Ford New Vehicle News

  January 11th, 2009

•  The all-new Ford F-150 is named North American Truck of the Year at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS)
• Since its launch in October, 2008, the all-new F-150 has earned many awards and accolades, including 2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year™
• The 2009 F-150 also America’s safest full-size pickup

DETROIT, Jan. 11, 2009 – The all-new 2009 Ford F-150, America’s best-selling vehicle, was named North American Truck of the Year today at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

The prestigious award comes hot on the heels of the 2009 F-150 being named 2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year™ and the “Truck of Texas” by the Texas Auto Writers Association in addition to a number of other awards and accolades.

“Winning 2009 North America Truck of the Year honors is a special distinction because it acknowledges the team’s efforts to push harder and deliver even more for customers – including quality, safety leadership, unsurpassed fuel economy and smart features aimed at further improving their productivity,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas. “Ultimately, though, this award is a nod to true truck customers, who have inspired us to deliver America’s favorite pickup for 32 straight years.”

The North American Truck of the Year award recognizes vehicles based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. Fifty automotive journalists in the United States and Canada vote for the vehicles, which must be “all-new” or “substantially changed” from the previous model to qualify for the award.

The 2009 F-150 is new inside and out. The Ford truck team adopted a holistic, 360-degree approach to revamping the vehicle – from its segment-first features to the tough new exterior highlighted by a dramatic three-bar grille and more spacious, flexible and refined interior, to the unparalleled choice of cab styles and trim levels.

The improvements are just as dramatic beneath the sheet metal. They include a new high-strength, lighter-weight chassis that delivers even more horsepower, unsurpassed fuel economy and class-leading towing and payload capacity.

“We know how important the F-150 is to our customers and their livelihood,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development. “That’s why our team has been working so hard to deliver the most capability, improve fuel economy and ensure that this F-150 lives up to the durability and reliability expected of a ‘Built Ford Tough’ truck.

“Ford has spent years listening to our truck customers, and as the truck leader, we take our responsibility to deliver the right tools for them very seriously – and winning North American Truck of the Year is yet another assurance that the team absolutely delivered the best full-size pickup in America,” Kuzak continued.

For the 32nd year in a row, Ford’s award-winning F-Series is America’s best-selling truck with 2008 sales of 515,513.

For the 27th year in a row, F-Series is once again America’s best-selling vehicle of any type – car, crossover, SUV, truck or van.

Last week, the F-150 earned the title of America’s safest full-size pickup when it received 5-star frontal- and 5-star side-impact crash test ratings, the highest possible scores from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Earlier last fall, the truck received the “Top Safety Pick” award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The new 2009 F-150 also sports an array of smart technologies – from industry-first SYNC to Ford Work Solutions. SYNC provides hands-free, in-car communication. Ford Work Solutions is an innovative suite of options, including an in-dash computer with Internet access, Tool Link to track tools, Crew Chief technology to dispatch workers and reduce vehicle operating costs and Cable Lock to improve security of tools and equipment.

The new F-150 delivers class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds – a combination no other competitor can match.

For 2009, F-150 also has improved its fuel economy by an average of 8 percent across the entire lineup, thanks to a wide range engineering enhancements. The fuel economy gains reach as high as 12 percent versus the prior model year on F-150 models equipped with the high-volume, three-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine. Plus, the F-150’s SFE package – which is available on highest-volume XL and XLT series – delivers unsurpassed fuel economy of 15 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

The new 2009 F-150, which is built at Ford’s Dearborn (Mich.) Truck Plant and Kansas City Assembly Plant, has also won the following awards and accolades:

• America’s safest full-size pickup with 5-star frontal and 5-star side-impact crash-test ratings, the highest possible scores, in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests.
• Motor Trend 2009 Truck of the Year Award™
• Top honors as “Truck of Texas” as well as “Best Luxury Pickup” for the 2009 F-150 King Ranch from Texas Auto Writers Association
• Finalist 2009 North American Truck of the Year (with 2009 Ford Flex for Car of the Year)
• Playboy’s 2009 Best Pickup
• 2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com
• “Best Overall Half-Ton Pickup” from PickupTrucks.com
• “Automotive Excellence” award in the Workhorse Category from Popular Mechanics
• Detroit Free Press Truck of the Year
• Detroit News Truck of the Year
• “Top Safety Pick” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its standard safety technology: Safety Canopy side curtain air bags and AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control
• “Residual Value” award from Automotive Leasing Guide (ALG) for retaining the highest percentage of its original price among 2009 full-size light duty pickups at the end of a conventional three-year lease, based on ALG projections
• Motor Trend's Truck Trend Top 5 Trucks from Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) for 2009 Ford F-150 Heavy Duty DeWalt Contractor Concept
• “Accessory-Friendly Truck” Design Award from SEMA
• F-Series is best selling vehicle in America for 27 consecutive years; best-selling truck for 32 consecutive year

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 5, 2009 – The beat goes on. For the 32nd year in a row, Ford’s award-winning F-Series is America’s best-selling truck with 2008 sales of 515,513. F-series outsold its nearest truck rival by more than 50,000 units.

In addition, for the 27th year in a row, F-Series is once again America’s best-selling vehicle of any type – car, crossover, SUV, truck or van.

“Our thanks go out to our customers, our dealers and, of course, the Ford employees and supplier partners who design, engineer and manufacture quality, fuel-efficient trucks delivering unmatched capability,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s group vice president, Marketing and Communications. “The all-new F-150 affirms what Ford has known for years – that listening to customers provides the best rewards.”

The all-new F-150 recently was named 2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year™, Texas Auto Writers Association Truck of Texas, and is a finalist for the 2009 North American Truck of the Year.

The 2009 F-150, new inside and out, is the new benchmark for full size pickups, appealing to a growing number of core truck customers. During the past five years, the “core trucker” – those who use their truck’s towing and hauling capability for work and play – has grown to 40 percent from 30 percent of the light-duty full-size pickup market.

In the commercial/fleet portion of this core trucker sub-segment, Ford F-Series continues to dominate. The F-150 has 46 percent of the light duty commercial/fleet market; and Super Duty is stronger still with over 57 percent of heavy duty commercial/fleet market.

2009 F-150 improvements include a new high-strength, lighter-weight chassis that delivers even more horsepower, unsurpassed fuel economy and class-leading towing and payload capacity.

From industry-first SYNC to Ford Work Solutions, 2009 F-150 sports an array of smart technologies. SYNC provides hands-free, in-car communication. Ford Work Solutions is an innovative suite of options including an in-dash computer with Internet access, Tool Link to track tools, Crew Chief technology to dispatch workers and reduce vehicle operating costs and Cable Lock to improve security of tools and equipment.

F-150 also features conveniences such as the Box Side Step and Tailgate Step that help customers easily gain access to the truck’s pickup box.

The new F-150 delivers class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds – a combination no other competitor can match.

For 2009, F-150 also has improved its fuel economy by an average of 8 percent across the entire lineup, thanks to a wide range of engineering enhancements. The fuel economy gains reach as high as 12 percent versus the prior model year on F-150 models equipped with the high-volume three-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine. Plus, the F-150’s SFE package – which is available on highest-volume XL and XLT series – delivers unsurpassed fuel economy of 15 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

The new 2009 F-150 is built at Ford’s Dearborn (Mich.) Truck Plant and Kansas City Assembly Plant.

The 2009 Ford F-150 has won the following awards and accolades:

• Motor Trend 2009 Truck of the Year Award™
• Top honors as “Truck of Texas” as well as “Best Luxury Pickup” for the 2009 F-150 King Ranch from Texas Auto Writers Association
• Finalist 2009 North American Truck of the Year (with 2009 Ford Flex for Car of the Year)
• 2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com
• “Best Overall Half-Ton Pickup” from PickupTrucks.com
• “Automotive Excellence” award in the Workhorse Category from Popular Mechanics
• Detroit Free Press Truck of the Year
• Detroit News Truck of the Year
• “Top Safety Pick” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its standard safety technology: Safety Canopy side curtain air bags and AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control
• “Residual Value” award from Automotive Leasing Guide (ALG) for retaining the highest percentage of its original price among 2009 full-size light duty pickups at the end of a conventional three-year lease, based on ALG projections
• Motor Trend's Truck Trend Top 5 Trucks from Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) for 2009 Ford F-150 Heavy Duty DeWalt Contractor Concept
• “Accessory-Friendly Truck” Design Award from SEMA

• The Ford Fusion is now America’s most fuel efficient mid-size sedan for both hybrid and conventional gasoline models
• The four-cylinder Ford Fusion S is now certified at 34 mpg highway and 23 mpg in the city, topping the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord
• This entry-level 2010 Ford Fusion S is powered by a new 2.5-liter Duratec mated to a fuel-efficient six-speed automatic transmission
• The Fusion I-4 joins the all-new Ford Fusion Hybrid, already at the top of the mpg tables

DETROIT, Jan. 9, 2009 – The Ford Fusion is now America’s most fuel efficient mid-size sedan for both hybrid and conventional gasoline models.

Ford announced today that new four-cylinder Ford Fusion S has been certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at 34 mpg on the highway and 23 mpg in the city – beating both the gasoline-powered Camry and Honda Accord models. The news follows certification of the Ford Fusion Hybrid at 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, topping the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway.

“Take your pick: Whether you want a gas-powered or hybrid mid-sized sedan, the new Fusion offers the best fuel economy in America,” said Barb Samardzich, Ford’s vice president of Powertrain Engineering. “We promised to offer best-in-class or among the very best fuel economy with every new vehicle we introduce, and we are making good on that pledge with hybrids, new high-tech gasoline engines, new six-speed transmissions and other fuel efficient technologies.”

The 2010 Ford Fusion fuel economy certification was conducted at Ford’s testing laboratories in Allen Park, Mich. The Ford Fusion S and the base-level Mercury Milan, both powered by a new 2.5-liter Duratec 4-cylinder engine mated to a fuel efficient six-speed automatic transmission, will carry an EPA label of 34 mpg for highway driving and 23 mpg in the city when they go on sale this spring.

The latest news on Fusion joins other Ford fuel economy leaders, including:

• The Ford Focus with 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and manual transmission delivers 35 mpg on the highway, 5 mpg better than the Toyota Corolla’s 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine and 2 mpg better than the Honda Fit’s 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, both also with manual transmissions.
• The all-new 2009 Ford F-150 – which just recently was named Motor Trend magazine’s Truck of the Year – achieves 3 mpg more than the Toyota Tundra pickup on the highway and 1 mpg better in the city with its 4.6-liter V-8 engine, compared to Toyota’s 4.7-liter V-8. The F-150’s larger 5.4-liter V-8 achieves 2 mpg better on the highway than the Tundra’s larger engine.
• The 2009 Ford Escape with new 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine achieves 28 mpg on the highway, the same as Toyota’s RAV4 and 1 mpg better than the Honda CR-V, both with 4-cylinder engines, too.
• The Ford Expedition achieves 20 mpg on the highway, beating Toyota Sequoia’s 4.7-liter V-8 engine by 3 mpg and its 5.7-liter V-8 by 1 mpg.

“We’ve done it in the heart of the truck segment with the new 2010 Ford F-150, and now we’ve done it in the heart of the car segment with Fusion,” Samardzich said. “We understand how important fuel economy is to customers, and Ford is committed to delivering leadership. The great news is that our significant investment in fuel efficiency leadership is going to continue to pay off with every new vehicle launch.”

Fuel Economy Leadership Priced Right
Ford has announced pricing for the new 2010 Fusion. The fuel-economy leading Fusion S with the six-speed automatic transmission features a base price of $20,870 (including destination and delivery charges).

Fusion also offers more engine choice than Camry and Accord, with two V-6 engine options – the 240-horsepower 3.0-liter flex-fuel V-6 and the 263-horsepower 3.5-liter Duratec V-6 engine. The 3.0-liter V-6 models start at $23,760.

The base price of the all-new Ford Fusion Hybrid is $27,270.

The new Fusion builds on the strong quality reputation of the current model, which has gained important third-party accolades, and will offer class-exclusive features, including Ford SYNC®, SIRIUS TravelLink™, BLIS™ (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert and Sony®-branded audio.

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 18, 2008 – America’s best-selling pickup, the Ford F-Series, is raising the bar once again – this time with unsurpassed fuel efficiency on the new 2009 F-150, thanks to significant miles per gallon improvement across the entire F-150 lineup.

On sale in October, the new F-150 offers fuel economy that has improved an average of 8 percent across the entire lineup as a result of a wide-range of engineering enhancements.  The fuel economy gains reach as high as 12 percent versus the prior model year on F-150 models equipped with the high-volume 3-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine.  At the same time, the new F-150 delivers class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds – a combination no other competitor can match.

In addition, Ford is announcing the introduction of the new F-150 SFE “superior fuel economy” edition delivering up to 21 miles per gallon on the highway while still providing 7,500 pounds of towing capability – fuel economy that is unsurpassed in the full-size pickup segment.  

“Ford has committed to have the best or equal to the best fuel economy with every new product we introduce, and we are delivering with the new F-150,” said Matt O’Leary, Ford F-150 chief engineer.  “Fuel economy has moved from 10th to third place among pickup buyers’ top purchase considerations – right behind durability and value.  The new F-150 delivers on all three as the industry leader.”

F-150 SFE

The new SFE package will be available on F-150 SuperCrew XL and XLT 4X2 vehicles with 4.6-liter, 3-valve V-8 engines and 5.5-foot beds.  The SFE pickup will achieve 15 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.

The SFE package trucks also feature a new fuel-efficient six-speed automatic transmission, a 3.15:1 rear axle and 18-inch chrome clad aluminum wheels with low rolling resistance P265/60R18 all-season tires.

“Earning the trust of so many truck customers during the past 31 years has taught us a lot about what they want and value from their F-150,” O’Leary said.  “In the past, there was a tradeoff – more fuel economy meant less capability and vice versa.  With the new F-150, we didn’t accept tradeoffs.  We delivered capability and fuel economy.”

The SFE package will be a no-cost option on XLT SuperCrew pickups with the chrome package and will cost $1,095 when ordered on XL SuperCrew pickups with the decor package.

Fuel Economy throughout the Lineup

The 8 percent improvement in fuel economy across the entire lineup of V-8 F-150s is the result of using lightweight ultra-high-strength steel to lighten the truck up to 100 pounds versus the current model and aerodynamic refinements.

The new F-150 is now best-in-class for aerodynamics.  The new F-150 SuperCrew 4X2 with a 5.5-foot box has the lowest coefficient of drag – 0.403 – in the segment.  That’s 6 percent lower than a comparable 2008 F-150. 

Key aero improvements for the new F-150 include:

• A new chamfered shape to the rear of the cab, which incorporated the center-high-mount stop lamp.  This shape helps direct aerodynamic wake over the pickup box efficiently.
• The top of the tailgate, which angles outward to create a bold lip.  This wider surface at the top of the tailgate works with the cab chamfering to direct airflow over the box efficiently.
• The front bumper valence and spoiler design, which has been improved to better manage airflow underneath the truck without compromising off-roading.

In addition, as part of the fuel economy improvements, Ford’s powertrain team delivered technology upgrades to make the F-150 powertrains more efficient.

The new six-speed automatic transmission offers a wider gear ratio span than four-speed transmissions, allowing engineers the flexibility to have responsiveness in low gears and better fuel economy in the taller gears.  The new double-overdrive gearbox is designed to contribute a 4 to 6 percent fuel economy improvement.

Both the 5.4-liter and 4.6-liter 3-valve V-8 engines utilize open valve injection.  This unique feature improves the air/fuel charge conditions in the combustion chamber, allowing greater spark advance at higher loads and engine speeds.  This delivers increased horsepower during towing and higher rpm operations, lower emissions and more efficient use of fuel.

The F-150 also regulates gas consumption by using aggressive deceleration fuel shut-off.   The fuel shut-off is automatic and requires no unusual actions from the driver.  When the driver releases the accelerator pedal, the system temporarily turns off the fuel.  The flow of fuel seamlessly resumes when the truck reaches a low speed or the driver accelerates again.

To prevent engine hesitation normally associated with fuel interruption, Ford’s powertrain team developed proprietary software to integrate the technology with the F-150’s powertrains.

Ford Motor Co. is in a dead heat with Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. in terms of initial vehicle quality, according to a study the automaker is expected to release Monday.

The report is based on an annual survey of thousands of new vehicle owners conducted for Ford by the RDA Group, a market research firm based in Bloomfield Hills. The study looked at 2008 model cars and trucks from all full-line manufacturers. Drivers were asked to list any problems they had encountered during their first 90 days of ownership.

RDA has been conducting the annual survey for Ford since the late 1990s. The marketing firm conducts similar studies for other automakers, and its findings have historically hewed close to those of the closely-watched annual initial quality survey independently conducted by J.D. Power and Associates.

Previous year's studies have shown Ford narrowing the quality gap with Japanese automakers. This year's report found that Ford is now in a statistical dead-heat with Japan's leading carmakers, according to a source who had reviewed the numbers.

Ford confirmed the existence of the report, but would not discuss its findings.

Ford plans to tout its quality gains in a new marketing campaign that will launch Tuesday night with advertisements on Fox's popular "American Idol." The ads will use real Ford employees and consumers to pitch Blue Oval cars and trucks.

The shape of things to come was revealed on a new Web site, www.driveoneford.com, which went live on Thursday. Ford has not publicly announced the new site, but revealed it to employees and dealers Thursday.

"For several months now, the Ford team in the U.S. has been working on new ways to tell the story of our strong product lineup, improved quality, and our accomplishments in safety, fuel economy and technology," said Ford spokesman Jim Cain. "We're very close to finishing the first phase of work, so we felt the time was right to give our employees and dealers an update on the project, which will include new advertising with the theme 'Drive one' and other initiatives which will help introduce more consumers to Ford vehicles."

The multimedia-heavy Web site focuses on the four pillars of Ford's new marketing strategy: "Drive quality," "Drive green," "Drive safe" and "Drive smart." They are designed to highlight the automaker's quality gains, environmentally friendly technologies, safety features of its vehicles and technologies like Sync, the voice-activated computer system it designed with Microsoft Corp.

Ford also is incorporating more direct marketing tactics into its new campaign. It is organizing more than 1,100 "viewing parties" at customers' homes across the nation in conjunction with Oprah Winfrey's "Big Give" television show on Sunday.

Ford party hosts will work with their guests to come up with a charitable program for their community and will also introduce their friends to their new Ford vehicle in at-home test drives. Ford will pick one idea and give that group $25,000 to implement it.