24/10/2014 14:51
Ford will have around 85,000 drivers to be learning in their cars now it has been granted a new three-year deal with the AA driving school.
The popular car manufacturer originally partnered with the AA in 1998 and has now extended the agreement up until the middle of 2017. Around 2,000 new Ford models are delivered annually to the driving school.
Sarah Dopson, the AA's head of fleet, commented: "We will be offering them the new Focus EcoBoost for the first time and we expect that it, and the Fiesta EcoBoost, will get the biggest take-up because they offer such fantastic fuel economy."
Ford is now offering the Focus available with a 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, which was recently named International Engine of the Year for the third year in a row. The 125PS Focus will also be offered with a six-speed automatic gearbox.
In addition to the basic tuition needed for a pink license, Ford Driving Skills for Life was launched last year, in partnership with the AA and RoSPA (the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents). It provides hands-on training for new drivers in Ford Fiesta and Focus cars, highlighting the potential dangers they may be exposed to, such as using a mobile phone at the wheel and drink driving.
James Powell, Ford's direct sales business manager, said:"We are very pleased to be continuing this long-standing agreement with Ford for a further three years. We are constantly competitively benchmarking and Ford always comes out as the manufacturer with the best model range, the cars most suitable for tuition purposes, and with the most competitive pricing."