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| Ford’s 2.5-liter hybrid engine makes Ward’s annual ‘10 Best Engines’ list |
 Ward’s Automotive Group has named Ford’s redesigned Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrid engine to its 2009 10 Best Engines list. The 10 Best Engines list marks North America’s only awards program honoring powertrain excellence and is designed to reflect the diversity of powertrains that will play a role in reshaping America’s automotive landscape. Ford’s 2.5-liter, dual-overhead cam I-4 hybrid engine was the only hybrid engine selected as a winner. The judges praised not only its smooth gas-to-electric transition but its overall quality feel as well. more... | |
| Jay Ward | jward32@ford.com | 313-845-2387 |
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| Ford F-150 named ‘2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle’ by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com |
 Editors at Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com today announced that Ford’s all new 2009 F-150 – an American icon with class-leading capability and unsurpassed fuel economy – has earned the title of “2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle.” According to Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com, “The F-150 is such an important truck in the market; it’s so important to Ford and to the domestic auto industry in general. There are so many variations, and so many innovations. In some ways, the F-150 is more than a truck – it’s a work system.” more... | |
| Anne Marie Gattari | agattari@ford.com | 313-323-7809 |
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| Ford helps older drivers assess their skills |
| Ford is expanding its sponsorship of a pilot program with the non-profit Traffic Improvement Association to help older drivers test their skills and evaluate their ability to safely operate motor vehicles at a time when the U.S. elderly population is growing faster than any other age demographic. The aging Baby Boomer generation is expected to dramatically increase the number of U.S. licensed drivers 65 and older by 25 percent in the next decade, as its oldest members turn 65 in 2011. By 2020, their number will reach 40 million. This effort complements Ford’s aggressive introduction of vehicle features and technologies that address the safety needs of drivers with physical limitations that can inhibit safe driving. more... | |
| Wes Sherwood | wsherwoo@ford.com | 313-390-5660 |
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| Ford Flex and F-150 voted most ‘accessory friendly’ |
 The all-new 2009 Ford Flex and the new 2009 Ford F-150 are the most “accessory-friendly” SUV and truck respectively, according to members of the automotive media who selected winners for this year’s SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Design Awards. SEMA Design Awards honor vehicles that prove to be the most inviting and receptive to accessorization in four categories: car, SUV, truck and hybrid. Several unique, customized interpretations of both the Flex and F-150 were on display earlier this month in Las Vegas at the SEMA show, the world’s premier automotive specialty products trade event. more... | |
| Jay Ward | jward32@ford.com | 313-845-2387 |
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| 2009 Lincoln MKS showcases tech as part of WIRED store |
 Holiday shoppers can now experience the new Lincoln MKS at WIRED magazine’s fourth-annual WIRED Store in New York City following its grand opening today. Full of connectivity technologies, store visitors will have the opportunity to interact via display with Lincoln MKS features including SYNC, voice-activated navigation system with SIRIUS Travel Link and THX II Certified 5.1 Surround Sound Audio System. The WIRED Store is located on 15 West 18th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues in Manhattan’s Flatiron District and will be open to the public from today through Dec.28. more... | |
| Mark Schirmer | mschirme@ford.com | 313-390-8647 |
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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 224,000 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. |
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