Service Specials from Bill Kay Ford for March

$10.00 OFF

Any ONE Fluid Exchange Service

 

Choose From the Following Systems:

Engine Oil, Power Steering, Transmission, Brake,

Front or Rear Differential, Transfer Case, Engine Coolant

 

Coupon Must Be Presented To Service Advisor at Write-Up

May Not Combined With Other Discounts or Offers

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$25.00 OFF

Any TWO Fluid Exchange Services

 

Choose From the Following Systems:

Engine Oil, Power Steering, Transmission, Brake,

Front or Rear Differential, Transfer Case, Engine Coolant

 

Coupon Must Be Presented To Service Advisor at Write-Up

May Not Combined With Other Discounts or Offers

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$5.00 OFF

 

MOTORCRAFT

 FULL SYNTHETIC OIL SERVICE

 

 

Coupon Must Be Presented To Service Advisor at Write-Up

May Not Combined With Other Discounts or Offers

 

Chicago Ford Specials

Ford Focus Electric Becomes America’s Most Fuel-Efficient Five-Passenger Vehicle with 110 MPGe EPA Rating

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency certifies the 2012 Ford Focus Electric as America’s most fuel-efficient five-passenger vehicle with a 110 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) city rating

• Focus Electric achieves a combined rating of 105 MPGe, topping Nissan Leaf by 6 MPGe while also offering more motor power, passenger room and standard features

• Customers can make more use of this efficiency with Ford’s faster charging technology that can recharge Focus Electric in about half the time of Nissan Leaf

• Ford gives customers the power of choice with 10 fuel-efficiency leaders across segments and powertrain technologies

DEARBORN, Mich., March 2, 2012 – Ford’s all-new Focus Electric is now officially America’s most fuel-efficient five-passenger car with a certified 110 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) city rating and 99 MPGe on the highway.

 

Focus Electric also has been certified by the EPA to offer 105 MPGe combined, beating Nissan Leaf by 6 MPGe while offering more motor power and more standard features. Focus Electric’s 99 MPGe highway certification bests the 92 MPGe rating for the Leaf.

 

Focus Electric bests Nissan Leaf in other ways, too – more passenger room and a faster charging system that allows for a full recharge in nearly half the time of Nissan Leaf.

 

The Focus line soon will be joined by the new 2013 Ford Fusion – aiming to be America’s most fuel-efficient gas- and hybrid-powered midsize sedans – to help create one of the industry’s most fuel-efficient car lineups. The Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid is projected to become the world’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan by achieving more than 100 MPGe in electric mode.

 

“Ford is giving customers the power of choice for leading fuel economy regardless of what type of vehicle or powertrain technology they choose,” said Eric Kuehn, chief nameplate engineer, Focus Electric. “The Focus and Fusion are great examples of how we transformed our fleet of cars, utilities and trucks with leading fuel efficiency.”

 

The EPA-approved Focus Electric label also certifies that the car has a range of 76 miles on a single charge compared with the 73-mile range of the Leaf. The Focus Electric can be driven up to 100 miles on a single charge depending on driving habits. The average driver drives 29 miles a day, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics website.

Read More: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=36099

Ford Upgrades Virtual Reality Simulator to Help Develop Future Safety Technologies, Driver Aids

• Ford recently upgraded its state-of-the-art VIRtual Test Track EXperiment (VIRTTEX) simulator with improved image rendering technologies and capabilities to study driver performance, helping in the development of safety and driver aid technologies

• VIRTTEX has helped in the development of heads-up displays, drowsy driver alerts and lane departure warning technology soon to be available on the all-new Ford Fusion

• Ford is the only North American automaker with a high-fidelity, motion-based simulator featuring a spherical dome on top of a hydraulic system to mimic vehicle movement. The simulator was developed in 2001

• Upgraded image rendering technologies now provide a high-resolution, digitally projected 360-degree horizontal field-of-view to test and measure driver acceleration, braking and steering performance as well as overall driver reactions in varying conditions

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 17, 2012 – Upgrades to Ford’s full-motion virtual test track will help the automaker continue to develop and test active safety and driver aid technologies that warn drivers of imminent collision, drowsiness and other potentially dangerous scenarios behind the wheel.

 

The VIRtual Test Track EXperiment (VIRTTEX) simulator, which features a spherical dome on top of a hydraulic system to mimic vehicle movement, now has upgraded image rendering technologies to provide a high-resolution, digitally projected 360-degree horizontal field-of-view to test and measure driver acceleration, braking and steering performance as well as overall driver reactions in varying conditions.

 

“VIRTTEX plays an integral role in helping us develop future safety and driver assist technology, making it essential to keep the simulator current with the latest technology,”,” said Mike Blommer, technical lead for the lab. “Coupled with improvements in the resolution and brightness of the projection technologies, as well as improved imagery capabilities, we will be able to boost our capabilities to conduct active safety studies.”

 

The 360-view helps the engineers evaluate driving performance with a complete view of every angle around the driver. Improved imagery creates the most realistic scenarios including other traffic, pedestrians and landmarks alongside the roadway.

 

Technical advances tested in part in VIRTTEX have included Lane Keeping System and collision warning, which is set to appear in the all-new Ford Fusion available to customers later this year.

 

Ford used VIRTTEX to examine driver responses and reaction times with advanced early-warning systems such as forward collision warning, a radar-based system designed to help avoid or mitigate the effect of rear-end collisions. The study concluded that certain warning systems may elicit a faster and more appropriate response for distracted drivers.

 

Read More: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=36009

2012 Chicago Auto Show: 650-hp 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 convertible

The question few have asked, concerning a car even fewer can afford, was answered at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show this week when the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 convertible took the stage. How can Ford outdo the 2012 GT500 and the 580-hp Chevrolet Camaro ZL1? Bristling with a 650-hp supercharged V8, the next GT500 answers the call by pushing the boundaries of topless American muscle.

Based on the updated 2013 Ford Mustang, the latest Shelby GT500 elevates the pony car to near-supercar status, with a special 5.8-liter engine, track-tuned suspension, high-performance Brembo brakes, carbon-fiber driveshaft, and upgraded transmission and clutch. An optional performance package can further enhance the GT500, with electronic-adjustable Bilstein shocks. And the one trick the convertible has over the coupe introduced at the LA Auto Show is that it has a power cloth top. While that may not be ideal for track days, it can add appeal for relaxed cruising or tearing through the countryside.

This Shelby GT500 commemorates the 20th anniversary of Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT), the performance mavens responsible for the 1993 Mustang Cobra, F-150 Lightning, F-150 Raptor, SVT Contour, SVT Focus, and numerous Mustang iterations.

Clearly, the Shelby GT500 is much more Mustang than most drivers need. For those on a more modest budget, the Mustang V6 and Mustang GT are highly entertaining. And relatively speaking, the 305-hp Mustang V6 is a veritable bargain.

Read More: http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/02/2012-chicago-auto-show-650-hp-2013-ford-shelby-gt500-convertible.html

2012 Car Brand Perception Survey: Ford leads all brands in awareness

Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota have a commanding lead in car brand awareness, as determined from interviewing car owners for the 2012 Car Brand Perception Survey.

In conducting our random, nationwide perception survey, we ask car owners to name the automotive brands they are aware of--this determines our baseline. By dividing the total number of times that a particular make was mentioned as an exemplar across seven car-buying factors by awareness, we can compensate for awareness in calculating the brand perception score. This ensures every brand has an equal chance of leading a category, not just the best-selling or most well-known brands. While not the focus of the survey, looking at just awareness does provide insight into the industry.

The leaders this year mirror the rank order from 2011, although the scores have edged up slightly. Ford (87 percent), Chevrolet (76 percent), and Toyota (70 percent) have a clear advantage over other brands. With 57-percent awareness, Honda fits between the three top-ranked brands and those that form a third tier with scores in the 40s.

In the middle of the pack, we see that Chrysler and Dodge have made significant advances, climbing six and 12 percentage points, respectively. The company’s reinvigorated product line and aggressive marketing seems to be working, along with recurring coverage in national media regarding restructuring efforts.

Similar gains were made by many other brands, as well. BMW, Hyundai, GMC, and Volkswagen all improved by at least 10 points.

We’ve seen that as perception index scores have dropped almost universally, the leaders were brought closer to the mid-pack brands. This suggests that consumers see fewer brands dominating car-buying factors even if the companies are know for safety, quality, or performance. Instead, consumers are recognizing that many brands excel in the seven factors explored in the survey, and consequently, automakers face a tougher struggle to stand out.

Read More: http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/01/2012-car-brand-perception-survey-ford-leads-all-brands-in-awareness.html

2012 Detroit auto show video: 2013 Ford Escape

In Detroit, we took another look at the upcoming 2013 Ford Escape to share our initial impressions as the upcoming crossover continues to make the rounds on the show circuit.

Ford’s popular Escape SUV is thoroughly redesigned for the 2013 model year, better positioning it to compete with the latest crop of small sport/utes. Along with the sleeker appearance, the new Escape boasts a number of new features and technologies, although it won’t offer a hybrid or V6 variation.

The Escape will come standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, but two other fuel-efficient engines are offered--a 2.0-liter or 1.6-liter EcoBoost. Fuel economy on the EcoBoost engines is claimed to be 5 mpg better than the outgoing model.

The Escape will come with a hands-free power liftgate enabled by motion under the center of the rear bumper and the upgraded Sync with MyFord Touch infotainment system is also standard. The SUV will also have park assist, blind-spot sensors, curve control, and torque control. These latter systems will help slow the vehicle when cornering and accelerate through a turn.

The new Escape promises to have more cargo room and more space behind the first and second rows and the rear seats and head restraints fold flat with a touch of a button. The SUV also has a new 4WD system for improved handling on and off-road.

We look forward to buying one next summer one it goes on sale and see how it compares against the latest, small SUVs. For a preview of the new Escape, check out the video below.



Read More: http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/01/2012-detroit-auto-show-video-2013-ford-escape.html

Inflatable Seat Belts a Big Hit for Ford

Automotive safety is like ice cream: everyone loves it. Right now, no one seems to be doing as great a job with safety as Ford, and no surprise, one of its newest safety features—inflatable seat belts—is a big hit in the Ford Explorer.

“The inflatable belts are proving to be very successful and take rates are increasing as people become more aware of them after being introduced in the spring,” says Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood.

Of the 122,000 Explorers sold through November, Ford says that 40 percent of customers have bought the $200 optional inflatable belts, which reduce pressure on the chest, controlling head and neck motion for rear passengers in an accident. Ford expects the take rate to increase as more consumers become aware of the technology, which is said to be more comfortable than traditional belts, thereby encouraging belt usage.

“We do not yet have early quality data for them, but can say our research indicates that people not only like the innovative safety advancement but think the belts are more comfortable because they’re padded and have rounded edges,” he says.

The inflatable belts have been such a surprise hit that Ford has confirmed they will soon appear in its other crossover, the Flex, and two other Lincoln models.

Read more: http://blogs.automotive.com/inflatable-seat-belts-a-big-hit-for-ford-70753.html#ixzz1gjOAxPen

Ford Dealers in Chicago