Ford 500 the XXL Focus.
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>NEW YORK, March 28, 2002 – The Ford Five Hundred is set to change the face and the space of the family sedan when the all-new car goes on sale in 2004.
At this year’s New York International Auto Show, Ford is giving media a preview of the new car that will offer incomparable passenger roominess, a tall seating position, sophisticated styling and command of the road.
"The Five Hundred is the result of asking questions about the family sedan that no one thought to ask," says Chris Theodore, Ford’s vice president of North America Product Development. "While everyone has been scrambling to invent the ‘next big thing,’ our team asked, ‘What about the car?’ We decided to put some of the features people love about minivans and SUVs into our all-new sedan."
The new Five Hundred is one of the 20 new products Ford Motor Company will introduce each year across its brands in North America through 2005.
The Five Hundred was created from the inside out using Ford’s "high-package" design strategy. As a result, the car’s interior roominess is equal to and even better than many larger cars – while retaining the elegant exterior proportions, maneuverability and fuel-economy benefits of a mid-size car..
Inside-Out Design
The Ford Five Hundred literally was designed around the customer. It comfortably seats five adult passengers, with surprising spaciousness in the rear – including nearly three-and-one-half feet of legroom. This spaciousness tops every mid-size sedan on the road today, including many large European luxury sedans.
Precisely executed ergonomics and careful attention to detail further define the interior. The cockpit is designed to allow drivers of all shapes and sizes to find comfortable seating positions and for all vehicle controls and storage spaces to fall easily to hand..
Command-of-Road Driving Position
The Five Hundred’s "command-of-road" driving position is derived from one of the features minivan and SUV buyers regularly cite as a major selling point. The car’s "greenhouse" area has been carefully crafted to provide more headroom and the ability to raise the "H-point" – or hip-point – of the front seats.
The H-point of the Five Hundred is two to four inches higher than the car’s mid- and full-sized sedan competition. The design also affords a more "upright" position of the front seats, delivering the "command-of-road" position coveted by SUV buyers..
"It’s an ergonomist’s design dream," says Theodore. "It’s a car that you ‘step into’ rather than crawl into or – in some cases – fold yourself into."
Elegance and Style
The Five Hundred continues the evolution of Ford’s car design strategy. Its exterior is contemporary and elegantly designed – with minimalist, clean accent lines and smooth surfaces. The theme creates a prominent greenhouse that centers the design and achieves carefully balanced proportions designed to be sophisticated and athletic.
New Powertrain
The Five Hundred will use a new version of Ford’s 3.0-liter Duratec V-6 and also feature a six-speed automatic or a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The CVT is the first of the new technologically advanced transmissions developed and produced under Ford’s joint venture with ZF, the world’s largest independent specialist for driveline and chassis technology.
The CVT will provide exceptionally smooth operation and help to deliver up to a 10 percent fuel economy improvement versus a traditional powertrain.
Safety Leadership
Ford’s commitment to safety leadership will continue with the new Five Hundred. It will feature the latest level of Ford’s Personal Safety Systemä – one of the most comprehensive and technologically advanced safety systems available in any vehicle in any class.
The new sedan also will feature anti-lock brakes, traction control, side-curtain air bags and AdvanceTracä , an advanced interactive vehicle dynamic stability control system..
Advanced Manufacturing
Production of the new Five Hundred will begin at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant in 2004. When the plant is reconfigured for the new product, it will feature a flexible body shop that allows one set of tooling to build multiple vehicle configurations. This represents a major step forward in Ford’s revitalization plan – with the ability to quickly create unique and fresh products, share major components to save cost and ensure quality, and make extensive use of flexible manufacturing to match customer demand and maximize efficiency.
New to the Ford Lineup
Five Hundred will be an all-new addition to the Ford lineup. The smaller Ford Taurus – one of the best-selling cars in America – will remain and continue to be produced at Ford’s Atlanta Assembly Plant.
Also new to the lineup in 2004 will be the Ford CrossTrainer, which was announced last month at the Chicago Auto Show. The CrossTrainer is a crossover vehicle designed for up to seven passengers and their cargo.
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[ 03-28-2002: Message edited by: Peloton25 ]
[ 03-28-2002: Message edited by: biker16 ]</p>
