Monday, February 28, 2011

Ford, “Newman’s Own” Help With Feeding America

Ten years ago, the late actor/philanthropist Paul Newman approached Bill Ford, who was at the time chairman and CEO of the Ford Motor Company, to discuss ways to fight hunger in rural America. The result was a unique partnership that set a new benchmark earlier this year: When the automaker donated nine more refrigerated Ford trucks to the cause, all filled with perishables provided by Newman’s Own, it meant the program had extended its reach to have at least one truck in every one of the 50 states in the U.S.

“Through this unique partnership, Ford Motor Company has remained committed to playing a role in addressing hunger relief throughout good and bad economic times,” said Ford, now executive chairman for the automaker. “To date, our donated trucks have delivered more than 130 million meals to families across the country.”

Read more: http://www.fordinthenews.com/ford-newmans-own-help-with-feeding-america/#more-1885

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Fiesta Sales Reach One Million in Europe

European sales of the latest-generation Fiesta reached one million last month. The landmark was achieved just 28 months after the popular Ford small car – Ford's No.1 top-selling car – went on sale in Ford dealerships across Europe. When it first drove out of Ford dealer showrooms in October 2008, the award-winning Fiesta championed a new era in small car design, performance and functionality.  Available in three- and five-door hatchback bodystyles and a range of fuel-efficient powertrains, it shot up the sales charts and became the No. 2 best-selling car in Europe in early 2009, a position it has retained ever since.




The Fiesta is produced in Europe in Ford's state-of-the-art assembly plants in Cologne, Germany and Valencia, Spain. It is the most successful European-made small car sold in Europe ever, with cumulative sales totalling 14-million since the car was first launched in 1976.
For the past 35 years, the Fiesta has been synonymous with economical, practical and dependable motoring. Today, it continues to appeal to a new generation of motorists, with research showing it is attracting younger, more affluent buyers who are choosing higher trim levels with more features and options.

Read more: http://www.at.ford.com/news/cn/Pages/Fiesta%20Sales%20Reach%20One%20Million%20in%20Europe.aspx

Trevor Bayne Wins Daytona 500; Ford Finishes 1-2-3

There have been big wins and championships for the Motorcraft brand in its long and storied motorsports history, but never has a season kicked off quite like 2011.  Trevor Bayne, a 20-year-old NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie making just his second Sprint Cup series start, piloted the Wood Brothers No. 21 Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford Fusion to victory in the Daytona 500. The victory was the first for the Wood Brothers since 2001 when Elliott Sadler was driving for the team.





“We’re so tickled to be here,” said Wood Brothers Racing co-owner Len Wood.  “Ford Motor Company has stood behind us for 61 years now to be exact.  We’ve been Ford all of our entire racing and to be a part of NASCAR, like I say; this is the greatest feeling you can have. You think, ‘Well, what’s your biggest win?’  Well, this is the top of the stack right now.”

Read more: http://www.at.ford.com/news/cn/Pages/Cinderally%20Story%20Written%20as%20Trevor%20Bayne%20Wins%20Daytona%20500%20Ford%20Finishes%201%202%203.aspx

Ford Fiesta Becomes Segment's First to Earn Top Safety Ratings in World's Largest Auto Markets

The Ford Fiesta’s is now the first car in its segment to earn top crash test ratings in each of the world’s largest auto markets that perform safety testing, the U.S., China and Europe.  The 2011 Ford Fiesta, the only car in its segment to earn a Top Safety Pick from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety under its new test standards, continues to earn recognition in major global markets for its safety performance and rating in independent third-party testing.






Beneath Fiesta’s stylish exterior is a structure crafted from high-strength steels engineered to preserve quality and enhance driver and passenger safety. More than 55 percent of Fiesta’s body structure is made from ultra-high-strength steel, and the extensive use of high-strength, lightweight boron steel helps protect critical occupant safety zones.

Fiesta offers a segment-exclusive available driver’s knee airbag, developed to help reduce lower-leg injuries in the event of a frontal collision and to work together with other safety features. The knee airbag joins a suite of Fiesta safety features that include dual-stage, first-row airbags, side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags.

Read more: http://www.at.ford.com/news/cn/Pages/Ford%20Fiesta%20Becomes%20Segments%20First%20to%20Earn%20Top%20Safety%20Ratings%20in%20Worlds%20Largest%20Auto%20Markets.aspx

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Ford’s Stop/Start System: Stop Wasting Fuel, Start Saving Resources

Ford’s advanced start/stop technology is an engineering marvel. Currently used in the Ford Fusion hybrid and Ford Escape hybrid, as well as select European Ford models, the system can boost city fuel-efficiency numbers by 4 to 10 percent by automatically shutting off the engine when a vehicle stops, then seamlessly restarting it when the driver removes his/her foot from the brake pedal. The setup requires no change in driving patterns, and it’s so well-integrated into the Ford’s products that you might not even realize it was there—until you check your mileage. And now, it’s going to be “there” in even more Ford vehicles: The company recently announced it would begin rolling out the technology to traditionally powered Fords in the U.S. beginning in 2012.





“For the driver, Ford Auto Start-Stop provides extra fuel efficiency without inconvenience, as it works completely automatically,” said Barb Samardzich, Ford vice president of Powertrain Engineering. “And, just like in our hybrid vehicles, the heater and air conditioner work as normal so drivers will not sacrifice comfort.”

Read more: http://www.fordinthenews.com/fords-stopstart-system-stop-wasting-fuel-start-saving-resources/#more-1856

Friday, February 18, 2011

Ford MyKey Keeps Parents In The Driver’s Seat

Introducing another breakthrough in its efforts the help keep teen drivers safe—and provide their parents with increased peace of mind—the Ford Motor Company recently announced significant upgrades to its exclusive MyKey technology. The original MyKey system was first launched in 2009 and allowed owners to limit vehicle speeds to 80 mph via an easy-to-program key system. The new technology, set to premiere on the 2011 Ford Taurus and Ford, will allow parents to:
  • Block explicit satellite radio content—an industry first
  • Choose between four different top vehicle speeds—65 mph, 70 mph, 75 mph or 80 mph
  • Help encourage kids to stay buckled up by muting the audio system until the front seatbelts are engaged
  • Limit the audio system’s volume levels to 44 percent of its maximum
  • Prevent safety systems like traction control and blind-spot alert from being deactivated
  • Set an earlier “low-fuel” warning that comes on when the vehicle’s range reach 75 miles
Read the full article: http://www.fordinthenews.com/ford-mykey-keeps-parents-in-the-drivers-seat/#more-1807

Monday, February 14, 2011

5 Dumb Things That Can Void Your Car Warranty.

Nobody in their right mind would want to void their car warranty. Yet, there are thousands (perhaps millions) who worry that one small thing will crumple their precious warranty up and throw it into the waste basket. A portion of those people have written to me lamenting the fact that they did something that voided it. So what are the most common actions that result in a voided car warranty?  What Is A Car Warranty?  First of all, in order to understand your part in the warranty relationship, it is vital that you understand what a warranty is and what it is not. A new car warranty is an agreement between the carmaker and the consumer. It outlines what you must do to keep your warranty in force, and a warranty can be voided in part or whole. For instance, if you don't have the oil changed in the engine according to the suggested maintenance schedule and the engine fails as a result, the carmaker has the legal right to void the warranty on the engine. The rest of the warranty remains intact, providing nothing else was affected by such negligence.  There are also warranty issues related to the installation of aftermarket products and/or services on a vehicle that is still under a new car warranty. Often people install aftermarket products for adding customizing features or they use certain services for vehicle maintenance. The Magnuson Moss Warranty Act addresses such issues.


This law states that if a customer installs an aftermarket product (it could be a fluid, filter, hard part, software...virtually anything that was not installed on or in the vehicle from the factory when it was new) and if the vehicle fails as a result of the installation or use of the aftermarket product/service, the carmaker cannot arbitrarily deny a warranty claim and/or void the new car warranty because of the installation or use of the aftermarket product, but must prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the failure was indeed caused by the installation or use of the aftermarket product. The reason this law was put into place is because carmakers were arbitrarily voiding car warranties and refusing warranty service because the customer had installed an aftermarket products/services. Since there was no required burden of proof on the carmaker, consumers were hung out to dry. The Magnuson Moss Warranty Act forced the carmaker to prove that the failure was due to the aftermarket product. The law still stands today within the U.S

Read the full article: http://autos.aol.com/article/5-things-will-void-car-warranty/

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Ford Raptor Snares Four Wheeler “Pickup Truck of the Year” Award

What happens when you pit the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor SuperCrew against the best of its “competition” in a grueling 1,000-mile battle through mountain trails, desert sand dunes, stream crossings and interstate highways? Pretty much the same thing that’s already happened numerous times before: The Raptor came out on top and took home another prestigious award, this time earning “Pickup Truck of the Year” honors from Four Wheeler magazine.
“Raptor is every four-wheel-drive enthusiast’s dream of what a factory pickup truck should be,” said Douglas McColloch, Four Wheeler editor. “Straight off the showroom floor, Raptor comes equipped with all manner of premium performance parts that are designed for extreme off-pavement forays—be it rock crawling, mud bogging or desert racing. The Raptor undertakes these tasks without compromising the F-150 platform’s class-leading ride and handling characteristics on pavement. It inspires confidence in the dirt and delivers serenity on the street.”

Read the full article: http://www.fordinthenews.com/ford-raptor-snares-four-wheeler-pickup-truck-of-the-year-award/#more-1776

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

2012 Ford Focus: First Drive

While it's easy to find a good, sensibly-sized and relatively fuel-efficient small car, it's really hard to find much personality.
At the same time, you could argue, Americans haven't seemed to want much charm behind the wheel. The first-generation Focus, for instance, came in a wide range of body styles (including three- and five-door hatchbacks), and had a standard of ride and handling arguably better than anything in its class at the time, but it became a sore reality after a few years that Americans weren't willing to pay for small-car sophistication. A couple of refreshes cut body styles from the lineup and left the Focus feeling a little more refined, but also more conservative.



Monday, February 7, 2011

Ford Introduces Family-Friendly New C-MAX People Mover

Looking for an ideal way to combine the efficiency and nimble dimensions of a car with the interior versatility of a minivan? Look no further than the all-new Ford C-Max, which made its U.S. debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.


The C-MAX will offer unique “5+2” seating, with the ability to comfortably fit five adults in its first two rows and two more small passengers in its third-row seating. And significantly, it offers that kind of room, along with a surprising amount of cargo space, in a package that’s just 178 inches long—roughly a foot shorter than today’s mid-size sedans. The long list of features available in the right-sized C-MAX also includes:

Read the full article: http://www.fordinthenews.com/ford-introduces-family-friendly-new-c-max-people-mover/

FORD ACCELERATES INTELLIGENT VEHICLE RESEARCH, CREATING ‘TALKING’ VEHICLES TO MAKE ROADS SAFER

Ford is aggressively accelerating its commitment to wirelessly connected intelligent vehicles – known as vehicle-to-vehicle communications – becoming the first automaker to build prototype vehicles for demonstrations across the U.S., doubling its intelligent vehicle investment in 2011 and dedicating even more scientists to developing this technology.



“Ford believes intelligent vehicles that talk to each other through advanced Wi-Fi are the next frontier of collision avoidance innovations that could revolutionize the driving experience and hold the potential of helping reduce many crashes,” said Sue Cischke, group vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering.

Read the full article: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=33978

Ford is tops in owner loyalty

Ford Motor Co. is the top car manufacturer in owner loyalty, according to a study released Wednesday by the consulting firm Polk. This is the first time since 1999 that Ford has earned that distinction.
Toyota won the honor last year but fell to second place this year. General Motors was third.

The award is based on an analysis of 4.9 million new vehicle purchases during the 2010 model year. Owner loyalty means that a customer who owns a car, truck or SUV made by a particular manufacturer buys another from that same manufacturer.

Read the full article:  http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/12/autos/ford_polk_loyalty/index.htm

2011 Explorer North American Truck of the Year

The 2011 Explorer is North American Truck of the Year! The win by Explorer marks the 3rd Consecutive Year Ford has won the North American Truck of the Year and the 7th time overall (in the Award's 18-year existence).

 

 

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Compete to win a 2012 Ford Focus

Compete in this interactive road rally to be entered to win a 2012 Ford Focus! Good luck!
 
 Please visit http://www.focusrally.com/ for more details

Ford Helps Tackle Teen Driving

Ford Motor Company is working to reduce teen crashes and fatalities through educational programs such as Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) and the introduction of such technologies as MyKey® and SYNC®.
“Ford has a long-standing commitment to safety, as we seek to improve crash protection, crash avoidance and safe driving behavior,” said Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “When it comes to teens, Ford is using extensive research to develop educational and technological solutions to help reduce the loss of young lives on our roads.”


Ford’s efforts address real-world concerns. According to a Harris Interactive Study commissioned by Ford, 57 percent of parents worry that cell phone conversations are distracting their teen drivers, while 34 percent of surveyed teens say they talk on their phones while driving. At the same time, 15 percent of teens said they text while driving, while 51 percent of parents are concerned about this practice. When it comes to speeding, 53 percent of parents worry their teens drive too fast and 44 percent of teens surveyed admitted to it.

To read the full article please go to: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=29249

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