DEARBORN, Mich., March 12, 2010 – They’ve been around awhile – a snippet of advice here, an old adage there. They’re the guidelines that are supposed to help keep cars running in top condition. Problem is, most of them aren’t based in fact – or they’re just plain outdated.
Ford decided to debunk a few of the most popular maintenance myths, including the following:
* MYTH: Cars need oil changes every three months or 3,000 miles.
False: That used to be true, but not with newer cars. Because of synthetic oils that don’t break down as quickly, consumers actually don’t need oil changes as often – more like every 5,000 to 7,500 miles. (There may be two recommendations for oil-change intervals: one for normal driving and one for hard use. Check your maintenance guide to be sure.)
SAVE: Either way, there’s a considerable savings here: Let’s say you’re an average consumer who drives 12,000 miles a year, which means you would need about four oil changes a year under the old formula. With the new extended mileage, consumers need only about two oil changes a year, cutting their bill for oil changes in half – you could pocket upward of $50 a year or $650 in the lifetime of your car and do something to help the environment by saving oil.
* MYTH: You need to let your vehicle engine warm up in cold weather.
False: Your vehicle’s engine only needs a warm-up period of about 10 seconds – you’re actually the only one who may feel chilly. The engine warms up while you drive. Running your car any longer beforehand is just a waste of gas.
SAVE: Depending on engine size, temperature and other variables, modern cars can use about a third of a gallon of gas per hour while idling. By giving up that 10-minute idle every weekday morning, you could save more than a gallon a month – $32 a year or $416 over the life of the vehicle.
* MYTH: Premium gas is a treat for your car.
False: Unless your vehicle is specifically tailored to take advantage of the higher octane level in the fuel, you’re wasting your money. Go by what is recommended in your owner’s manual and leave it at that.
SAVE: At current gas prices, drivers may save up to $150 a year by opting for unleaded gas instead of premium.
* MYTH: The number listed on the sidewall of your tire is the recommended tire pressure. False: In most cases, this is actually the maximum pressure allowed for that tire. The recommended amount of pressure is usually listed on the inside door panel – check your owner’s manual to be sure.
SAVE: The government estimates that the average driver’s tires are underinflated by 26 percent. Generally, underinflated treads lower gas mileage about a half percent for each pound lacking when the pressure of all four tires is added up. An average driver with underinflated tires could add $79 a year to his or her fuel bill – or more than $1,027 in the lifetime of the vehicle. You could also save nearly half a barrel of crude oil per year by keeping your tires inflated to the manufacturer’s recommended level. Per the EPA, one barrel of crude oil equals 42 gallons of gasoline.
* MYTH: Buy gas in the morning and you’ll save money.
False: The old adage was to fill up in the morning when gas was coolest and most dense because gas is sold by volume and you would get more gas for your buck.
But gas is sold in underground, nonmetallic tanks that typically hold about 10,000 gallons, and it will take a lot of sunlight to raise the temperature even a degree. (However, pumping your gas when it’s cooler does mean less release of vapors, which is better for the environment.)
SAVE: Do your research before buying. Ford’s SIRIUS Travel Link™ sorts gas stations by price on the navigation screen, but Web sites like MSNAutos.com can also help drivers navigate to bargains. In our quick research, we found two gas stations in New York City – less than a mile apart – with 30 cents per gallon price difference. If you know before you go and fill up for less every time, it could result in $227 in your pocket annually, or $2,951 saved over the lifetime of your car.
All totaled, by implementing small changes, drivers could save up to $538 a year or $6,610 in the lifetime of their vehicle. In today’s economy, every penny counts. That’s why it’s important to get the facts.
Editor’s note: All savings estimates are calculated based on the EPA estimates for a 2010 Ford Taurus, which achieves 28 mpg highway and 18 mpg city. This model has a 19-gallon gas tank; the EPA estimates that each fill-up, at current gas prices ($2.70 a gallon), will cost $46.17 and annual fuel costs are $1,843. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
NEW FORD F-150 RAPTOR ORDERS TOP EXPECTATIONS
DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 19, 2010 – Customer demand for Ford’s new F-150 SVT Raptor is moving nearly as fast as the world’s only production high-speed off-road performance truck. Already, over 5,300 orders have been placed for the new performance pickup.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the popularity of the F-150 SVT Raptor,” said Mark Grueber, F-150 Marketing manager. “Orders have exceeded our expectations. The truck is so popular that we actually wound up building more 5.4-liter V-8 models than we had originally anticipated. The order banks are now open for the all-new 6.2-liter V-8, and the orders keep rolling in.”
The F-150 Raptor is the first ever high-speed off-road performance truck offered by any manufacture and highlights Ford’s 33 years of truck leadership by emphasizing Built Ford Tough innovation and engineering. Developed with the DNA of an off-road pre-runner, the comprehensive modifications to the truck focused on chassis and suspension.
Built alongside the best-selling F-150 at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant, the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor was designed for the off-road performance market which has steadily grown in popularity over the past decade.
Raptor is powered by F-150’s proven 5.4-liter Triton® V-8 three-valve engine, which delivers 320 horsepower and 390 ft.-lb. of torque. This spring, customers will have the added option of an all-new 6.2-liter V-8 engine, producing 411 horsepower and 434 ft.-lb. of torque – making Raptor the most powerful half-ton pickup on the market.
The appeal of the Ford’s F-150 SVT Raptor extends beyond just desert runners. While the biggest markets for order so far are in the Southwest and Texas, demand also is high in states like Tennessee, Michigan, Colorado, Ohio and Georgia
Customers are showing an appreciation for Raptor’s unparalleled off-road performance, as well as its many features. Options such as the luxury package, moonroof and reverse camera all have “take rates” of more than 79 percent. Popular F-150 utility options like touch-screen navigation with SIRIUS Travel Link™, trailer brake controller and Ford’s tailgate step have take-rates higher than 62 percent.
The overwhelming top color choice has been Tuxedo Black for more than 52 percent of all orders, followed by Molten Orange, Oxford White and Blue Flame.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the popularity of the F-150 SVT Raptor,” said Mark Grueber, F-150 Marketing manager. “Orders have exceeded our expectations. The truck is so popular that we actually wound up building more 5.4-liter V-8 models than we had originally anticipated. The order banks are now open for the all-new 6.2-liter V-8, and the orders keep rolling in.”
The F-150 Raptor is the first ever high-speed off-road performance truck offered by any manufacture and highlights Ford’s 33 years of truck leadership by emphasizing Built Ford Tough innovation and engineering. Developed with the DNA of an off-road pre-runner, the comprehensive modifications to the truck focused on chassis and suspension.
Built alongside the best-selling F-150 at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant, the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor was designed for the off-road performance market which has steadily grown in popularity over the past decade.
Raptor is powered by F-150’s proven 5.4-liter Triton® V-8 three-valve engine, which delivers 320 horsepower and 390 ft.-lb. of torque. This spring, customers will have the added option of an all-new 6.2-liter V-8 engine, producing 411 horsepower and 434 ft.-lb. of torque – making Raptor the most powerful half-ton pickup on the market.
The appeal of the Ford’s F-150 SVT Raptor extends beyond just desert runners. While the biggest markets for order so far are in the Southwest and Texas, demand also is high in states like Tennessee, Michigan, Colorado, Ohio and Georgia
Customers are showing an appreciation for Raptor’s unparalleled off-road performance, as well as its many features. Options such as the luxury package, moonroof and reverse camera all have “take rates” of more than 79 percent. Popular F-150 utility options like touch-screen navigation with SIRIUS Travel Link™, trailer brake controller and Ford’s tailgate step have take-rates higher than 62 percent.
The overwhelming top color choice has been Tuxedo Black for more than 52 percent of all orders, followed by Molten Orange, Oxford White and Blue Flame.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Biffle Finishes Third In Daytona 500
GREG BIFFLE – No. 16 3M Ford Fusion (Finished 3rd) – “I tell you what, I’m so proud of my guys at the shop and at the engine department. They build such good cars and worked all winter. Hopefully, California is as good as this was, but I just made a mistake – a lack of experience probably. Going into turn one I should have pushed McMurray, instead of trying to make the pass then when I got the big run and try to make the pass coming to the stripe or down the back, instead of down the front. Third-place isn’t all that bad, but I’m just so happy for Jamie. I pushed him to the win down the backstretch and I feel pretty good about that.” WHAT ABOUT THE LAST LAP? “It was unbelievable crazy. Restart after restart and we were digging and clawing. Lane choice had a lot to do with it. I couldn’t get anybody to push me. It looked like the 33 spun his tires on that one restart. McMurray spun his tires on that last one and I was able to get him straight and push him, but I’m just so happy. The guys worked so hard over the winter on this 3M Ford Fusion, and our engine department – Doug Yates and all those guys – worked so hard on this engine getting it tuned up for the 500-mile race. I’m just so proud of them.” WHAT WAS IT LIKE WITH THE HOLE? “That sucked, and then I can’t believe I didn’t hurt the right-front. I was hitting that thing because my car was sliding up the race track and I was doing all I could do, but I’m just elated we came out of here without tearing that car up. We were completely sideways, on the apron, the 33 in the back of me, the 29 cut me off. It was pretty incredible.”
JOHN ANDRETTI – No. 34 Window World Cares Ford Fusion (Finished 38th) – “We were running the race to be there at the end and, unfortunately, there’s quite a bit of the race still left to go. Evidently, the track came up. The 48 went through it and evidently I went right after it and it not only cut the tire, but you could hear the tire go and then the inner liner right behind it. At that point, you’re just a passenger.” DID IT FEEL LIKE DRIVING OVER A POTHOLE OR SOMETHING? “No, I’m busy looking ahead because I want to make sure if I see any smoke that I’m not driving into the middle of an accident. I wasn’t really expecting there to be a hole in the track. I can’t say absolutely that’s what happened, but my Window World Cares Ford was pretty good. It wasn’t like I was plowing and waiting to pit or something like that. We didn’t have any vibrations or anything. It was fine.”
MATT KENSETH – No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion (Finished 8th) – “I’m happy with the result, but wasn’t very happy with our weekend overall. We started the day way, way off and it was just a battle the whole time. We got lucky.” HOW DID YOU HANDLE THE PATCH AND ALL THE RED FLAGS? “We ran about 25th or 30th all day, so all of those green-white-checkers helped us and gave us an opportunity to make some moves there at the end and kind of go crazy. I just got a run down the back and was able to get three or four-wide up against the wall, and I got some help. I got my momentum up there and got lucky to get a few spots. We didn’t race our way to eighth and didn’t really deserve eighth. I just got lucky.”
BILL ELLIOTT – No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion (Finished 27th) – “That was my fault down there. I ran in on whoever I was following toward the middle and I had to check up a little bit, so when I started up Logano was on me. I’m sure Eddie told me, but I didn’t hear him. What are you gonna do with a green-white-checker? It’s just one of those things.” WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE PAVEMENT COMING UP? “I hated to see that. I wanted the race to go on and keep running, but we did the best we could and we’ll do it again.”
KASEY KAHNE – No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion (Finished 30th) – “I hate it for the Budweiser team. We ran up front most of the day, but got shuffled back. It was all about getting in the right line out there today, and it just didn’t work out at the end. It’s just disappointing that our day ended with a wrecked car.”
DAVID RAGAN – No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion (Finished 16th) – “I feel like we had a much better car than a 16th-place car, but with speedway racing, sometimes things are out of your control. Donnie Wingo made the right call to take two tires there at the end, and I think that we had a car that could have won had things gone our way there at the end. But we weren’t in the right lane and all of those guys were coming hard. It was a good effort by our UPS team. Our guys were really quick in the pits and were able to gain us spots on most of our stops. We just didn’t get the finished that we wanted.”
ROBERT RICHARDSON JR. – No. 38 Mahindra USA Tractors Ford Fusion (Finished 31st) – “Everybody went over that bump in the middle of one and two and got out of shape, and then tried to regroup, but some people were putting their nose where it shouldn’t have been and one thing led to another. A couple of cars ended up getting wrecked and we were one of them.” DID THAT PATCH GIVE YOU TROUBLE? “Absolutely. I wish they would resurface the whole race track, but we played the cards we were dealt and played it to the best of our ability. We came away with a wrecked race car, but we had a lot of fun today.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER – No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion (Finished 32nd) – WHAT HAPPENED ON THE SPIN? “I’m not really sure. I was under Jeff and I’m not sure if it was that pothole there or not, and it doesn’t really matter, but I just got a little tight. I didn’t want to get up into Jeff, and I don’t know if Kyle was right behind me, but I just lost it.”
PAUL MENARD – No. 98 Peak/Menards Ford Fusion (Finished 13th) – “It was a solid day. When the sun was out we weren’t as good as when it started to go down. The track got a little more grip and that’s what our car needed. It was a long day and you think about a 500-mile race and it all comes down to two laps at the end. It was make or break at that point and it seems the guys running up front go to the back and the guys in the back go to the front. I just had a good restart and hooked up with the 17. He made a couple holes on the outside and I just followed him through and passed quite a few cars.”
GREG BIFFLE PRESS CONFERENCE – “It was a great day for the 3M Ford Fusion. The best car I’ve really had here at Daytona in quite some time, probably the best car since I sat on the pole in 2004. The car drove really, really good. There was the middle part of the race there where I lost a little track position, but really just ran in the top six the entire day once I got there – top eight. Pit stops were phenomenal, again. My 3M guys – Pitbulls – I gained five spots on one and then gained three on the other to take the lead off of pit road and beat the 33 out. It was unbelievable what they did. There at the end on the restarts, I guess I couldn’t get anybody to push me. It seemed like maybe they were spinning their tires on the restart or what, but the outside lane just kept getting a run there. Those guys were better at getting to the throttle. Truex gave me a huge shove down the back and we broke away. I was just hoping we could get to the white flag. I was half a corner away from winning the Daytona 500. Jamie spun his tires on the final restart and I was able to push him easy until we got straight and continued to push him all the way to turn one. It was the first time in Speedweeks I pushed a guy in the corner down there in turn one and two, trying to keep him straight, trying to push him around the corner, and then got locked on him down the backstretch and just shoved us both by by a huge amount. I feel good about helping Jamie get clear and get out front. I just wish maybe I would have waited until the backstretch to make my run on him. I had a huge run going and I just couldn’t clear him. I couldn’t get by him. I tried it on the frontstretch and gave Junior and all the guys an opportunity to get back up beside us. I’m just real happy to finish third, go on to California, and I’m happy I had an opportunity to win the Daytona 500.”
WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO DO ON THE BACKSTRETCH, PUSH HIM OR PASS HIM? “I was trying to get us both out front, so that I’d have a shot at making a move on him on the last lap. I just wanted to get clear because second-place in the Daytona 500 isn’t too shabby, either. It’s certainly not like winning, but that’s the best spot to try and win from is following the leader. I was glad I was out of that gaggle of cars because when we’re three-wide and people are slamming each other, then we’re in big trouble. But if we can get singled out, we can push out there. That’s when you get your best opportunity to push by him. I just made my move too soon. I tried it on the front and it was a mistake on my part, probably. I should have waited until down the back. I should have just pushed him around one and two again, and maybe even pushed him down the back and then try it over here on the short chute.”
WITH SO MANY RESTARTS AT THE END WERE YOU GETTING THE SENSE YOU WERE NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH TWO LAPS WITHOUT SOMETHING HAPPENING? “Yeah. I was just hoping something would happen when I was out front and I just took the white. That’s what I was hoping for. It did where I was out front and in a regular green-white-checkered I would have won the race here tonight, but I’m with Junior. I think maybe two attempts or something at the green-white-checkered. Three might be a little excessive. We kind of got caught there because the one attempt wasn’t considered a green-white-checkered because it was under the normal amount of laps. That made it kind of extraordinary, so I think we could have done it two more times, so it was kind of unusual the way it happened here tonight. But a couple times you need to try and get it to finish under green.”
DID YOUR HEART SINK WHEN YOU WERE LEADING AND THE CAUTION CAME OUT BEING SO CLOSE TO THE WHITE FLAG? “Yeah, I was thinking, ‘Why do I have to be the first casualty of the rule change? To be the guy that didn’t get the win?’ It’s just the way it is. Like Junior said, we’ve got to race by the rules and that’s what they’ve determined we’re gonna do. We would have been fine if a couple of the guys on the restarts there wouldn’t have spun their tires and we got a better push. Everytime I got going there nobody was behind me, and then Jamie spun his tires, but that’s the way it is. We’ve got to go by the rules and, yeah, I wish I was out there spraying some of that champagne right now.”
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT JAMIE WENT THROUGH LAST YEAR? YOU MUST BE HAPPY FOR HIM. “I’m so happy for him. I went straight to Victory Lane when I got done with my interviews. I felt like I was a big part of getting him up there because he spun his tires like crazy, and I got against his bumper and was against his bumper all the way through second gear, third gear and fourth gear, and I pushed him across one and two, which I hadn’t pushed anybody all night, and I just really eased his bumper and stayed locked on him. I was able to stay against him down the backstretch and we just took off. It was pretty cool. I feel like I’m one of the guys that helped him get his first Daytona 500. I was trying to get out front. Like I was said, I think I really made a mistake by trying too early. I maybe should have stayed behind him until maybe going down the back or something, but I’m really happy for him.”
WAS IT BETTER RACING BECAUSE OF THE RULES? “I think it was. I think we felt like we could push and shove more and I think there was more of that today. It’s unfortunate that they’re gonna pave this race track because the grip level is about perfect. I mean, the cars slide up the race track, you can’t go around this thing wide open like you can Talladega and just stay in line. You’ve got to come off the gas a little bit and get back in the gas. It is rough on the bumps, it is tough on that, but I think the rule package is good. The cars race around here really good, and it’s gonna be completely different when they pave it. The rules package will probably change again because the speed will be much, much higher.”
DO YOU THINK THE PATCH CHANGED WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED? “I don’t think so. I know when I was hitting it, I hit that thing three laps in a row and then the caution came out. I was like, ‘Man, I’ve got to quit hitting that thing because I know it’s gonna blow a right-front tire out or screw the splitter up,’ but like Junior said you get down in there and you’ve got the wheel in it and you’re against a guy, you can’t see it. You kind of know where it’s at and you run through it. When I was leading I never went through it, but when I was back there I went through it. But I don’t think it changed the outcome at all.”
THIS IS NASCAR’S MARQUEE EVENT AND FANS WERE LEAVING. ARE YOU CONCERNED FAN ATTENDANCE MIGHT SUFFER? “It was unfortunate for the fans and the people watching on TV that we had to have that big delay. Nobody certainly wants to sit around and wait all that time, but it was nobody’s fault that the race track came apart. It wasn’t neglect or anything else. Like Junior said, it was our cars beating on the race track and it can only take so much.”
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT JAMIE AND HIS SITUATION LAST YEAR? “We do stuff away from the race track quite a bit – Jamie and Christy and Matt and Katie, so the three of us do different stuff. We go on ski trips and out to dinner and do different things, so I probably hang out with him more than any other driver. So I was really excited being his former teammate. This is a big, big win for anybody’s career. You’ve got to be happy for anybody that ever wins this race, and I was especially happy with the four guys I was up there beating and banging with. I would rather see Jamie win than those guys for being a teammate, and now I can get him to take me out to dinner and pay for it.”
HE WAS KIND OF A MAN WITHOUT AN ISLAND LAST YEAR. “He was on an island, but we certainly didn’t leave him hung out to dry. He had all the information and all that, but we knew he was leaving at the end of the year.”
THOUGHTS ON A MARQUEE OWNER WINNING AGAIN THIS YEAR IN CHIP. “I think it’s great for those team owners to end up with wins like that and trophies like that. I know Jack cherishes that win that Matt was able to get him last year. The owner goes through the same thing as the driver. People come here for 10 years, 15 years, 20 years without ever winning, so it’s just as special for those owners to win here. Like Junior said, that’s a great organization. They’ve worked really, really hard and it’s not only the owner, it’s the crew chief, it’s the team, it’s the guys at the shop, it’s that whole organization. It’s such a morale booster for them all the way through. It’s a neat deal.”
JOHN ANDRETTI – No. 34 Window World Cares Ford Fusion (Finished 38th) – “We were running the race to be there at the end and, unfortunately, there’s quite a bit of the race still left to go. Evidently, the track came up. The 48 went through it and evidently I went right after it and it not only cut the tire, but you could hear the tire go and then the inner liner right behind it. At that point, you’re just a passenger.” DID IT FEEL LIKE DRIVING OVER A POTHOLE OR SOMETHING? “No, I’m busy looking ahead because I want to make sure if I see any smoke that I’m not driving into the middle of an accident. I wasn’t really expecting there to be a hole in the track. I can’t say absolutely that’s what happened, but my Window World Cares Ford was pretty good. It wasn’t like I was plowing and waiting to pit or something like that. We didn’t have any vibrations or anything. It was fine.”
MATT KENSETH – No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion (Finished 8th) – “I’m happy with the result, but wasn’t very happy with our weekend overall. We started the day way, way off and it was just a battle the whole time. We got lucky.” HOW DID YOU HANDLE THE PATCH AND ALL THE RED FLAGS? “We ran about 25th or 30th all day, so all of those green-white-checkers helped us and gave us an opportunity to make some moves there at the end and kind of go crazy. I just got a run down the back and was able to get three or four-wide up against the wall, and I got some help. I got my momentum up there and got lucky to get a few spots. We didn’t race our way to eighth and didn’t really deserve eighth. I just got lucky.”
BILL ELLIOTT – No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion (Finished 27th) – “That was my fault down there. I ran in on whoever I was following toward the middle and I had to check up a little bit, so when I started up Logano was on me. I’m sure Eddie told me, but I didn’t hear him. What are you gonna do with a green-white-checker? It’s just one of those things.” WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE PAVEMENT COMING UP? “I hated to see that. I wanted the race to go on and keep running, but we did the best we could and we’ll do it again.”
KASEY KAHNE – No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion (Finished 30th) – “I hate it for the Budweiser team. We ran up front most of the day, but got shuffled back. It was all about getting in the right line out there today, and it just didn’t work out at the end. It’s just disappointing that our day ended with a wrecked car.”
DAVID RAGAN – No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion (Finished 16th) – “I feel like we had a much better car than a 16th-place car, but with speedway racing, sometimes things are out of your control. Donnie Wingo made the right call to take two tires there at the end, and I think that we had a car that could have won had things gone our way there at the end. But we weren’t in the right lane and all of those guys were coming hard. It was a good effort by our UPS team. Our guys were really quick in the pits and were able to gain us spots on most of our stops. We just didn’t get the finished that we wanted.”
ROBERT RICHARDSON JR. – No. 38 Mahindra USA Tractors Ford Fusion (Finished 31st) – “Everybody went over that bump in the middle of one and two and got out of shape, and then tried to regroup, but some people were putting their nose where it shouldn’t have been and one thing led to another. A couple of cars ended up getting wrecked and we were one of them.” DID THAT PATCH GIVE YOU TROUBLE? “Absolutely. I wish they would resurface the whole race track, but we played the cards we were dealt and played it to the best of our ability. We came away with a wrecked race car, but we had a lot of fun today.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER – No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion (Finished 32nd) – WHAT HAPPENED ON THE SPIN? “I’m not really sure. I was under Jeff and I’m not sure if it was that pothole there or not, and it doesn’t really matter, but I just got a little tight. I didn’t want to get up into Jeff, and I don’t know if Kyle was right behind me, but I just lost it.”
PAUL MENARD – No. 98 Peak/Menards Ford Fusion (Finished 13th) – “It was a solid day. When the sun was out we weren’t as good as when it started to go down. The track got a little more grip and that’s what our car needed. It was a long day and you think about a 500-mile race and it all comes down to two laps at the end. It was make or break at that point and it seems the guys running up front go to the back and the guys in the back go to the front. I just had a good restart and hooked up with the 17. He made a couple holes on the outside and I just followed him through and passed quite a few cars.”
GREG BIFFLE PRESS CONFERENCE – “It was a great day for the 3M Ford Fusion. The best car I’ve really had here at Daytona in quite some time, probably the best car since I sat on the pole in 2004. The car drove really, really good. There was the middle part of the race there where I lost a little track position, but really just ran in the top six the entire day once I got there – top eight. Pit stops were phenomenal, again. My 3M guys – Pitbulls – I gained five spots on one and then gained three on the other to take the lead off of pit road and beat the 33 out. It was unbelievable what they did. There at the end on the restarts, I guess I couldn’t get anybody to push me. It seemed like maybe they were spinning their tires on the restart or what, but the outside lane just kept getting a run there. Those guys were better at getting to the throttle. Truex gave me a huge shove down the back and we broke away. I was just hoping we could get to the white flag. I was half a corner away from winning the Daytona 500. Jamie spun his tires on the final restart and I was able to push him easy until we got straight and continued to push him all the way to turn one. It was the first time in Speedweeks I pushed a guy in the corner down there in turn one and two, trying to keep him straight, trying to push him around the corner, and then got locked on him down the backstretch and just shoved us both by by a huge amount. I feel good about helping Jamie get clear and get out front. I just wish maybe I would have waited until the backstretch to make my run on him. I had a huge run going and I just couldn’t clear him. I couldn’t get by him. I tried it on the frontstretch and gave Junior and all the guys an opportunity to get back up beside us. I’m just real happy to finish third, go on to California, and I’m happy I had an opportunity to win the Daytona 500.”
WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO DO ON THE BACKSTRETCH, PUSH HIM OR PASS HIM? “I was trying to get us both out front, so that I’d have a shot at making a move on him on the last lap. I just wanted to get clear because second-place in the Daytona 500 isn’t too shabby, either. It’s certainly not like winning, but that’s the best spot to try and win from is following the leader. I was glad I was out of that gaggle of cars because when we’re three-wide and people are slamming each other, then we’re in big trouble. But if we can get singled out, we can push out there. That’s when you get your best opportunity to push by him. I just made my move too soon. I tried it on the front and it was a mistake on my part, probably. I should have waited until down the back. I should have just pushed him around one and two again, and maybe even pushed him down the back and then try it over here on the short chute.”
WITH SO MANY RESTARTS AT THE END WERE YOU GETTING THE SENSE YOU WERE NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH TWO LAPS WITHOUT SOMETHING HAPPENING? “Yeah. I was just hoping something would happen when I was out front and I just took the white. That’s what I was hoping for. It did where I was out front and in a regular green-white-checkered I would have won the race here tonight, but I’m with Junior. I think maybe two attempts or something at the green-white-checkered. Three might be a little excessive. We kind of got caught there because the one attempt wasn’t considered a green-white-checkered because it was under the normal amount of laps. That made it kind of extraordinary, so I think we could have done it two more times, so it was kind of unusual the way it happened here tonight. But a couple times you need to try and get it to finish under green.”
DID YOUR HEART SINK WHEN YOU WERE LEADING AND THE CAUTION CAME OUT BEING SO CLOSE TO THE WHITE FLAG? “Yeah, I was thinking, ‘Why do I have to be the first casualty of the rule change? To be the guy that didn’t get the win?’ It’s just the way it is. Like Junior said, we’ve got to race by the rules and that’s what they’ve determined we’re gonna do. We would have been fine if a couple of the guys on the restarts there wouldn’t have spun their tires and we got a better push. Everytime I got going there nobody was behind me, and then Jamie spun his tires, but that’s the way it is. We’ve got to go by the rules and, yeah, I wish I was out there spraying some of that champagne right now.”
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT JAMIE WENT THROUGH LAST YEAR? YOU MUST BE HAPPY FOR HIM. “I’m so happy for him. I went straight to Victory Lane when I got done with my interviews. I felt like I was a big part of getting him up there because he spun his tires like crazy, and I got against his bumper and was against his bumper all the way through second gear, third gear and fourth gear, and I pushed him across one and two, which I hadn’t pushed anybody all night, and I just really eased his bumper and stayed locked on him. I was able to stay against him down the backstretch and we just took off. It was pretty cool. I feel like I’m one of the guys that helped him get his first Daytona 500. I was trying to get out front. Like I was said, I think I really made a mistake by trying too early. I maybe should have stayed behind him until maybe going down the back or something, but I’m really happy for him.”
WAS IT BETTER RACING BECAUSE OF THE RULES? “I think it was. I think we felt like we could push and shove more and I think there was more of that today. It’s unfortunate that they’re gonna pave this race track because the grip level is about perfect. I mean, the cars slide up the race track, you can’t go around this thing wide open like you can Talladega and just stay in line. You’ve got to come off the gas a little bit and get back in the gas. It is rough on the bumps, it is tough on that, but I think the rule package is good. The cars race around here really good, and it’s gonna be completely different when they pave it. The rules package will probably change again because the speed will be much, much higher.”
DO YOU THINK THE PATCH CHANGED WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED? “I don’t think so. I know when I was hitting it, I hit that thing three laps in a row and then the caution came out. I was like, ‘Man, I’ve got to quit hitting that thing because I know it’s gonna blow a right-front tire out or screw the splitter up,’ but like Junior said you get down in there and you’ve got the wheel in it and you’re against a guy, you can’t see it. You kind of know where it’s at and you run through it. When I was leading I never went through it, but when I was back there I went through it. But I don’t think it changed the outcome at all.”
THIS IS NASCAR’S MARQUEE EVENT AND FANS WERE LEAVING. ARE YOU CONCERNED FAN ATTENDANCE MIGHT SUFFER? “It was unfortunate for the fans and the people watching on TV that we had to have that big delay. Nobody certainly wants to sit around and wait all that time, but it was nobody’s fault that the race track came apart. It wasn’t neglect or anything else. Like Junior said, it was our cars beating on the race track and it can only take so much.”
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT JAMIE AND HIS SITUATION LAST YEAR? “We do stuff away from the race track quite a bit – Jamie and Christy and Matt and Katie, so the three of us do different stuff. We go on ski trips and out to dinner and do different things, so I probably hang out with him more than any other driver. So I was really excited being his former teammate. This is a big, big win for anybody’s career. You’ve got to be happy for anybody that ever wins this race, and I was especially happy with the four guys I was up there beating and banging with. I would rather see Jamie win than those guys for being a teammate, and now I can get him to take me out to dinner and pay for it.”
HE WAS KIND OF A MAN WITHOUT AN ISLAND LAST YEAR. “He was on an island, but we certainly didn’t leave him hung out to dry. He had all the information and all that, but we knew he was leaving at the end of the year.”
THOUGHTS ON A MARQUEE OWNER WINNING AGAIN THIS YEAR IN CHIP. “I think it’s great for those team owners to end up with wins like that and trophies like that. I know Jack cherishes that win that Matt was able to get him last year. The owner goes through the same thing as the driver. People come here for 10 years, 15 years, 20 years without ever winning, so it’s just as special for those owners to win here. Like Junior said, that’s a great organization. They’ve worked really, really hard and it’s not only the owner, it’s the crew chief, it’s the team, it’s the guys at the shop, it’s that whole organization. It’s such a morale booster for them all the way through. It’s a neat deal.”
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
FORD CAPS 2009 WITH 33 PERCENT SALES INCREASE, FIRST FULL-YEAR MARKET SHARE GAIN SINCE 1995
DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 5, 2010 – Higher sales in every product category and for every brand propelled Ford to a 33 percent sales increase in December versus a year ago.
Ford cars were up 42 percent, crossovers were up 51 percent, sport utilities were up 33 percent, and trucks and vans were up 18 percent. Among brands, Ford sales were up 37 percent, Lincoln sales were up 16 percent and Mercury sales were up 6 percent.
“Ford’s plan is working,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing Sales and Service. “Customer consideration continues to grow for our high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles. In 2010, we will introduce an even higher number of new products, giving customers more reasons to Drive One.”
Every consumer metric about the Ford brand – including favorable opinion, consideration, shopping and intention to buy – ended the year at record levels. In fact, favorable opinion is up more than 20 percent from the beginning of the year, and intention to buy Ford increased more than 30 percent.
“People increasingly are discovering that the Ford difference is the strength of our products, particularly our leadership in quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart technologies and value,” said Czubay.
Ford, Lincoln and Mercury December sales totaled 179,017, up 33 percent versus a year ago. Full-year sales totaled 1.62 million, down 15 percent.
Ford estimates its full-year 2009 U.S. total market share was about 15 percent – about 1 percentage point higher than in 2008. This marks the company’s first full-year U.S. market share increase since 1995. Ford also has improved its retail market share 14 times in the last 15 months.
Sales Highlights
* Ford Fusion, recently named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, posted a December sales increase of 83 percent and set new December (18,852) and full-year (180,671) sales records. Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan are the most fuel-efficient mid-size sedans in America.
* Ford Taurus sales totaled 7,256 for the month, up 110 percent versus a year ago. Since the introduction of the all-new model in August, Taurus sales are nearly 90 percent higher than a year ago.
* Ford Mustang sales were up 62 percent in December, and Ford Focus sales increased 22 percent. Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ were each up 5 percent.
* Crossover utilities also posted strong sales increases. In 2009, the Ford brand was the top-selling brand of crossovers in the U.S., led by the Ford Escape. Escape set a December sales record (19,156), up 75 percent versus a year ago. For the full year, Escape sales totaled 173,044, the second-best sales year ever. Ford Edge sales were up 59 percent, and Ford Flex sales were up 73 percent. The all-new Lincoln MKT posted its highest sales to date (858).
* Ford’s F-Series truck had its best sales month since March 2008. F-Series sales in December were 48,209 (up 16 percent), bringing the full-year total to 413,625. F-Series has been America’s best-selling truck for 33 years in a row and America’s best-selling vehicle, car or truck, for 28 years in a row. In 2009, F-Series increased its leadership position among full-size pickups with a 4 percentage-point gain in segment share.
* Transit Connect, Ford’s new versatile, fuel-efficient small commercial van, had its best sales month (1,992) since August.
* Ford’s new EcoBoost engine technology and hybrid vehicles are winning customers, too. December was the best sales month for EcoBoost (1,662), and total EcoBoost sales since introduction now total 4,973. The conquest rate for the Taurus SHO is 60 percent. EcoBoost provides customers up to 20 percent improvement in fuel economy and a 15 percent reduction in emissions versus larger-displacement engines. EcoBoost is standard on the Taurus SHO and available on the Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT.
* December sales of hybrid vehicles totaled 2,843, up 147 percent versus a year ago. Ford hybrid models include the Ford Fusion, Ford Escape, Mercury Milan and Mercury Mariner. For the full year, Ford hybrid sales totaled 33,502, a new record and up 72 percent versus a year ago.
Ford cars were up 42 percent, crossovers were up 51 percent, sport utilities were up 33 percent, and trucks and vans were up 18 percent. Among brands, Ford sales were up 37 percent, Lincoln sales were up 16 percent and Mercury sales were up 6 percent.
“Ford’s plan is working,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing Sales and Service. “Customer consideration continues to grow for our high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles. In 2010, we will introduce an even higher number of new products, giving customers more reasons to Drive One.”
Every consumer metric about the Ford brand – including favorable opinion, consideration, shopping and intention to buy – ended the year at record levels. In fact, favorable opinion is up more than 20 percent from the beginning of the year, and intention to buy Ford increased more than 30 percent.
“People increasingly are discovering that the Ford difference is the strength of our products, particularly our leadership in quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart technologies and value,” said Czubay.
Ford, Lincoln and Mercury December sales totaled 179,017, up 33 percent versus a year ago. Full-year sales totaled 1.62 million, down 15 percent.
Ford estimates its full-year 2009 U.S. total market share was about 15 percent – about 1 percentage point higher than in 2008. This marks the company’s first full-year U.S. market share increase since 1995. Ford also has improved its retail market share 14 times in the last 15 months.
Sales Highlights
* Ford Fusion, recently named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, posted a December sales increase of 83 percent and set new December (18,852) and full-year (180,671) sales records. Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan are the most fuel-efficient mid-size sedans in America.
* Ford Taurus sales totaled 7,256 for the month, up 110 percent versus a year ago. Since the introduction of the all-new model in August, Taurus sales are nearly 90 percent higher than a year ago.
* Ford Mustang sales were up 62 percent in December, and Ford Focus sales increased 22 percent. Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ were each up 5 percent.
* Crossover utilities also posted strong sales increases. In 2009, the Ford brand was the top-selling brand of crossovers in the U.S., led by the Ford Escape. Escape set a December sales record (19,156), up 75 percent versus a year ago. For the full year, Escape sales totaled 173,044, the second-best sales year ever. Ford Edge sales were up 59 percent, and Ford Flex sales were up 73 percent. The all-new Lincoln MKT posted its highest sales to date (858).
* Ford’s F-Series truck had its best sales month since March 2008. F-Series sales in December were 48,209 (up 16 percent), bringing the full-year total to 413,625. F-Series has been America’s best-selling truck for 33 years in a row and America’s best-selling vehicle, car or truck, for 28 years in a row. In 2009, F-Series increased its leadership position among full-size pickups with a 4 percentage-point gain in segment share.
* Transit Connect, Ford’s new versatile, fuel-efficient small commercial van, had its best sales month (1,992) since August.
* Ford’s new EcoBoost engine technology and hybrid vehicles are winning customers, too. December was the best sales month for EcoBoost (1,662), and total EcoBoost sales since introduction now total 4,973. The conquest rate for the Taurus SHO is 60 percent. EcoBoost provides customers up to 20 percent improvement in fuel economy and a 15 percent reduction in emissions versus larger-displacement engines. EcoBoost is standard on the Taurus SHO and available on the Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT.
* December sales of hybrid vehicles totaled 2,843, up 147 percent versus a year ago. Ford hybrid models include the Ford Fusion, Ford Escape, Mercury Milan and Mercury Mariner. For the full year, Ford hybrid sales totaled 33,502, a new record and up 72 percent versus a year ago.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
STUDY: FORD SYNC™ REDUCES DRIVING DISTRACTIONS, HELPS DRIVERS KEEP EYES ON ROAD
A new study shows that Ford’s SYNC hands-free system significantly reduces the level of distraction when drivers select a phone number or choose a song on their MP3 player compared with the same operations with hand-held cell phones and music players.
For example, the research conducted by Ford Motor Company shows study participants spent an average of 25 seconds with their eyes-off-the-road to select a song with a handheld MP3 player compared with 2 seconds for those choosing a song using SYNC.
Ford recently completed a driving simulator study with 25 participants who are regular SYNC users to compare driver performance and eye glance behavior effects of tasks performed using SYNC’s voice interface as compared to using nomadic devices with visual-manual interfaces.
Test participants performed seven typical tasks using SYNC’s voice interface and their personal handheld phones and music players. The tasks included dialing a 10-digit number, calling a specific person from the digital phonebook, receiving a call while driving, playing a specific song, and reviewing and responding to text messages.
For each task, Ford researchers measured total eyes-off-the-road time, deviation of lane position, speed variability, and object detection response time to identify differences in attentiveness and driving performance while using basic functions.
“We know people want to stay connected in their vehicles, so Ford is continuing to deliver that connectivity for them responsibly and safely,” says Susan Cischke, Ford’s group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “Our SYNC research backs up what most of us instinctively know – that it is better while driving to place a call using a voice interface than dialing manually, because you can keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.”
Ford’s researchers found that distraction potential for most tasks was significantly minimized when the SYNC voice interface was used as compared to the manual-entry required for handheld devices. For example, reading a text message on a handheld phone typically took the driver’s eyes off the road for 11 seconds compared to about 2 seconds when listening to the text message with SYNC's text-to-speech output.
Drivers also meandered over lane lines in more than 30 percent of trials using handheld phones and music players for song, artist, and phone book contact selection, as compared to zero percent when performing those same tasks with SYNC.
Ford’s study results are consistent with prior research, such as Virginia Tech and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s recent driving study, which followed 109 drivers for one year, including 42,300 hours of driving over two million miles.
That study concluded that manually dialing a handheld device – a task that requires looks away from the road – while driving was almost 2.8 times riskier than normal driving. However, the on-the-road study showed that talking/listening on a phone while driving was no riskier than normal driving.
“These real-world results indicate that SYNC’s voice-interface offers substantial advantages compared to using a handheld device to do the same task,” says Dr. Louis Tijerina, Ford senior technical specialist.
SYNC success soars
SYNC, which recently earned Popular Mechanics’ Editor’s Choice Award for best new products at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show, allows consumers to connect almost any mobile phone or digital media player with their vehicle (via Bluetooth or USB connection). The driver is able to operate them by using voice commands and a steering wheel-mounted control.
The success of SYNC continues to grow. By summer 2009, Ford’s entire North American lineup will offer this technology with more than 1 million SYNC-equipped vehicles on the road by the third quarter of 2009.
Ford, working with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, helped develop guidelines for new telematics and infotainment systems. The voluntary guidelines set limits to the eyes-off-road time required to complete visual-manual tasks. Even though SYNC is a voice-based system, its visual-manual components covered by the Alliance guidelines were tested to ensure they meet the distraction requirements.
“Ford is committed to addressing driver distraction research and testing, and implementing our findings in safety and advanced infotainment systems throughout our vehicle lines,” says John Shutko, Ford technical specialist in Human Factors and Ergonomics.
“We know that customers are increasingly using telematics devices while driving their vehicles and studies show voice-activated systems like SYNC offer significant safety benefits over hand-held manual devices. If people are going to use nomadic devices, Ford Motor Company wants to offer our customers a safer way to use them, through SYNC.”
SYNC gets more safety, fuel-saving, distraction reducing features
Ford is expanding its connectivity leadership by introducing SYNC’s new 911 Assist feature that adds post-crash emergency assistance, and new traffic updates, directions and related driving information to help drivers save time and fuel while reducing distraction.
SYNC’s new “911 Assist” feature will help drivers connect with emergency assistance in the event of an air-bag deployment. When a phone is properly paired, turned on and connected to SYNC – which is designed to happen every time the driver enters the vehicle with his or her cell phone – the system will be ready to assist in placing a call to a local 911 emergency operator should an air bag-deploying accident occur.
“With SYNC, and specifically with the 911 Assist feature, we will be providing our customers an extra layer of security and peace of mind,” Cischke says.
Ford’s next-generation SYNC with Traffic, Directions and Information features leverages industry-leading voice-recognition software, integrated GPS and Bluetooth-capable phones. Debuting this spring, it will provide simple hands-free access to personalized traffic reports, precise driving directions and up-to-date information including business listings, news, sports and weather.
Customers won’t have to spend significant time with eyes off the road and hands off the wheel searching for this information on their radios, maps or other telematic devices. Driving safety can be improved when customers can retrieve this information quickly and efficiently using simple voice commands.
The new services will be available on nearly all 2010 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models with no initial monthly subscription fees, thanks to three years of service included with a new vehicle purchase.
For example, the research conducted by Ford Motor Company shows study participants spent an average of 25 seconds with their eyes-off-the-road to select a song with a handheld MP3 player compared with 2 seconds for those choosing a song using SYNC.
Ford recently completed a driving simulator study with 25 participants who are regular SYNC users to compare driver performance and eye glance behavior effects of tasks performed using SYNC’s voice interface as compared to using nomadic devices with visual-manual interfaces.
Test participants performed seven typical tasks using SYNC’s voice interface and their personal handheld phones and music players. The tasks included dialing a 10-digit number, calling a specific person from the digital phonebook, receiving a call while driving, playing a specific song, and reviewing and responding to text messages.
For each task, Ford researchers measured total eyes-off-the-road time, deviation of lane position, speed variability, and object detection response time to identify differences in attentiveness and driving performance while using basic functions.
“We know people want to stay connected in their vehicles, so Ford is continuing to deliver that connectivity for them responsibly and safely,” says Susan Cischke, Ford’s group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “Our SYNC research backs up what most of us instinctively know – that it is better while driving to place a call using a voice interface than dialing manually, because you can keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.”
Ford’s researchers found that distraction potential for most tasks was significantly minimized when the SYNC voice interface was used as compared to the manual-entry required for handheld devices. For example, reading a text message on a handheld phone typically took the driver’s eyes off the road for 11 seconds compared to about 2 seconds when listening to the text message with SYNC's text-to-speech output.
Drivers also meandered over lane lines in more than 30 percent of trials using handheld phones and music players for song, artist, and phone book contact selection, as compared to zero percent when performing those same tasks with SYNC.
Ford’s study results are consistent with prior research, such as Virginia Tech and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s recent driving study, which followed 109 drivers for one year, including 42,300 hours of driving over two million miles.
That study concluded that manually dialing a handheld device – a task that requires looks away from the road – while driving was almost 2.8 times riskier than normal driving. However, the on-the-road study showed that talking/listening on a phone while driving was no riskier than normal driving.
“These real-world results indicate that SYNC’s voice-interface offers substantial advantages compared to using a handheld device to do the same task,” says Dr. Louis Tijerina, Ford senior technical specialist.
SYNC success soars
SYNC, which recently earned Popular Mechanics’ Editor’s Choice Award for best new products at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show, allows consumers to connect almost any mobile phone or digital media player with their vehicle (via Bluetooth or USB connection). The driver is able to operate them by using voice commands and a steering wheel-mounted control.
The success of SYNC continues to grow. By summer 2009, Ford’s entire North American lineup will offer this technology with more than 1 million SYNC-equipped vehicles on the road by the third quarter of 2009.
Ford, working with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, helped develop guidelines for new telematics and infotainment systems. The voluntary guidelines set limits to the eyes-off-road time required to complete visual-manual tasks. Even though SYNC is a voice-based system, its visual-manual components covered by the Alliance guidelines were tested to ensure they meet the distraction requirements.
“Ford is committed to addressing driver distraction research and testing, and implementing our findings in safety and advanced infotainment systems throughout our vehicle lines,” says John Shutko, Ford technical specialist in Human Factors and Ergonomics.
“We know that customers are increasingly using telematics devices while driving their vehicles and studies show voice-activated systems like SYNC offer significant safety benefits over hand-held manual devices. If people are going to use nomadic devices, Ford Motor Company wants to offer our customers a safer way to use them, through SYNC.”
SYNC gets more safety, fuel-saving, distraction reducing features
Ford is expanding its connectivity leadership by introducing SYNC’s new 911 Assist feature that adds post-crash emergency assistance, and new traffic updates, directions and related driving information to help drivers save time and fuel while reducing distraction.
SYNC’s new “911 Assist” feature will help drivers connect with emergency assistance in the event of an air-bag deployment. When a phone is properly paired, turned on and connected to SYNC – which is designed to happen every time the driver enters the vehicle with his or her cell phone – the system will be ready to assist in placing a call to a local 911 emergency operator should an air bag-deploying accident occur.
“With SYNC, and specifically with the 911 Assist feature, we will be providing our customers an extra layer of security and peace of mind,” Cischke says.
Ford’s next-generation SYNC with Traffic, Directions and Information features leverages industry-leading voice-recognition software, integrated GPS and Bluetooth-capable phones. Debuting this spring, it will provide simple hands-free access to personalized traffic reports, precise driving directions and up-to-date information including business listings, news, sports and weather.
Customers won’t have to spend significant time with eyes off the road and hands off the wheel searching for this information on their radios, maps or other telematic devices. Driving safety can be improved when customers can retrieve this information quickly and efficiently using simple voice commands.
The new services will be available on nearly all 2010 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models with no initial monthly subscription fees, thanks to three years of service included with a new vehicle purchase.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
FORD SWEEPS N.A. CAR AND TRUCK OF THE YEAR AWARDS
DETROIT, Jan. 11, 2010 – Ford Motor Company scored a historic doubleheader today, capturing both the North American Car of the Year and North American Truck of the Year awards for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and 2010 Ford Transit Connect, respectively, at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). It is only the third time in 17 years that one manufacturer has won both titles.
“Winning both of these prestigious awards is confirmation that the ONE Ford plan is working, delivering industry-leading products for our customers,” said Mark Fields, president of The Americas.
The North American Car and Truck of the Year awards recognize vehicles based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. A jury of 49 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.
2010 Ford Transit Connect
The Fusion Hybrid edged out finalists including the Buick LaCrosse and Volkswagen Golf/GTI to win the North American Car of the Year award. It is the fourth hybrid vehicle in 17 years to win recognition as North American Car (or Truck) of the Year. It also is the second hybrid win for Ford – the most hybrid wins for any automaker. The Ford Escape Hybrid was named North American Truck of the Year in 2005.
The Transit Connect bested finalists including the Chevrolet Equinox and Subaru Outback to win the North American Truck of the Year award. It is the sixth Ford truck to win the award – the most wins of any automaker in the 17-year history of the awards program. It also is the second year in a row that Ford has captured the title. Last year, top honors went to the 2009 Ford F-150.
Fusion Hybrid a winner out of the gate
The North American Car of the Year award is the latest in an impressive string of awards and accolades for the Fusion Hybrid. Most recently, the vehicle was honored as CAR and DRIVER Magazine’s “10Best” Cars for 2010, one of AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s 2010 All-Stars, and the entire Fusion lineup captured the acclaimed MOTOR TREND Car of the Year® award.
The all-new Fusion Hybrid arrived in dealers in March, complete with a powertrain system that combines the best attributes of the gasoline engine and electric battery-driven motors to deliver the optimal experience for the customer in terms of driving performance and fuel economy.
The Fusion Hybrid also offers drivers a way to be more connected to the hybrid driving experience thanks to Ford’s SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide, a unique instrument cluster execution that helps coach them on how to optimize the performance of their hybrid.
Other class-exclusive technologies and features that set the Fusion Hybrid apart from the competition include Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®), Ford SYNC®, SIRIUS Travel Link™ and more total passenger and luggage capacity than the Toyota Camry.
Despite the slump in overall industry sales, 2009 was a record-breaking year for the Ford Fusion. Sales are at an all-time high, with the Fusion Hybrid accounting for almost 20 percent of total Fusion retail sales. Perhaps even more significant, more than 60 percent of Fusion Hybrid sales have been to customers coming from import brands – mostly Toyota and Honda.
Awards and accolades for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid include:
* MOTOR TREND Car of the Year Award
* One of CAR and DRIVER Magazine’s “10Best” Cars for 2010
* One of AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s 2010 All-Stars
* 2009 “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
* 2009 Ward’s Interior of the Year Special Achievement Award for Best Graphic Display for SmartGauge with EcoGuide digital instrument cluster
* Great Car for the Long-haul Salesman by Kelley Blue Book kbb.com
* One of America’s Top 40 New Cars by MOTOR TREND magazine
* Rated the No. 1 Hybrid Family Sedan by CAR and DRIVER in a recent comparison test by the magazine
* 2009 and 2010 Editors Choice for Fuel Sipper by CAR and DRIVER Magazine
* Best Hybrid for the Money in the Midsize Car segment by cars.com
* One of 2009 Top 10 Green Cars by Kelley Blue Book kbb.com
* The Detroit News Readers’ Choice Award for “Best Value”
* 2010 Consumers Digest Best Buy
* Detroit Free Press 2010 Car of the Year
* 2010 Most Environmentally Progressive Car of the Year by Earth, Wind & Power
* 10 Best Engine by Ward’s Auto World
The 2010 Fusion Hybrid is built at Ford’s Hermosillo (Mexico) Stamping and Assembly Plant.
Transit Connect fills unmet needs of small businesses and fleets
The Transit Connect was brought to the U.S. to fulfill the unmet needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs, offering them a new vehicle choice with significantly improved fuel economy, generous and accessible cargo space, and the agility and maneuverability to operate in crowded urban areas.
Powered by a 2.0-liter I-4 engine with a four-speed automatic overdrive transmission, the
Transit Connect offers double the fuel economy of full-size vans, delivering an EPA-estimated 22 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.
The Transit Connect also has more than double the cargo-carrying capacity of the Chevrolet HHR Panel, making it suitable for a broader range of commercial-use applications. And it offers commercial users a cargo payload of up to 1,600 pounds – a larger payload than the full-size Dodge Ram 1500 standard-cab short-box pickup truck.
The Transit Connect also is available with the industry-exclusive Ford Work Solutions™, a suite of affordable technologies that provides customers with connectivity, flexibility, visibility and security to better run key aspects of their business.
On Transit Connect, Ford Work Solutions delivers three innovative features:
* A wireless in-dash computer that provides full high-speed Internet access, Bluetooth-enabled hands-free calling and navigation. The system also allows customers to print invoices, check inventories 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 system that enables customers to maintain detailed real-time inventory of the tools or equipment.
* Crew Chief™, a fleet tracking, telematics and diagnostics system that provides dynamic location and performance data fleet owners need to more efficiently manage their vehicles, quickly dispatch workers to job sites, monitor driver performance for safety and economy, and keep detailed vehicle maintenance records.
Awards and accolades for the 2010 Ford Transit Connect include:
* 2010 Editors Choice for Vans by CAR and DRIVER Magazine
* Detroit Free Press 2010 Truck of the Year
* The Detroit News 2010 Truck of the Year
* 2010 Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Award for Best Workhorse Vehicle
* A Great Car for the Small Business Delivery/Utility Worker by Kelley Blue Book kbb.com
The 2010 Ford Transit Connect is built at the Ford Otosan Kocaeli Plant in Kocaeli, Turkey.
“Winning both of these prestigious awards is confirmation that the ONE Ford plan is working, delivering industry-leading products for our customers,” said Mark Fields, president of The Americas.
The North American Car and Truck of the Year awards recognize vehicles based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. A jury of 49 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.
2010 Ford Transit Connect
The Fusion Hybrid edged out finalists including the Buick LaCrosse and Volkswagen Golf/GTI to win the North American Car of the Year award. It is the fourth hybrid vehicle in 17 years to win recognition as North American Car (or Truck) of the Year. It also is the second hybrid win for Ford – the most hybrid wins for any automaker. The Ford Escape Hybrid was named North American Truck of the Year in 2005.
The Transit Connect bested finalists including the Chevrolet Equinox and Subaru Outback to win the North American Truck of the Year award. It is the sixth Ford truck to win the award – the most wins of any automaker in the 17-year history of the awards program. It also is the second year in a row that Ford has captured the title. Last year, top honors went to the 2009 Ford F-150.
Fusion Hybrid a winner out of the gate
The North American Car of the Year award is the latest in an impressive string of awards and accolades for the Fusion Hybrid. Most recently, the vehicle was honored as CAR and DRIVER Magazine’s “10Best” Cars for 2010, one of AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s 2010 All-Stars, and the entire Fusion lineup captured the acclaimed MOTOR TREND Car of the Year® award.
The all-new Fusion Hybrid arrived in dealers in March, complete with a powertrain system that combines the best attributes of the gasoline engine and electric battery-driven motors to deliver the optimal experience for the customer in terms of driving performance and fuel economy.
The Fusion Hybrid also offers drivers a way to be more connected to the hybrid driving experience thanks to Ford’s SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide, a unique instrument cluster execution that helps coach them on how to optimize the performance of their hybrid.
Other class-exclusive technologies and features that set the Fusion Hybrid apart from the competition include Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®), Ford SYNC®, SIRIUS Travel Link™ and more total passenger and luggage capacity than the Toyota Camry.
Despite the slump in overall industry sales, 2009 was a record-breaking year for the Ford Fusion. Sales are at an all-time high, with the Fusion Hybrid accounting for almost 20 percent of total Fusion retail sales. Perhaps even more significant, more than 60 percent of Fusion Hybrid sales have been to customers coming from import brands – mostly Toyota and Honda.
Awards and accolades for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid include:
* MOTOR TREND Car of the Year Award
* One of CAR and DRIVER Magazine’s “10Best” Cars for 2010
* One of AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s 2010 All-Stars
* 2009 “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
* 2009 Ward’s Interior of the Year Special Achievement Award for Best Graphic Display for SmartGauge with EcoGuide digital instrument cluster
* Great Car for the Long-haul Salesman by Kelley Blue Book kbb.com
* One of America’s Top 40 New Cars by MOTOR TREND magazine
* Rated the No. 1 Hybrid Family Sedan by CAR and DRIVER in a recent comparison test by the magazine
* 2009 and 2010 Editors Choice for Fuel Sipper by CAR and DRIVER Magazine
* Best Hybrid for the Money in the Midsize Car segment by cars.com
* One of 2009 Top 10 Green Cars by Kelley Blue Book kbb.com
* The Detroit News Readers’ Choice Award for “Best Value”
* 2010 Consumers Digest Best Buy
* Detroit Free Press 2010 Car of the Year
* 2010 Most Environmentally Progressive Car of the Year by Earth, Wind & Power
* 10 Best Engine by Ward’s Auto World
The 2010 Fusion Hybrid is built at Ford’s Hermosillo (Mexico) Stamping and Assembly Plant.
Transit Connect fills unmet needs of small businesses and fleets
The Transit Connect was brought to the U.S. to fulfill the unmet needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs, offering them a new vehicle choice with significantly improved fuel economy, generous and accessible cargo space, and the agility and maneuverability to operate in crowded urban areas.
Powered by a 2.0-liter I-4 engine with a four-speed automatic overdrive transmission, the
Transit Connect offers double the fuel economy of full-size vans, delivering an EPA-estimated 22 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.
The Transit Connect also has more than double the cargo-carrying capacity of the Chevrolet HHR Panel, making it suitable for a broader range of commercial-use applications. And it offers commercial users a cargo payload of up to 1,600 pounds – a larger payload than the full-size Dodge Ram 1500 standard-cab short-box pickup truck.
The Transit Connect also is available with the industry-exclusive Ford Work Solutions™, a suite of affordable technologies that provides customers with connectivity, flexibility, visibility and security to better run key aspects of their business.
On Transit Connect, Ford Work Solutions delivers three innovative features:
* A wireless in-dash computer that provides full high-speed Internet access, Bluetooth-enabled hands-free calling and navigation. The system also allows customers to print invoices, check inventories 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 system that enables customers to maintain detailed real-time inventory of the tools or equipment.
* Crew Chief™, a fleet tracking, telematics and diagnostics system that provides dynamic location and performance data fleet owners need to more efficiently manage their vehicles, quickly dispatch workers to job sites, monitor driver performance for safety and economy, and keep detailed vehicle maintenance records.
Awards and accolades for the 2010 Ford Transit Connect include:
* 2010 Editors Choice for Vans by CAR and DRIVER Magazine
* Detroit Free Press 2010 Truck of the Year
* The Detroit News 2010 Truck of the Year
* 2010 Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Award for Best Workhorse Vehicle
* A Great Car for the Small Business Delivery/Utility Worker by Kelley Blue Book kbb.com
The 2010 Ford Transit Connect is built at the Ford Otosan Kocaeli Plant in Kocaeli, Turkey.
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