Sometimes the Choices are So Good You Can’t Pick Just One

The 2010 Ford Flex and the award-winning 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid have been named 2010 All-Stars by AUTOMOBILE Magazine, one of America’s leading automotive lifestyle publications.

The AUTOMOBILE Magazine All-Stars are chosen by the AUTOMOBILE Magazine staff, its worldwide bureau chiefs and its contributors, following an intensive test drive of the year’s most innovative and important new cars. Winners are selected based on design, value and performance, driving enjoyment and the vehicle’s ability to redefine an existing category or create a new market segment.

The 2010 Ford Flex: Turning heads today and tomorrow
This year marks the second consecutive win for the Ford Flex. Last year, AUTOMOBILE Magazine described the 2009 model as a “class act among people movers.”

In addition to being named one of AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s 2010 All-Stars, the 2010 Ford Flex was recently singled out for the 2009 “Collectible Vehicle of the Future” award from the Friends of the National Automotive History Collection (NAHC). Members of the organization, which supports the world-famous automotive collection at the Detroit Public Library, predict Flex will be the vehicle most likely to turn heads at the Woodward Dream Cruise of 2034. Ford’s unique crossover has been turning heads since its introduction in 2007.

For 2010, the Flex offers outstanding fuel economy in the full-size crossover segment with 17 mpg city/24 highway and an unsurpassed 20 mpg combined. It also offers a twin-turbocharged, direct-injected 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine, an auto-fold 60/40 second-row split bench seat, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel and the Ford-exclusive MyKey™ technology, which allows owners to program a maximum top speed – and radio volume – to encourage safe operation by teen drivers.

Banner year for 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
2009 has been a banner year for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. In addition to being named one of AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s 2010 All-Stars, America’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan was honored as one of CAR and DRIVER magazine’s “10Best” cars for 2010, and the entire Fusion lineup captured the prestigious MOTOR TREND Car of the Year award. The Fusion Hybrid also is a finalist for North American Car of the Year.

Despite the slump in overall industry sales, Fusion sales are at an all-time high for 2009, with the Fusion Hybrid accounting for almost 20 percent of total Fusion retail sales. And more than 60 percent of Fusion sales have been to customers coming from import brands – mostly Toyota and Honda.

Additional awards and accolades for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid include:

• “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
• Named 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
• Named 2009 Editors Choice for Fuel Sipper by CAR and DRIVER
• Named Best Hybrid for the Money in the Midsize Car segment by cars.com
• Named one of 2009 Top 10 Green Cars by Kelley Blue Book kbb.com
• Earned The Detroit News Readers’ Choice Award for “Best Value”

Quotes
“The level of excellence found during our annual All-Stars competition was at an all-time high and the competition was strong, despite the auto industry coming off its worst year in recent history. We whittled down a list of 39 finalists to the 10 All-Stars, and the end results produced a list of true standouts.”
– Jean Jennings, President and Editor-in-chief of AUTOMOBILE Magazine

“For 2010, Ford has equipped the Flex with its much-anticipated EcoBoost™ engine, thereby addressing the Flex’s only weakness – power – and effectively transforming it from a well-rounded family hauler into a large sport wagon. The Flex is unique in a market brimming with compromised, look-alike utility vehicles and is one of the best-handling full-size crossovers on the market.”
– Jean Jennings, President and Editor-in-chief of AUTOMOBILE Magazine

“Its very ordinariness is what makes the Fusion Hybrid an AUTOMOBILE Magazine All-Star. The Fusion Hybrid is not a performance machine, but neither does it feel hobbled or inadequate for daily driving. Perhaps the best thing about it is that, apart from the LCD color screens, you might never know you’re driving a hybrid.”
– Jean Jennings, President and Editor-in-chief of AUTOMOBILE Magazine

Say Goodbye to Pet Peeve #10

Does the sight of a blinker flashing on the car in front of you for miles and miles drive you crazy? You’re not the only one.

This annoying habit is so frustrating to drivers that it made the “Top 10 Driving Pet Peeves” list by a leading vehicle insurance company, which surveyed thousands of drivers nationwide. Nicknamed Morse Coders in the survey, these drivers often cruise for miles without realizing their blinker is on. Meanwhile, they are annoying everyone behind them.

Most annoying driving habits:

1. Distracted drivers talking on cell phones (28.5 percent)

2. Slow drivers in the fast lane (21.6 percent)

3. Pushy drivers who tailgate (18.1 percent)

4. Drivers who weave through traffic to gain one or two car lengths (12.5 percent)

5. Obnoxious drivers who speed up to keep you from changing lanes (5.5 percent)

6. Hasty drivers who change lanes without signaling (4.9 percent)

7. Road Rage (2.7 percent)

8. Motorcyclists who race down the middle of a lane, between cars (2.1 percent)

9. Women applying makeup and men shaving (1.7 percent)

10. Drivers who leave their turn signal on for miles (0.92 percent)

Source: Hagerty Insurance

Coming this summer on the 2011 Ford Fiesta
Ford’s three-blink lane change technology is simplifying the way drivers maneuver on the road. With a simple flick of the switch – either up or down, depending on which lane the driver is moving into – the turn indicator will blink three times and automatically shut off. The switch can be held in the lane change position longer for additional blinks beyond the three minimum.

To engage the turn signal, drivers move the switch into the standard position, one more press past the lane change mode.

For motorists who drive behind the Morse Coders, this is welcome news: “Driving behind a car that’s blink, blink, blinking is enough of a driver annoyance that we’re putting the technology in our full Ford line going forward,” said Murphy. “Customers say this is confusing – and it bugs them. So we’re doing something about it.”

Going on sale in the summer of 2010, the all-new Ford Fiesta is among the first vehicles in the Ford lineup to receive the new three-blink technology. The “annoyance avoidance” feature is yet another technology going into the expressive, fun-to-drive Fiesta that makes perfect sense.

With a projected best-in-class highway fuel economy of 40 mpg, Fiesta is designed to be versatile, personal and adaptable. In fact, Fiesta is expected to deliver best-in-class safety, convenience and connectivity with segment-exclusive SYNC® voice-activated communications system, an expressive color palette and available graphics.

The 2011 Ford Super Duty is also set to receive the three-blink turn signal technology when it goes on sale in 2010.

Quotes
“Most drivers have found themselves behind cars that have their signals on after changing lanes. This can be confusing because there is no way of knowing if the signal is a real indication of an upcoming turn or not. To reduce this confusion, drivers want vehicles to automatically disengage the turn signal after making a lane change.”
– Jim Thomas, Senior Vice President of RDA Group

“This allows the driver to let go of the switch and concentrate on driving. Instead of holding down the switch, they can give a quick tap, show a three-blink warning that they are about to merge and change lanes. It’s that simple.”
– John Murphy, Ford Core Switch Product Engineer

Eightball… Corner Pocket, er, Driver’s Side Headlight

From Mustang pool tables, children’s T-shirts and remote-controlled Raptor pickups, Ford is cueing up a sleigh full of gift items that are just in time for the last-minute holiday shopper.

Ford’s new line of licensed items will fit every budget – from $15 to $15,000. There’s a high-end Mustang pool table, a children’s line of JCPenney T-shirts, a 2010 Mustang calendar and even a dog collar with a seat belt buckle latch and matching leash.

The Mustang pool table is molded from a 1965 Mustang and can be ordered in any paint color. Complete with working lights, alloy rims and wheels and chrome decals, bumpers and hardware, this high-end Mustang replica looks like the real thing. The pool table can be ordered online at www.mustangpooltable.com or over the phone by calling 727.827.8268; it costs $14,995.

Two new styles of children’s T-shirts are available for $15.99 at JCPenney stores nationwide. One T-shirt, a Super Duty design, features a dump truck; the other has a Ford tractor with the phrase “Playin’ Dirty!” on it.

For those last-minute stocking stuffers, a 2010 Mustang wall calendar will help you keep track of your days, while showcasing the ever-popular pony car. With 13 pictures, covering the 1964-1/2 model to the 2010 Mustang, nothing was forgotten. The calendar can be ordered online from www.thetimefactory.com for $6.99.

And of course, we can’t forget our furry friends. Dog collars and leashes round out the selection of last-minute gifts for the holiday season. Logos available include Ford Trucks, Mustang, the Blue Oval™ and Built Ford Tough®. The collar retails for $25 and even comes with a miniature seat belt buckle that releases with the push of a button. The leash costs $22, and can be purchased online from www.beltsdirect.com.

For more last-minute holiday gift needs, check out www.fordmarket.com for other Ford-licensed merchandise.

Quotes
“People are sharing their passion for Mustang, F-150 and other Ford vehicles with our great line of toys and other gifts. We’ve already sold thousands of the Raptor remote-controlled trucks – a great example of how a niche truck can create a big halo.”
– John Nens, Ford Global Brand Licensing Manager

Corrections/Clarifications – December 27, 2009 at 15:32

The Blue Oval Has Gone Hollywood

Leaping into the world of virtual engineering, Ford Motor Company now employs the same type of motion-capture technology used to create films like “Avatar,” “Lord of the Rings” and “Shrek” to design vehicles that are more comfortable and enjoyable to drive.

Motion-capture, a technology that digitally captures movement, is used by Hollywood computer animators and video game designers to make nonhuman characters appear more lifelike. Ford uses the technology to create realistic digital humans that engineers use to test vehicles in the virtual world. Ford is the only automaker to use motion-capture software in this way for vehicle design.

Capturing motion in movies and cars
One of the newest ways Ford is using motion-capture technology is through a system called Human Occupant Package Simulator (HOPS), which combines motion-capture software with a special test vehicle to measure and evaluate body motion.

A human test subject is outfitted with up to 50 motion-capture sensors. The test subject performs a series of movements, such as swinging a leg outside of the vehicle or reaching for the seat belt. The markers record trajectories of the test subject’s movements. The recordings are then loaded into a database to create digital human models.

Ford engineers use the digital human models to evaluate movement using different virtual vehicle design proposals from a small car to a full-size pickup truck. The system also can be reconfigured to represent the driver and the front, second or even third-row passenger compartments.

The HOPS motion-capture technology allows engineers to apply a more scientific approach to understanding how people interact with vehicles.

Creating a holistic experience
Ford also is applying motion-capture animation software to improve real-life driving situations before the first prototype is even built. In Ford’s Immersive Virtual Evaluation (iVE) lab, engineers create virtual vehicles complete with exterior views with buildings, intersections and pedestrians.

Two specialized tools used in the iVE lab are the Cave Automated Virtual Environment (CAVE) and the Programmable Vehicle Model (PVM).

The CAVE is a room where images are projected in stereo onto three walls and the ceiling to generate real-time, virtual vehicle interiors and exteriors at actual scale. When you look around, you can see virtually everything inside and outside of a vehicle that is still only a design in a computer.

The PVM, an adjustable physical device that can be scaled to the actual dimensions of a car or truck, provides an even greater realistic experience by adding the element of touch.

Both virtual design tools help Ford improve the design aesthetics, engineering and ergonomics of its cars and trucks. They also enable the company to bring products to market faster and more cost effectively.

Quotes
“Just like in the movies, we hook people up with sensors to understand exactly how they move when they are interacting with their vehicles. Once we have all that motion captured, we create virtual humans that we can use to run thousands of tests that help us understand how people of all sizes and shapes interact with all kinds of vehicle designs. It’s an incredibly efficient way of engineering tomorrow’s vehicles.”
– Gary Strumolo, Manager, Ford Research and Engineering

“Comfort or discomfort is inherently a subjective measure. For a given vehicle, some people will say it’s comfortable to get in, while others may say just the opposite. The challenge is to find out why people feel that way and how we can change the design to improve the perception. Before HOPS, the only way to evaluate a given design was to have people get into a vehicle and tell us how they liked it. This took lots of time and guesswork. Now we can couple this subjective appraisal with objective measurements of their arms, legs and head movements, along with muscular efforts to quantify movement mathematically. Our design teams use the data as a guide for developing a variety of vehicle platforms that provide optimal comfort, regardless of a person’s size or shape.”
– Nanxin Wang, Ford Technical Leader

“This technology enables us to evaluate many vehicle exterior and interior alternatives in a virtual environment from any location – in the driver’s seat or hundreds of feet away from the vehicle – with animated characters and vehicles. We set up key dimensions – steering wheel, gas, brake, center stack, etc. – and then we put the virtual world around that physical model. Instead of being in a room, you’re actually sitting in a representation of the vehicle. You can touch and feel most everything, but what you’re looking at is digital.”
– Elizabeth Baron, Technical Specialist in Virtual Reality and Advanced Visualization at Ford

Someone Needs a New Trophy Case – A Big One!

Ford is celebrating a year of success for its best-selling small car, recently collecting the 26th major European honor for the Ford Fiesta in Bucharest – the Romanian Car of the Year award.

Over the past 12 months, the Ford Fiesta has been lauded across the globe, winning over 70 prestigious awards in 14 countries and regions to date – Australia, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Germany, Indonesia, Slovenia, Spain, Russia, Scotland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Catalonia. In China alone, the Ford Fiesta has collected an astonishing 44 accolades so far! (See the list.)

Car of the Year
The awards have included national and individual publications’ overall Car of the Year awards and best supermini and B-segment honors – all awarded for the Fiesta’s all-round qualities. Other awards have been for Fiesta’s design or manufacturing excellence, and several for the Fiesta’s impressive environmental performance, most notably for the sub 100g/km CO2 Ford Fiesta ECOnetic model.
The large number of accolades the car has received highlights how well it has been received by the global media.
More importantly though, is the success new Fiesta has met with from customers, with over 540,000 examples sold since the car was launched just over a year ago. Of those, over 492,000 sales have been in Europe, where Ford Fiesta is the No.2 best-selling car overall, and the No.1 top-seller in its segment year-to-date.

Quotes
“We are extremely proud of the latest Fiesta model both in terms of what it has achieved and what it represents. The Fiesta is one of the vehicles that are key to how Ford Motor Company is transforming itself globally. We’re delighted that so many car buyers have chosen it, and that so many opinion formers have acknowledged its many strengths.”
– John Fleming, Chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe

“With the Ford Fiesta continuing its global rollout in North America in early 2010, we hope it is only a matter of time before our best-selling car adds to its impressive collection of accolades.”
– John Fleming, Chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe

What’s Hot for 2010?

Remember when having a rear-seat DVD entertainment system in your car made your family the coolest on the block? That’s so five minutes ago. These days, on-board infotainment options aren’t limited to a movie and its bonus features – it’s all about connectivity to the outside world.

That’s why Ford Motor Company will turn vehicles into rolling WiFi hot spots when it introduces the second generation of its popular SYNC^® in-car connectivity system next year.

Getting connected
Inserting an owner’s compatible USB mobile broadband modem – sometimes called an “air card” – into SYNC’s USB port will produce a secure wireless connection that will be broadcast throughout the vehicle, allowing passengers with WiFi-enabled mobile devices to access the Internet anywhere the broadband modem receives connectivity.

Studies by the Consumer Electronics Association show there are up to 77 million tech- enthusiast adult drivers, more than half of whom express the desire for a connected communications and information system in their vehicles. Even among the general population, more than one third of Americans would be interested in the ability to check email and access Web sites in their vehicles.

Upgradeable and secure
The USB port provided by SYNC lets owners leverage a variety of devices, including the mobile broadband modem. And through simple software updates, SYNC can be adapted to connect with the latest devices.

The SYNC WiFi capability is a simple solution for bringing internet into the vehicle, versus competitive systems on the market. Being factory-installed, the hardware is seamlessly integrated into the vehicle, whereas competitor’s systems are dealer-installed and require a bulky bolt-in receiver and transmitter that take up cabin space. Also, competitive systems cost approximately $500 for equipment and installation, not to mention the monthly subscription fee.

Using the SYNC WiFi system, a signal will be broadcast throughout the vehicle. Default security is set to WiFi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), requiring users to enter a randomly chosen password to connect to the Internet. When SYNC sees a new WiFi device for the first time, the driver must specifically allow that device to connect, preventing unauthorized users from “piggybacking” on the SYNC-provided signal.

Quotes
“While you’re driving to grandma’s house your spouse can be finishing the holiday shopping and the kids can be chatting with friends and updating their Facebook profiles. And you’re not paying for yet another mobile subscription or piece of hardware because Ford will let you use technology you already have.”
– Mark Fields, Ford President of the Americas

“The speed at which technology is evolving, particularly on the wireless front, make obsolescence a real problem. We’ve solved that problem by making SYNC work with just about any technology you plug into it. By leveraging a user’s existing hardware, which can be upgraded independent of SYNC, we’ve helped ensure ‘forward compatibility’ with whatever connectivity technology comes next.”
– Doug VanDagens, Director of Ford’s Connected Services Solutions Organization

“Using SYNC with existing mobile devices helps Ford provide the most value, the most flexibility and the most convenience for owners. Constant connectivity is becoming a routine part of our customers’ lives, and we’re making existing technology more accessible without adding costs: That’s the kind of value Ford drivers have learned to expect.”
– Mark Fields, Ford President of the Americas

We’ve Got an App for That

When Ford Motor Company began researching ways to adapt Smartphone mobile apps for in-car use through voice control of its popular SYNC® communications system, the company first turned to the nearby University of Michigan-Dearborn campus to spur innovative ideas around “what’s next” for the connected car experience.

There, Ford enlisted the help of six computer science students, working with their professors to devise an extracurricular project that would net the young programmers invaluable real-world experience. It would also give Ford an education on the open software community, which was what the company wanted in order to take SYNC to the next level.

Back to school
To gain outside perspective on the app marketplace, the students headed for the same place millions of SYNC users visit every day: the iPhone App Store. With more than 100,000 applications created in just two years, explosive growth fueled by a spirit of “open innovation” has made the App Store an unprecedented success.

The initial task: winnowing the roughly 100,000 active App Store apps down to those that would be relevant for in-car use. The young developers would then be asked to modify the software to work with SYNC, using the vehicle buttons, displays and voice prompts to control the mobile app. And they had three months during which to work.

Ford was already working on an internal proof-of-concept application programming interface called “SYNCLink,” allowing connectivity between Smartphone mobile applications and the vehicle interface. This API permitted access to the automotive interface – buttons, voice prompts and vehicle displays – that would be needed to make the software work.

To gain access to the SYNC API in development, the students became the first ever to sign Ford’s new SYNC Developers’ License, in effect making them the only six mobile app developers in the world licensed to use the SYNC API for in-vehicle applications. Not only were the agreements drafted in a remarkably short time, but they marked an unprecedented release of proprietary technology by an automaker into the open source community.

Learn more about this amazing story.

Quotes
“When we started planning for mobile app functionality on SYNC, we knew we had to think and act with the ‘start-up’ mentality. The explosive growth in apps comes from community-created development, software geeks chatting about code on social media sites, open collaboration. That’s the genesis of app innovation, and that’s the spirit we wanted to capture for SYNC.”
– K. Venkatesh Prasad, Technical Leader for Infotronics, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering

This Should Be On Your Radar

While rumors that Ford is developing a totally self-driving car are exaggerated to say the least, the automaker will double the availability of its Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support system in 2010 – two technologies that help drivers stay aware of hazards ahead. The advanced, radar-based driver aid and crash avoidance technologies will be added to the next-generation Ford Explorer, Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX.

In 2009, Ford began offering Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support on the Ford Taurus, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT. One in four owners of those vehicles opted for these state-of-the-art driver awareness features.

In 2010, the newly enhanced system will allow up to two drivers to program personal settings for both features, including their preferred lead vehicle distance warning times, and a more user-friendly graphical interface.

The radar advantage

More than 70 percent of vehicle accidents occur between two or more moving vehicles, with rear-end accidents accounting for nearly a third of all accidents documented. Most rear-end collisions are due to driver inattention and insufficient driver braking, both of which are addressed by the enhanced brake functionality offered within Ford’s Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support system.

When activated, Adaptive Cruise Control operates just like normal cruise control, with one important exception. If its radar sensor detects slower moving vehicles immediately ahead, the system will reduce the cruising speed as appropriate. When its sensors detect traffic has cleared, the user’s vehicle resumes the set speed. The radar sensor can detect vehicles up to 150 yards away, track their status 20 times per second, and detect speed changes of as little as 1/4 mph.

For 2011, Adaptive Cruise Control will be pictorially represented on a high-tech LCD vehicle instrument display when activated, alongside other driver information such as the fuel gauge and speedometer. The appearance of the information will be similar to the 2010 Ford Fusion’s SmartGauge™ cluster, which uses animation of a growing vine to track fuel efficiency. Likewise, Adaptive Cruise Control will be represented by a “bird’s-eye view” of two car icons with distance bars in the gap between them. The distance between the icons is determined by driver-programmable preference.

Also for 2011, Collision Warning with Brake Support, which is packaged with Adaptive Cruise Control as an integrated system, provides the driver with a “heads-up” display of red LEDs that flash on the windshield, and provides an audible alert when its radar senses a reduction in traffic speed in vehicles ahead.

Collision Warning with Brake Support uses the same radar capability as Adaptive Cruise Control and can sense changes in the traffic flow, as low as 1/4 mph. If the driver’s response is delayed, the system will pre-charge the brakes to prepare the vehicle for more aggressive braking to help avoid rear-end accidents. If the driver lifts quickly off of the accelerator indicating a desire to slow down, the system will apply the brakes to a nominal level to begin decelerating the vehicle faster than the driver can move their foot to the brake pedal.

If the driver hits the brakes rapidly, the system will ensure that they are using the full braking capability of the vehicle to avoid or mitigate the potential threat. The feature can detect a change in traffic conditions within 250 milliseconds and provide a warning as quickly as 100 milliseconds later. The system’s activation sensitivity is determined by the driver’s programmable preference.

Learn more about Ford’s radar-enabled vehicle systems.

Quotes

“We’ve taken a great set of driver awareness features and made them more effective through the use of a more user-friendly interface that’s designed to provide an enhanced driver experience.”
– Steve Kozak, Ford’s Chief Engineer for Safety Systems.

“We’ve designed the chime and visual alerts to be effective at improving the reaction time from the driver when they’re not paying attention, to get them on to the task at hand, which is applying the brakes if needed.”
– Aaron Mills, Ford Senior Engineer of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.

“These radar-based systems build on Ford’s leading safety heritage. Many years of research and engineering work, leveraging experience gained in aerospace and other non-automotive applications, have enabled Ford to offer these crash avoidance and driver awareness systems on a growing number of vehicles. As a result, vehicle occupants may be better protected than ever before.”
– Jeff Rupp, Manager, Active Safety, Research and Advanced Engineering at Ford’s Research and Innovation Center

In a Noisy World, Quiet is the New Measure of Quality

Ford vehicles are now among the quietest on the road – topping Toyota and Honda in key sound quality measures – and customers are taking notice.

Third-party initial quality research shows Ford customer satisfaction with interior quietness now far surpasses Asian rivals, and that Ford vehicles have fewer wind noise, squeak and rattle issues than any other volume automaker.

In fact, the new global Fiesta, headed for the U.S. in 2010, is not only quieter than the leading B-cars, but also quieter than the leading C-cars in both wind noise and rough road surface comparison tests conducted by Ford engineers.

Key to Ford’s success in crafting quiet cabins is the use of everything from traditional wind tunnels to sophisticated virtual reality tools to identify and eliminate unwanted sounds.

The competition among automakers to engineer the quietest vehicles on the road is increasing as interior noise becomes an ever more important factor for customers. More than 80 percent of new vehicle buyers rated quietness as very or extremely important in the Martiz New Vehicle Consumer Survey. Ford brands also have higher interior quietness customer satisfaction scores than their Asian competitors, including Toyota and Honda, according to the RDA Global Quality Research System (GQRS) surveys this year.

Material advancements
The process for designing a quiet vehicle starts from the outside in. Ford engineers stiffen certain parts of the vehicle, strategically mount engines, and tune the rear suspension to reduce vibration. This can contribute to a quieter and more refined sound for a sedan like Fusion or Taurus, or a sportier and more powerful ride for vehicles like the Mustang or F-150.

Advancements in materials, such as expandable foam pellets strategically placed in the doors, headliner and pillars, can improve sound-deadening efficiency by up to 20 percent. Interiors are further quieted with hood insulators, inner and outer dash absorbers, sound-absorbing carpet, improved ceiling baffles, additional sound absorption in the trunk, and new interior and headliner materials.

Other ways Ford engineers have built interior quietness into the 2010 lineup include:

• Acoustic laminated windshields that feature a layer of sound-absorbent vinyl sandwiched between two sheets of glass
• Improved body/door sealing to reduce wind noise
• Expandable stuffers in the fenders and pillars
• Constrained layer damping material on the entire floor to reduce road noise, especially generated by the tires
• A retuned air induction system for a more refined powertrain sound
• All-new acoustic headliners to further deaden interior noise

Learn more about how quiet vehicle interior are accomplished.

Quotes

“Customers connect a quiet cabin with a quality vehicle, and we know that. Step by step, we’re gaining in quality; we’re now on par with Toyota and Honda. And the strides we’re making in interior quietness are all part of the game plan.”

– Derrick Kuzak, Group Vice President, Global Product Development

“The key to world-class quietness is to pinpoint the source and location of every unwanted sound, no matter how subtle it is. Noise Vision already is paying off for Ford, with the new 2010 Taurus, Fusion, Flex and F-150 achieving the quietest interiors in their class.”

– Bill Gulker, Ford’s leader of Wind Noise Engineering

“We strive to continuously stay on the cutting edge of technology to find the most innovative ways to bring the highest-quality vehicles to our. We look at every angle, every method, to find ways to improve.”

– Derrick Kuzak, Group Vice President, Global Product Development

Who’s Walking The Walk On Fuel Efficiency Improvement?

The Blue Oval is on a ‘green’ streak.

Ford Motor Company has improved in fuel economy more than any other major automaker since 2004, according to a recent report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA rated Ford’s combined car and truck fuel economy improvement at nearly 20 percent, almost double the next closest competitor.

Ford credits its recent gains in fuel economy in part to its introduction of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids and numerous incremental aerodynamic, mechanical, energy management and weight-saving improvements across its vehicle lineup. Going forward, it expects the 2009 introduction of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids and its fuel-efficient EcoBoost engines to further improve its fleet-wide fuel economy.

Fuel efficiency across the lineup

Dramatic fuel efficiency improvement is evident throughout Ford’s vehicle lineup – from cars and crossovers to sport utilities and trucks. Depending on powertrain specifications, the 2010 Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, Escape Hybrid, Taurus SHO, Flex, F-Series and Transit Connect offer best-in-class or unsurpassed fuel economy. The same can be said of the 2010 Lincoln MKS and MKT and Navigator, Mercury Milan Hybrid and Mariner Hybrid.

Ford expects to see its overall fuel economy continue to rise in 2010 with the introduction of the 2011 Ford Fiesta and redesigned 2011 Ford Focus – both high-mileage small cars.

Not only is the improved fuel efficiency good for customers’ wallets, it benefits the environment as well. As a result of the boost, Ford lowered its tailpipe CO2 emissions more than any other automaker with a fleet-wide average of 434 grams per mile – 37 grams lower than its 2007 total and 25 grams lower than 2008.

Learn more about how Ford has been improving its fuel efficiency.

Quotes

“2009 has been a breakthrough year for Ford, leading with the launch of EcoBoost and the introduction of new products that will result in further improvement in 2010. Our commitment to delivering affordable, fuel-efficient vehicles for millions has never been stronger or better demonstrated.”

– Sue Cischke, Group Vice President, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering