Ford Motor Company Global Auto Shows

At the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Ford announced some improvements to their classic vehicles and introduced new strategies designed to take Ford forward in a new era of sustainability and changing customer expectations.

The 2009 Ford F-150 was a result of Ford listening to its customers, from their desire for increased power to details like a spring release side step that allows easier loading. Ford’s also listening when it comes to fuel efficiency and small cars. At the 2008 NAIAS Ford announced EcoBoost engine technology and plans to make sustainability affordable on a large scale. We were delighted by the response to the Verve Concept. We’re getting a huge amount of comments about the car that the New York Times called “flat-out lovely.” It seems that people can’t wait until 2010, when the Verve sedan is set to be available in the United States.

At the Washington Auto Show Ford introduced the updated 2009 Ford Escape and 2009 Mercury Mariner, both sporting a new, more fuel-efficient 2.5-liter engine and 6-speed automatic transmission. The engine is also the new basis for Ford’s hybrid SUVs, including the Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid.

Watch this space for more information as we approach the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, where the 2009 Ford F-150 will be on display again, and Ford will have more exciting news about its truck offerings.

The 2009 Ford Escape was unveiled at the 2008 Washington Auto Show. Sporting a 2.5-liter engine and 6-speed automatic transmission that replaces the four speed automatic transmission, the new powertrain is expected to improve the EPA estimated fuel economy by 1 mile per gallon and increase horsepower by 11% to 170 horsepower.

The new engine is also the new basis for Ford’s hybrid models, including the Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid. “For every eight Escape and Mariner vehicles we sell, one of them is a hybrid, and the appeal is growing,” says Sue Ciscke, Ford senior vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering.

Also on display at the show is a Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) alongside the production Escape Hybrid. The plug-in research vehicle uses high voltage, lithium-ion batteries and can travel up to 30 miles on battery power alone before switching to full hybrid mode, delivering the equivalent of up to 120 miles per gallon for far fewer trips to the gas station.

Ford is collaborating with Southern California Edison in a unique partnership to advance the commercialization of PHEVs. This is part of Ford’s sustainability strategy, which also includes EcoBoost engine technology, announced at the 2008 North American International Auto Show.

At the Washington DC Auto Show, Ford announced that the Mariner will become “more fuel efficient, more powerful, and more connected in the 2009 model year.” The 2009 Mercury Mariner, along with the 2009 Ford Escape, are part of a strategy toward sustainability and fuel efficicency Ford’s been expanding upon since the Los Angeles and Detroit Auto Shows. Sue Ciscke, Ford senior vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering, outlined Ford’s high volume, customer-focused strategy to reduce gas emissions and improve fuel economy.

“Ford Motor Company is increasing fuel economy and cutting greenhouse gas emissions with affordable technologies for millions of customers,” said Cischke. “In the near term, we will leverage existing technologies to achieve those goals, including advanced engines and multi-speed transmissions. The 2009 Escape and Mariner are great examples of how we’re delivering today.” The theme of populist technology and sustainability for millions was a strong message at the 2008 North American International Auto Show where Ford’s EcoBoost engine technology was announced.

Ford is expanding its vehicles that run on biofuels, adding three additional vehicles to its E85-capable flexible fuel line-up for 2009 – the E-Series van, the Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. The new 2009 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner make strides in fuel economy and emissions with a 2.5-liter engine and 6-speed automatic transmission. Mercury Mariner is produced at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant. The 2009 models go on sale in summer 2008.

Calling it Ford’s “most capable truck ever,” Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Company’s President and CEO, described the 2009 Ford F-150 as a proud example of Ford’s strategy of listening to its customers. “We talked to them, engineered a solution, and tested it to make sure it’s built Ford tough,” Mulally said.

Country music star Toby Keith, Professional Bull Rider Justin Mc Bride, NASCAR’s Rick Crawford and Monster Jam’s Linsey Weenk joined Mark Fields, Ford’s President, The Americas, onstage at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit to announce the 2009 F150 series, touting its customizability and options. The F-150 has three cab styles, four box options, and seven unique trim levels, making 35 unique configurations to meet the widest range of customer needs. The F-150 is “new all around” and now includes Platinum series. The F-150 is one of six major launches in 2008 for Ford.

“The Ford F-150 is an American icon, said Fields, “Ford is the truck leader, and F-150 customers expect and demand the best truck on the market.” More than 1,000 Ford engineers, designers, and researchers worked together to develop the new 2009 F-150, drawing on feedback and research from Ford’s customer base. Ford did not announce the 2009 F-150’s towing or payload capacity, opening up the question to the journalists covering the Auto Show to guess it. The winner will be announced later this year. The prize: the first test drive.

The 2009 Ford F150 will be available in the fall of 2008.

See the videos on the F-150’s construction, engineering, and design.

Watch the full 25 minute Ford Press Conference.

At the 2008 North American International Auto Show, Ford executives talked up new products like the 2009 F-150, the 2009 Ford Flex, the Explorer America Concept, and the Verve concept. While icons like the F-series and the Mustang are as prominent as ever, words like “sustainability,” and “populist” signal a new direction toward greater fuel efficiency and the small car segment.

At the forefront is EcoBoost engine technology. In the near future, Ford plans to roll out a 500,000 vehicles a year with EcoBoost engines. Ford’s Explorer American Concept exemplifies this technology. “This is a populist approach,” says Jim Farley, Ford’s Group VP, Marketing and Communications. “We’re going to reduce emissions by 20% in millions of vehicles, not hundreds.” The key, according to Farley, is making technology affordable so that it will have an impact on a much larger scale than “cars with technologies that are available only to people who can afford them.”

Ford was vocal about being a global company eager to bring its success overseas with small cars to the North American market. Case in point: the Verve concept “We invest in iconic products. We want to make a distinctive small car that is as distinctive as the Mustang or the Explorer.” Stalwarts like the Mustangs and F-150s shared the stage with potential icons like the Verve Concept. Auto industry watchers are eager to see where this new direction will take Ford.

The new F-150 works hard, and that’s something Ford wants you to know just by looking at it. “This is a truck. It’s got to look tough,” says Patrick Schiavone, Design Director for Ford North American Trucks.

Part of this attitude comes from the team that worked on the truck, which also worked on the 2008 Super Duty. It’s first evident in the grill, with its size and its wide chrome girders. “We call it Modern Tough,” says Schiavone. They then gave the F-150 a more upright design and firmer, straighter lines. A more pronounced fender further contributes to the aggressive stance of this working vehicle.

The rear view of the F-150 is also distinctive in its own right. Deep horizontal grooves evoke the design of the F-series during the 60s and 70s. Even without a badge, you know it’s a Ford truck.

To learn more about Ford’s new F-150, watch the other videos on engineering and construction, or see its dramatic unveiling in Detroit.

“Truckers know, and we know, that the frame is the backbone of a truck,” says Todd Eckert, Marketing Manager for Ford Trucks. That’s why Ford optimized the front hydroform and increased the use of high-strength steel on the 2009 Ford F-150. This steel provides the same integrity with less weight.

Extensive use was also made of laminated steel, or quiet steel. “The F-150 is the office away from the office for many Americans,” Eckert points out. Quiet steel makes that office more comfortable by isolating it from engine and road noise.

The truck also uses an industry-first, ultra high-strength tube to add rigidity to the cab. It comes standard with a side air curtain that deploys in case of side impact. These and other features combine to make this what Eckert calls “the safest F-150 we’ve ever made.”

To learn more about Ford’s new F-150, watch the other videos on design and engineering, or see its dramatic unveiling in Detroit.

“We research, we live with these folks, we’re truck owners ourselves,” says Mike Crowley, group marketing manager for Ford Trucks. It’s with that kind of insight that Ford added a number of features and improvements to the 2009 Ford F-150 pickup. They reflect how do-it-yourself Ford truck owners use their trucks and do their jobs.

One thing that’s very important to them is the ability to haul. This led to a number of features, including Trailer Sway Control, which senses a trailer’s movement and helps stabilize it. There’s also a new cargo management system with dual-track cleats that hold 600 lbs each. Finally, there’s a tailgate step and a spring-release side step to allow easier loading from the side of the pickup box.

Another thing truck owners wanted was more power, which led to Ford offering the F-150 with an all V-8 engine lineup. This lineup begins with a 4.6L 2-valve engine that increases not only performance but fuel economy, as well. The cab has also been extended to add more room for rear-seat passengers.

To learn more about Ford’s new F-150, watch the other videos on design and construction, or see its dramatic unveiling in Detroit.

Ford is showing its commitment to sustainability at the 2008 North American International Auto Show by announcing EcoBoost engine technology exemplified by the Explorer America concept.

Ford’s sustainability strategy focuses on increasing fuel efficiency by reducing vehicle weight, improving aerodynamics, saving fuel with electric power assisted steering (EPAS), and introducing a powertrain lineup that includes a 4 cylinder, 2 liter engine with EcoBoost technology. Depending on the engine, fuel efficiency can improve up to 30% versus today’s V-6 Explorer.

Outside it reflects Explorer’s heritage, featuring an integrated three bar grille, defined power dome hood, wraparound rear glass panel window and a sliding rear door. Inside it sports stackable, sliding seats, a worktable with seats that deploy from the tailgate, and a three-dimensional navigation unit built into the instrument panel. Explorer America concept addresses how the SUV market has changed in the past 15 years and looks to what people expect out of the next generation of crossovers, namely sustainability, flexibility, and performance.

Explorer Concept will be on display at the 2008 North American International Auto Show.

Lincoln announced the MKT, a new luxury utility concept, at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. “The MKT demonstrates how else we could grow the Lincoln lineup,” explains Mark Fields, Executive Vice President, Ford Motor Company; President, the Americas. It takes the dramatic design language of the MKR concept vehicle and recently-announced MKS sedan and translates it into a more spacious vehicle.

The design of this concept features the dramatic double-wing chrome grill and full-width LED tail lamps that Lincoln-watchers now find familiar. Winged doors and a single-piece, transparent windshield/roof provide the bolder cues expected of a concept vehicle. Going inside the luxury tourer, Lincoln’s theme of responsible luxury is brought to life with the hand-knotted banana silk rug and chromium-free leather captain’s chairs.

Taking this theme one step further, the concept is powered by a 3.5-liter engine utilizing Ford’s new EcoBoost engine technology. The technology is a combination of direct injection and turbocharging that offers sustainability on a mass-market scale. In the MKT, this translates into the concept’s V6 engine delivering 415 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque that would otherwise require a 6.0-liter V8.