2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Limited FWD

The Escape was the very first production hybrid from a Detroit automaker and going into the 2009 model year it has finally completed its second generation transformation. In 2007, Ford redesigned the all the visible elements of the Escape but largely carried over mechanical components.

The styling of the newest Escape had less of the soft-roader look of the original in favor of a “tougher, chunkier appearance” more in keeping with its truck siblings. The only visual distinction between the ‘08 and ‘09 models is a deeper, wider front air-dam and small spats in front of the rear wheels. These improve the air flow around the bottom of the vehicle, cutting highway fuel consumption by about 0.67 mpg at 70 mph. The really key differences in the ‘09 model aren’t apparent to visual inspection.

All 2009 Escapes (and Mariners and Tributes too) get a new 2.5L four cylinder engine and revamped 3.0L V6. Even the hybrids get the new 2.5L engine, although it stays with an Atkinson cycle engine as before. The Atkinson cycle as used on most hybrids keeps the intake valve open longer after the piston reaches bottom dead center. This results in a compression stroke that is effectively shorter than the power stroke. An Atkinson cycle is more efficient but produces less torque than a conventional Otto cycle. Hybrids compensate by using the electric motor to fill in the gaps in the torque.

The hybrid transmission and battery systems remain the same for the 2009 Escape. A further updated second generation hybrid system will debut at the end of this year on new Fusion and Milan hybrids. The Escape does get a new control system for the hybrids which further enhances the smoothness of the system. The brake system has also undergone a significant upgrade. Last year, the hybrid was only Escape variant that didn’t have standard stability control, but that oversight has now been remedied.

The hybrids use a different slip control system from the regular models which provides the blending of the regenerative and friction braking. The first generation didn’t incorporate either traction control or stability control functionality. This year, a newly-designed hydraulic unit provides the same capability as all non-hybrid models as well as improving the pedal feel.

The Limited gets 16″ aluminum wheels with a design unique to the hybrids along with some extra exterior chrome. On the inside animal hides cover the seats and steering wheel while the center console gets shiny piano black and chrome trim that adds an upscale and attractive touch. The Limited also includes the Sync auxiliary input and voice command system as standard.

Ford’s updated the 2009 navigation and entertainment system including Sirius Travel Link. The new interface on the touch screen display has a more modern, higher resolution look than before and is able to display up to three panes with different information. For example, the left half of the screen can display the navigation map while the right can be split between the audio control and hybrid system status. Ford is rolling this new interface out on all of its 2009 models except for those that are getting early 2010 model introductions, like the Mustang and Fusion.

The system is by far the easiest to navigate of any manufacturer out there and Sync allows the head unit to control devices like iPods, Zunes and phones with voice controls. Speaking of voice control, Ford has the most robust such system I’ve tried from any company and it works great as long as there aren’t two or more people trying to give it commands at the same time. The voice control system has simple easy to remember commands like “Destination,” “POI,” and “Audio.” After pressing the voice button on the right side of the steering wheel, it mutes the audio system and listens for a command. Say “destination…POI” and the system presents a list categories from which to choose. If there are several close matches, it presents a list and asks the user to choose a line number. Compared to the systems provided so far by German luxury car makers, this one works reliably and without any fuss.

The updated system also adds a USB connector in addition to the 1/8″ stereo plug that was present before. The USB connection allows direct access to play-lists, artists, genres, etc. from the audio system. The only downside to this system is that when you first plug in a device it goes through and reads all the ID3 tag information from all the tracks and creates an index that allows the Sync system to control it. If you have a smaller capacity flash based device like an iPod Nano this only takes a minute or two. If you have a larger capacity hard drive player with thousands of songs, this can take up to 10 minutes. If the contents of the device don’t change, subsequent plug-ins take no time and the device is ready. If like me you listen to podcasts and update even a few tracks on the player daily, it re-reads the entire device. Until the index is updated the device starts playing from where you last listened and only allows you to go to next track of previous, you can’t navigate the full menu. This however is a minor annoyance, since most people don’t seem to have 7,000 plus tracks on their devices.

On the road, the under-skin changes to the Escape become readily apparent when you start driving. Several areas of the structure of the Escape have been beefed up with more use of high-strength steel, giving it more solidity. The suspension has been re-tuned and now has a rear anti-roll bar for the first time. The overall impression is of a quieter, more refined driving environment. That’s a benefit in a number of ways. The changes to the hybrid control strategy mean that the engine can now be off more frequently and at higher speeds.

While previous iterations could only operate in electric only mode at speeds up to 24 mph, the 2009 model can shut off the engine at speeds up to 40 mph. Actually getting from a stop up to 40 mph without starting the engine is extremely difficult (almost impossible in fact) because of the limited output of the motor. A gentle foot on the accelerator can get the Escape up to over 20 mph without depleting the battery. When the battery is charged, easing off the throttle at speeds in the upper 30s can now readily shut down the engine allowing the Escape to cruise along silently on electrons alone.

With the ability to operate in electric mode at higher speeds now available, making engine-on operation quieter was important to minimize the noise difference between the modes. Ford’s engineers have succeeded making this one of the quietest SUVs I’ve ever driven. On the initial drive from Dearborn back to my Ann Arbor office, the Escape averaged an admirable 32 mpg. A couple of days of mostly around town driving saw that number climb to a little over 34 mpg, dipping back to 32 on another highway run. I wasn’t trying to hyper-mile or do any pulse and glide techniques, just drive sensibly with gentle acceleration and braking and over the course of a week, we averaged just over 33 mpg, which is excellent for a high riding vehicle with a relatively blocky shape and a standard roof rack.

The new engine is smoother and quieter operating than the original 2.3L and provides better acceleration when needed for merging onto the highway or passing. Unfortunately, the base price of the front wheel drive Escape hybrid has climbed from $27,445 to $29,305 for 2009. Ford has added several features as standard equipment this year including the electronic stability control, SYNC, auto-dimming rear view mirror as well as the powertrain changes. Our FWD Limited tester including the navigation system prices out to a fairly hefty $35,100 including destination charges.

The Escape starts about $2,300 more than a Saturn Vue hybrid but also gets significantly better fuel economy compared to the Saturn’s mild hybrid system. The larger, heavier Saturn does offer more interior volume but isn’t available with all-wheel-drive like the Escape. Later this year, Saturn will launch a two-mode hybrid system in the Vue which will make for an interesting comparison against the Escape. It will be interesting to see how much more expensive the Two-Mode Vue will be.

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Porsche Cayenne Hybrid Review

We just got our hands on the upcoming hybrid version of the Porsche Cayenne. It felt just like a regular Cayenne, but unfortunately doesn’t look any better. The four-door SUV is expected to be on the market by the end of the decade, the Stuttgart-based automaker said, a major move for the company in an increasingly carbon-conscious world.

The technology has been engineered so as not to compromise the Cayenne’s SUV abilities. Unlike the Lexus RX400h, which is not supposed to go off-road. The Cayenne Hybrid can still wade in 20 inches of water, it can still tow 7000 pounds. There’s still a full-size trunk above the battery compartment. The six-speed auto transmission also feels the same. It still accelerates like a regular Cayenne V-6 — in fact faster to 60 mph by about half a second. And with better torque, thanks to the electric motor’s contribution.

But gas mileage is about 20 percent better than usual. The prototypes are achieving 24.4 mpg in the US FTP cycle, versus 17.9 mpg for the standard V6 Cayenne. Porsche hopes to get this to 27 mpg by the time of production. Which will be about two years from now, following validation and durability testing.

The hybrid system is being engineered in concert with VW and Audi, and will also show up on their Touareg and Q7 SUVs, as well as, likely, future VW group sedans. The system is modular, so as to be installable in a range of platforms.

Crucially, it will also give Porsche a V6 hybrid Panamera sedan, which will allow it to claim a green version to compete against the upcoming wave of German high-performance clean diesels.

The system, which adds about 300 pounds in all, uses a donut-shaped 34-kilowatt electric motor sandwiched between the engine and the six-speed Tiptronic transmission. Between the electric motor and the V-6 is a clutch, operated automatically, to allow the engine to stop while the electric motor carries on. The battery — twice the size and power of a Prius’s, but a similar nickel metal hydride type — is under the trunk floor, in the spare wheel well. There’s also a transformer/inverter wedged under the hood.

Porsche’s hybrid principle of operation is pretty simple compared with Toyota’s. The electric motor turns at the same speed as the V-6, except for periods when the automatic clutch is open and the engine is stopped. If there’s enough charge in the battery the car can go along at highway speed on electric power alone, but the V-6 cuts in when charge gets low, powering the car and, because the motor becomes a generator when torque is applied to it, charging the battery at the same time. For max acceleration, the motor and engine both push the car in unison.

As the hybrid’s engine has no starter motor of its own, the clever bit is that the control electronics can start the V-6 by engaging the clutch, without a huge thud. To do that it has to engage the clutch while disengaging the torque converter lock-up, while adding fuel and spark to the engine, then dropping the power to the electric motor to compensate for the incoming torque from the V-6. It doesn’t sound simple, and it’s nowhere near as simple as it sounds. But in our test ride, the engine-starting process was as smooth as, say, a part-throttle upshift in the transmission.
As with all full hybrids, the motor also acts as a generator when you brake, charging the battery. This regenerative braking effect is strong enough in the Cayenne that driving smoothly through town you’ll hardly use the disc brakes at all. Clever electronics integrated in the ESP system split the braking effort between discs and regeneration, so all you need do is press the pedal as normal. Regeneration is the “free” energy that a full hybrid recovers, instead of using the brakes to turn kinetic energy through friction on the discs into wasted heat.

The battery is a nickel-metal hydride type, but Porsche is also working on a lithium-ion version. This would give better storage and a greater ability to absorb and deliver high current, implying further gas savings. But they don’t believe it can yet be made to work under the whole range of heat and cold. Porsche engineers concede that their hybrid system doesn’t save quite as much gas as the Toyota design or the GM/DCX “dual mode” when in town, but that, because of lower frictional losses in the system, it more than offsets this by being more efficient at highway speeds.

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Ford Fiesta ECOnetic gets 64 mpg

Ford showed a road-ready car at the auto show in London on July 25th that gets 64 mpg. That’s better than a Prius or Civic Hybrid and nearly twice the fuel economy of Ford’s best low mpg car in the U.S. - the Ford Focus. It will go on sale in Great Britain this year, but so far there are no plans to bring it to the U.S.

Ford yesterday announced it will now go forward with a plan to bring some of its European cars and technology to the U.S. between now and 2012. But I’m waiting to hear if THIS technology can be exported to the U.S.

This is what happens when a company drags out restructurings and net losses for years and years. When a company is losing money year after year after year, bold and risky business cases that might initially lose money (re: the Toyota Prius) but pay off big later don’t get done.

But don’t blame Ford entirely.

It also shows how we would benefit by aligning some air quality and fuel efficiency rules with Europe’s to make it easier for automakers to bring the very best technology to U.S. shores without costly Federalizing for a whole separate set of regulations and standards.

Part of the issue from the standpoint of Ford’s advanced planning is the screwed up approach to diesel fuel in the U.S. we have. We are way behind Europe in the adoption of clean diesel technology and distribution. It also reminds me of how far behind Europe we are in providing quality healthcare. The U.S. just doesn’t get it.

If this car were on sale in the U.S. now, Ford would be held up as a technology leader. But, then again, if the regulatory stage had been properly set, other automakers would have similar technology on sale as well.

Ford is launching the Fiesta in the U.S. in 2010. Here are the details on this version of the car: Powered by a specially-calibrated version of the 90 PS (66 kW, 89 hp) 1.6-liter Duratorq TDCi, combined with coated Diesel Particulate Filter, the Fiesta ECOnetic offers fuel consumption of 3.7 L/100km (63.6 mpg US) with CO2 emissions of 98 g/km. Extra-urban highway fuel consumption is 3.2 L/100km (73.5 mpg US). The Fiesta ECOnetic accelerates from 0-100 kph in 12.3 seconds and has a top speed of 178 kph (111 mph).

The Fiesta uses similar approaches to fuel efficiency as applied in earlier ECOnetic models, with improved aerodynamics, low rolling resistance tires and enhanced lubrication. Lowered ride height and aerodynamic details such as wheel covers and wheel deflectors build on Fiesta’s drag co-efficient (Cd) of 0.33.

The low rolling resistance tires in a 175/65 R14 profile, a longer final drive gear ratio and special lubricants support efficient powertrain performance, especially in highway cruising. In conjunction with BP, Ford has developed low-viscosity transmission and low-friction engine oils for ECOnetic models.

New Fiesta ECOnetic will be on sale across Europe later this year and completes an initial trilogy of models in the company’s European vehicle range that also includes a 139 g/km Ford Mondeo ECOnetic and a 115 g/km Ford Focus ECOnetic.

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Fiat Bravo Multijet Eco gets 62mpg

The Fiat Bravo range is being improved with new engines featuring high’ish performance, very low environmental impact and ultra-low maintenance costs; together with a raft of exciting and innovative ideas.  Well that’s the official line anyway, the reality is that the Bravo uses the usual tricks for these cars - longer gearing, low-rolling-resistance tyres, revised ECU settings - all of which add up to a super-impressive 62mpg, and only 119g/km of CO2.

Prices have recently been announced for the range’s economical new Euro 5-compliant 1.6 MultiJet-engined cars. With a starting price of just £13,595 OTR for the Active 1.6 16v MultiJet 105 model, the new engine range boasts fuel economy of up to 62.7mpg on the combined cycle, and low CO2 emissions, starting at just 119g/km.

An ideal car for the company vehicle driver who wants family size transport with minimal Benefit in Kind tax bills, the 5-door Bravo 1.6 MultiJet – which comes in 105bhp and 120bhp forms – is available in Active or Dynamic trim levels, both of which offer numerous comfort and safety features as standard. These include power steering, air conditioning, ABS anti-lock brakes, electric windows, plus driver, passenger and side airbags.

Sparkling performance, outstanding torque, increased noise suppression and lower running costs are all features of the new Bravo 1.6 MultiJet, and the unique eco-packaged 105bhp version uses special measures such as optimised aerodynamics, lower rolling resistance tyres and ‘taller’ gears to help return its outstanding fuel economy figures.

New ideas
But, regardless of engine choice, a series of bright new ideas being introduced by Fiat will take the Bravo to greater heights, with more drivers encouraged by the promise of even higher quality, reliability and exceptional driveability. What is less acceptable is the ride quality. The ordinary Bravo doesn’t exactly ride well, and, because of the new tyres, this one is possibly slightly worse. There’s too much feedback over broken surfaces, and the Bravo never really settles. This despite the fact that the wheels are only 16-inchers, which should be small enough to allow the soft sidewalls to absorb a lot of the crashiness.

An unprecedented combination of extended 48-hour test drives, a satisfaction guarantee and notably attractive finance offers are being rolled out. And all of this is being backed by a five year, unlimited mileage manufacturer’s warranty.

Fiat is already the top performer in Europe for having the lowest average CO2 emissions, at 137.3g/km, according to the latest figures published by Jato Dynamics, a world leader in automotive research and information.

The Fiat Bravo range starts at £10,995 OTR for the entry-level 1.4 model, rising to £16,355 OTR for the top-of-the-range 1.9 16v MultiJet 150 Sport.

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Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion - 70mpg

VW’s Polo Bluemotion offers great fuel economy but it’s a little expensive. It might be worth trying the TDi version instead.

The rising cost of running a car, plus fears over CO2 emissions, means car makers are thinking harder than ever about the kind of vehicles they are building and so they are producing ever more efficient cars.

The changes to the Polo body are subtle. A faired-in grille, smaller mirrors and a rear window spoiler help lower the drag. Its special 14-inch alloy wheels are fitted with skinny, high-profile tyres which reduce rolling resistance. Read more

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