Ford Delivers Fuel Economy

Ford has 12 fuel economy leaders across its line-up:

With oil nearing $100 per barrel and gasoline prices continuing to rise, Ford and Lincoln customers have reason to smile – 12 cars, trucks and utilities that lead their sales segments in fuel economy, including four with EPA-certified ratings of 40 mpg or more.

“Fuel economy and technology are consumers’ biggest priorities – and we have made them Ford’s as well,” said Mark Fields, Ford president, The Americas. “Our product portfolio reflects the investment Ford has made to transform our lineup in the past several years so our customers can be more green – and keep even more green in their wallets – than when fuel prices reached $4 per gallon in 2008.”

Now, from Ford Fiesta to Super Duty and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid to Lincoln MKT, the company’s lineup features improved aerodynamics and fuel-saving technologies including PowerShift, a Ford-designed dry dual-clutch automatic transmission available in the Ford Fiesta and all-new Focus, six-speed automatic transmissions, electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) and EcoBoost engines that save on fuel with no compromise to driving excitement.

Read entire article here.

Stop by Lakewood Fordland to learn more about Ford's fuel efficient models.

Motor Trend First Drive: 2012 Ford Focus

Motor Trend recently took their first test drive of the 2012 Ford Focus and had a lot of great comments:

Going down the road, the 2012 Focus is a solid, confident performer. Steering through the meaty, well-shaped wheel is quick, precise, and nicely weighted, though the feel is a bit lacking. Set course for the apex and hold on, because the Focus will turn in and take a line better than any economy car should, even if you don't spring for the Sport model or the Titanium Handling package. It really is a joy to drive this car hard, even if that's not the point. Push too hard and the front tires will start to give way to understeer, but it's mostly avoidable if you set up the corner right. The trade-off, should you go for one of the sportier packages, is a ride that is firm by economy car standards, but not punishing.

As has been the trend amongst compact sedans lately, the Ford Focus has vaulted from forgettable to formidable in one fell swoop. The improvements to the new car are night and day compared to what we had, and we'd expect no less from an all-new car. With both sedan and hatchback models available and an impressive-looking electric model on the way (and possibly a wagon as well, if the rumors are true), Ford has planted a very large flag on the compact sedan hill.

Read the entire article here.

Learn more about the Ford Focus at Lakewood Fordland.

Ford Fiesta Earns Top Safety Ratings in Largest Auto Markets

The Ford Fiesta has become the first car in its segment to earn top safety ratings in the World's largest auto markets:

•Ford Fiesta adds five-star safety rating in China to similar top ratings in Europe and Australia/New Zealand


•Fiesta reaches 1 million sales in Europe, total global sales are 1,140,000

•In North America, the 2011 Ford Fiesta earned a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety – the first car in its segment to do so under new test standards

•More than 55 percent of Fiesta body structure is made from ultra-high-strength steel

The Ford Fiesta is now the first car in its segment to earn top crash test ratings in each of the world’s largest auto markets that perform safety testing, the U.S., China and Europe.
“Ford is committed to safety, including our efforts to deliver top crash test ratings that customers look to when choosing new vehicles,” said Sue Cischke, group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety. “Fiesta is the latest example of that safety commitment, and shows that a small, fuel-efficient car can deliver top safety.”
Testing agencies in the U.S., China, Europe and Australia/New Zealand rate the Ford Fiesta at the top of the list for crash ratings. Fiesta’s latest maximum five-star safety rating was awarded by the China Automotive Technology and Research Center under the China New Car Assessment Program, or C-NCAP. This follows maximum five-star ratings in Europe and Australia/New Zealand.
The 2011 Ford Fiesta, the only car in its segment to earn a Top Safety Pick from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety under its new test standards, continues to earn recognition in major global markets for its safety performance and rating in independent third-party testing.

Read entire article here.

Visit Lakewood Fordland to learn more about the Ford Fiesta.

Ford Technologies Honored at 2011 Edison Best New Product Awards

Ford was recently honored at the 2011 Edison Best New Product Awards for several of their innovative new technologies:

•Innovative Ford safety and connectivity technologies will be recognized at Edison Awards Gala on April 5 in New York


•Ford’s industry-first MyFord Touch™, MyKey®, SYNC® AppLink™ and inflatable rear seat belts are each finalists

•Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford, to be presented with prestigious Edison Achievement Award

Four of Ford Motor Company’s innovative new technologies that have helped draw new customers have now been named finalists by the internationally known 2011 Edison Best New Product Awards™.
Ford’s MyFord Touch, MyKey, SYNC AppLink and rear inflatable seat belts – each an industry-first innovation – are finalists in three categories honored by the Edison Awards.
MyFord Touch and SYNC AppLink are finalists in the Transportation – In-Car Driving Aids Category. MyKey is a finalist in the Transportation – Remote Driving Aids category. The rear inflatable seat belt system is a finalist in the Applied Technology category.
The distinguished awards symbolize the persistence and excellence personified by Thomas Alva Edison, inspiring America’s drive to remain in the forefront of innovation, creativity and ingenuity in the global economy.
“This year’s awards recognize a broad array of innovations including far-reaching products, services and technologies that impact daily life,” said Sarah Miller Caldicott, a great grandniece of Thomas Edison and Edison Awards Steering Committee chair.

Read entire article here.

Visit Lakewood Fordland to learn more about Ford's committment to innovative technology.

Ford Focus Electric Eliminates Some Regular Servicing

The Ford Focus Electric will eliminate parts that regularly require maintenance:

When it comes to maintenance, the all-new Ford Focus Electric rewrites the owner’s manual.


The battery electric drivetrain in the Focus Electric reduces the number of moving mechanical components compared with a conventional internal combustion-engined vehicle. And that means Focus Electric drivers will spend far less time and money on maintenance.

Here are the top 25 items that usually require inspection, maintenance or replacement during the 10-year, 150,000-mile life of a conventional car that the driver of a Ford Focus Electric will never have to worry about:

Air filter
Alternator
Battery
Clutch
Fuel filter
Fuel injectors/fuel pump
Motor mounts
Motor oil
Muffler
Oil filter
O2 sensors
Power steering fluid
Radiator
Radiator hose, lower
Radiator hose, upper
Serpentine belt
Spark plugs
Spark plug wires
Starter
Thermostat
Timing belt
Transmission adjustment (automatics)
Transmission filter (automatics)
Transmission fluid or oil
Water pump

For more information, contact Lakewood Fordland.

Ford Invests in Safer Teen Driving

Ford is investing even more in educating safer teen drivers:

The Ford Motor Company Fund is investing another $1 million to fight the No. 1-killer of American teens, working with the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) to expand Ford’s free driving skills program to high schools in 15 states.
Starting this month, the Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) National Tour takes free driving exercises, web-based training and materials on driving safety to 30 high schools nationwide to augment its community driving clinics and web-based training.
“Inexperience is the leading cause of crashes in young drivers, and this program delivers the key skill sets that will increase their knowledge, confidence and, ultimately, their safety,” said Sue Cischke, group vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “Ford is passionate about helping young drivers learn the rules of the road, better manage distractions behind the wheel and help make America’s roads safer for all of us.”

More than 3,000 teens, ages 15-19, are killed on American roads each year, according to government statistics.
Ford developed Driving Skills for Life in 2003 in partnership with GHSA, delivering one of the nation’s most comprehensive teen driver safety programs.

Read entire article here.

Learn more about Ford's committment to vehicle safety at Lakewood Fordland.

2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty with Upgraded Towing Capacity Begins Production

Production begins this week on Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks with upgraded towing capacity. The beefed-up frame and hitch return the industry's best-selling heavy-duty truck to the head of the pack in conventional trailer towing.
Ford F-350 and F-450 Super Duty trucks with the 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V-8 diesel engine and dual rear wheels now can tow an industry-best 17,500 pounds. That’s 1,000 pounds more than the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 4x2 and 500 pounds more than the Silverado and Sierra 4x4.
Furthermore, Super Duty's latest improvements arrive at a time when its customer satisfaction score – 83 percent – is the best in the industry for heavy-duty trucks; and when Super Duty’s market share is the highest in a decade.
“Super Duty stays on top because of our ongoing engineering work and analysis of extensive field data,” said Rob Stevens, chief engineer of the 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty. “We keep pushing to deliver the best-in-class attributes our customers demand.”

Read entire article here.

Learn more about the Ford F-Series Super Duty at Lakewood Fordland.

2011 Ford Explorer Emphasizes Little Touches

The newly-designed 2011 Ford Explorer uses enhancements in even the smallest touches to enhance the driver experience:

The crisp click of a door lock or the precise feel of a window switch can make or break a customer’s initial experience with a vehicle. That’s why Ford engineers seek the perfect feel for the switches and dials on new vehicles, including the recently named North American Truck of the Year, the all-new 2011 Ford Explorer.
The science of haptics, which measures how consumers react to physical objects, has shown that touch evokes a strong visceral response. Objects with a strong, solid feel may convey an emotional response ranging from a feeling of high quality to an enhanced sense of security.
“In recent years, we’ve made significant strides in understanding perceived quality of touch and feel,” said Gary Strumolo, manager, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. “We’ve developed sophisticated technologies and systems to study the subject and established the know-how and technical capabilities to design for best-in-class touch and feel.”
“Touch is an extremely powerful sense,” said Pietro Buttolo, technical specialist in Ford’s research lab. “It has an undeniable impact on people’s perception of a vehicle’s quality. Our research shows that touch is instinctive – people know immediately what they like, what feels good to them. Now that we understand those parameters, we’re designing to them.”
Touch is the first thing most people do when they get inside a vehicle. They grab the steering wheel and twist the knobs for the radio, heating and air conditioning. Those seemingly little things send big messages about a car.
In the all-new Explorer, for example, premium craftsmanship is a key priority. Designers focused on making the Explorer interior environment pleasing from both aesthetic and tactile perspectives – down to the smallest detail. The result is a redesigned switch package, including door locks, windows and mirrors.
“This new package of switches solidifies the feel of a quality, finely crafted vehicle,” said Electrical Manager Susan Young.
The changes may seem simple on the surface, but designing the changes is complex. Ford engineers initiated proprietary research that took into account smoothness and tension when determining the high-precision feel of the new switches.
“Our research found that customers like their knobs, buttons, dials and switches to feel solid, but not jerky. We achieve that feel by designing controls with crisp detents, but smooth transitions. When the clicks are distinct, they are perceived unambiguously, and the driver is in control. The smooth transition adds to the overall quality, confirming the impression of a solid design. A nice tight feedback sound can be augmented to enhance the overall impression of a crisp and robust control,” said Buttolo.
In the past, understanding how people sense quality through touch was an area largely unexplored by automakers. Unlike the designers of computer keyboards, mobile phones and kitchen appliances, car designers historically paid more attention to the impact they could have on other senses such as vision or hearing.
Now, Ford designers and engineers use special equipment to measure consumers’ preferences for tactile sensations including the proper amount of resistance on dials, knobs and latches. They use the results of the testing to design vehicle features that “feel right” to drivers and passengers since feedback through touch happens faster than through other senses.

Read entire article here.

Learn more about the 2011 Ford Explorer at Lakewood Fordland.