ford Archives | Page 19 of 34

Ford launches SYNC Destinations mobile app

Filed under: CES, Technology, Ford

Ford SYNC Destinations Around this time last year, Ford debuted its brand new MyFord Touch system, an infotainment setup that will be spreading like wildfire to the full host of Blue Oval products. To further build upon Ford’s SYNC technology, the automaker will now be releasing a free mobile application called SYNC Destinations, available for iPhone, iPad and Android-based phones. (Don’t worry, BlackBerry folk – your app is in the pipeline.)

This app allows customers with the SYNC TDI (Traffic, Directions and Information) service to search for and save destinations to their individual cloud-based software for easy access back in the car. What’s more, the app uses predictive traffic, powered by INRIX, which provides recommended departure times along with estimated travel times for commutes.

Ford says that by using SYNC Destinations, TDI users will be able to better plan the “when and where” of their commutes, simply by using the INRIX features found within the app. Specifically, aids like traffic maps with real-time speed and accident information, traffic forecasts and easy look-up of addresses will make adding new destinations to the user’s SYNC system easier than before, and more accessible while on the go (and not in the car).

SYNC Destinations will make its official debut at CES in January. For the full details, follow the jump to read Ford’s press release.

Gallery: Ford SYNC Destinations

Ford SYNC Destinations Ford SYNC Destinations mobile app

[Source: Ford]

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Ford launches SYNC Destinations mobile app originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford MyKey now allows parents to block Howard Stern, Playboy Radio [w/video]

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Ford

Ford MyKey 2011

Ford’s upgraded MyKey for 2011 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Modern technology means that parental controls are now spreading to cars as factory equipment, and the automaker leading the charge is Ford. Using the latest version of the company’s MyKey system, parents can now block their children from listening to certain radio stations – say, for instance, Howard Stern or Playboy Radio on satellite. In fact, there are a dozen stations listed as explicit by Sirius, and all of them can be blocked using MyKey starting in 2011.

Also seeing an upgrade for 2011 is MyKey’s speed-limiting technology. Previously, the top speed of a properly equipped Ford vehicle could be capped at 80 miles per hour (with chimes sounding at 45, 55 and 65). Now, users can preset a desired speed limit at any of four different settings – 65, 70, 75 or 80 mph. While an obvious safety feature, the technology can also dramatically improve fuel efficiency.

Already, Ford’s MyKey allows parents to limit audio volume, encourage seatbelt usage by muting the radio until front occupants buckle up and provide earlier low-fuel warnings. All of these could be considered important safety features, considering that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that teens are more likely to speed (a contributing factor in 30 percent of fatal accidents) and are less likely to use their safety-belts.

Ford contracted the firm Penn, Schoen & Berland to conduct a survey regarding its new MyKey features, and the results aren’t terribly surprising: 85 percent of parents believe the speed limiting controls are important and 60 percent say the same regarding the radio content controls. Even 45 percent of teen drivers themselves say they approve of the technology… just as long as it means they get extended driving privileges from their parents. Of course, said teens can also simply circumvent the MyKey safety leash by listening to CDs or their MP3 players, but we digress.

Check out a video and full press release after the break to learn more about how the system works.

Gallery: Ford’s upgraded MyKey for 2011

Ford's upgraded MyKey for 2011

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford MyKey now allows parents to block Howard Stern, Playboy Radio [w/video]

Ford MyKey now allows parents to block Howard Stern, Playboy Radio [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford showcasing live teardown of F-150 EcoBoost engine during Detroit Auto Show

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Truck, Work, Ford

Ford Ecoboost V6

After surviving some of the most heinous abuse that the engineers at Ford cold dream up, the same 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 engine that pulled logs, raced in Baja and towed 11,300 pounds for 24 hours straight will be dissected in front of the crowds at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. The stunt gets started on January 15 at 11 a.m., and Ford is hoping to be able to show off exactly how well its new V6 workhorse held up against the equivalent of 160,000 miles of torture.

Ford has come out with a bare-knuckle advertising campaign to prove that it’s smaller-displacement, turbocharged engine can not only dish out equivalent power while using less fuel, but that it can stand up to the kind of work that pickup trucks are meant to endure. After wrapping up competition in the Baja 1000, Ford pulled its Ecoboost engine to perform dyno tests, and found that even after all of the beatings, the lump still churned out the same 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque that it left the factory with. Not too shabby. Stop by the Ford display at the 2011 Detroit Motor Show to check out the dissection, and hit the jump to see the press release.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford showcasing live teardown of F-150 EcoBoost engine during Detroit Auto Show

Ford showcasing live teardown of F-150 EcoBoost engine during Detroit Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Fusion will be brand’s first 200,000-unit car since 2004

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Ford, Earnings/Financials

2010 Ford Fusion Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to Ward’s Auto, Ford is about to stride past a production figure that it hasn’t hit since 2004. The 2011 Fusion is on the cusp of motoring past 200,000 sales this year – an annual number that a FoMoCo passenger sedan hasn’t managed to exceed since both the Focus sedan and Taurus did the deed back in ’04. In 2010, Fusion sales were up 21.5 percent through November compared to 2009 – hitting 196,590 units. Given that the Blue Oval has been easily knocking off more than 10,000 Fusion sales per month, Ward’s is betting that Ford will easily manage to overtake the 200k mark.

Should that happen, the Fusion will find itself in heady company. Only a handful of other sedans have managed to topple the 200,000-unit barrier this year, and all of those are from Asia. Not surprisingly, the Toyota Camry is expected to walk away from 2010 with the sales crown, with 296,581 deliveries through November, while the Honda Accord has already notched 253,073 sales under its belt. Following up in third place is the Toyota Corolla with 244,024 units sold. Also through November, the venerable Honda Civic has tallied 231,955 units, the Nissan Altima found 206,247 garages, and just last week, Hyundai announced that its redesigned Sonata had eclipsed 200,000 sales for the first time ever – a massive 90,000 unit improvement year-over-year.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

2010fordfusionhybrid_review000 2010fordfusionhybrid_review001 2010fordfusionhybrid_review002 2010fordfusionhybrid_review003 2010fordfusionhybrid_review004

[Source: Ward’s Auto]

Ford Fusion will be brand’s first 200,000-unit car since 2004 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Videos: Ford’s 2011 Explorer and 2012 Focus go off the wall

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Videos, Crossover, Ford

Ford Focus Crash Test

2012 Ford Focus plays tag with a wall – Click above to watch video after the jump

Ford has been testing its upcoming 2012 Focus extensively, and it’s already put the compact through 12,000 crashes in both the virtual and real worlds. Ford says that the Focus features advanced restraint systems as well as next-generation airbags that feature upgraded chest-protection technology. The C-Segment car is not stealing all the focus (*ahem*), however, because the all-new 2011 Explorer has clearly received plenty of attention from the safety engineers. For the first time in the Explorer’s history, it has landed on the IIHS list of Top Safety Picks.

Enough talking, because you’re ready for some automotive snuff films, right? Hop the jump to watch a 2012 Ford Focus and 2011 Explorer make out with a wall. While you’re over there, be sure to check out Ford’s official press release.

[Sources: Ford, YouTube]

Continue reading Videos: Ford’s 2011 Explorer and 2012 Focus go off the wall

Videos: Ford’s 2011 Explorer and 2012 Focus go off the wall originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Ford Focus equipped with brake-based torque vectoring

Filed under: Sedan, Wagon, Hatchback, Ford

2012 Ford Focus

2012 Ford Focus – Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2012 Ford Focus is set to hit dealers early next year, and in addition to a cadre of standard and optional features, Ford is equipping every new Focus with its new breed of “torque vectoring control.”

For the uninitiated, torque vectoring systems actively split power between the two driven wheels to maximize traction and increase performance. Some higher-end systems manipulate the output to each wheel through a set of electronically controlled gears, while others apply a subtle amount of braking to the inside wheel, causing more power to be sent to the outside wheel, thus helping rotate the vehicle through a turn. Ford is using the latter on the 2012 Focus, the first implementation of its kind on a Blue Oval model in North America.

Thanks to the continued implementation of standard traction control systems, these torque vectoring setups are becoming more common and have finally reached the compact segment. While the benefits generally outweigh the negatives, we’ve found other brake-based systems have a tendency to overheat the pads, rotors and fluid when flogged long and hard enough (ahem, GTI). We’ll be able to test it out for ourselves soon, so look for a full driving report in just over a month. In the meantime, get the full details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Focus

2012 Ford Focus hatchback

Continue reading 2012 Ford Focus equipped with brake-based torque vectoring

2012 Ford Focus equipped with brake-based torque vectoring originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Territory spotted completely naked and production-ready

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Ford, Australia

2011 Ford Territory spy shot Sure, Ford has a whole slew of crossovers here in the United States, but what we don’t have is a Blue Oval-branded CUV based on rear-wheel drive architecture. For that, you’ll have to travel to Australia or New Zealand (or South Africa or Thailand, exported from Oz), where Ford offers the Territory.

Like all Territory models since its introduction in 2004, the 2011 model will be based on the Falcon that we’re dying for in the States. Fortunately, as we’ve seen in previous spy shots and renderings, the next-gen Territory will feature styling that continues to separate itself from the Taurus X-ish looks of the first-gen model, with a completely new front fascia featuring twin gaping maws with bright horizontal chrome strips.

Two powerplants are expected: the turbo-diesel 2.7-liter V6 that can currently be found in the Land Rover Discovery 3 (a.k.a. LR4) and the well-loved 4.0-liter inline six offered in the Falcon. Thanks for the tip, TriShield!

[Source: Drive.com.au]

Ford Territory spotted completely naked and production-ready originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford expanding stop-start technology to non-hybrid models

Filed under: Technology, Ford

2011 Ford Explorer Blue Oval grllle badge

Given the multifaceted approach to making more efficient vehicles favored by Ford, an automaker that employs everything from EcoBoost to hybrids, pure electrics to less thirsty gas models – it’s not that surprising to learn that the company is announcing that it is expanding use of stop-start technology to more U.S. vehicles in 2012. Stop-start, you’ll recall, is a technology that allows an engine to shut off automatically at stop lights to avoid wasting fuel while idling. As far as the green race goes, stop-start is a no-brainer: it’s not all that expensive to implement – especially compared to technologies like hybrid powertrains – and according to Ford, it can result in a jump in fuel economy of up to 10 percent.

Ford is following BMW, Fiat and other automakers in bringing stop-start to its vehicles, but along with Porsche, it is taking a leadership role with the technology here in the U.S. for non-hybrid vehicles. Ford notes that it has sold over 170,000 hybrids with stop-start in North America in the last six years, and 2012 will mark the first time it will be found on Ford’s “conventional cars, crossovers and SUVs in North America.” European Ford drivers are familiar with the technology, and Ford says stop-start “eventually will be offered in all of Ford’s global markets.” Thus far, however, the Blue Oval isn’t saying which non-hybrid models will be the first to receive the technology.

Stop-start technology has become an easy and effective way for automakers to register substantial economy gains in European models, but don’t expect official mile per gallon figures to budge much on America’s EPA-mandated test cycle. As of yet, the U.S. government’s testing methodology simply doesn’t reflect the benefits of stop-start, so while the effects of the technology may be self-evident in real world driving, they won’t necessarily be reflected on a vehicle’s window sticker in dealer showrooms. In other words, Ford is likely to have some consumer educating to do.

To school yourself a bit further on the Blue Oval’s stop-start initiative, check out their official press release after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford expanding stop-start technology to non-hybrid models

Ford expanding stop-start technology to non-hybrid models originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford shows Aussies who’s Boss with special FPV Falcon

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Ford, Australia

FPV Boss 335 GT

FPV Boss 335 GT – Click above for image gallery

There’s no shortage of similarities to be found between Australia and the United States. Both are former British colonies flying red, white and blue flags; both are big masses of land divided into states; both have Top Gear spinoffs and share a common affinity for Crocodile Dundee. We could go on, but the key commonality here is love for muscle cars. More than anything, that’s what ties these two countries together from opposite ends of the Earth.

General Motors has capitalized on that shared trait by bringing powerful Holdens over to America under Pontiac badges. Arch-rival Ford, meanwhile, has gone the other way, taking a popular American performance badge and slapping it on one of its Australian products.

The result is the Ford Boss 335 GT. Based on the Falcon sedan, Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) has given the Boss 335 GT a touch more power than the 2012 Boss 302 Mustang: the 335’s supercharged 5.0-liter DOHC 32-valve V8 pumps out 450 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque (compared to the 440hp and 380 lb-ft on the all-motor Boss Mustang). The power’s driven to the 19″ rear wheels through a six-speed manual and kept in check by oversized, cross-drilled and ventilated Brembo brakes.

FPV’s also made sure the special Falcon got all the requisite striping you’d expect from a Boss, and equipped the interior with everything they bad to throw at it. With the American and Australian dollars close to par, though, the $70,000 sticker price may seem a little steep. UNfortunately, this is an exclusively Aussie product, so if you (i.e. our U.S. readers) want to show ’em who’s Boss, you’ll have to stick to the Mustang. Dang.

Gallery: Ford Boss 335 GT

[Source: FPV via Top Speed]

Ford shows Aussies who’s Boss with special FPV Falcon originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: 1968 Ford Mustang fastback is our kind of holiday caroler

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, Ford, Humor

1968 Ford Mustang sings

1968 Ford Mustang sings “Silent Night” – Click above to watch video after the jump

There are plenty of reasons to love this time of year. Good food, warm garages, time with friends and family and the traditional gift exchange all go a long way toward making December a little more bearable, but for us, it’s the music that really sets this season apart from the rest. Just after Thanksgiving, we start getting down to everything from traditional tunes like Bing Crosby’s rendition of “Silver Bells” to slightly less conventional songs like Everclear’s “I’ll Be Hating You For Christmas,” but we officially have a new favorite.

The creative souls at DMAX have taken the time to coax a 1968 Ford Mustang fastback out of hibernation to perform a few quick bars of “Silent Night.” There aren’t any details as to what’s lurking under this beast’s hood, but if we had to guess, we’d say it’s a 302-cubic-inch V8 that’s singing its heart out with the help of a little clever editing. Hit the jump to have a look for yourself, and may your holidays be filled with similar internal-combustion glory.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: 1968 Ford Mustang fastback is our kind of holiday caroler

Video: 1968 Ford Mustang fastback is our kind of holiday caroler originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Dec 2010 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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