Subject: Third Quarter Partner Post
The Awards Are Piling UpFord Flex
2008 Ford Taurus: Rates Safest Full–Size Car in America
Customers Continue to "Crossover" to Great Ford Vehicles
The 2008 Focus: New Design. New Technology. New Potential.
Ford Vehicle Quality Soars
The Awards Are Piling Up
The words “Ford” and “Top Pick” are becoming synonymous these days. The list of third-party awards for Ford and Lincoln Mercury vehicles keeps building as the year rolls on. Here are a few worthy of mention:
· Ford Edge and Mercury Milan: two of the top 15 Family Cars recognized by Parents magazine
· Forbes rated the Ford Fusion and Escape among the top “Smart Cars for Teens”
· Ford Edge* and the Lincoln MKX* earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) “Top Safety Pick,” and 2008 Taurus and Sable (with optional electronic stability control) won IIHS’ “Top Safety Pick”
· Edge’s 3.5L V-6 engine was named on of “Wards 10 Best Engines for 2007”
· The 2007 Ford Edge won the AutoPacific best-in-class Vehicle Satisfaction Award
· Ward’s Auto World magazine awarded Lincoln MKZ and
· Lincoln Navigator “Interiors of the Year” in their respective categories
· 2007 Lincoln Town Car received the Government’s 5-star safety rating in all five categories
These are just a small handful of the awards and praise lauded on the Ford and Lincoln Mercury Brands during 2007. The year is far from over, so plan on reading a lot more about Ford success!
*Models built after January 2007.
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Ford Flex
Building on successful auto show appearances, the 2009 Ford Flex will be drawing consumers into showrooms in the spring and summer of 2008. With striking designs and appealing features, the Ford Flex represents Ford’s powerful new direction.
Inside
Flex’s interior has available seating up to seven, multi-panel Vista Roof ™, Family Entertainment System, refrigerated center consol, Sync In-car Communications, voice-activated navigation and Safety Canopy System ™.
Outside
The Flex’s exterior radiates style with grooved door panels, three-bar chrome grille, and available two-tone roof, HID Headlamps and 19” Aluminum Wheels.
A long series of rave reviews in the automotive press indicate that the Flex is the real deal – a sign of great things to come.
The all-new Ford Flex is a shining example of the fundamental changes taking place at Ford in a quest for the best in both design and technology… the future looks very bright indeed.
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2008 Ford Taurus: Rated Safest Full-Size Car in America
The all-new 2008 Ford Taurus has earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) highest 5-star rating!
Taurus’ built-in standard safety features provide 5-star protection in a spacious and comfortable family sedan.
Side Protection and Cabin Enhancement (SPACE™)
This advanced engineering feature channels impact forces around and away from the passenger cabin. SPACE ™ architecture also provides a raised mounting point that allows the driver to sit higher for a more commanding view of the road.
Complete Air Bag Protection
Taurus’ Safety Canopy™ System - with rollover sensor and side curtain airbags, Personal Safety System® - featuring dual-stage front airbags, and side-impact airbags all come standard.
FWD or AWD with Traction Control
Taurus’ front-wheel drive (FWD) and available all-wheel drive (AWD) provide all-weather control and steering responsiveness with its standard Traction Control System.
AdvanceTrac® Electronic Stability Control System
Taurus’ available AdvanceTrac® Electronic Stability Control System constantly monitors road conditions and automatically responds to them accordingly.
To learn more about “the safest full-sized car in America” click here.
*Based on both NHSTA five-star and, with optional electronic stability control, IIHS Top Safety Pick. Star ratings are part of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s Safercar.gov Program.
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Customers Continue to “Crossover” to Great Ford Vehicles
It’s not a fad. It’s not a trend. It’s not a trend. Crossover vehicles are taking the world by storm and Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers are riding the wave with tremendous success. Ford’s highly successful range of crossovers, including the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, continue to outpace the competition at every turn.
The Edge continues to outsell every competitor in the medium-sized crossover market leaving the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander and Nissan Murano in Edge’s dust. MKX sales have been just as impressive, recently toppling the Acura RDX, the BMW X3 and the Cadillac SRX.
Outside of growing sales figures, the Edge* and MKX* were recognized this spring as a “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The Power Information Network also has listed the Lincoln MKX as a “Hot Off the Lot” choice, meaning that it leads key competitors with the lowest number of days on dealer lots.
The 2007 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX continue to impress the critics and satisfy consumers. To learn more about these award-winning vehicles visit, www.fordvehicles.com for Ford Edge and www.lincolnvehicles.com for Lincoln MKX.
*Models built after January 2007.
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The 2008 Focus: New Design. New Technology. New Potential.
Remember that fun-to-drive Ford Focus from year’s past? Well, the fun is still all there, only now it’s joined to the latest cutting-edge design and technologies.
With a completely new exterior and interior design, the 2008 Focus brings everything that was great about the Focus to an entirely new level. With a two-bar grille innovation based off the spectacularly successful three-bar grille Fusion, the Focus (coming this fall) will present an entirely new and competitive look for its category.
Focus’ innovation doesn’t stop at design. New available options, including a technology with huge potential, Ford Sync, are also raising the bar. The result of an alliance between two iconic American brands, Ford and Microsoft, Ford Sync will allow our buyers to connect with their vehicles like never before. From iPods to cell phones to PDAs, they will always be connected thanks to this advanced feature (and thanks to the Focus’ impressive new driving dynamics, they will always be connected to the road as well).
New interior, new exterior and a new way customers can connect with their favorite fun-to-drive ride – the 2008 Ford Focus is sure to be a winner.
From iPods to cell phones to PDAs, they will always be connected thanks to this advanced feature (and thanks to the Focus’ spectacular new driving dynamics, they will always be connected to the road as well).
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Ford Vehicle Quality Soars
It’s official! Ford Motor Company is the only automobile manufacturer with five J.D. Power and Associates U.S. Initial Quality awards this year! Ford Mustang: “Highest Ranked Midsize Sporty Car in Initial Quality
Lincoln Mark LT: “Highest Ranked Large Premium Multi-Activity Vehicle in Initial Quality”
Lincoln MKZ: “Highest Ranked Entry Premium Car in Initial Quality”
Mazda MX-5 Miata: “Highest Ranked Compact Sporty Car in Initial Quality”
Mercury Milan: “Highest Ranked Midsize Car in Initial Quality”
"We are designing and building world-class vehicles, and it’s great to have this affirmation from the customers who drive out cars and trucks every day,” said Mark Fields, president of the Americas, Ford Motor Company. “While we’re pleased that our internal focus on quality is receiving this kind of recognition from J.D. Power and Associates, we will not let up. We will continue to deliver even more high-quality products that customers want.”
To learn more about Ford Motor Company’s award winning lineup visit www.ford.com.
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Disclaimer: Ford Mustang, Lincoln Mark LT, Lincoln MKZ, Mazda Miata, and Mercury Milan received the lowest number of problems per 100 vehicles among midsize sporty cars, large premium multi-activity vehicles, entry premium cars, compact sporty cars, and midsize cars, respectively, in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Initial Quality StudySM. Study based on responses from 97,390 new-vehicle owners, measuring 250 models and measures opinions after 90 days of ownership. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of owners surveyed in February-May 2007. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com
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