- New Model Lineup: All-new 2009 Ford Flex crossover, Lincoln MKS luxury sedan, redesigned Escape compact utility and new F-150 lead major upgrades to Ford's new 2009-model lineup
- Better Fuel Economy: New 2.5-liter I-4 and upgraded V-6 engines, six-speed transmissions, better aerodynamics lead to improved fuel economy
- Hybrids and EcoBoost coming: Ford to double hybrid production and debut EcoBoost engine technology in the 2009 calendar year
- Ford-Exclusive Technologies: Ford rolls out SYNC™ with 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report, SIRIUS Travel Link™ and new Blind Spot Mirror on 2009 Ford Edge
DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 6, 2008 - Ford Motor Company is meeting the rapidly changing market and shifting customer preferences with a new 2009 lineup that features an array of all-new or upgraded vehicles as well as major improvements in fuel economy, smart technology, safety features and quality across its vehicle portfolio.
"This is without question the best Ford lineup we've ever produced - and it comes at a critically important time for the company," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas. "Our product-led transformation is well under way, and there is much more to come."
Ford's 2009 lineup features a host of new or improved vehicles already in showrooms, including the all-new 2009 Ford Flex crossover, Lincoln MKS flagship sedan and a more fuel efficient Escape compact SUV. Coming later this fall is the new 2009 Ford F-150, which establishes a new benchmark for capability, choice and smart features in the full-size truck segment.
Also debuting late this year is the new 2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ
mid-size sedans, along with the new 2010 Fusion Hybrid and Milan Hybrid.
"Our strategy is clear: Deliver great, new fun-to-drive vehicles that take a backseat to no one when it comes to quality and fuel efficiency," Fields said. "In addition, virtually our entire lineup benefits from new powertrains, Ford-exclusive smart technology and more safety features."
Ford's 2009 product lineup further underscores four key pillars of the company's "Drive one" communications effort:
- Drive Green - with enhanced fuel economy and reduced emissions
- Drive Smart - with affordable new technologies that make driving smarter
- Drive Quality - by building on quality that is on par with the best in the business
- Drive Safe - with vehicles offering the latest safety innovations
Drive Green - Better Fuel Economy Across the Board
At the heart of Ford's new 2009 lineup is the company's commitment to improved fuel economy - which is more important to customers than ever in the era of $4-a-gallon gasoline.
Innovative technologies and clever engineering solutions already are putting Ford at the head of the pack for fuel economy with such vehicles as:
- 2009 Ford Flex, which delivers better highway fuel economy than Honda Pilot and Hyundai Veracruz
- 2009 Ford Focus, which offers highway fuel economy of up to 35 mpg - better than the smaller 2008 Honda Fit and 2009 Nissan Versa SL
- 2009 Escape, which features a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed transmission delivering best-in-class highway fuel economy of 28 mpg - ahead of Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V
- 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid, which delivers 34 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway, making it the most fuel-efficient utility vehicle available
"We are committed to being the best or among the best in fuel economy with every new Ford product in its segment," said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Ford Motor Company Global Product Development. "We are making this happen with one of the most extensive powertrain upgrades ever for Ford. By the end of 2010, nearly all of Ford's North American engines will be upgraded or replaced."
Moreover, within two years, approximately 85 percent of Ford's North American lineup will offer fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmissions. Rapid adoption of this affordable technology is delivering significant fuel savings - with more to come next year.
Coming in the 2009 calendar year are the first applications of Ford's new EcoBoost engine technology. EcoBoost uses gasoline turbocharged direct-injection technology for up to 20 percent better fuel economy, up to 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions and superior driving performance versus larger-displacement engines.
EcoBoost V-6 engines will be introduced on several vehicles next year, beginning with the Lincoln MKS and Ford Flex crossover. Four-cylinder EcoBoost engines will debut in 2010 in both North America and Europe. Ford will offer EcoBoost on more than 80 percent of its North American lineup by the end of 2012.
More Hybrids Coming
Ford plans to double its hybrid volume and offerings next year - and is looking to expand further going forward. Production of the all-new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid begins in December - with fuel economy expected to top the Toyota Camry hybrid.
With these new models, the Ford Escape Hybrid - now in its fifth year of production - and the Mercury Mariner Hybrid, Ford will offer four hybrid vehicles. That will make Ford the largest domestic producer of full hybrid vehicles in North America, second only to Toyota in sales volume.
Ford also is introducing six-speed transmissions with PowerShift that offer the fuel economy of a manual transmission and convenience of an automatic; start-stop engines that shut off when the vehicle stops; electric power steering to even more vehicles; direct injection, and Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing engines. These technologies will be progressively introduced within the North American lineup by 2012.
Drive Smart - Staying Connected on the Road
The 2009 model lineup extends Ford's industry leading position in offering unique technologies and features that make the driving experience easier, more enjoyable and safer.
Ford is announcing that its new Blind Spot Mirror will debut in the 2009 Ford Edge this fall. The Blind Spot Mirror is a consumer-friendly, affordable blind spot solution that consists of an outside rearview mirror designed with a secondary convex spotter in the top outer corner, which is aimed exclusively at the driver's blind spot. When traffic enters the driver's blind spot on either side of the vehicle, it is visible in the secondary convex mirror, alerting the driver of potential danger.
SYNC, introduced in the fall of 2007 and developed jointly by Ford and Microsoft, provides customers the convenience and flexibility to bring digital media players - Apple iPods, Microsoft Zunes and other MP3 players - and Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones into their vehicle and operate the devices via voice commands or with the buttons on the steering wheel or radio.
Exclusive to Ford and Lincoln Mercury vehicles, SYNC is poised to reach 1 million sales in 2009.
Two new SYNC features launch in the fall of 2008 on 2009 model year vehicles: 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report (VHR).
- 911 Assist is designed to assist occupants to place a call to a local 911 emergency operator should an accident occur that activates an air bag or the emergency fuel cutoff. There are no monthly fees.
- SYNC's new VHR feature will make staying up to speed with vehicle maintenance easier than ever at no additional cost. VHR translates complicated codes and descriptions into easy-to-understand language for users and provides recommended actions specific to vehicle's operating condition and service history.
Owners of 2008 models equipped with SYNC already on the road will be able to have their systems updated with the new functions, as well.
Next-generation navigation and SIRIUS® Travel Link™ offers access to up-to-the-minute information and entertainment content through the vehicle's navigation system. Working through the standard feature SIRIUS satellite radio network, Travel Link offers uninterrupted, coast-to-coast coverage of real-time traffic data; weather reports (both current and five day forecasts with storm information and even ski resort conditions); fuel options from more than 120,000 stations sorted by price or distance; major league pro and college sports as well as movie listings from more than 4,500 theaters. A six-month introductory subscription to SIRIUS Travel Link and SIRIUS satellite radio is included at no cost.
Truck Technologies Equal Capability
The 2009 introductions also bring new technologies to Ford truck and SUV owners.
Trailer Sway Control, available for the first time on the 2009 Ford F-150, Explorer, Explorer Sport Trac and Mercury Mountaineer, works in conjunction with AdvanceTrac® with RSC® to determine from the yaw motion of the vehicle if the trailer is swaying and take measures - such as applying precise braking or reduced engine torque - to bring both vehicle and trailer under control.
Ford Work Solutions, a suite of industry-exclusive technologies for F-Series trucks and commercial E-Series vans will help make business owners more productive and successful. Four industry-exclusive innovations include:
- The first broadband-capable in-dash computer in production and features available wireless accessories including a mouse and printer. It allows customers to print invoices and access documents stored on their home or office computer networks - right on the job site.
- Tool Link, a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) asset tracking, enables customers to maintain a detailed real-time inventory of the tools or equipment stored in the vehicle.
- Crew Chief, a fleet telematics and diagnostics system, allows small fleet owners to manage their vehicles, quickly dispatch workers to job sites and keep vehicle maintenance records.
- Cable Lock secures large tools or equipment in the cargo area of E-Series vans and wagons.
All four Ford Work Solutions technologies also will be available this fall on the new 2009 Ford F-150 XL, STX, XLT and FX4 trucks and E-Series vans. Transit Connect vans join the lineup in mid-2009.
Drive Quality - Ford on-par with industry's best
Ford's relentless push toward quality leadership will be evident across the 2009 lineup. Industry studies show dramatic improvement in initial quality, long-term durability and overall refinement - such as quieter interiors.
"Ride in a vehicle like the new 2009 Ford Flex and you'll be amazed at the quiet interior," Kuzak says. "For many customers, not having to speak loudly in the back seat is a significant quality indicator. We are improving quality on every front and we're serious about getting even better."
Drive Safe - Protecting families
The 2009 Ford lineup continues the company's strong safety record, introducing even more standard safety features to customers.
Key Ford safety technologies include:
- SOS Post Crash Alert System, which honks the horns and activates emergency flashers in the event air bags are deployed, comes standard on several vehicles including on the 2009 Ford Taurus, Taurus X, Ford Edge, Ford Explorer, F-Series Super Duty and other vehicles.
- The Safety Canopy® side-curtain air bag rollover protection system is a Ford exclusive feature that helps protect front and rear outboard passengers in both rollovers and side-impact crashes. It is designed to stay inflated for several seconds, as rollover crashes often last much longer than side-impact crashes. The system not only helps cushion customers in impacts but helps prevent occupants from being ejected from the vehicle in rollovers.
- Ford's Side Protection and Cabin Enhancement architecture (SPACE) was first introduced on the Ford Taurus and is standard on the 2009 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.
- AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control is the industry's only electronic stability control system that uses two gyroscopic sensors to monitor both yaw and roll motion, helps the driver maintain control and keep the vehicle on the road during situations that may lead to rollover. NHTSA and IIHS say this technology could potentially save thousands of lives a year if equipped on every light passenger vehicles in the U.S.
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 229,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.