By Relly Carpio
INQUIRER.net

FORD introduced its Ford Focus TDCi, the first diesel-fed vehicle to “hit the track” in the Philippines. It was developed together with Tuason Racing School (TRS). JP Tuason, owner of TRS, said he was “delightfully surprised to have done very little modification on the Focus, showcasing its real ’street to track’ capability.”

TRS matched the engine with an enhanced suspension, fiberglass body parts, K&N filters, racing brake pads, six-point rollcage, racing seats, racing seatbelts and a fire extinguisher. But the engine was kept stock, a powerful engine at 136 HP with its 2nd-generation common rail injection technology.

Here’s a video I took of Ford Group Philippines president Richard Baker unveiling the Ford Focus TDCi on Day 1 of the Manila International Auto Show.

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By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

FORD MOTOR CO.’S sale of its Jaguar and Land Rover brands to India’s Tata Motors Ltd. for $1.7 billion is just one sign of a big shift in the global auto industry.

That an Asian manufacturer producing the world’s cheapest car, the $2,500 Nano, would buy two luxury British marques from an ailing US giant automaker is ironic enough. It could only mean that Tata intends to become a global player, using Jaguar and Land Rover’s advanced technologies to challenge high-end competitors like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

Ford, which lost more than $15 billion in the past two years, sold Jaguar and Land Rover at a loss to help fund its restructuring effort after having spun off assets such as the Hertz car rental agency and Aston Martin.

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By Andre Palma
Philippine Daily Inquirer

I HAVE to admit to cringing when Ford Philippines’ Glen Dasig mentioned the word, “Expedition,” over the phone. Admittedly, biases and preconceived notions about certain cars are difficult to suspend, even when one tests them for a living.

It is hard to forget a six-month spell, years ago, when this writer had to fuel a first generation 5.4-liter Triton V8 specimen. It felt like personally sponsoring a petroleum company, honestly. At some point, every pump attendant’s courtesy smile started looking eerily sinister. It got that bad.
It is now two generations later, a long period of time in any process of automotive evolution and even the tamest of cars can change a lot over 10 years. Is the third-generation Expedition any better than the first? Let’s just say that the 2008 Ford Expedition experience is generally a familiar one.

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By Ronnel Domingo
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–Ford Motor Co., whose officials have expressed continued optimism in the Philippines, could expand its production facility here by up to seven times if local economic growth continued and regional integration opened up more markets in Southeast Asia.

Liam Benham, Ford’s vice president for governmental affairs in Asia-Pacific and Africa, said the company was continually looking at expansion opportunities in the country although there were no short-term plans so far.

“Ideally, a facility should be producing 100,000 units to 200,000 units yearly,” Benham said.

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