New Ford Focus News

Ford is inviting digital influencers to participate in the inaugural global test drive of the next-generation Ford Focus
•The Focus Global Test Drive event will take place near Madrid, Spain, Feb. 18-20, at a private proving ground facility
•100 participants will share the experience of a lifetime as they put the all-new Ford Focus through its paces, in support of their charities of choice
•Test drivers – among the first to experience the all-new global Ford Focus – will be hosted and coached by racing drivers Justin Bell and Tanner Foust

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 14, 2011 – Anticipation is building among Focus Global Test Drive participants – bloggers and consumers, hailing from 13 countries where the all-new Ford Focus will soon be available – as they prepare to convene in Madrid later this week.

These cause-minded consumers – many of whom will receive $10,000 (U.S.) to be donated to their favorite charity – will be the first members of the public to test drive the new Ford Focus, in exercises and dynamic driving challenges that highlight features and attributes of the newest car from Ford, which will eventually be sold in 122 counties.

Participants will gather at the National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) on the outskirts of Madrid, which offers multiple road surfaces and challenges for putting the all-new Focus through its paces. A world-class testing facility originally founded in 1942, INTA features high-speed tracks, road courses and proving ground roads replicating every conceivable obstacle a driver might face, anywhere in the world.

Test driver briefings and dynamic driving exercises will be co-hosted by veteran race driver and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Justin Bell, teaming up with Tanner Foust, U.S. Top Gear HISTORY television personality, stunt driver, rally competitor and Formula D drift champion.

Impress Your Valentine with a Ford!

Cramping My Style
Take interior space, for example. Cramped, tight spaces can really put a damper on a comfortable “car date.” But you don’t have to have a big car to get some elbow room.

The all-new Focus from Ford brings small car interior space to a new level, rivaling larger vehicles. It offers more shoulder room than an Audi A4 and more front headroom than a Toyota Camry. In the spacious second row, the new Focus provides more hip room than the Audi or Toyota.

Sweet sounds
There’s nothing like good tunes to spice things up. Music is essential on a date. Wouldn’t it be even better if you could simply ask your car to select the song your date wants to hear from your custom playlist on an iPod or MP3 player?

Ford’s next-generation voice control can interpret a single voice command, such “USB, play artist, Lifehouse” to change a song if the mood calls for something soft and slow. Connectivity for portable devices and media players, are available through two USB ports, three RCA jacks (video, right and left audio) and SD card reader.

The setting gets even better when the songs are played on a premium Sony® 10-speaker audio system with subwoofer found on most Ford models.

Careful component matching and tuning for the vehicle has ensured that the premium sound system delivers outstanding sound quality. System performance is enhanced by the center speaker, which provides highly authentic staging, while the subwoofer ensures that bass sounds have a full, rich quality.

Mood Lighting
Almost as important as mood music is mood lighting.

Ford’s advanced ambient lighting system uses LED technology to provide precise pools of illumination in the foot wells, cup holders, door handle releases and map pockets. The driver can choose between seven different accent colors and set the brightness level to suit his or her mood.

A search mode can also be activated, switching the lighting to a bright white color, helping occupants to find misplaced objects within the car.

The right kind of lighting, such as Ford’s new LED Crystal Blue interior lighting, ensures consistent levels of color and brightness are delivered in the right places and at the right times to set the right mood.

Roof with a view
If gazing at the stars is your idea of a romantic car date, you can while staying warm, dry and bug free while viewing from the inside of your car. Several of Ford’s crossover and sports utility models can be equipped with the panoramic Vista Roof. The large glass moon roof provides a grand view of the sky.

The roof features a large glass panel. The oversized front panel provides open-air touring. Close the forward roof and the enormous skylights allow natural light to flood the cabin while protecting it, and you, from the elements. Or sky-gazing on a hot, sunny day? Twin power-operated cloth shades can be closed simultaneously to block nearly 100 percent of ultra-violet rays.

Chillin’
Need to keep beverages chilled? Ford’s Flex cross-over vehicle boasts a class-exclusive refrigerated console that is mounted between the second-row captain’s chairs. The available refrigerator can cool up to seven 12-ounce cans, four half-liter bottles or two 20-ounce bottles from room temperature to 41 degrees in a little more than two-and-a-half hours – 40 percent faster than a standard home refrigerator.

Intimate Interiors
Attention to detail, including the look, touch, feel and operation of all controls, features and surfaces also help define the setting. Materials that feel luxurious to the touch, comfortable seats and a welcoming interior contribute to the appeal and allure of any interior space, including a car.

For example, Ford uses authentic chrome plating on the interior trim parts, such as door handle release, rather than painted coatings to improve the look and feel of its car interiors. Optimizing the softness and feel of key customer touch points, such as the steering wheel, door armrests and center console, also provides an overall feeling of comfort and style.

Peace and Tranquillity
An ideal date night is one without distractions or disruptions from noise generated by the external environment, such as traffic noise, pedestrian chatter, and other business taking place outside of the car.

Soundproofing cars to shut out distracting outside noises offers both privacy and tranquillity inside.

Windshields with a special acoustic layer and thicker side and rear glass on Ford cars and trucks significantly reduce high-frequency noises. Sound-absorbing carpets and self-expanding foams also help absorb sound, as well as help maintain a more consistent sound level distribution inside the vehicle.

Describe Your Ulitmate Explorer Road Trip!

Ford is asking you to describe your ultimate adventure if you had the all new 2011 Ford Explorer for one week. You can submit you idea in the form of an essay, video, or photos at www.ford.com/explorer or on Facebook. Ford will pick 10 or more winners to live out their ultimate Explorer adventure as long as you don't mind having the experience documented on video. Doesn't sound like a bad deal?

Ford and the Grammy Awards

Ford to Showcase Ads for All-New Explorer During GRAMMY Awards, Including Unique Spot Featuring Nelly•Ford Explorer’s heavy presence during this Sunday’s 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards® will showcase the SUV’s reinvention to millions; the GRAMMY awards air Sunday, Feb. 13, at 8 p.m. EST on CBS
•Ford will air three Explorer ads, including the premiere of a unique 60-second television commercial featuring hip hop recording artist Nelly and the Audio System from Sony in the new Ford Explorer
•All the ads lean heavily on music to tell the Explorer story; they are part of an integrated campaign designed to help people reconnect with Explorer and the shared adventures an SUV can deliver
•Since the July reveal of the reinvented Explorer, Ford has been engaging with consumers in one-on-one conversations on Facebook using text, videos and images; Nelly is one of a number of celebrities – including Bret Michaels, Snoop Dogg and professional pool player Jeanette Lee – who have appeared in Explorer Facebook videos

Building A More Intelligent Vehicle

•Ford is rapidly expanding its commitment to intelligent vehicles that wirelessly talk to each other, warning of potential dangers to enhance safety and flag impending traffic congestion to help improve the environment
•Intelligent vehicles could potentially help in 81 percent of all police-reported light-vehicle crashes involving unimpaired drivers, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report
•Ford is building the first-ever prototype intelligent vehicles that will tour the U.S. beginning this spring and will provide additional prototypes for the Department of Transportation’s world-first research clinics expected to begin this summer
•Ford is doubling its intelligent vehicle investment in 2011 and plans a new 20-member task force of scientists and engineers to explore the technology’s broader possibilities

4 NEW F-150 Engines!

The best-selling half-ton truck in the country is getting an all-new engine lineup for 2011. Ford is replacing its legacy two-valve and three-valve 4.6-liter V-8 twins and the venerable three-valve 5.4-liter V-8 in the F-150 with technically advanced six- and eight-cylinder engines that Ford says will be the most fuel-efficient in the industry. The truck maker is also shifting exclusively to six-speed automatic transmissions for every powertrain.

3.7-liter V-6

Six-cylinder engines are the unloved stepchildren of the half-ton segment. These entry-level mills have significantly less power and are only marginally more fuel efficient than most available eight-cylinder engines, making them an unpopular choice to power a full-size truck.

Ford dropped its old 4.2-liter V-6 from the F-150 lineup after 2008 – offering only V-8 engines – because even its two-valve 4.6-liter V-8 with a four-speed automatic was less thirsty yet delivered more power.

But for 2011, V-6 is no longer a dirty word when it comes to full-size pickups.

Ford’s all-new Duratec 3.7-liter V-6 is the new base engine for the F-150. It’s rated at 300 horsepower and 275 pounds-feet of torque on regular unleaded fuel, though it will also burn E85 ethanol. It debuted earlier this year in the 2011 Ford Mustang, where it’s rated at 305 hp and 280 pounds-feet of torque. It’s also shared with the Ford Edge crossover.

Fleet owners are most likely to be its customers, looking for a low-cost capable pickup. Ford Ranger buyers are another potential target for the 3.7-liter V-6, when production of Ford’s compact pickup ends in 2011. Ford also says it will be the most fuel-efficient engine in the segment.

The dual-overhead-cam, all-aluminum, 60-degree V-6 is stuffed with technology. Starting with composite upper and lower intake manifolds to feed air to the engine, the engine’s heads have four valves per cylinder (two intake, two exhaust) that are combined with twin independent variable camshaft timing, or Ti-VCT in Ford speak. Ti-VCT varies valve actuation throughout the power band so there’s improved torque at the low end, cleaner emissions and better fuel economy throughout the rpm range. Bucket tappets that actuate the valves are low-friction and designed to boost mileage further.

The 3.7-liter V-6 also features a die-cast aluminum deep-sump oil pan that helps the engine go up to 10,000 miles between oil changes. The high use of aluminum throughout the engine saves weight and further improves fuel economy.

With all of this power, maximum trailer towing with the 3.7-liter V-6 is up to 6,100 pounds. That’s more than the maximum 5,760 pounds for today’s Ranger.

The 3.7-liter V-6 will be available for all cab configurations, up to a two-wheel-drive SuperCrew – the only V-6 full-size pickup with a crew cab.

Which F-150 Models Get It? XL, STX, XLT

Availability? Fourth quarter of 2010
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3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6

Ford isn’t bringing back just one V-6 for 2011. It’s offering two. However, the second six-cylinder engine has about as much in common with the first as Jaws does with Flipper. And this is one six-cylinder with lots of teeth.

As originally announced in 2009, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 will be the first application of Ford’s gasoline direct-injection twin-turbo technology in a half-ton pickup. It’s Ford’s effort to shrink engine displacement for improved fuel economy while delivering tons of low-end power.

How much power? Ford is still coy, but we estimate the 3.5 will be about 400 hp and 400 pounds-feet of torque, enough to give it best-in-class towing and highway fuel economy. Ford says it will be able to pull up to 11,300 pounds, which is today’s maximum towing rating for the F-150. That’s amazing when you imagine its displacement is smaller than a pair of 2-liter bottles of Coke.

EcoBoost V-6 performance is said to be diesel-like, with peak torque coming on early in the power band and staying flat throughout the rev range.

The twin-turbo setup should also prove ideal for towing at altitude, where a naturally aspirated engine can have difficulty feeding air to its cylinders.

In the engine lineup, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost and 6.2-liter V-8 will occupy the top two slots. Ford hasn’t said how much it will cost. It may carry a premium over the 6.2.

Official fuel economy and power figures will be revealed during the State Fair of Texas in September. We’ll be there to bring you initial driving impressions, too.

Which F-150 Models Get It? All except for Harley-Davidson and SVT Raptor

Availability? First quarter of 2011
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5.0-liter V-8

The 3.7-liter V-6 isn’t the only engine that the F-150 will share with the Mustang. It’s also getting the all-new 5.0-liter “Coyote” V-8.

The engine, which makes 360 hp (at 5,500 rpm) and 380 pounds-feet of torque (at 4,250 rpm), is positioned as the midrange engine choice for the F-150, below the 3.5-liter V-6 and conventional large-displacement 6.2-liter V-8.

Although the 5.0 produces more power than the outgoing 5.4-liter V-8, it won’t carry as high a tow rating. Its maximum will be only 9,800 pounds trailering, instead of 11,300 pounds. Peak torque has also moved up the rpm band, from a low 3,500 rpm in the 5.4-liter V-8.

“It’s positioned as an entry-level V-8,” said Mike Harrison, Ford V-8 engine programs manager. “It’s one step up from the 3.7-liter V-6. It’s really replacing the [discontinued 2010] three-valve 4.6-liter V-8.”

The F-150’s 5.0 benefits from some of the work done on the Mustang’s 5.0, which was engineered with the goal of being able to add a supercharger at a later date to boost performance, Harrison said.

“We put a forged crank and good rods in [the Mustang’s 412 hp, 390 pounds-feet 5.0 V-8],” Harrison said. “The head bolts are upsized. The main bearing bolts are upsized. That then lends itself for a very robust truck application.”

The 5.0 also uses Ti-VCT to continually optimize power and fuel economy during two cam timing schedules – one for performance and one for mileage. It’s also E85 ethanol capable, which gives it increased power figures (and lower fuel economy), though Ford won’t say by how much.

There are some physical changes, too. The exhaust headers for both engines are different from each other for extra durability in the F-150. Instead of the Mustang’s unique tubular stainless-steel exhaust headers, the F-150 uses thermally tougher conventional cast-iron exhaust manifolds that give it a small loss in low-speed torque and performance, which has to recovered to improve the driving experience and meet long-duration high temperature work demands – such as during cross-country towing. To do that, Harrison’s team shrank the duration of the intake cam duration from 260 degrees to 240 degrees, dropped the compression ratio from 11:1 to 10.5:1 and advanced spark timing for extra low-speed torque. The changes also help F-150 owners run their 5.0 V-8 with regular unleaded instead of super unleaded for optimal performance in the Mustang.

The F-150 5.0 also gets a heavy-duty oil cooler that's not shared with the Mustang.

Which F-150 Models Get It? All except Harley-Davidson and SVT Raptor

Availability? Fourth quarter of 2010
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6.2-liter V-8

The single-overhead cam 6.2-liter V-8 that debuted in the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is rated at a brawny 411 horsepower and 434 pounds-feet of torque. But compared to the other engines for 2011, it’s a bit of a throwback. It has two valves and two spark plugs per cylinder, a cast-iron engine block and aluminum cylinder heads. It also features a cast-iron crankshaft, forged steel connecting rods and cast-aluminum pistons. "Powered by Ford" is proudly embossed on the valve covers.

Since it only has a single cam per cylinder bank, instead of Ti-VCT, the 6.2 uses dual-equal variable cam timing, where the intake and exhaust valve opening and closings are phased at the same time.

We expect that in the next two to three years Ford will revise the 6.2 with new heads, four-valves per cylinder, direct injection and Ti-VCT for improved mileage and power.

For now, this engine is a brute force power lifter that’s rated to tow up to 11,300 pounds (depending on model), the same as the EcoBoost 3.5-liter V-6.

Which F-150 Models Get It? Harley-Davidson, SVT Raptor and Platinum and Lariat with Max Trailering Packages

Availability? Now

The 2011 F-150 Ecoboost Engine