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Doha’s Lusail race track was witness recently to a Fiesta of cars and a Fusion of off-road rumble and the family carnival with some thoroughbreds displaying their custom muscle in racing stables usually reserved for Moto GP. |
Participants got to push the Ford Fusion, Fiesta, Ecosport and Escape to their limits at the Lusail race track. Also a little further afield the F-150 and SVT Raptor were driven at the Lusail off road proving ground.
Owners of Mustang sports cars were also invited to display their cars and a number of the legendary cars provided a powerful backdrop to the event.
The first part of the event involved a high speed run of the sedans down a straight braking and taking a sharp bend to prove the handling of Ford’s mid-size and bread and butter models.
The second part was a braking exercises involving driving down a straight with the pedal down to the floor and stomping on the brakes at a predetermined point.
All these budget and mid-size models including the odd-one-out in the shape of a hulking Expedition - full size SUV - went through these rather testing manoeuvres without a hitch.
The Fiesta - Ford’s small car was the standout model coming through the tests smoothly and overall feeling like a really nice package. Surprisingly the stereo system felt and sounded extremely high-end. The AC too was top-notch.
The off-road course got the most attention from everyone of course with Ford’s blockbuster full-size workhorse the F-150 and the wildly radical SVT Raptor which is based on the F-150 made available to test on a dirt and boulder covered ground. This proving ground features hillocks of pack dirt and stones to test the ability of the vehicle while going up an incline.
It is in fact so steeply inclined that you are looking almost straight up at the sky as the truck crests the hill and you cannot see the other side until the vehicle brings its nose down on the other side.
The F-150 is plush inside and swallows five adults through its coach doors with the greatest of ease. It handles the off road work quietly and without any fuss whatsoever.
The SVT Raptor featuring a 6.2litre engine that puts out over 400HP is Ford’s off-road pick-up designed for desert and rally racing. The Raptor has put most pick-ups in the shade since it first arrived with levels of performance and trim of the charts.
The F-150 retails from Qr120,000 onwards and the Raptor starts closer to Qr250,000.
According to a Ford release, “the all-new 2014 Fusion mid-size sedan offers an unprecedented portfolio of segment leading driver assistance and convenience technologies based on sensors, cameras and radar that enable the car to see and respond.”
Fusion helps drivers maintain proper lane position, adjust vehicle speed to changing traffic conditions, identify suitable parking spaces and help park, even aiding drivers backing out of parking space where visibility is
obstructed.
The Fusion’s adaptive cruise control uses forward-looking radar, to “look” down the road when activated, slowing the Fusion when slower traffic is detected ahead. Adaptive cruise control enables collision warning with brake support to help slow the car if the
potential of a crash is detected
The new Fiesta, according to Ford, “boasts a best-in-class suite of technologies and features that give drivers the perfect blend of a connected world and an
untethered driving experience”.
On the safety front Fiesta offers dual-stage first-row airbags, driver knee airbag, side-impact airbags and side-curtain airbags.
“The F-150 pick-up offers three different powertrains in the Middle East, all coupled to a revised six-speed automatic transmission. These are the 3.7litre V6 and 5.0litre V8, each with fuel-saving and performance-enhancing twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) technology, and a version of the 6.2litre V8 that is the base engine in the Ford F-Series Super Duty.”
The F-150 also features an electronic six-speed automatic transmission with tow/haul mode, trailer tow package, trailer brake controller, Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control, Reverse Sensing System and power-deployable running boards. Sync with MyFord Touch also joins the list of driver assist technologies and customer conveniences available.
