Motoring News
Today, 16 February 2014Next-generation Ford S-Max to launch in 2015
Development underway on new Ford MPV, which will feature the company's new 1.5-litre Ecoboost engine and could spawn new luxury variants
The new Ford S-Max has been spotted testing ahead of an expected European launch later this year.The new car was previewed at the Frankfurt motor show last autumn, with the concept making clear Ford's intentions not to stray far from the format that made the original model such as success.The S-Max is based on Ford’s global C/D platform, which underpins the new Fusion and Mondeo models. It should be available with the company’s new 1.5-litre, three-cylinder Ecoboost engine along with today’s familiar larger capacity diesel and petrol options when it goes on sale early in 2015.The S-Max has always been what Ford design boss Martin Smith describes as a “white space” car, one which occupies a previously unidentified market sector.“We invented the sporty MPV,” he says, “and it brought new customers to Ford – the sort of people who won't drive a Galaxy or an estate car. Customers have described the current S-Max
read moreFiat 500L 1.6 MultiJet 120 Beats Edition first drive review
New range-topping Beats Edition of the Fiat 500L compact MPV gets more kit and bespoke trim
The Beats Edition is the new range-topper for the Fiat 500L compact MPV. It’s based on the lavishly equipped Fiat 500L Trekking – the slightly higher-riding 500L with soft-road pretences – and adds various styling and equipment upgrades for a likely premium of around £1600.Exterior changes are focused on colours: the Beats Edition is available in different two-tone combinations of black and grey, with a choice of matt or gloss finishes. There also subtle touches of red, such as on the brake calipers that sit within dark, 17-inch alloy wheels.The colour scheme continues inside, with a matte grey dashboard panel and black seats of fabric and faux leather with red ‘500’ logos on the backrests. Dual-zone climate control is an upgrade over Trekking spec, as is the seven-speaker, 520-watt Beats Audio sound system that lends the model its name.Coinciding with the introduction of the Beats Edition is the introduction of two new engines that will be available across the 500L range. Both four-cylinder units generating 118bhp, they are a 1.4-litre T-Jet turbo petrol turning out 159lb ft at 2500rpm and a 1.6-litre MultiJet diesel that’s good for a sturdy 236lb ft at 1750rpm.The other engines available in the Beats Edition are 104bhp units in the form of the 0.9 TwinAir petrol and a lesser-powered but equally torquey ve
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