Available this summer, Ford’s new 2010 Taurus will start at $25,995 – the same price as 2009 models but with more class-leading features, new technologies and perceived quality that rivals German luxury sedans. A wide selection of optional customer-focused technologies also will be available on the 2010 Taurus including Cross Traffic Alert.

This industry-exclusive system leverages the existing BLIS technology functions only while the vehicle is in reverse and warns when cross-traffic appears within three car widths. Watch a video demonstration of Cross Traffic Alert.

How it Works: Blind Spot Information System (BLIS™)

The feature uses two multiple-beam radar modules, the same used with Cross Traffic Alert, which are packaged in the rear quarter panels – one per side. The radar identifies when a vehicle enters the defined blind spot zone and illuminates an indicator light on the corresponding sideview mirror, providing a warning that a vehicle is approaching.

How it Works: Cross Traffic Alert

Working in conjunction with Blind Spot information System (BLIS™), Cross Traffic Alert warns the driver of impending traffic while backing out of a parking spot. Cross Traffic Alert utilizes the blind spot system’s two multiple-beam radar modules. It can pick up an object moving at up to 18 miles per hour within a 65-foot range – or three parking spaces – from either the left or right side of the vehicle. When cross traffic is approaching, two warnings are given: an indicator lights up in the corresponding outside mirror and an audible alert is sounded. The radar also works when backing out of angled parking spaces because its view is wider than just strictly sensing traffic coming at a 90-degree angle.

Links

Ford Motor Company Newsroom – The New Ford Taurus & Taurus SHO

Digital Snippet: Ford Taurus SHO Named Esquire’s Inaugural “Car of the Year”

The 2010 Ford Mustang coupe has earned the U.S. government’s top 5-star crash-test rating, adding to widespread acclaim for the new car’s unmistakable design and upgraded performance that builds on the formula that’s made it America’s favorite pony car for 45 years. Ford has more U.S. government 5-star-rated vehicles than any other brand and more Top Safety Pick ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety than any other automaker.

Structurally Strong
The new Mustang uses high strength steel in its body structure and uses ultra high strength steel in the door intrusion beams for additional side impact protection.

The Mustang’s considerable body stiffness contributes to the coupe and convertible’s driving performance and has a parallel benefit in accident protection. While the coupe’s body structure is approximately 31 percent stiffer than the previous Mustang platform, the convertible’s is more than twice as stiff – creating a structure that helps protect the cabin from deformation and intrusion during an impact.

The front structure’s crush zones are computer-designed to absorb energy in a controlled manner and help dissipate it before it can reach the passenger compartment. Ford engineers have run thousands of design iterations of the Mustang’s front rails to arrive at an octagonal shape that helps spread crash forces evenly to help protect occupants.

Technologically Advanced
State-of-the-art technology adds to the convenience and safety of the 2010 Mustang, from the availability of the latest version of Ford SYNC®, with new features 911 Assist™ and Vehicle Health Report, to standard AdvanceTrac® Electronic Stability Control, which complements the all-speed traction control and standard anti-lock braking system (ABS).

Additional standard safety equipment includes Beltminder® and the Personal Safety System™ – a system that includes dual-stage driver and front passenger air bags, safety belt pretensioners and Beltminder.

Sales Leader
Mustang remains the number one selling sports car by a wide margin, with the new 2010 model driving showroom traffic. In April, Mustang had nearly a 40 percent share of the retail sports car segment.

QUOTES:

“The Mustang offers top safety ratings that, like its design and performance, other sports cars cannot match.” – Sue Cischke, Ford Group Vice President of Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering

“We’ve made many upgrades to the new Mustang that contributes not only to the car’s safety, but also to its driving enjoyment thanks to a stiffer structure. – Steve Kozak, Ford Chief Engineer for Safety Systems

“Interest in the fast, fun and affordable Mustang remains outstanding. The feedback from our dealers and customers is that we’ve taken the new 2010 Mustang to a new level of excellence.” – Steve Ling, Ford Car Marketing Manager

The new 2010 Lincoln MKZ luxury midsize sedan – arriving in dealerships now – is giving Lincoln showrooms another boost after earning a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The new MKZ offers more standard luxury features than its Lexus and Cadillac competitors and further solidified Ford Motor Company’s industry-leading number of Top Safety Picks.

Structurally strong
The structure of the Lincoln MKZ helps it withstand intrusion in many accidents, including the most common frontal and side impacts.

The tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes are stronger at the top of the vehicle – from below the beltline upward – than at the bottom. This helps to channel energy below the level of the occupants. At the torso level and above, the structure helps to prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment.

Front and side-protection elements on the MKZ include:

• The first use on a Ford vehicle of dual-phase, high-strength steel rails on the front end;
• Two energy absorbing foam blocks between the inner door panels and interior trim, aligned with the occupants’ chest and hip ;
• Side-intrusion beams inside the door, anchored at the hinge and latch areas;
• Tailor-welded steel in the B-pillar structure with extra thickness – nearly a quarter inch of solid steel – above the beltline; and
• Front-seat side air bags for front occupants and side-curtain air bags for head protection in both rows.

Segment-exclusive features
The new Lincoln MKZ also offers segment-exclusive features, including:

• First-in-class Blind Spot Information System (BLIS™) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA), which makes navigating traffic and parking lots safer and easier.
• AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control system, which comes standard on all Lincoln vehicles, can predict the vehicle’s intentions using a sensor to detect and measure over-steer and yaw by monitoring the vehicle’s speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When the system senses wheel slip, engine torque is reduced and braking is applied where needed to help keep the car tracking safely on its intended path.
• Optional SYNC® with 911 AssistTM. When a phone is properly paired, turned on and connected to SYNC, the system is ready to assist in placing a call directly to a local 911 emergency operator in the event of an air bag-deploying accident. The key advantage of SYNC 911 Assist is speed, as calls are placed directly to local 911 operators.
• SOS Post Crash Alert System, which activates the horn, emergency flashers, automatically unlocks doors and turns on the interior/puddle lamps when an air bag is deployed. The system activates the emergency flashers when a spinout is detected.

Additional standard safety features on the Lincoln MKZ include:

• Ford’s Personal Safety System®, which includes safety belt pretensioners, load-limiting retractors, dual-stage front air bags, driver-seat-position sensing and crash-severity sensing;
• Ford’s BeltMinder™ system, which chimes and flashes a warning lamp for six seconds every 30 seconds for five minutes or until the driver buckles up, whichever comes first; and
• The LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system, which provides convenient mounting points for compatible child seats.

QUOTES

“Earning a ‘Top Safety Pick’ is great news because the Insurance Institute’s tests are some of the most demanding conducted outside of our own laboratories, and customers increasingly rely on them when choosing a new vehicle.” – Susan Cischke, Ford Group Vice President of Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering

“The new MKZ continues to build on Ford’s leading safety heritage and proves that a high level of safety can come in a midsize package.” – Steve Kozak, Chief Engineer, Ford Safety Systems

“In addition to its top safety rating, the new MKZ is packed with technology, Lincoln’s signature high-end features, class-leading interior quietness, and is unsurpassed in its segment for highway fuel economy.” – Greg Scott, Ford Marketing Manager for Fusion, Milan and MKZ

Maureen Edgerton, 51, of West Yellowstone, Mt., was driving home on the dark night of April 11, when she unexpectedly slammed her 2007 Ford Fusion into a herd of bison. The 55-mile-per-hour impact totaled the car and killed several of the migrating “American buffalo” on the snowbound highway. Edgerton, however, walked away with only minor scrapes and bruises. Impressed by the Fusion’s crash protection, safety features and fuel efficiency, Edgerton has picked the new 2010 Ford Fusion to be her next new vehicle.

While Ford Motor Company does not have specific requirements to protect customers in collisions with bison or other animals, all of the company’s vehicles are designed and tested to meet rigorous crash safety requirements. These requirements help protect occupants in all sorts of collisions, even with bison, which can grow to more than 6 feet tall, 11 feet long and more than 2,200 pounds.

Having emerged from the accident relatively unscathed, Edgerton said the decision to buy another Fusion came easily. The new model has even more safety features, such as side curtain air bags and is “Top Safety Pick” rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It also offers optional all-wheel drive and delivers segment-leading fuel economy for Edgerton’s long drives up Rocky Mountain passes to visit her daughter in Seattle, Wash.

Front and side impact protection
Fusion gets some of its core strength from the use of lightweight high-strength steel in the body structure. The structure of the Fusion helps it withstand intrusion in many accidents, including the most common frontal and side impacts.

The tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes are stronger at the top of the vehicle – from below the beltline upward – than at the bottom. This helps to channel energy below the level of the occupants. At the torso level and above, the structure helps to prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment.

Fusion’s front and side-protection elements include:

• The first use on a Ford vehicle of dual-phase, high-strength steel rails on the front end;
• Two energy absorbing foam blocks between the inner door panels and interior trim, aligned with the occupants’ chest and hip ;
• Side-intrusion beams inside the door, anchored at the hinge and latch areas;
• Tailor-welded steel in the B-pillar structure with extra thickness – nearly a quarter inch of solid steel – above the beltline; and
• Front seat-mounted side air bags for front occupants and side-curtain air bags for head protection in both rows.

Segment-exclusive features
Among the segment-exclusive safety and driver-aid technologies on the new Fusion is Blind Spot Information System (BLISTM) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA) and 911 AssistTM – a new feature integrated into the award-winning Ford SYNC® hands-free system.

For safety and security, the 2010 Fusion includes 911 Assist, a new feature integrated into the award-winning Ford SYNC hands-free system. 911 Assist is designed to aid occupants in placing a call directly to a local 911 emergency operator if an accident that activates an air bag or the emergency fuel cutoff occurs. Unlike competitive systems that are routed through an intermediate call center, 911 Assist places the call directly to the 911 operator to speed response time.*

Safety comes standard
Fusion offers standard AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control, which uses sensors to detect, measure and help reduce side-to-side skidding conditions to help the driver keep the car tracking on its intended path.

Additional standard safety features include six air bags and Ford’s Personal Safety SystemTM, BeltMinder® safety belt reminder, the LATCH anchor and tether system for child seats, and Tire Pressure Monitoring System.

QUOTES

“The crash was like a war scene. By the time it was over the hood was smashed in, the mirrors were ripped from the doors and the windshield was shattered, but the interior of the car wasn’t affected whatsoever. And the car was still running and not leaking fluid. Not even the tires were deflated. Everyone who came to the scene asked ‘what kind of car is this?’ because they couldn’t believe it was possible to walk away from such a crash.” – Maureen Edgerton, Fusion owner and resident of West Yellowstone, Mt.

“The Fusion’s safety systems worked just as they were supposed to in Maureen’s accident. They saved her life. I don’t think there was any question in her mind when she came to us that her next car would be another Fusion, because the new model has even more safety technology on it than the one she’d been driving.”– Gary Berg, sales consultant at Bozeman Ford Lincoln Mercury in Bozeman, Mt.

“While our customer’s bison collision certainly demonstrates how tough the 2007 Fusion is, we’ve designed the new Fusion to be even tougher. It proves that a high level of safety can come in a midsize package.” – Steve Kozak, chief engineer, Ford Safety Systems

Ford Motor Company is committed to the fight against breast cancer, and is a proud supporter of breast cancer research and critical breast cancer services. Over the years Ford has dedicated more than $100 million to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure fight against breast cancer.

To further show their support, Ford will donate $20, up to $1 million, to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® in the name of each prospective customer that test drives a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle through June 1. This charitable initiative will run alongside the Ford Advantage Plan, designed to boost consumer confidence by offering valued Ford customers a guaranteed 12 months of vehicle payments on any new Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle up to $700 a month, if the customer loses his/her job.

Customers interested in a test drive can join in and participate by logging on to www.fordcares.com and getting a registration form and number to provide to their dealer. Customers participating in any upcoming Komen Race for the Cure event through June 1st will receive a registration form and can also follow the same steps to have a $20 donation made on their behalf as well.

Twitter users can follow this story @Ford. Please help by getting the word out by sending a tweet. Here’s a sample: For test drives until 6/1, Ford donates $20 to Komen for the Cure. RT and @ at least ONE woman you love! http://is.gd/unhl

Quotes:

“Our goal with the Ford Advantage Plan is to rebuild consumer confidence and assist local charitable organizations that also are struggling in this economy.” - Ken Czubay, vice president of Sales and Marketing, Ford Motor Company

“This program will go a long way in helping Komen directly serve women and men in hundreds of communities across the country with education, screening and treatment programs that address breast cancer issues close to home.” - Hala Moddelmog, President and CEO, Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Ford Motor Company’s MyKeyTM teen-safety driving technology topped the American Automobile Association’s (AAA) top technology picks for new vehicles and earned the 2009 Traffic Safety Achievement Award from a panel of judges at the New York International Auto Show’s World Traffic Safety Symposium.

MyKey, which soon will become standard equipment on the 2010 Ford Focus and many other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models, allows owners to program a key that can limit the vehicle’s top speed and audio volume. The new technology also can completely mute the audio system if front occupants are not belted. The feature is designed to help parents encourage their teen-agers to drive safer and more fuel efficiently, and increase safety belt usage.

Ford’s Focus on Teen Driver Safety
MyKey “may hold potential to increase the safety of teen drivers,” wrote W. E. Van Tassel, Ph.D., with AAA National Driver Training Programs, in a recent article for The Chronicle of ADTSEA.

The Symposium judges previously honored Ford’s Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) program – which teaches teens advanced driving skills – with the 2007 Traffic Safety Achievement Award for Community Service. Two years earlier, the Symposium honored Ford for its exclusive VIRTTEX driving simulator, which has been used almost exclusively for safety research, including an extensive teen study earlier this decade.

These efforts, combined with Ford’s hands-free, voice-activated SYNC connectivity technology, are part of Ford’s holistic approach to helping teens – the riskiest on the roads – drive more safely and reduce risks that lead to many of the approximately 6,000 U.S. auto fatalities each year.

MyKey’s Safety Appeal
MyKey can help promote safer driving, particularly among teens, by encouraging safety belt use, limiting speed and reducing distractions. In addition to the more aggressive belt monitor with audio mute as well as top speed and audio volume limits, MyKey provides earlier low-fuel warnings and can be programmed to sound chimes at 45, 55 and 65 miles per hour to encourage driving within posted speed limits.

About 50 percent of those who would consider purchasing MyKey also said they would allow their children to use the family vehicle more often if it were equipped with the technology. The added seat time can help teens build driving skills in a more controlled setting, complementing graduated licensing laws that give young motorists more driving freedom as they get older.
According to NHTSA, teens are more likely to take risks such as speeding – a contributing factor in 30 percent of all fatal crashes – and less likely to wear safety belts than older drivers.

QUOTES

“The 2009 World Traffic Safety Symposium is tackling the issue of safer teen driving. As Ford’s new MyKey safety technology will help encourage teens to drive safer and use their seat belts, we’re proud to present Ford with this award.” – Mark Schienberg, president of the New York International Auto Show

“Ford’s commitment to providing motorists of all ages with a safe and satisfying driving experience extends beyond our introduction of industry-leading crash protection and crash avoidance systems. New technologies such as MyKey build on that commitment by encouraging responsible driving behavior.” – Susan Cischke, Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering

Progressive and innovative thinking is an essential component of Ford’s culture. With an already active social media presence, Ford continues to join, participate and contribute to the online conversation.

Ford Motor Company is excited to announce that Alan Mulally, President and Chief Executive Officer, will be taking questions live on Twitter on April 15th from 1:00-1:30pm EDT. During this time Ford invites you to join Alan at @Ford - http://twitter.com/Ford - (and to use the hashtag #FordCEO) on Twitter for an exciting and unique Q&A forum. Feel free to tweet your questions, concerns and suggestions, we’d love to hear what you think!

Links:
Biography for Alan Mulally, President and CEO, Ford Motor Company

Ford DigiKnows:
A discussion with Ford’s Advantage Plan Experts Kim Cape and Andrew Ashman, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury Marketing Managers
Live Interactive Streaming Video Event
Tuesday April 7th, 2009 - 12:00 Noon ET

Join in and ask your questions live:

Free Webcam Chat at Ustream

In our episode on April 7th at 12:00 noon ET, Michael Collins takes a look at the newly-released Ford Advantage Plan and discovers how Ford is committed to offering peace of mind to Americans who are considering the purchase of a new vehicle.

Join in and ask your questions as Michael takes an in-depth look at the Ford Advantage Plan and how it compares with similar plans currently offered in the marketplace. The discussion includes Kim Cape and Andrew Ashman, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury Marketing Managers.

The Ford Advantage Plan offers payment protection of up to $700 per month for up to 12 months on any new Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle if customers lose their jobs. Also, customers can take advantage of 0 percent financing on select Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles through Ford’s financing partner, Ford Motor Credit. The program runs from March 31 through June 1.

About Ford DigiKnows
Now you can talk to the people at Ford about what matters to you. Join us every week for Ford DigiKnows – a series of live interactive streaming video events. Each week our intrepid host, Michael Collins, takes you the behind the scenes for the scoop on all things Ford. The DigiKnow live streaming events let you talk with the experts from Ford, as they take you under the hood for a look at new and innovative Ford technologies. DigiKnows helps you uncover another side of Ford.

Links:

Learn more about the Ford Advantage Plan

Video: Mark Fields, President of the Americas, Ford Motor Company, Talks About the Ford Advantage Plan

Ford Introduces Best-in Industry Plan to Improve Consumer Confidence, Jump-Start Vehicle Sales

Watch the Ford DigiKnows archives

About Ford DigiKnows

Michael Collins’ biography

Car buyers seeking fuel efficient hybrids with top safety ratings in a variety of vehicle segments can look forward to a one-stop shopping trip. Only at a Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealership will they find not one but two top-safety-rated hybrids from which to choose.

Ford is the only automotive brand to offer two hybrids that have segment-leading fuel efficiency, “Top Safety Pick” awards and exclusive safety technologies.

The all-new 2010 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid – the most fuel efficient midsize cars in North America – has received a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Fusion Hybrid offers 41 mpg city – beating rival Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg – and its stable mate the Escape Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient SUV on the market and also garnered a “Top Safety Pick.” Fusion and Escape’s Mercury hybrid counterparts, the Milan and Mariner, also received the top rating.

Side impact protection

Fusion and Milan get some of their core strength from the use of lightweight high-strength steel in the body structure. The structure of the Fusion helps it withstand intrusion in a side impact. The tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes are stronger at the top of the vehicle –from below the beltline upward – than at the bottom. This helps to channel energy below the level of the occupants. At the torso level and above, the structure helps to prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment.

Segment-exclusive features

Among the segment-exclusive safety and driver aid technologies on the new Fusion and Milan are Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA).

BLIS with CTA uses two multiple-beam radars in the rear quarter panels (one per side) for two different – but important – purposes. BLIS checks the defined blind spot zone, which is about 10 feet from the back of the bumper to the outside mirrors. When a vehicle is detected, an amber light in the outside mirror of whichever side the vehicle is on lights up. The driver is still responsible for any lane changes, but the BLIS is there to help.

Cross Traffic Alert notifies the driver of impending traffic when backing out of a parking spot and warns the driver when a vehicle is detected within three car widths of either side of the car. As with BLIS, the driver is warned with a light in the outside mirror on the side of the traffic. A warning beep is also sounded.

911 Assist

For safety and security, the 2010 Fusion and Milan also include 911 Assist, an exclusive new feature integrated into the award-winning Ford SYNCTM hands-free system. 911 Assist is designed to aid occupants in placing a call directly to a local 911 emergency operator if an accident that activates an air bag or the emergency fuel cutoff occurs. Unlike competitive systems that are routed through an intermediate call center, 911 Assist places the call directly to the 911 operator to speed response time. Ford Escape also features SYNC with 911 Assist.

Safety and Security

Fusion and Milan’s standard safety features also include six standard air bags, Ford’s Personal Safety System®, AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control system, BeltMinder® safety belt chime and warning lamp, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, and LATCH – the Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren system.

QUOTES

“Customers no longer have to choose between fuel economy and safety – now they can have both with the Fusion and Escape hybrids.” – Susan Cischke, group vice president, Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
“The new Fusion and Milan continue to build on Ford’s leading safety heritage and prove yet again that a high level of safety can come in a midsize package.” – Steve Kozak, chief engineer, Ford Safety Systems.

“We know people want to stay connected in their vehicles, so we’re delivering that connectivity for them responsibly and safely. Our research backs up what most of us instinctively know – that it’s better while driving to place a call using a voice interface than dialing manually, so you can keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.” – Susan Cischke, group vice president, Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering