Monday, November 21, 2011

MyFord Touch Performance Upgrades
 
Ford will launch performance upgrades and new features for MyFord Touch® Simpler graphics, faster touch-screen response and easier-to-use controls are among the many enhancements to the voice-activated in-car connectivity system DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 7, 2011 – Ford customers said MyFord Touch® could be faster and feature simpler graphics that are easier to use and that’s exactly what Ford plans to deliver with a broad set of performance upgrades to the system – launching first on the new 2013 Ford Escape, Flex, and Taurus.® has clearly been a game-changing technology, and now we’re changing the game.
While owners reported that they love the system, there were distinct areas where they wanted improvements. Earlier this year, Ford started delivering on their requests, beginning with more instructions and information on how to best utilize the capabilities of the system.

Ford launched two programs modeled after what consumers experience when purchasing a new electronic device. First, the company added a new MyFord Touch owner support website featuring how-to videos at  training sessions for new owners are now offered through Ford dealers – scheduled at customers’ convenience.
“The keys to continuous improvement are simple: Listen, learn and respond. That’s how we’re going to keep our customers happy,” said Gary Jablonski, manager, SYNC Platform Development. “Evolving the software with meaningful enhanced features was part of our plan from the very beginning. It’s no different than the experience with our smart phones and laptop computers – except now, it’s your car that gets better.”
www.syncmyride.com. Second, free “SYNC My Ride” personalized.

New look
The visual enhancements to MyFord Touch are based on simplifying the graphics with larger, bolder fonts, removing low-priority visual content, and designing screens based on a consistent pattern. More than 1,000 screens in total have been updated with the improved look.

“Our goal when designing the upgrade was to simplify the screens and give customers a fast and easy way to get information at any given moment,” said Jennifer Brace, user interface Design engineer for Ford. “That meant removing buttons, relocating high-use controls closer to the driver’s reach, simplifying tasks and improving font size.”

The new fonts are as much as 40 percent larger on some redesigned screens. The fonts also are wider and bolder to provide easier legibility, particularly among the rapidly increasing number of drivers age 60 and older.

New features
Ford also took the opportunity to update the performance of the system and add new features for customers to help them keep pace with the fast-moving consumer electronics market. Faster touch-screen response time, for example, was a key request from owners. Initial testing shows that touch and voice response is at least two times faster than the current system.


Also, the software upgrade includes the following enhancements:
– Inclusion of the latest music meta data available enhancing the music playback
experience
– Improved voice recognition for music search allowing drivers to pinpoint artists
with hard-to-pronounce names or nicknames beginning with 2013 models – no-charge upgrade will be available to existing owners. 

Available early next year – and also offered at no charge to existing MyFord Touch owners – the software upgrade enhances the ownership experience as it was developed by listening and responding to customer feedback.

“SYNC again, showing how quickly we can deliver more of what customers really want,” said Graydon Reitz, director, Ford Global Electronics and Electrical Systems Engineering. “Our strategy to create the SYNC software platform and add the customizable screens of MyFord Touch gives us a level of flexibility and speed to respond to customer input like never before seen in the auto industry.”

The new touch-screen interface features new simpler graphics and controls that are easier to use. Customers will also experience significantly faster touch-screen response times, one of the top requests from owners.

New features include support for tablet devices and Audible.com audio books, improved navigation maps and enhanced voice recognition interaction.



Listening to customers
For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and video, visit http://www.media.ford.com/ 

Suzuki 7 Year/100K miles Warranty


A fully transferable, zero-dollar deductible 100,000-mile/7-year powertrain limited warranty on all new vehicles. 

Duration - Suzuki's powertrain limited warranty covers 100,000 miles or 7 years, whichever comes first.
  • Transferable - The powertrain warranty can be transferred from owner to owner, adding value at the time of resale or trade-in.
  • Deductible - There is no deductible, so Suzuki owners won't have an out-of-pocket expense.

Suzuki's New Vehicle Limited Warranty

Suzuki's New Vehicle Limited Warranty: Covers all components of the vehicles as supplied by Suzuki for 36 months or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. There is no deductible. Any repairs to correct defects in materials or workmanship will be made with no charge for parts or labor. Certain restrictions apply; see warranty information booklet for details. The battery is covered for 24 months or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. Should original body sheet metal panels develop perforation due to corrosion, they're covered for 60 months, with no limit on mileage. Tires are covered by a separate warranty from the tire manufacturer.

Roadside Assistance Program

All new Suzuki vehicles are covered during the 36,000-mile/3-year new vehicle limited warranty period. Roadside Assistance is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in the U.S. and Canada. Available services include tire changes, jumpstarts, lockout service, mechanical repairs, and towing to the nearest Suzuki dealer or authorized service center.

Warranty Repair Courtesy Vehicle Program

If your SUZUKI vehicle is rendered inoperable, unsafe or illegal to operate and is required to stay overnight at a participating SUZUKI authorized dealer to complete a warranty repair during the 36 month/36,000 mile new vehicle warranty period, your participating SUZUKI authorized dealer will provide a courtesy rental vehicle of its choice through an appointed rental company. Additional Restrictions and Limitations apply.

Monday, November 14, 2011

FEDERAL ECONOMIC STIMULUS AND COMMERCIAL TRUCK SAVINGS
In addition to the tax and bonus depreciation benefits, Ford is also offering some great incentives on our lineup of commercial
vehicles. During Commercial Truck Season, you may also be eligible for up to $2,500 in upfit incentives in addition to other customer
cash and financing incentives. See your Ford Dealer or visit

TIMING IS KEY
http://www.fordtoughtruck.com/ for more information.
All indications are that in 2012 the bonus depreciation deduction will be reduced to 50% of the cost of new equipment and that the
allowable Section 179 deduction will drop back down to the pre-2007 $25,000 level. Commercial Truck Season savings also end on
12/31/11.

BONUS DEPRECIATION AND YOUR
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE PURCHASE

The attached Q&A will help you gather more information about the bonus depreciation tax deduction – as will
www.irs.gov or a callwww.fordtoughtruck.com for details on Commercial Truck Season savings.
Q. What is the advantage of bonus depreciation allowed by Section 168(k)?
A. Bonus depreciation, as described in the tax law in Section 168 (K), allows a company to take a 100% tax deduction for purchases of qualified property purchased and placed into service after September 8, 2010 and by December 31, 2011. There is no set dollar limit to the amount of property that can be deducted as long as it is purchased and placed in service during the required time period.
Q. What is the advantage of the Section 179 deduction?
A. Section 179 of the tax law allows a company to take a 100% tax deduction for the purchase of qualified property that is
placed in service. For tax years beginning on or before December 31, 2011, this deduction is limited to $500,000 of purchased
equipment. This limitation is decreased by one dollar for every dollar the company spends over $2,000,000 on new equipment.
Q. What is a “qualified property”?
A.All trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating over 6,000 lbs are considered qualified property for bonus depreciation. SUV’s are
qualified if they are built on a truck chassis and have a gross vehicle weight rating of over 6,000 lbs.
Q. Are all trucks and passenger vans eligible?
are eligible for the 100% depreciation deduction. Trucks that are less than 6,000 lbs are eligible for a first year deduction of
$11,260 under Section 168(k). All vans that have a GVWR of at least 6,000 lbs are also eligible for the bonus depreciation
deduction.
A.All trucks that have a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of at least 6,000 lbs (when fully loaded with people and cargo)
Q. I would like to take advantage of bonus depreciation but do not want to pay cash or use available credit.
Does ford offer financing options to help?
A.Yes. Whether you need 1 or 100 commercial vehicles, Ford Credit can help you get them quickly and easily with a Commercial
Line of Credit (CLOC). Once you establish a CLOC with Ford Credit, you can acquire additional vehicles when you need to. Just
sign and drive.
Q. Are vehicle modifications, extended warranties or pre-paid maintenance programs eligible?
A.Yes. As any or all of these items are included in the complete purchase price. Additionally, we offer various upfit discounts for
vehicle modifications and Ford Extended Service plans offer various combinations and coverage for commercial use.
Q. Are certified pre-owned or used vehicles eligible?
A. Pre-owned or used vehicles are not eligible for the 100% depreciation deduction. However, both new and used vehicles are
eligible for the deduction provided under Section 179 of the tax law.
Q. Why should we think about this now if we have until December?
A.Inventories are limited and we anticipate that in late December our ground stock may be impacted by bonus depreciation and
Section 179. Current Commercial Truck Season offers may also impact our inventory availability.
Q. Our business faced a challenging 2011 and we do not expect to see enough in profits. Can our business carry over the
depreciation benefits into future years?
A.Any tax loss that you incur during 2011, including any additional loss caused by bonus depreciation, may be able to be carried
over into future years depending on your business’s tax situation. The loss may also be able to be carried back to prior tax years
in order to get a refund of taxes that were previously paid.


Please note:
This information is provided by Ford Motor Company to its customers. It should not be construed as tax advice or as a promise of potential tax savings or reduced tax liability. For more information about the tax programs mentioned within this letter, please contact your tax professional or visit the Internal Revenue Service website at www.irs.gov.



  1. A smart businessperson puts considerable thought into what and when they buy for their business.
  2. Right now the Economic Stimulus Act is making the timing of business purchases easy. You’ll benefit from the bonus depreciation tax
  3. deduction provided under IRS section 168(k) and the tax deduction allowed under Section 179 when you make qualifying business
  4. purchases before December 31, 2011. Both of these tax provisions currently offer businesses
  5. cost of most new equipment.
  6. This includes the purchase of qualifying Ford F-150 and Super Duty trucks and/or E-Series Vans.
  7. The only catch: a tax deduction equal to 100% in the case of vehicles, the new equipment must have a gross vehicle weight rating over 6,000 lbs.You must make your purchase and put the vehicle to use in your business before December 31, 2011.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Chevrolet Celebrates 100 Year Anniversary

Apple Chevrolet Buick Northfield, a proud member of the Apple Auto Group, wants to say Happy Anniversary to Chevrolet!

100 Years of Chevrolet History:


Auto racer Louis Chevrolet co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Co. with William C. Durant in 1911, with the goal of creating a racer’s dream car.  The Series C “Classic Six” vehicle premiered in 1912, and sold for $2,150.  Louis left the auto-making industry in 1913 to focus on racing, but granted Durant the rights to continue using the Chevrolet name on future models. Chevrolet aims to design cars that possess a spirit of their own – a car with personality and spunk that can inspire new and old generations of Chevy owners alike - a car that you can, as Dinah Shore sang, “see the U.S.A. in.”

General Motors’ vice president of design, Ed Welburn, will never forget the first time he saw a Chevy.  He was about 6, walking down a leaf-lined street with his mother in a suburb of Philadelphia.  A ’55 Corvette whipped around the corner, kicking up fallen autumn leaves, and just as quickly as it came it was gone.
The Corvette’s sleek, sporty frame had a lasting impact on young Welburn, and a few years later, at age 11, he wrote a letter to General Motors expressing his interest in designing cars and seeking career advice.  GM wrote back offering advice on what he should study and details of their internship program, advice that he took to heart. Welburn went on to intern at GM, and after graduating from Howard University in Washington D.C., he was hired full-time.  The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro is just one of the car designs on which Welburn worked.

On the past century, Chevrolet has produced several iconic cars and trucks that have revolutionized General Motors’ reach. Chevy has also secured a place in U.S. pop culture history, popping up in the songs of Don McClean, The Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Prince and Young Jeezy.


Story quoted from ABC News online:  For full article, click below.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/extras/2011/11/03/chevrolet-centennial-100-years-of-iconic-cars/