KBB.COM AWARD FOR FORD

kbb.com: New car buyers most impressed with Ford image. Ford has been honored with two 2011 Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards, which recognize the outstanding achievements of automakers in creating and maintaining brand attributes that capture the attention and enthusiasm of car buyers. Ford earned top honors for Best Exterior Design for Non-Luxury vehicles and again ruled the Most Rugged Truck Brand category. Kbb.com editors said Ford’s increasing sales are evidence “the American public has proven they like what they see.” And for three years running, the best-selling vehicle in the country – F-150 – is the people’s choice for toughest truck in America.

Ford's New Fuel Efficent Truck Motors

A Great Pickup Line: Ford Delivers Best Fuel Economy, Best Power, Best Capability and Best Value

•2011 Ford F-150 and Ranger cited by the EPA as most fuel-efficient trucks
•From small to extra large, Ford pickups – Ranger, F-150 and Super Duty – each deliver an unbeatable combination of outstanding value, capability and now fuel economy
•Ford’s two new V6 truck engines are a hit with customers, going from zero percent of sales mix to more than 35 percent of total sales in just four months. 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost™ is the fastest-turning truck in the entire Ford F-Series lineup

Ford
3.5-liter EcoBoost
16/22 mpg,
18 mpg combined
best-in-class

Ford
5.0-liter V8
15/21 mpg,
17 mpg combined
best-in-class highway

New Engines from Ford

Ford Engines Are Getting Smaller, While Fuel Economy and Horsepower Are Growing

"Ford Engines Are Getting Smaller, While Fuel Economy and Horsepower Are GrowingFord engineers are creating a new generation of global engines that use advanced technology – not more cylinders – to enhance performance
Ford’s new engines are the most fuel efficient and powerful in the company’s 107-year history

Ford is leading the way in the transformation of the automobile engine around the world. For most of Ford’s 107 years, engineers have answered the call for higher horsepower and more torque with larger, heavier and thirstier engines. But the company’s 2006 commitment to lead or be among the leaders in fuel economy in every sales segment has changed the way Ford designs its engines.

The advanced technologies adopted and enhanced by Ford’s engine development team – EcoBoost™, twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) and direct injection, for example – have made the old saying “There’s no replacement for displacement” as obsolete as the carburetor.

For consumers, horsepower per liter is as important as the speed of an Internet connection – the higher the number, the better the performance"


For consumers, horsepower per liter is as important as the speed of an Internet connection – the higher the number, the better the performance.

Two of America’s favorite vehicles, the Ford Mustang and Ford F-Series, now provide the most dramatic examples of how that is not the case, and how new, smaller-displacement engines are delivering levels of performance that in the past could only be obtained with much larger engines.

•The optional 6.8-liter V10 engine in the 2011 F-Series Super Duty is rated at 305 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. F-150’s EcoBoost 3.5-liter engine – with about half the displacement – delivers 365 horsepower and the same 420 lb.-ft. of torque. The horsepower per liter of the V10 is 38.125 compared with more than 127 for the 3.5-liter
•The 2011 Mustang coupe has a 3.7-liter V6 engine rated at 305 horsepower and delivers as much as 31 mpg highway, according to the 2011 EPA Fuel Economy Guide. The 3.7-liter replaced a 210-horsepower 4.0-liter V6 that was EPA-rated at 26 mpg highway. The 2011 Mustang Coupe is the first car in history to have a 300-plus-horsepower engine rated at 30 mpg or more. It also delivers 0-to-60 times of around six seconds

These new engines are part of nine all-new or significantly revamped engines Ford began launching in 2010. And they are helping make the 2011 Ford and Lincoln lineup the most fuel efficient in the company’s 107-year history.

Ford and Lincoln showrooms today are filled with an industry-best dozen vehicles that lead or are among the leaders in their sales segments for fuel economy. Four vehicles carry an EPA-certified rating of 40 mpg or higher, also best in the industry.

“From Fiesta to Super Duty, Ford has invested a record amount in new engines, transmissions and cutting-edge technologies to meet our commitment to lead or be among the leaders in fuel economy in every segment in which we compete,” said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president of powertrain engineering.

“Though we have made great strides, our work in improving fuel economy is not done and never will be. We have to deliver a fuel economy gain of about 10 percent every three years from now on. Expect further improvements to our EcoBoost system, three-cylinder engines and our Auto Start-Stop system launched now in Europe and soon to be installed in North American vehicles,” he added.

More new engines on the way
The next smaller but more powerful engines coming from Ford are two new four-cylinder EcoBoost engines already proving popular in Europe. First up is the new 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder slated for later this year in Edge and the all-new Explorer. Then comes a frugal 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine for the C-MAX multi-activity vehicle.

In the 2010 Explorer, the smallest engine available was a 4.0-liter V6 rated at 210 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque. In the all-new Explorer, the 2.0-liter Ford EcoBoost engine will be the smallest engine, yet it delivers 237 horsepower – 27 more than the old engine – and about the same torque, 245 lb.-ft. The 2.0-liter Explorer is projected to deliver best-in-class fuel economy.

“The 2012 Ford Explorer with EcoBoost is going to mark a new era in smaller-displacement SUVs, offering more power than the previous 4.0-liter V6 with a really remarkable improvement in fuel economy,” said Greg Johnson, manager of North American power packs. “Similarly, Edge with EcoBoost and C-MAX with the EcoBoost 1.6 will both serve to redefine customers’ opinions about smaller-displacement engines.”

Although the Ford EcoBoost 2.0-liter is the smallest engine ever offered in Explorer – and the first four-cylinder – drivers likely will not notice the two fewer cylinders. “It’s got the efficiency of a small gasoline I-4 when cruising,” explains Johnson, “because that’s fundamentally what it is. But when you need that extra muscle for passing or accelerating, the turbocharger provides a diesel-like reserve of torque without the drawbacks – like higher weight, slower engine speeds and, at least in the States, higher fuel cost – of a diesel engine.”

For most consumers, all it takes is a test drive to convince them smaller engines can deliver the goods.

“Most everyone who has driven the EcoBoost F-150 has been converted,” explains Jim Mazuchowski, Ford V6 engine manager. “Once our customers move past the idea of ‘only’ having six cylinders, and begin to think of our EcoBoost V6 as a gas-powered engine with diesel-type capability and characteristics, the excitement begins to build. Twin turbochargers and direct injection give the EcoBoost F-150 the broad, flat torque curve that makes towing with a diesel so effortless – and hard acceleration so much fun.”

KBB.com says Ford is most sought after Brand

KBB.com: Ford Again the Most Sought-after BrandThe latest Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch study shows Ford has reclaimed the No. 1 spot as the most considered automotive brand overall for new car shoppers. And Ford is back on top in a big way, with a significant lead over second-place Toyota/Chevrolet and third-place Honda. “With enticing products offered in nearly every segment and an emphasis on forward-thinking technology like SYNC® and MyFord Touch™, Ford is dominating the shopping lists of many new car buyers,” said Jack R. Nerad, kbb.com’s executive editorial director and executive market analyst. kbb.com shoppers’ opinions are leading indicators of future new car sales, and the study shows that in the fourth quarter of 2010, durability/reliability, fuel efficiency, driving comfort, and performance and safety ranked as the top five most important factors in their search for a new vehicle.

2012 Focus Technologies: Active Park Assist (European Ad Version)

2012 Focus Technologies: Active Grille Shutters

2012 Focus Technologies: Kinetic Design

2012 Focus Technologies: Kinetic Design

2012 Focus Technologies: Active Grille Shutters

2012 Focus Technologies: Active Grille Shutters

• All-New Ford Focus Officially Certified at 40 MPG
  with Features, Technology Competitors Can’t Match
  
  
  •The all-new Ford Focus is certified by the EPA at 40 mpg highway with a six-speed automatic transmission, which is overwhelmingly preferred by American drivers
  •Ford Motor Company now has four nameplates with an EPA-certified rating of 40 mpg or higher, more than any other full-line manufacturer
  •The outstanding fuel economy of the Ford Focus is complemented by available class-exclusive technology and features usually found only on larger cars
  •Ford data show that fuel economy is the No. 1 purchase reason for Ford Focus customers
  
  
  Fuel economy
  city/highway
  
  Ford Focus SE - 28/40
  
  Honda Civic - 25/36
  
  Mazda 3 - 24/33
  
  Toyota Corolla - 26/34
  
  Volkswagen Jetta - 24/31
  
  Chevrolet Cruze Eco - 26/37
  
  Hyundai Elantra - 29/40
  

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 15, 2011 – Ford Motor Company and Grammy® Award-winning producer Don Was have announced the culmination of their seven-month competition, titled “Gimme the Gig,” sponsored by the 2011 Ford Fiesta. The grand prize-winning band will be chosen during a live performance taking place Thursday, Feb. 17, at the world-famous Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles.

The live concert event will showcase performances by the seven top-voted up-and-coming bands selected from a pool of 2,500 total applicants during a seven-month-long competition launched on June 1, 2010. Legendary Grammy Award-winning producer Don Was will host the competition. The concert will also stream live online at the contest’s official website, www.gimmethegig.com.

“Gimme the Gig was a natural complement to the launch of Ford Fiesta because of the demographic of start-up bands and Fiesta’s association with music, such as American Idol and the SYNC AppLink feature,” said Tom Grill, U.S. Western Ford Market Area sales and marketing manager. “The promotion has exceeded our expectations in the number of participants and awareness for Fiesta in the western states.”

The grand prize gives the winning band the opportunity to work with Was and have two original tracks produced by the legendary producer. Also included is production, studio fees, remixing and engineering. The band will also retain ownership rights to its two recordings.

More than 250,000 people participated online during the competition from across the country. The finalists, who were announced last week on the official website and Facebook, include Eyeshine (Granada Hills, Calif.), Jake Newton (Los Angeles), Lost in Atlantis (Phoenix), Lost Point (Littleton, Colo.), Perry Acker (Gig Harbor, Wash.), Roosevelt Radio (Oakland, Calif.) and Wooster (Santa Cruz, Calif.).

The competition called for video submissions from bands to perform original songs. Voting online narrowed down the bands to the top five and two “wild cards.” Fans were treated to live performances that took place in 75 West Coast locations. Each location was staged as a “Fiesta Lounge” to coincide with the launch of the 2011 Ford Fiesta.

Concert details:
Who: Don Was and the seven Gimme the Gig finalist bands
What: Live concert where winner of contest will be chosen
When: Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011 at 7 p.m. PT
Where: Whiskey A Go Go
8901 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, Calif., 90069
Extra: Live streaming on www.gimmethegig.com

About Don Was:
Don Was is a Grammy Award winning record producer, musician and bassist who most recently produced the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street released in May. He recently finished working on the Stone Temple Pilots' album.