New! Mercury #881260a4. Forward Gear Kit. Mercury Outboards. on 2040-parts.com

Ford reveals S-Max concept ahead of 2013 Frankfurt motor show

Here's another one that'll probably go straight into the “not bound for United States shores” file: the Ford S-Max concept, which will make its grand debut at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show. Ford says the S-Max previews a “future sport activity vehicle,” which may, in fact, be contemporary PR-speak for “mini-minivan.” Look beyond the carbon-fiber interior detailing (and add some door handles) and you'll see a vehicle that looks more or less production-ready. The S-Max concept isn't too wildly sculpted, sharing styling cues with current Fords (including the Fiesta, Escape/Kuga, C-Max and Fusion/Mondeo) -- from the creases on the hood to the high, hexagonal grille to the stainless steel trim surrounding the greenhouse.

KIA WINS AUTO EXPRESS USED CAR SCHEME OF THE YEAR

KIA’S Approved Used Car Scheme has been recognised as the best in the industry having been crowned Used Car Scheme of the Year in the Auto Express Used Car Awards 2011. The magazine praised Kia for going above and beyond normal approved used programmes with a number of customer benefits including its industry-leading seven year warranty that is fully transferable to subsequent owners.  Approved Used Kias don’t just get the balance of their manufacturer warranty.  Instead, the warranty is topped back up to the full seven years meaning that an Approved Used Kia gets the same warranty as a brand new Kia. Commenting on the award, John Hargreaves, Head of Vehicle Remarketing, Kia Motors said: “When we launched our Approved Used Car Scheme we set out to ensure it really did represent the best possible deal for customers so we’re obviously very proud that this been recognised by Auto Express with this award.

2013 Ford Escape hit with two additional recalls

Ford Motor Co. today said it is issuing two additional recalls of its 2013 Escape crossover after receiving reports of fires in 13 more vehicles. They bring the total number of recalls of the 2013 Escape to seven, five of which involve fire risks on models equipped with a 1.6-liter engine.