SEMA 2009: Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

When Ford for the first time has presented one year ago new F-150 SVT Raptor, it has been equipped by the same 5,4-litre V8, as other representatives of a F-series. Still then project heads have promised 6,2-litre V8. Well, will not pass also two years as the promise will come true – to order Raptor 6.2 it will be possible since December, first.

Ford promised in new version 400 horsepowers of capacity and 541Nm a twisting moment. Now, when the engine has passed certification, there is a possibility to speak about 411 h.p. of capacity on 5500 turns and 587Nm on 4500 turns.

According to the marketing manager Mark Grubers , Raptor 6.2 can dispersed to hundred on one and a half second faster, than 5.4, but it to be reflected and in the price: it will manage on $3 000 more expensively, than average 5.4, that is from $41 995. At present Ford has already received three thousand orders on 5,4-litre Raptor and delivered 700 cars to buyers.

Ford Kuga will be produced in USA

Dollar exchange rate falling under the relation in the European currency and presence of free capacities to the USA force company management Ford to transfer manufacture of cars from Europe to America. According to agency Bloomberg, crossover Ford Kuga becomes the first European model which will move for ocean, – in 2011 this car will start to assemble not in Germany, and in America in the State of Kentucky.

Simultaneously with it in the USA sale Kuga which could be bought till now only in the Old World will begin. Thus about 80 000 assembled in America Kuga will be then delivered to Europe. Certainly, from the point of view of logistics it is not too convenient, however, at the expense of lower cost price of manufacture of cars in the USA, it will be all the same more favourable, than to do cars in the Old World.

Mercedes loses the positions

All post-war years the Mercedes-Benz company invariably was in the lead in a premium-segment. However in 80-90 years of the last century competitors have started to press gradually on a Mercedes-Benz, and in 21 century happens and at all impossible – in 2005 BMW has overtaken on sales of the main competitor. And following the results of sales of 2009 of a Mercedes-Benz has every chance and at all to fall on the third place in a premium-segment, having passed forward also Audi, «the German wave» transfers.

According to opinion of experts of the Center of automobile probes CAR, there are at once some reasons why the Mercedes-Benz last years has started to lose the positions. One of them is an insufficient quantity of new models. For example, the Mercedes-Benz late left in a segment of small crossovers, and models which would compete, say, with BMW X1, at "Mercedes" till now is not present. Besides, in CAR notice that recently the Mercedes-Benz gave not enough attention to the Chinese market which grows with great strides. And at Audi in China now very strong positions.