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The Ford Ranger Earns Best-In-Class Water-Wading Capability

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The Ford Ranger has a best-in-class water-wading capability of 800 mm (2.62 ft). And the 4×4 and 4×2 Hi-Rider models can wade through deep water even while carrying a full load.

During the extensive water testing, Ford’s latest global compact pickup was loaded to gross vehicle mass –as heavy as it possibly could be – so that Ranger was riding at the lowest possible height. Most customers would not be carrying so much weight when fording rivers or floods, but Ranger’s ability to do so provides additional peace of mind.

Engineers tested Ranger over a variety of water depths and speeds. For example, they drove Ranger through 50 mm (0.16 ft) of water at 30 km/h (18.64 mph), 50 km/h (31.07 mpg) and 65 km/h (40.39 mph) to simulate going through big long puddles on the ground. They then increased the depth at 50-mm (0.16-ft) intervals until they got to 800 mm (2.62 ft), at which the engineers were driving through the water bath at 7 km/h (4.35 mph), or approximately walking pace.

“When we go through the water bath, we’re looking out for every possible functional failure in the vehicle. The most critical one would be if water was sucked through the air intake into the engine, resulting in hydro-lock, which can bend the piston’s connecting rods and potentially destroy the entire engine,” said Tom Dohrmann, the development engineer in charge of Ranger’s water management.

“We have to protect against such failures so that our customers can go deeper without causing catastrophic damage to their engines.”

Stop by Beach Ford in Virginia Beach or Suffolk to learn about many more Ford Ranger capabilities.

Source: Ford

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Ford Offers Industry-First Truck App Software for Towing

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The Ford F-Series has an all-new software application for safe and easy towing and off-roading—an industry first in truck technology.

With more than 50 percent of F-Series owners regularly towing a trailer, Ford developed the first application to walk drivers through the proper trailer connection process.

The Truck App is available on F-Series’ class-exclusive LCD instrument cluster screen, where traditional stats on fuel economy, vehicle settings and trip tracking also live.

“The 4.2-inch LCD productivity screen presents detailed information in an engaging, easy-to-use manner so customers get the most out of their Ford trucks for work and for play,” said Joseph Fodera, cluster applications engineer.

A checklist asks drivers a set of questions to help ensure the trailer is connected properly:
• Ball coupler connected and locked?
• Tongue jack raised?
• Mirrors adjusted?
• Electrical wiring connected?
• Lights functioning correctly (running lights, left/right turn and brake lights)?
• Trailer Brake Controller gain setting adjusted?
• Wheel chocks removed?
• Safety chains connected?

For those who own multiple trailers, Truck App allows drivers to name each trailer and collect and store accumulated mileage for each – for up to 10 different trailers, displaying helpful information such as accumulated miles for a particular unit, trailer brake gain (with available integrated brake controller) and output.

Off-road information
The Truck App also caters to the off-road enthusiast with unique information screens such as pitch-and-roll, which shows the angle of surface incline, the degree of tilt and steering angle.

Stop by Beach Ford in Virginia Beach or Beach Ford Lincoln in Suffolk to learn more.

Source: Ford

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Ford and Lincoln Lead in Fuel Economy

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Ford and Lincoln have 12 cars, trucks and utilities that lead their sales segments in fuel economy, including four with EPA-certified ratings of 40 mpg or more.

“Fuel economy and technology are consumers’ biggest priorities – and we have made them Ford’s as well,” said Mark Fields, Ford president, The Americas. “Our product portfolio reflects the investment Ford has made to transform our lineup in the past several years so our customers can be more green – and keep even more green in their wallets – than when fuel prices reached $4 per gallon in 2008.”

Now, the company’s lineup features improved aerodynamics and fuel-saving technologies including PowerShift, six-speed automatic transmissions, electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) and EcoBoost engines that save on fuel with no compromise to driving excitement.

The newest Ford vehicle in the fuel economy winner’s circle is the all-new Focus SFE, which has been EPA certified at 40 mpg highway and 28 mpg city. Focus joins the 41 mpg city Fusion Hybrid and 40 mpg highway Fiesta in Ford’s 40 mpg and over club.

In addition, Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America with its 41 mpg city EPA-certified rating, helping make Ford and Lincoln vehicles the most fuel efficient in the company’s 107-year history.

The arrival of the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine later this year in the Edge crossover and Explorer SUV will see two more nameplates join Ford’s best-in-class mpg club.

More Ford fuel economy stars include:

• Ford Mustang V6: Its V6 engine and six-speed automatic deliver best-in-class highway fuel economy of 31 mpg; Mustang V6 is the first car in history to deliver the combination of 300-plus horsepower and more than 30 mpg

• Ford F-150: Its 302-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 engine and six-speed automatic deliver a best-in-class 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway – an EPA rating Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra can’t top. The 3.7-liter V6 is one of four all-new truck engines in the 2011 F-150 lineup

• Ford Fiesta: The combination of a 120-horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder and available six-speed dual-clutch PowerShift automatic transmission delivers 40 mpg on the highway, topping Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit by 4 mpg and 5 mpg, respectively

• Ford Super Duty: The Ford-designed and Ford-built 6.7-liter Power Stroke® diesel engine delivers as much as 20 percent better fuel economy than the 6.4-liter it replaced. The new Power Stroke isn’t just fuel efficient, it’s also the most powerful diesel pickup engine money can buy, rated at 400 horsepower and 800 lb.-ft. of torque

• Ford Edge: With its 3.5-liter V6 and six-speed automatic, Edge delivers 19 mpg city and a best-in-class 27 mpg highway. The upcoming 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine in the 2012 Edge is expected to deliver even greater economy

• Ford Fusion Hybrid remains America’s most fuel-efficient midsize family sedan, topping the Toyota Camry Hybrid by 10 mpg in the city, according to the EPA

• Ford Escape Hybrid, Transit Connect, Ranger and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid also lead their segments with the highest fuel economy.

To learn more about the fuel-efficient Ford and Lincoln vehicles, stop by Beach Ford in Virginia Beach or Beach Ford Lincoln in Suffolk.

Source: Ford

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2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty Leads in Towing Capacity and Customer Satisfaction

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Production begins this week on the industry’s best-selling heavy-duty truck, the Ford F-Series Super Duty, now with upgraded towing capacity.

Ford F-350 and F-450 Super Duty trucks with the 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V-8 diesel engine and dual rear wheels now can tow an industry-best 17,500 pounds. That’s 1,000 pounds more than the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 4×2 and 500 pounds more than the Silverado and Sierra 4×4.

These improvements arrive at a time when Super Duty’s customer satisfaction score – 83 percent – is the best in the industry for heavy-duty trucks; and when Super Duty’s market share is the highest in a decade. The truck dominates the heavy-duty pickup segment with nearly 50 percent of total heavy-duty sales.
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All-New Ford Ranger Offers Most Storage Options

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The Double Cab model of the all-new Ford Ranger has 23 storage spaces in its cabin – more than any other one-ton truck.

Door pockets can easily fit 1.5-liter bottles while the glove box is big enough for a 16-inch laptop computer. A separate driver’s glove box provides greater accessibility to items such as a soda can, sunglasses, a wallet or keys.

The 8.5-liter center console bin – also the largest in the segment – helps keep up to six soda cans cool with a duct blowing cold air from the air-conditioner. It is also big enough to hold CDs and to-go containers.

In the back, the rear seats fold up to reveal storage bins for items such as tools, rope, and 4×4 recovery straps. The seats also fold down to store items such as a jack, a tire inflator and a first aid kit.

Engineers have used every spare inch in the cabin to deliver a truck that is not only one of the most spacious in its class but also has the greatest amount of practical storage space.

“We are very passionate over every millimeter,” said David Stanley, package supervisor, Product Development, Ford Australia. “That’s the difference between a good car and a great car – lots of attention to every last millimeter.”

“The number of storage spaces is becoming a key why-buy with more customers using their truck for both work and family,” said Stanley. “We intentionally went for the biggest spaces wherever we could. Where the competitors could fit only smaller bottles, we could fit larger ones.

“We went all out to make sure the all-new Ford Ranger is class-leading in stowage. And we did it.”

Watch this video to see what the engineers managed to fit in the all-new Ford Ranger:

To check out the Ford Ranger in person, stop by Beach Ford in Virginia Beach or Beach Ford Lincoln in Suffolk.

Source: Ford