Brien Ford Blog – Everett Ford Dealer

PCMag, one of the most thorough and respected tech magazines out there, made an exception of their rule to not review car toys for the Ford Sync infotainment system.  In their words, “…we’re not a car magazine. But we do cover car tech, and we’re of the opinion that Ford has reached a bit of a milestone with this extremely capable system.”

The reviewer was given a Taurus SHO with Ford Sync and other technologically advanced features and described the initial feeling of the SHO as a sense of being in a “Car of the Future”.  The first display in the cabin is a large, 8-inch touch-screen located in the center of the dashboard; the others are two 4.2 inch LCD cluster screens in the gauge area which are controlled with buttons on the steering wheel.  The center-mounted armrest can be opened to reveal two USB ports, an SD card slot, and a set of composite audio and video jacks.

To find out more about Ford’s Sync infotainment system, and why techies everywhere are raving about it, contact Brien Ford.

Earlier today, Ford Motor Company celebrated the official grand opening of their very own TechShop.  The TechShop space in Michigan will allow Ford employees access to workspaces which they can use to dream up inventions.  Employees must be willing to share the patent with the Ford company, though civilians may also use the tech spaces for a $99 monthly membership fee.

Employees and others who use the facilities will gain access to high-tech tools like CNC mills and laser etching products.  Machine tool experts will also be on hand and can provide numerous training courses to teach the machine/craft skills necessary to bring participant’s  ideas to life.

Dedicating the new Tech Shop to Ford’s found, Henry Ford, a spokesperson told media, “By collaborating with TechShop Inc. to bring this new facility to southeast Michigan, we hope both to inspire and enable some of the great minds that live in this region to create, experiment and invent… If Henry Ford were starting today, he would almost certainly be a member of TechShop Detroit.”

To find out more about the Ford company or to take a look at any Ford vehicle, contact Brien Ford.

Ford has been doing tons of excellent things with the upcoming Escapes; everything from state-of-the-art technologies to making doors out of plant materials.  The outgoing models of the Escape are equipped with an electronically controlled 4WD which is now on its way out the door.  The brand new Escapes are equipped with an improved system known as intelligent AWD.

With Ford’s electronically controlled 4WD system, the vehicle will send available torque to either the front of rear tires depending on which tire needs more traction than the others in any given situation.  Ford has incorporated other features to work with the new AWD system, optimizing full control of the vehicle.

When riding in rough terrain, if one of the tires lose its grip, the AWD system will move the torque as in the previous system, but the Torque Vectoring Control and Curve control help to prevent this from happening.

To learn more about the 2013 Escapes, or any other Ford vehicle, contact Brien Ford.

This year, among the many things Ford is up to, the auto manufacturer will be producing its very first global compact SUV.  Surprisingly, the USA won’t see the Kuga until Ford is sure of its welcome.  I like to think they’re experimenting on the rest of the world and us Americans get the perfectly finished product.

Chris Bird, design director of Ford Europe, told media, ““Great design can turn an object that you need to have, into an object you love.  That is why we put so much thought and feeling into cars like Kuga, making them appealing and relevant no matter where our customers are.”

He added, “More customers in Europe and Asia now choose compact SUVs as an alternative to conventional niche products like coupes. In North America there is a growing trend to downsize, but our customers there still want to combine style and space, so it’s important to get that balance.”

To find out more about what Ford has in store for the future, or to take a look at any Ford vehicle, contact Brien Ford.

Automotive trends are constantly changing and shifting, and auto manufacturers spend millions in research and development in order to give their consumers what they want most.  A new trend for 2012 and 2013 model cars are sun roofs so large, they have been deemed glass roofs.  The Ford Motor Company was of the first to do this in their 2013 Lincoln MKZ unveiled earlier this month in New York. Covering the front and half of the back seat, 15.2-square-foot “glass roof” is the largest in its midsize luxury class.

The trend was inspired by the 80% of buyers who opt for the dual-pane sun roof.  Sam Locricchio, a Ford company spokesman, says the glass-roof phenomenon mirrors what is happening in architecture, where open-air “marketplaces” have replaced enclosed shopping malls and more buildings are built to maximize natural light. People want “the openness, bringing the outside in,” Locricchio told media.

To find out more about what Ford is up to, or to take a look at any Ford vehicle, contact Brien Ford.

Ford Motor Co. is partnering with Yahoo Inc. to produce a reality show which will promote its first electric passenger car.  The show has been dubbed “Plugged In” and will air in May via Yahoo’s streaming video website.  The new Ford Focus Electric is the star of the show, and will carry 3 two-person teams as they travel the country and compete in scavenger hunts.

The show is intended to help Ford reach the electric car’s target group – residents of major U.S. cities, particularly along the East and West coasts, where gasoline prices are higher than the national average.

Jone Felice, general manager of Ford sales, told media, ““We’re being much more targeted and building awareness of the product in a much more efficient way.  It’s very difficult to get a read on what consumers’ adoption will be.  We just know it’s going to grow. We just don’t know how quickly.”

To find out more about the new Focus Electric or to take a look at any Ford vehicle, contact Brien Ford.

Ford has announced their intention to release a 2013 Ford Explorer Sport which will be the new top-of-the-line model for the line.  Though they haven’t released pricing options they have given quite a lot of information about what we can expect from the new version of the Explorer.

The Explorer Sport will be equipped with a 350-horsepower twin-turbocharged EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 engine linked to a paddle-shifted six-speed automatic transmission. The 4WD Explorer Sport also gets a Terrain Management System with settings for sand, snow, mud as well as hill descent.

The EPA has yet to release fuel economy numbers on the 2013 Explorer Sport, but Ford has estimated it will come in at  22 mpg on the highway. The base 2013 Ford Explorer with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission returns 20 mpg in city driving and 28 mpg on the highway.

To find out more about the Explorer or any other Ford vehicle, contact Brien Ford.

Evidence shows that after new drivers (ages 15-21) the second most dangerous age to drive once one becomes a “senior”.  It becomes harder to do simple tasks such as get in and out of a vehicle, steer, buckle and unbuckle a seat belt once a person has passed their prime in life.  Ford is making progress in their research to figure out how they can help these elder drivers can have a safer driving experience.

The Ford engineers have been placed in “age suits” that enables non-seniors to better understand what it feels like to be a senior.  Some of the technology they are researching are things like Automatic-Braking,  Curve Control, larger instrument panels and more comfortable seats with lumbar support.  Some technologies, like Blind-Spot alerts are already available in newer cars and help all drivers, not just seniors.

Ford recommends seniors as well as all drivers to keep their vehicle in peak serviced condition to help keep them as safe as possible.  To take a look at what is available on current Ford vehicles, contact Brien Ford.

The automotive world is ever-changing, depending on economy and trends.  Many exciting changes have happened over the past couple of years, including shifts in trends and therefore, focus for automakers.  For example, 2012 was the last year the Ford Ranger will be produced as Ford felt their focus would be better served on their full-size trucks.  Now that fuel-efficient technology is what it is today, there’s no reason for the Ford F-150 to offer everything a full-sized truck does and more, all while getting excellent MPG.

Fortunately, when you’ve been in the truck game for as long as Ford has, you know what works and what doesn’t.  When they tried to make a style that was more organic and soft in the 90s, truck buyers were disappointed.  Over the next few years we don’t expect many changes on the F-150s since trends won’t be changing too much.  Fuel efficiency will continue to improve as technology does, however, and there will always be slight tweaks to the exterior style to keep up with the times.

For more information or to take a look at an F-150, contact Brien Ford.

Though the Ford F-150 has been available in the Platinum level trim since 2009, Ford is gracing the trim upon the Super Duty trucks for the first time on the 2013 models.  This is the highest trim level that will be available for the Super Duty trucks, but will work with the Kind Ranch trim, allowing buyers to choose between the cowboy or stylish theme.

The new package will include the new MyFord Touch voice-activated infotainment system, a different grille, a specialized tailgate design, uniquely designed wheels and a sleeker lighting detail design throughout the cabin and bed.

Though the pricing difference for the new trim level has not been released yet, automotive media expects to see the Platinum Super Duty Trucks on dealership lots by fall.  Ford’s Super Duty Trucks are available in F-250, F-350 and F-450.  There has been a demand, even by large truck owners, for a more luxurious and sleeker design, which is what the Platinum package will provide.

For more information or to take a look at any Ford trucks, contact Brien Ford.