1. Renault- Megane
2. Vauxhall- Astra
3. Citroen- C4

C. American Tops

1. Ford- Focus
2. Chevrolet- Cobalt

D. Japanese

1. Nissan- Sentra, Micra
2. Honda- City, Civic, Fitz/ Jazz
3. Toyota- Corolla, Yaris, Vitz/ Echo
4. Mitsubishi- Lancer

E. Korean

1. Hyundai- Elantra, Accent
2. Kia- Avella, Rio
3. Daewoo- Racer, Matiz

The disadvantages are common to just about every used car, meaning: outdated models, greater mileage and decreased vehicle road worthiness. Fortunately, parts centers that cater to the used car market are largely flourishing these days and in the case of hard to find parts and accessories, (allowing for the patience needed to wait for shipment deliveries) one can always browse and order thru hundreds of parts dealers online.

Dubbed as “econocars,” compact and subcompact lines are now benchmarks for customer taste.

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Press Release: Global Automotive Logistics

Bharat Book.com presents a new report on the Global Automotive Logistics (http://www.bharatbook.com/productdetail.asp?id=51010)

The automotive sector has traditionally been at the forefront of developments in the logistics industry. Supply chain strategies implemented by Vehicle Manufacturers such as Toyota have resulted in highly efficient, lean organizations.

Gain real insight into the latest automotive supply chain strategies

The sector is also highly complex. No two VMs are the same in the way in which structure their business models or the way they perceive and treat their logistics providers. With profits in the sector low, the supply-side of the industry has become increasingly squeezed, with expectations to innovate at the same time as cutting costs.

In a major new report, Transport Intelligence's experts have for the first time compiled an in depth analysis of all sections of the global automotive logistics sector. Years of experience of the industry and unrivalled access to the key players involved - both the VMs and the logistics service providers - have enabled the development of a report which will deliver real value to the reader.

How will you benefit from Global Automotive Logistics 2007?

Global Automotive Logistics 2007 will enable you to gain insight into:

The leading Vehicle Manufacturers' supply chain strategies and their relationships with their logistics providers.
The development strategies of the key global logistics service providers.
The automotive business specific to the shipping, rail and integrated logistics sectors.
The structure of the industry in the Americas, Asia Pacific (including Japan and China), Western and Central European regions.
The inbound, spare parts and finished vehicle logistics markets.
The market size and future growth forecasts for the market in the key regions and segments.
Market trends, developments, size and forecasts

Global Automotive Logistics 2007 is packed full of qualitative analysis and quantitative data which will give you an all-round understanding of the market. It examines the significant trends which are affecting the demand-side of the industry and how these impact the key logistics sectors associated with it. It includes market sizing, broken down into inbound, spare parts and finished vehicle segments for the North American, European and Japanese markets as well indicative growth forecasts.

Vehicle Manufacturer profiles and demand-side trends

To understand the automotive logistics industry, you must first have an in depth grasp of the production and supply chain strategies employed by the leading Vehicle Manufacturers. The report contains extensive profiles of all the leading players, with special focus on the relationships which they have with their logistics service providers.

In addition to extensive VM profiles, Global Automotive Logistics 2007 provides the latest industry data on production and sales by region as well as trade in auto products. It also contains an appendix of maps showing the location of every major assembly plant in the world.

Extensive shipper and forwarder surveys

Global Automotive Logistics 2007 contains profiles of all the main logistics service providers from the main sectors: Rail, Shipping and Integrated Logistics. Each profile provides background and analysis of the companies' strategies to penetrate the automotive sector as well as a range of operational and financial data.

In addition, the report examines all the key supply-side trends in the inbound, spare parts and finished vehicle logistics sectors

Source: http://www.prminds.com/pressrelease...=6671

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