EcoBoost Gives Ford the Industry Lead in Reducing Engine Size Without Giving Up Performance

For decades, size meant everything when it came to engines – bigger was better and there was no replacement for displacement. But volatile gasoline prices and growing consumer interest in clean technologies are turning that notion on its head.

 

Today, buyers are snapping up cars and trucks powered by smaller engines that offer better fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance.

 

When the EcoBoost® -equipped 2013 Fusion, Escape and 2.0-liter Taurus arrive on dealer lots this spring and summer, Ford will offer an industry-leading seven vehicles with the smallest engines in their segments – more than any competitor.

Ford’s new global family of EcoBoost engines offer customers more affordable, high-efficiency powertrain choices, along with Ford’s growing lineup of hybrid and electric models. On average, an EcoBoost engine can improve fuel economy by as much as 20 percent, yet it costs around $1,000 on most vehicles.

 

Available now in displacements of 1.6, 2.0 and 3.5 liters, Ford’s EcoBoost engines are designed to offer drivers outstanding performance in everything from economy cars to trucks.

 

Most of the Ford vehicles with the smallest engines in their segments – 2013 Escape and 2013 Fusion (1.6 liters); Explorer, Edge and Taurus (2.0 liters); and Interceptor and F-150 (3.5 liters) – deliver the same or greater power than the larger, heavier engines in competitive vehicles, along with higher fuel economy.

 

Replacing large engines with smaller-displacement EcoBoost engines is one way Ford is delivering on its promise to lead or be among the leaders in fuel economy in every segment in which it competes.

As with cell phones, laptops and other consumer electronics, Ford’s engines will continue to shrink – yet become more powerful – in the coming years.

 

The next new EcoBoost engine scheduled for launch in North America, a 1.0-liter three-cylinder coming in 2013, will be Ford’s smallest yet. This compact, innovative engine – which is the same length as the average laptop computer – is rated at 125 horsepower, making it one of the highest output-per-liter regular production engines Ford has ever made.

 

This year, Ford Motor Company will offer EcoBoost engines in 12 Ford and Lincoln nameplates – Focus ST, 2013 Fusion and Escape, Taurus, Interceptor, Flex, Edge, Explorer and F-150, as well as the latest Lincoln MKT and MKS models and the all-new Lincoln MKZ.. By 2015, the company plans to offer an EcoBoost engine on 90 percent of its North American nameplates.

 

Light + small + power = better

 

In addition to developing more horsepower per liter than the larger engines they are replacing, EcoBoost motors are helping Ford reduce vehicle weight, which improves handling and braking and helps increase fuel economy.

 

The 2013 Escape and Fusion models provide a graphic example of why Ford’s new generation of smaller, lighter and more powerful engines are better. In the 2012 Escape and Fusion, the 3.0-liter V6 engine is rated at 240 horsepower and 223 lb.-ft. of torque. That engine weighs 340 pounds.

 

The new 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine that is optional in the 2013 Escape and Fusion is rated at 240 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque and it weighs 295 pounds, 45 pounds less than the old 3.0-liter. The 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine available in both vehicles delivers 178 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft of torque and weighs just 223 pounds.

 

Since launching EcoBoost in summer 2009, Ford has sold more than 180,000 EcoBoost-equipped vehicles in North America, making it the most rapidly adopted fuel-saving technology in recent automotive history.

 

According to Ward’s sales data, it took Toyota 50 months, for example, to sell 100,000 gasoline-electric hybrids in North America. And Ford’s EcoBoost lineup outsells all competitors’ diesel, compressed natural gas and battery-electric cars combined.

 

EcoBoost is a suite of technologies that combines turbocharging with direct injection, variable valve timing and precise engine controls to increase the power output and efficiency of the gasoline internal combustion engine. The increased power output enables Ford to replace a V8 engine with a V6, a V6 with a four-cylinder and a four-cylinder with a three-cylinder – with no loss of performance.

 

“The F-150 is a great example of how EcoBoost is changing the way customers think of our engines,” said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president of Powertrain Engineering. “Before we launched the 3.5-liter EcoBoost, few people would have believed a V6 was tough enough to get the job done in a full-size truck. The last time a six-cylinder engine outsold a V8 in the F-150 was in the late 1980s.

 

“But with 365 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque, towing capacity as much as 11,300 pounds and EPA highway fuel economy of 22 mpg, the EcoBoost V6 has quickly become the top-selling engine in the F-150,” said Bakaj. Just over 40 percent of F-150s are sold with an EcoBoost engine, he added.

EcoBoost Edge is another small-engine success story. With a nearly 20 percent take rate, the 2.0-liter EcoBoost-powered Edge is exceeding sales projections.

 

Ford EcoBoost engines are also proving popular in Europe, where the 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter four-cylinder units are offered across several nameplates, and the all-new 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost has met with unanimous acclaim.

Visit McRee Ford  for the best pricing on a brand new Ford car, trucks or SUV near Houston, TX. Also check our inventory of quality used cars for every budget.

Eclectic Mix Helps Engineers Perfect the Sound Stage Inside the All-New Ford Escape

What do Stevie Ray Vaughn’s tube amp, Suzanne Vega’s lip smack and Rihanna’s voice have in common? Recordings of these sounds were all used to help audio engineers set the sound stage inside the all-new Ford Escape.

 

The “buzz” in Stevie Ray Vaughn’s cover of the Jimi Hendrix classic “Little Wing” is from a single-coil pickup amplified by tubes. Ford audio engineers used this recording to evaluate tonal balance, ensure quality in the bass region, and to make sure there is a wide sound stage in the new Escape’s audio system. The lip smack in Suzanne Vega’s a cappella hit “Tom’s Diner” is used to check the center staging of the sound system, while Rihanna’s “S.O.S.” helps evaluate clean bass mixed with vocals and ensure there is nothing shrill in the tweeters.

“We tuned the audio system so that it sounds natural – as if you’re listening to music inside a theater rather than in your vehicle,” said Christine Templin, one of the audio engineers who tuned the Escape’s sound system.

Templin, who enjoys attending concerts in her free time, said the audio engineering team listens to everything from “rap to classical” to bring concert-like sound into Ford vehicles.

The audio engineers’ work is twofold: the objective portion, monitoring sound wave files on laptop computers hooked up to speakers within the vehicle; and the subjective portion, relying on human ears to fine-tune the quality of the system.

Templin explained how Jennifer Warnes’ recording of Leonard Cohen’s “Famous Blue Raincoat” should give the listener a specific feeling.

“You should feel like you have been transported to a gloomy environment,” she said.

PJ Harvey’s “Electric Light” was used to make sure the instruments don’t modulate the vocals and the bass doesn’t shake the doors, Templin noted.

The Escape, which will be available to customers this spring, has three available audio systems: the standard six-speaker system, a nine-speaker system and a SONY® -branded 10-speaker system.

Stay tuned for the latest updates related to new Ford vehicles and technology from McRee Ford one of the leading Texas Ford dealerships in Dickinson.

Ford Becomes First Automaker to Earn Top Honors for Supporting Women-Owned Businesses

Ford Motor Company was named as one of America’s top corporations for its support of women-owned suppliers, the first time an automaker has earned the award.

 

The Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBENC) selected Ford for its 13th annual listing of America’s Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises. It is the only national award honoring corporations for world-class programs that level the playing field for women’s business enterprises (WBEs) to compete for corporate business.

 

Ford earned the award for developing and driving innovative best practices across its organization that result in productive business partnerships with women entrepreneurs and valuable products and services for their customers.

 

In 2011, Ford spent $1.06 billion with women-owned suppliers in the U.S., a 22 percent increase from $866 million in 2010. Since 2009, Ford has more than doubled its sourcing with women-owned businesses.

The increase in 2011 includes higher spending with suppliers that are playing a key role in Ford’s expanding portfolio of high-quality, safe, fuel-efficient products equipped with smart technologies. Examples include:

• Dura Automotive Systems, an Auburn Hills, Mich.-based company that is owned by Lynn Tilton’s Patriarch Partners investment company. Dura, which makes a variety of control systems, engineered assemblies and other products, supplies the award-winning heated power rear sliding window for the F-150 pickup
• Systrand Manufacturing, a Brownstown, Mich.- based company owned by Sharon Cannarsa. Systrand is producing machined parts for the next generation of Ford’s hybrid transmission that will be used in the new Ford Fusion Hybrid and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid
• Dakkota Integrated Systems, owned by Andra Rush and based in Holt, Mich. Dakkota won a contract to produce fascias and headliners for the redesigned Ford Explorer, which more than doubled sales in 2011 from 2010, finishing the year with 135,704 units sold in the U.S.

“Building a financially healthy, diverse supply base is a central part of the Ford purchasing strategy,” said Tony Brown, group vice president, Ford Global Purchasing. “We are proud to receive this recognition, and we hope it brings renewed attention to this important segment of our supply base.”

Ford Enables Voice Control of NPR App

McRee Ford the leading Texas Ford car dealer in Dickinson is pleased to announce that w ith the latest edition of the NPR smartphone app, Ford drivers can listen to Morning Edition , All Things Considered , Fresh Air and other favorite programs and stations conveniently at their request using SYNC® AppLink™ and the power of their voice.

 

As highlighted in the Arbitron & Edison study “Infinite Dial 2011: Navigating Digital Platforms,” drivers are increasingly taking advantage of ubiquitous wireless data connections to stream audio on the road. Just in the past year, 5 percent more drivers are using their cell phones to listen to Internet radio on the road. Overall, time spent listening to online radio has also increased an impressive 49 percent in the last three years. Over the recent Christmas weekend alone, an estimated 6.8 million new Android and iOS phones and tablets were activated, more than double the previous year’s count.

 

“NPR is now taking advantage of the advanced smartphone control interface that we’ve built into SYNC AppLink to enable a wider range of information and entertainment options for our customers,” said Doug VanDagens, global director of Connected Services, Ford Motor Company. “With AppLink, drivers can manage smartphones through the in-car audio system or via the power of voice while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.”

 

“NPR has been a trusted companion to drivers for more than 40 years, and we are thrilled to be the first major news organization to release our own in-car app,” said NPR President and CEO Gary Knell. “We are helping to usher in a new era of radio listening by offering today’s and tomorrow’s listeners another way to connect with great news, public affairs and music content from NPR and hundreds of public radio stations.”

 

Ford and NPR teamed up to adapt the NPR News app for SYNC AppLink, building on NPR’s reputation as a leading news source and digital innovator, and the strength of its network of local NPR Member stations that 34 million people rely on nationwide. Over the past two years, NPR has doubled its digital audience to 19 million users, developing free apps for tablets, smartphones and desktops that both current and new audiences are embracing.

 

The NPR News app integration with SYNC AppLink brings the features of NPR’s mobile application on iPhone and Android into the car with features that include:

-NPR’s Newscast: Hear the latest coverage of breaking news as soon as you get into your car – or anytime you choose by simply saying “Hourly News” at the voice prompt

-Get local news from across the nation : Say “Stations” and select your favorite NPR Member station for local news and programs, from KCRW in Santa Monica to WNYC in New York

-Program your car’s radio station presets from the NPR app: Love Michigan Radio? Press and hold one of the preset buttons on the dashboard to assign it, so it’s easy to tune directly to your favorite station

-Just say “Programs” to listen to your favorite NPR and other public radio programs when you want. Want to hear Car Talk on Monday morning or Tell Me More at night? All NPR programs are available 24/7. If a local station is playing the requested program, the app will automatically play the live stream; otherwise a prerecorded stream will play

-Pick stories by topic : Just want science stories? Tell your car “Topics,” then ask for “Science.” Now you can select stories from 20 of the most popular NPR topics including politics, movies, health and more

-Create a playlist: Make your selections on your smartphone before you hit the road and enjoy your own custom mix of national and local news and public radio talk and entertainment programs on your ride

-Control your listening experience : Now you can pause, skip, advance, even go back within the same story, or to earlier stories

-Get friendly tips : Carl Kasell, popular former NPR newscaster and official judge and scorekeeper of Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me! will help you navigate between programs.

 

Kasell provides entertaining and informative tips throughout the app such as:

 

 “Hi, this is Carl Kasell, I’m here to help you get the most out of your NPR experience. Your favorite stations are accessible through the number buttons on your dash. Press once to listen. Press again to discover more from that station. However, no matter how many times you press, I won’t magically appear in your car. Sorry.”

The NPR News app for Ford SYNC offers the variety, choice and control of a smartphone app in your car. Designed to minimize driver distraction, the NPR News app is easily controlled with voice commands and simple steering wheel controls, allowing drivers to effortlessly customize their public radio listening experience.

The updated NPR app is available now through the Android Market and iTunes App Store. SYNC AppLink is available on a range of 2012 Ford vehicles including Ford Fiesta, Ford Mustang, Ford F150, Ford Fusion and more.

 

About Ford Motor Company

 

  Ford Motor Company , a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 166,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com .

 

About NPR

 

NPR is an award-winning, multimedia news organization and an influential force in American life. In collaboration with more than 900 independent public radio stations nationwide, NPR strives to create a more informed public – one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas and cultures. Visit NPR.org for more.

Ford starts 2012 with Autobytel awards

McRee Ford the popular Ford dealer in Dickinson, Texas is pleased to announce that based on their game-changing potential, advances in design and overall efficiency, two vehicles built by Ford Motor Company have picked up awards from Autobytel, which is dedicated to helping consumers find information they need to purchase cars and connect to dealers online. The best-selling pickup in the U.S. for the last three decades, the 2012 Ford F-150 EcoBoost™ was unanimously named Truck of the Year by Autobytel editors. “F-150 has seen its fair share of changes over the years, but the addition of the EcoBoost engine might be one of the biggest,” Autobytel says, as it “allows the F-150 to deliver best-in-class towing capabilities without sacrificing fuel economy.” And with its “5.0-liter street-legal dose of V8 adrenaline,” the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 galloped its way to the Autobytel Sports Car of the Year award: “This horse loves to run and we loved to drive it,” editors say.

  

2012 Ford F-150

 

The 2012 Ford F-150 is a 2-door, 3-seat Regular Side, available in 52 trims, ranging from the XL 4x2 Regular Cab 6.5' Box to the SVT Raptor 4x4 SuperCrew 5.5' Box. Upon introduction, the $22,990 XL 4x2 Regular Cab 6.5' Box is equipped with a standard 3.7L, 6-cylinder, engine that achieves 17-mpg in the city and 23-mpg on the highway. an Automatic transmission is standard. The $45,470 SVT Raptor 4x4 SuperCrew 5.5' Box is equipped with a standard 6.2L, 8-cylinder, engine that achieves 11-mpg in the city and 16-mpg on the highway. an Automatic transmission is standard.

 

As the best-selling truck in the United States, for the last three decades, the Ford F-150 has seen its fair share of changes over the years, but the addition of the EcoBoost engine might be one of the biggest. The 2012 Ford F-150 EcoBoost was a unanimous decision for the Autobytel 2012 Truck of the Year by our staff. The new turbocharged and direct-injected engine allows the truck to deliver best-in-class towing capabilities without sacrificing fuel economy, and EcoBoost is offered on just about all of the F-150's various models ranging from the base F-150 XL up to the luxurious F-150 Platinum. Buyers can also choose between the F-150's multiple cab lengths and bed lengths to find a configuration that meets their exact needs.

Pickup trucks are still the standard workhorses we rely on but many have amenities now that bring them closer to having a car-like comfort and passenger room like an SUV while increasingly providing powerplants and packages that increase fuel economy and performance.

Whether trucks are being used as an on-site office that can haul the goods or a recreational family hauler for the outdoor toys, pickups have evolved into versatile and comfortable vehicles that meet lots of needs.

 

2012 Ford Mustang

 

The standard features of the Ford Mustang Boss 302 include 5.0L V-8 444HP engine, 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive, 4-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS), side seat mounted airbags, driver and passenger side airbag head extension, airbag occupancy sensor, air conditioning, 19" aluminum wheels, cruise control, ABS and driveline traction control, and a stability control.

 

With more than a tip of the hat to its heritage the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 is Autobytel's 2012 Sports Car of the Year.

As Autobytel's own Sue Mead says, "This horse loves to run and we loved to drive it." The 2012 Mustang Boss 302 has a five-setting shock adjustment lets drivers choose the firmness of the road feel from a softer, cruising mode all the way up to race-handling rigid. Again, Mead says, "Ford is taking its Mustang line-up back to the future with a no-apologies sport-performance heritage model. It’s not an “Apprentice.” It’s not a “Manager.” It’s the Bos s . Specifically, it’s the 2012 Mustang Boss 302 that comes with a beastly 444-hp., 302 cubic inches, and a 5.0-liter street-legal dose of V8 adrenaline. Hold onto your hair, Donald Trump, it’ll blow your head back to the Recaro racing seats! 

With performance in mind, sports cars are changing quickly to meet increased performance needs and match current fuel economy demands.

The need for speedy and agile driving machines has not diminished in this age of lowering fuel consumption. High horsepower and torque are no longer being sacrificed. Due to improved engineering on both engines and aerodynamic design, the sports car dream is alive and well. The traditional designs remain in spirit in all three finalists for the Autobytel 2012 Sports Car of the Year. Read on to see which three high-performers made the list.

McRee Ford In Dickinson(Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area) serves Galveston Country, League City, Houston and nearby areas in Texas with new and used vehicle sales, service, genuine Ford parts & financing. You can visit our website to schedule a test drive or request a no obligation quote online.

Content courtesy http://www.autobytel.com/

Ford Evos Concept: A Sci-Fi Combo Car

Ford Evos Concept can personalize and adapt a number of unique, unexpected sci-fi features for you. It could have delighted you with pleasant surprises from the design labs. There is of course one not-so-palatable surprise; this will remain always a concept, no such car would actually hit the road; the Ford Concept is meant to design future cars, which will have some or many such exciting possibilities.

“Concept” car can recommend the best route to take on a given day, based on automatic inputs from friends on your social networks. It can reset the alarm clock if a morning meeting is cancelled. “Concept” can play the same music or news program that you were listening to just before you left the home. It can sense your calendar and set the ideal temperature before you get in. To bring some sci-fi closer to you, it will wirelessly operate home/office gadgets; closes garage doors, switches off lights and sets alarms, without your having to command. If this scenario sounds very much Ford like, Cloud is the secret.

Cloud computing’s incredible potential is changing work-style for industries, businesses; it is dramatically modifying the lifestyle as well for individuals. Ford is drawing visions out of this enormous capability.

The cloud-connected vision of the concept car will personalize Ford car’s handling and engine performance to suit the needs of each individual driver and the road ahead. Individualization will be the key to enhancing driving experience, comfort, safety and radically improving fuel efficiency.

Ford C-MAX Energi, planned for North American markets in 2012 (European model in 2013) will have lithium-ion plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain; To power Evos Concept, Ford has put in this state-of-the art next-gen performer and fuel-saver. Hybrid architecture will operate the petrol engine and electric motor on Ford Energi to work together or separately to maximize fuel efficiency. Evos Concept can pull information from the cloud, determine your surroundings and automatically change to electric, hybrid or gasoline mode.

This robotic powersplit could be a great help when you are entering mandatory low-emission zones, like in Stockholm, London, Berlin.

Cloud-tech driven Ford Concept can source different map and weather data from the Cloud (computerized information stored on remote servers,) and overlay it based on each driver’s habits and destination. It can spot whether it is the wife or husband that is behind the wheel; and adjust the powertrain, steering, braking and suspension systems. Adapting to the situation is the especial capability that will take driving experience to new levels.

Wellness technology too is a near-term possibility with Ford Evos Concept; the car seat can monitor driver’s heart rate. Location aware advanced sensors can access data on air quality from the cloud, mesh it with individual’s known allergies and suggest a healthier alternate route; and modify air-filtration system to ameliorate the allergies.

Chief technical officer and vice president of Ford Research and Innovation, Paul Mascarenas sees technology to be more of, what it does, than what it is. “Technology is more than just an impressive list of microprocessors, sensors and software; it’s about the application of that technology to create an experience that enhances the driver’s time behind the wheel.”

Fascinating possibilities can emerge with connecting the individual’s personal information on the cloud, providing a seamless home-car-office lifestyle. Because of the congestion and increasing distances, you get to spend more and more time behind the wheel, Ford Evos Concept is designed to relieve the stress. There are on-road situations, when you would wish that instrument panel changes into a simpler screen displaying just the essential gauge information or when you would want “Do Not Disturb” mode on the Smartphone; Ford cars may even accomplish this for you.

A C-car’s typical length, CD-Car’s comfortable width and impression of a classic GT car combine into an all-in-one but exciting fastback design for the Evos Concept.

Frankfurt’s 2011 auto-show will be the debut venue for Ford Evos Concept. Even if no single car may carry the entire range of the capabilities, it is the concept of the future. Ford’s new cars will be sporting more and more of the features.

Visit McRee Ford for all Ford needs in and around Dickinson, TX. Also, visit us in person or online to explore our huge inventory of quality new or used Ford vehicles.  We also have a stock of wide variety genuine Ford parts and deliver excellent service on all Ford vehicles. Schedule your service appointment today and don’t miss to check our online specials too! Drive home the Ford car of your choice with a special offer!

Ford F-150 Named 2012 Motor Trend Truck of the Year

Winning an impressive award? All in a day’s work.

Toughness and rugged durability now merge with prestige and accolades. The Ford F-150 is the proud recipient of the 2012 Motor Trend Truck of the Year®.

When it comes to capability, power and performance, Motor Trend must have realized the competition didn’t stand a chance. The F-150 offers best-in-class trailer-towing capacity (11,300 lbs.)¹ It can haul more than any other truck in its class—up to 3,120 lbs¹.

But there’s more to the story than just sheer power. F-150 also has its focus on what’s important to everyone these days: fuel efficiency. The F-150 3.7L TI-VCT V6 delivers not only best-in-class standard V6 power, but also class-leading² fuel economy with an EPA-estimated 17 city/23 highway/19 combined mpg (4x2).

Motor Trend also found the available EcoBoost® engine that’s designed with advanced technology and twin turbocharging to be beyond impressive. EcoBoost delivers a combination of efficiency and capability that’s unequaled in its class.³ What’s the experience like behind the wheel? Instantaneous low-end torque responsiveness with virtually no turbo lag.

The work may be tough, but inside F-150 it’s comfortable, quiet and user-friendly. The F-150 SuperCrew even boasts a fully flat load floor---the most usable cab space in its class⁴. And proving that you don’t have to work hard to be productive, F-150 offers an available class-exclusive² driver configurable LCD productivity screen. Want to know your fuel economy, towing or off-road information? It’s all at your fingertips. And to keep you connected with life on the road, F-150 features available Ford SYNC® and the available Navigation System. It all adds up to a full-size pickup that delivers power, efficiency and intelligence---just a few vital factors that must have influenced the truck lovers at Motor Trend.

“The Ford F-150’s considerable strengths stood out in sharp relief against the competition. By offering high tech features like SYNC and EcoBoost, Ford has clearly taken a leadership position in the market and demonstrated a commitment to making the F-150 not just the best selling truck in America, but perhaps the most versatile. From a fuel sipping EcoBoost to a desert racing Raptor, the F-150 covers all of the bases,” said Edward Loh, Editor-in-Chief of Motor Trend.

To read the entire article, visit Motor Trend . To find out more about the F-150, visit www.mcreeford.com.

DISCLAIMER:
1When properly equipped. Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs. GVWR, Non-Hybrid.
2Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs. GVWR, Non-Hybrid.
3Based on max. towing and payload and EPA-estimated 16 city/22 hwy mpg, 4X2. Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs. GVWR, Non-Hybrid.
4SuperCrew model. Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs. GVWR, Non-Hybrid.