News

The Commercial and Industrial Company introduces the all new Suzuki SX4

With a host of safety and comfort features, the car is ideal for small families seeking a rewarding driving experience

The Commercial and industrial company recently launched its popular SX4 mid-sized sedan. The SX4 Sedan is available in 1.6 or 2.0 liter engine, and automatic or five-speed manual transmission versions. The vehicle includes various safety features suited for the Middle East’s varied road conditions, such as front disc brakes with an anti-lock brake system integrating electronic brake-force distribution; passive safety equipment highlighted by a reinforced body with front and rear crush zones designed to help absorb impact energy; standard front dual airbags for driver and front passenger; seat-mounted side-impacts; and additional safety measures for outboard front- and rear-seat passengers.

The cabin of the new SX4 sedan, which adopts a sporty cockpit theme, provides comfortable seating for five persons. Emphasizing dynamic performance, the SX4 sedan features a rigid steel body supported by a well-controlled chassis fine-tuned to provide stability; responsive handling and braking; and minimal body roll.

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JEROME CASE NAMED
TO CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT HALL OF FAME

19th century industrialist, philanthropist launched Case brand

RACINE, Wis. (Nov. 12, 2008) – Jerome Increase Case, who founded J.I. Case & Co. in 1842 and led its rise to prominence in both construction and agriculture machinery, formally joined an industry pantheon Nov. 11 when the Association of Equipment Manufacturers inducted him into its Construction Equipment Hall of Fame.

Case introduced many innovations – particularly in threshers, steam-powered tractors, graders and compaction equipment – that contributed to the rapid evolution of the heavy equipment industry. He was widely respected for his integrity and character, and his contributions extended beyond equipment into such diverse pursuits as banking, government service and philanthropy. Case lived from 1819 until 1891.

“We are honored to accept this recognition of Mr. Case’s industry contributions, on behalf of his descendents and the company that still bears his name,” said Jim McCullough, president and CEO, Case Construction Equipment. “Integrity, quality and a commitment to meeting customers’ needs are the lasting legacies of J.I. Case.”

A judging board comprised of impartial representatives and experts from major industry associations elected Case to the Construction Equipment Hall of Fame. The judging panel evaluates nominees based on the extent to which they exemplify the Hall of Fame’s five guiding principles: innovation, industry contributions, leadership, corporate citizenship and sustainability.

AEM added Case to its Construction Equipment Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony in Scottsdale, Ariz., during its annual conference.

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Jordan Takes the lead in Ford Sales World Cup Competition

In the latest Ford Sales World Cup Competition that was held in Dubai UAE, Mahmoud Nseirat from The Commercial & Industrial Company- exclusive Ford Dealers, Jordan won the 4th place in the competition for his extraordinary ability in presenting Ford vehicles, thus he was nominated to participate in Phase Four –World Cup finals in Michigan - USA to continue his successes this upcoming August.

Eight countries from the Middle East joined this competition: Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon and Syria, and will end up with the selection of the top three presenters and cash Prizes of $5,000 (first place), $3,000 (second place) and $1,000 (third place).

"We are very proud of being one of the top dealers in Middle East in this competition, wishing our champion Mahmoud Nseirat every success in the upcoming finals in the US" Said Mohammad Al Masri, Sales& Marketing Manager of the Commercial & Industrial Company.

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Opened NEW SHOWROOMS

The Commercial & Industrial Company, CIC, Jordan’s sole dealer for Suzuki announced the opening of its new showrooms to visitors at Abu Tawileh Plaza on Mecca Street in Amman, on August  2007.
The new showroom will display the latest additions of distinctive and modern cars from Suzuki such as Swift-the youth oriented sports car, Suzuki XL7, Viatra and Alto, the economic car, amongst other models.
Commenting on the launch of the two new showrooms, Mr.Shehadeh Twal, Managing Director, said: “Our new showroom comes in line with demands the market sets. Owning a car is no longer a luxury today; our expansion compliments the growth the Jordanian market is witnessing.”

The new showroom offers CIC customers the chance to familiarize themselves with the newest models and innovations Suzuki offers, in a sophisticated and innovative atmosphere and enhances the Co’s existing facility in the governorate of Irbid. It is expected that a quick service will welcome customers in Al-Bayader by end of this year.

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New Quality Study Shows Ford is second to None

The quality of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brand vehicles soared to the top of the charts equaling that of Toyota and Honda, according to the first quarter 2008 U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS) study conducted by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

The study shows Ford’s domestic (US) brands improved 8 percent versus last year with a combined average of 1,284 things-gone-wrong (TGW) per 1,000 vehicles during the first three months of ownership. This performance is statistically equivalent to the 1,250 TGW level of Honda and Toyota.

“Last year we tied with Toyota, and this year our quality performance is as good as industry-leading Honda’s too,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas.
“Our world-class quality is one of the most important aspects of our turnaround in North America.
Fields added: “This consistently strong quality improvement should offer today’s customer renewed confidence, setting the stage for important new products like Ford Flex, which is launching this summer.”

Hussein Murad, Sales and Marketing director of Ford Middle East said: “This is another great achievement for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury proving that our continued efforts in raising the quality bar is paying off. This recognition gives further boost to our recent launches and is a great build up towards our upcoming product introductions, especially with the Ford Flex and Fusion and the Lincoln MKS.”

The company earned best-in-class honors in two important engineering functions: interiors, which includes such areas as trim, seats and instrument panel appearance; and electrical, which includes entertainment systems. Ford tied for best-in-class in two other functions, paint and vehicle engineering, which includes such areas as ride and handling and cabin quietness.

Additionally, Ford’s domestic brands pushed customer satisfaction up one point to 77 percent.

“There is an unprecedented level of teamwork at Ford. Everyone from the top floor to the plant floor is working together to deliver the highest quality vehicles for our customers,” said Bennie Fowler, Ford’s group vice president of Global Quality. “We are extremely proud to be among the industry’s quality leaders. But that’s not why we’re in the game. We want sole possession of first place, and we will keep working to earn it.”

A total of 15 Ford, Lincoln, Mercury vehicles are ranked in the top three of their respective segments for either TGW performance, customer satisfaction or both.

The following models are segment leaders:

1. Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – TGW for sports car

2. Ford Five Hundred – customer satisfaction for large car

3. Ford Sport Trac – customer satisfaction for medium traditional utility

4. Mercury Milan – TGW for midsize car

5. Lincoln Navigator – TGW and customer satisfaction for large premium utility

The new 2008 Ford Taurus (called Five Hundred in the Middle East) and Mercury Sable (called Mercury Montego in the Middle East) both recorded quality levels that equate to less than one problem per vehicle, as did the Volvo S80 (947). The Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ were close, with 1,030 TGW and 1065 TGW, respectively.

The Five Hundred also led a string of impressive new vehicles launched in 2007. Five Hundred showed a 33 percent quality improvement compared with the product it replaced. The new Ford Escape improved 16 percent over the out-going model.

In fact, 36 of 40 Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda nameplates improved this year versus 2007.

The 2008 first quarter U.S. GQRS study, which RDA Group conducts for Ford, asks customers of all major makes and models to comment on troubles and rate their overall satisfaction with their three-month-old vehicles. The survey includes vehicles registered from September 2007 through November 2007.

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What Makes Ford Products Superior in Safety

Ford's focus on safety and stringent internal performance targets have earned Ford Motor Company products various recognitions in safety that would place it as a leader in this field. The most recent ones include five Top Safety Pick awards from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) of the US for the Ford Edge, Ford Five Hundred, Lincoln MKX, Mercury Montego and Volvo XC90.

The Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego also earned the maximum five-star ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), earning their recognition as safety leaders and to be named the safest full-size sedans in America.

"These recognitions are a result of Ford's ongoing efforts in offering a better and safer driving experience," said Hussein Murad, Sales and Marketing director of Ford Middle East. "Ford is leading the industry in standardizing new safety technologies for millions of customers, including the industry’s first three-point safety belts; multiple-deployment air bags and the most advanced stability control system on the market."

A car crash happens in the blink of an eye -- 300 milliseconds, or about a third of a second, from start to finish. And for this reason, a car's safety system becomes prime consideration.


Ford is doing more to make its vehicles top performers in safety with the following:

1. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) -- Ford Motor Company and its global brands have built 4 million vehicles globally with electronic stability control systems. Electronic stability control offers additional confidence to drivers in emergency situations by helping them stay on the road and avoid accidents. It significantly reduces crash risk by helping drivers maintain control of their vehicles during emergency maneuvers. Ford Motor Company will build all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury retail cars and trucks with standard electronic stability control (ESC) by the end of 2009. Ford already is a world leader in the technology, with ESC currently standard on all Ford mid- and full-size SUVs, and standard ESC expanded to small SUVs and all CUVs this year.
    

2. AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control) -- The only available electronic stability control system with two gyroscopic effect sensors measure vehicle motion about both the Yaw and Roll axes. More than 1 million vehicles feature Ford’s industry exclusive AdvanceTrac with RSC (Roll Stability Control). Ford Motor Company today has more than 80 patents worldwide for its innovative RSC system. RSC features roll-rate sensing and stability enhancement capability, offering assistance to the driver in maintaining vehicle control during extreme maneuvers. The system automatically engages counter measures to help the driver maintain maximum control and reduce the risk of rollover. Ford has licensed and continues to make this groundbreaking technology available to suppliers who are expected to provide it to competitive automakers.
    

3. Safety Canopy™ -- Ford’s exclusive collision and rollover activated side curtain air bags feature "roll fold" technology. Ford was the first in the industry to offer rollover deploying side curtain air bags, known as Safety Canopy, beginning with the Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer in 2002. Today, Safety Canopy with rollover sensors -- which helps protect vehicle occupants during side-impact collisions and rollover accidents -- is available on nearly all Ford Motor Company SUVs, and on certain vans and cars, including the 2008 Taurus and Mercury Sable, as well as the Taurus X crossover.
   By the 2010 model year, all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury retail SUVs, crossovers, vans and trucks are planned to have standard Safety Canopy. Ford Motor now has nearly 1.5 million vehicles on the road with Safety Canopy rollover-activated curtains.  
    

4. Ford’s BeltMinder™ -- BeltMinder is a safety belt reminder technology first offered in 1999 that takes over after the initial safety belt reminder stops chiming. If the driver remains unbuckled, the system chimes and flashes a warning lamp for six seconds every 30 seconds for five minutes or until the driver buckles up, whichever comes first. Ford first offered driver-side BeltMinder at no cost to customers in 1999. Ford has licensed its BeltMinder technology to four other vehicle manufacturers at no cost. Ford’s BeltMinder system now has been expanded to cover right front-passengers in all vehicles equipped with Ford’s Personal Safety System. Data show that BeltMinder works. Research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed that safety belt use was 5 percentage points higher in vehicles with BeltMinder. It's a simple reminder that can make a great difference in saving lives.
    

5. Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) -- Ford's TPMS system warns a driver if one or more tires are underinflated. An active pressure sensor with a radio transmitter is mounted inside each tire. A receiver in the vehicle monitors each transmitter, and if tire pressure is not within specific limits, it will activate a visual warning light and message in vehicles equipped with a message center.
    

6. “SPACE™ Architecture” -- Ford’s Side Protection and Cabin Enhancement architecture (SPACE) was first introduced on the Ford Taurus and will be standard on the all-new Ford Flex. It is designed to help channel crash forces using strategically placed steel rails and square tubes under the car body, the vertical door posts (“B-pillars”), in between the front and rear seats, and in the front diagonal posts (“A-pillars”). The rails are designed to bend and the tubes compress in a severe crash. This creates 10 different crush zones in different parts of the car to help channel crash forces away from the occupants inside.
    

7. More IIHS Top Safety Picks in 2007 Than Ever Before -- The 2008 Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, Taurus X, Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX all earned Top Safety Picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for achieving the highest available individual ratings in front-, side- and rear-impact crash protection. Taurus, Sable and Taurus X also earned the highest possible five-star crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
    

8. Occupant Classification System -- An advanced air bag controller uses front passenger classification sensing to determine if the seat is occupied, and if so, whether the passenger is a larger or smaller person. Air bag deployment is tailored -- or altogether suppressed -- to help provide an appropriate level of protection.
    

9. Research Tools: VIRTTEX and Servo Sled -- Ford’s VIRTTEX (Virtual Test Track Experience) is one of the most advanced laboratories of its kind in the world. Since 2000, Ford Motor Company has used the controlled laboratory setting to study everyday driving tasks and how they affect driver performance during a variety of simulated driving experiences. Ford’s state-of-the-art Servo-Hydraulic Reverse Crash Simulator is the first in the world to feature the full combination of simulation capabilities: frontal crashes in both pitching and non-pitching modes, rear crashes, and side impacts in both destructive and non-destructive modes. The Servo sled accurately simulates real-world collisions by providing the same dynamics of a vehicle crash test without destroying the test device. This allows more testing in a given time period compared with other automakers, and enables Ford to more quickly bring safety features to market.
    

10. Adaptive Front Lighting -- Ford’s Adaptive Front Lighting system, already available on the Lincoln MKX, features swiveling headlights that follow the curves in the road, which are measured and analyzed using a mini-processor to optimize lighting. The headlights can swivel up to 15 degrees in each direction, and have the capacity to illuminate a longer distance when the road is winding. The angle of the headlights adjusts to variables such as vehicle load, acceleration and braking to help avoid headlights shining into oncoming road users. The headlights are cleaned by an electro-mechanical, high-pressure system that washes one headlight at a time to offer excellent illumination.
     

11. Advanced Crash Dummies -- Ford is making its crash test dummies more lifelike to better understand how injuries occur. The company’s new lifelike child dummy even has advanced technologies in the stomach to duplicate abdominal injuries – the most common for young occupants – especially those who don’t wear safety belts properly.

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