According to Ford, the EcoBoost I-4 engine delivers V6 power with four-cylinder efficiency. In fact the new power plant achieves nearly a 30% increase in fuel efficiency when compared to the current V-6 Explorer models.

The 2011 Explorer is also the first North American Ford to use a variable-displacement air conditioning unit. That may sound like gibberish to most but the bottom line is the new compressor allows for improved drivability and increased fuel efficiency.

Not surprisingly Ford is quite excited about their new offering.

“The all-new Explorer will give a huge universe of existing and prospective customers the capability they expect and the luxury and convenience they want, all combined with the fuel economy they need,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas.

The 2011 Ford Explorer is expected to hit showrooms later this year.

The technology as explained by Ford senses when a driver is taking a curve too quickly and rapidly reduces engine torque and can apply four-wheel braking, slowing the vehicle by up to 10 mph in about one second.  Curve Control works perfectly over any surface whether dry or wet pavement and serves best when drivers are entering or exiting freeway on- or off-ramps with too much speed.

The system works by measuring how quickly the vehicle is turning and comparing that with how quickly the driver is trying to turn. For this CCT calculates inputs from various sensors that measure roll rate, yaw rate, lateral acceleration, wheel speed and steering wheel angle, 100 times a second.

The move comes after U.S. government crash data reveals that about 50,000 serious crashes annually occur due to driving too fast on curves.

“Too many accidents stem from drivers misjudging their speed going into curves and freeway off- and on-ramps,” said Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “Ford’s Curve Control technology senses a potentially dangerous situation and reduces power and applies brakes more quickly than most drivers can react on their own.”

Paul Mascarenas, Ford vice president of Engineering for Global Product Development further added that the company’s motive behind developing technologies

such as Curve Control and radar-based collision warning systems was to prevent crashes from happening in the first place. He said these technologies were a perfect complement for Ford’s leading passive safety systems.

Jeff Wright, president of the United Auto Workers Local 249 said Ford intended to switch production in Missouri to a newer sport utility vehicle if the state came up with $15 million annually in tax breaks for the company, the Detroit Free Press reported Wednesday.

Production of the Escape is moving to Kentucky, he said.

Ford spokesman John Stoll would not comment on the auto giant’s plans for the Escape or its Claycomo, Missouri, assembly plant, where 3,700 workers produce the Escape, the Mercury Mariner and the F-150 pickup truck, the newspaper said.

Wright said, “The Escape’s already gone. They’ve announced that, and I think if they haven’t already started to retool Louisville, Ky., it’s close.”

“What we’re looking for is a new product,” he said.

The Japanese company’s Toyota brand has been a perennial leader in the J.D. Power & Associates annual Initial Quality Survey. But in the 2010 study, Toyota was rated below average, falling to 21st place from seventh the year before, and trailed several U.S. nameplates it has traditionally bested, including Ford, Cadillac, Chevrolet and Lincoln.

Ford, which has risen steadily for the last several years, was ranked fifth overall, and was topped only by four luxury brands.

Toyota’s reputation was hurt earlier this year by a massive recall related to defects that could cause the company’s cars to accelerate on their own. Ford managed to return to profitability without needing a bailout by the federal government, boosting its standing with many Americans.

The rankings are based on responses of 82,000 people who were surveyed within 90 days of buying or leasing a vehicle from the 2010 model year. The survey was conducted between February and May.

Porsche, which is owned by Volkswagen AG, ranked first in the survey, with only 83 complaints per 100 vehicles. It was followed by Honda Motor Co.’s Acura brand, Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and Toyota’s Lexus division.

Ford had 93 problems per 100 vehicles, a slight improvement over 2009, when it ranked eighth and owners found 102 problems in every 100 vehicles. “We’ve really been working hard on this,” said William C. Ford Jr., the company’s chairman, at a conference organized in New York by The Wall Street Journal.

After Ford came Honda, Hyundai Motor Co., Lincoln, Nissan Motor Co.’s Infiniti, and Volvo, all finishing better than the industry average of 109 issues per 100 vehicles.

Participants in the survey reported 117 problems per 100 Toyota vehicles. In the 2009 survey, the Toyota brand was ranked seventh overall, with 101 problems per 100 vehicles, which was better than the industry average of 108 for that year.

Dave Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at J.D. Power, said the company’s recall and quality troubles earlier this year affected owners’ view of the company. Just before the survey started, Toyota recalled more than eight million vehicles globally and came under intense scrutiny for its handling of defects and complaints of sudden acceleration.

The company was eventually fined $16.4 million by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in connection with the matter. “Clearly, Toyota has endured a difficult year,” Mr. Sargent said. “Recent consumer concerns regarding Toyota’s quality are reflected in the nameplate’s performance in the 2010 study.”

General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC, which were reorganized in bankruptcy with the help of billions of dollars in taxpayer aid last year, had all of their brands finish below the industry average. This was a reversal for GM’s Chevrolet and Cadillac divisions, both of which ranked in the top half in 2009.

Chrysler’s Ram brand, which includes its Ram pickup trucks, was close to the average with 110 problems per 100 vehicles. But the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brands were all well below average.

• 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid tops its nearest competitor – the 2010 Lexus HS 250h – in fuel economy (by 6 mpg), engine power, passenger room, standard luxury (leather upholstery and genuine wood) and segment-exclusive safety features

• MKZ Hybrid’s SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide cluster coaches drivers to optimum fuel economy and lower emissions with growing leaves and apple blossoms as rewards for efficient driving – within one year, efficient drivers are expected to save nearly 200 gallons of gas and reduce their carbon footprint by almost two tons of CO2

Lincoln’s first-ever hybrid – the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid – is now officially the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America with an EPA-certified 41 mpg rating in city driving and 36 mpg on the highway.

“The 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid provides a real choice in the marketplace for customers looking for a vehicle that not only makes a statement about who they are but also reflects their ideals,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president, Global Product Development. “It offers the best fuel economy in its segment, a host of advanced safety features, and all the amenities and modern design of a true luxury sedan.”

The 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid’s final fuel economy certification was completed this week, and the vehicle will carry an EPA label of 41 mpg for city driving and 36 mpg on the highway when it goes on sale this fall. It tops its nearest competitor – the 2010 Lexus HS 250h – by 6 mpg. It also trumps the Lexus HS 250h with room for one more passenger and more standard luxury and segment-exclusive safety features.

“The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid offers everything our customers look for in a midsize luxury sedan, plus unsurpassed fuel economy,” said Kuzak. “Our engineers worked to ensure the hybrid electric motor and engine complement each other in a fashion that reflects the truly refined driving experience that is synonymous with the Lincoln name.”

Building on Ford Motor Company’s reputation as a world leader in electrified technology, the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid uses the company’s second-generation hybrid technology – the 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle I-4 hybrid engine – named one of Ward’s 2010 “10 Best Engines.” The system combines the best attributes of the gasoline engine and electric battery-driven motors to deliver optimal performance and fuel economy.

Industry-leading fuel economy comes without sacrificing power. The combined gasoline engine and electric motor provide 191 net horsepower. Plus, the pure electric mode on the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid extends to 47 mph – compared with the Lexus HS 250h battery-only mode, which reaches just 25 mph.

2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid:  Luxury comes standard

In addition to being the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America, the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid includes a host of standard features either not offered at all on the Lexus HS 250h, or available at an extra cost. They are:

• SmartGauge with EcoGuide
• Lincoln SYNC®
• Bridge of Weir leather-trimmed seats
• 10-way power passenger seat
• Power driver memory seat settings
• Heated and cooled front seats
• Genuine wood trim
• Reverse sensing system
• Keyless entry keypad
• Easy Fuel® Capless Fuel-Filler
• Personal Safety System™
• MyKey™
• Integrated spotter mirrors
• Acoustic laminated windshield

While the Michigan Electric Vehicle Show rolled through Michigan in June, Cischke talks about how Ford is tweaking its gasoline vehicles to make them more eco-friendly.

“While it’s nice to have the hybrid and the battery electrics, those are small volume applications compared to all the people who are driving gasoline vehicles and we want to make sure we provide affordable fuel economy for millions of people,” she says.

Cischke says Ford’s Fusion hybrid is beating its hybrid competitors by 10 mpg, at 41 mpg city driving. The new Ford Fiesta averages 40 mpg and Ford’s Mustang gets 30 mpg while maintaining force with over 300 horsepower.

“These are mainstream vehicles where we aren’t compromising any of the other attributes, but we are getting improved fuel efficiency,” she says.

It’s the little things that add up, Cischke says. One of those “little things” is using what is called an ecoboost engine—the most fuel efficient internal combustion engine there is. EcoBoost engines reduce CO2 emissions by 15 percent and improve fuel economy by 20 percent.

Click here to hear part one of Cischke’s June 18 Greening of the Great Lakes conversation.

While Ford is making improvements toward sustainability in its gasoline vehicles, the motor company is also looking into electric vehicles.

When planning for the future in electric vehicles, the company has been working with Microsoft to create software to let electric car consumers know when the best time to charge their vehicle is and how long and how often it needs to charge. The software will even send reminders to charge if the consumer forgets.

Overall, Ford aims at being an eco-friendly company, not only in the vehicles, but through the whole supply chain.

Since 2003, Cischke says Ford has cut energy consumption by 29 percent and cut water use by 62 percent—saving 10.5 billion gallons of water. Cischke says the company has also reduced its waste in landfills by 35 percent since 2006.

When it comes to Ford’s commitment to sustainability, Cischke says, “We’ve really focused on every part that we’ve touched. From the assembly of our vehicles to the fuel efficiency of our vehicles, to the supply base, to our dealers. We really want to make sure we have a total picture.”

A Ford engine hasn’t reached Victory Lane in the Sprint Cup level since the fall race at Talladega, a span of 18 events.

Though Ford drivers Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle are in the top 10 in points heading into Sunday’s race at Michigan, there remains plenty of work to do.

Owner Jack Roush says the new FR9 engine the drivers will use this weekend is “marginally better” than the previous motor Ford drivers used and the onus is on teams to start coming through.

Roush hopes to turn things around this weekend at a track where his cars have won 11 Cup races, tied for the most all-time at the two-mile track.

Makes sense, considering customers may more likely be found hanging out online at the social-networking site with nearly 500 million members.

“We live in a 140-character society,” says Scott Monty, Ford’s head of social media, referring to the Twitter character limit. “When we have people’s attention, we want to make sure it sticks.”

Next week, Ford will begin its launch campaign for Explorer with teasers saying the SUV will be revealed “soon” on Facebook. Ford has not announced the date, just that it will be in July.

Production begins at the end of this year for the 2011 version of the vehicle that more than any other popularized the SUV. The original rolled out in 1990 as a 1991 model.

The new Explorer will, for the first time, be a car-based crossover, not a body-on-frame truck. Ford says the new model will get 25% better fuel economy, will have more safety features (such as inflating rear seat belts) and have a terrain-management system that lets drivers select drivetrain and suspension settings to fit the road or landscape.

The current Ford Explorer is “an old-school SUV,” says Jake Fisher, senior engineer at Consumer Reports. “The new Ford Explorer is the type of vehicle that people want. It should hit the market much better than the last generation.”

The marketing message will stress that the new Explorer better matches drivers’ lives. “You’re not going to see Explorer parked at the top of a cliff” in ads, says Matt VanDyke, director of U.S. marketing communications for Ford.

Over two decades, Explorer’s marketing themes never strayed far from the outdoorsy life. Ads often showed it splashing through mud, winding around mountain roads and, yes, parked on cliffs.

The rugged SUV image went from cool and exciting in the ’90s to a politically incorrect gas hog in the 2000s. Only 52,000 of the aging Explorers sold in 2009, down from 480,000 in its 1998 peak. The new one will be “realistic, yet aspirational,” says Ford marketing manager Eric Peterson. “People still want to go someplace new and different. … It’s just not something they’ll take to the top of K2.”

Linking the Explorer with Ford’s social-marketing strategy could help the brand be more relevant. Monty says Ford is using the Internet to help customers see it not as a faceless monolith, but as an organization of people like them who can answer questions, and listen to ideas and complaints.

Still, the Explorer reveal on Facebook is chancy.

“The auto industry is so closely tied to reviews and news from traditional media outlets that I think it is a risky move to eliminate an auto show announcement,” says Heidi Sullivan, vice president of media research for Cision. But, “The buzz created could far outweigh any negative reactions.”

Mulally declined to discuss the expected cost for phasing out the Mercury brand, part of a restructuring that includes an expanded investment in the Lincoln brand lineup. Mercury production is expected to halt in the fourth quarter.

“We don’t have a time frame per se, but we are hoping to help everybody through the rest of this year, that is the general time frame,” Mulally said after an appearance at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce annual meeting.

Company data showed that the broadly improved Ford brand vehicle lineup would meet the needs of Mercury customers, Mulally said of the decision announced last week to phase out the Mercury brand which was created by Edsel Ford in the 1930s.

Mercury has no stand-alone dealerships in the United States and some 1,436 of its 1,712 dealerships are paired in some way with the Ford blue oval brand that has been expanding. That leaves 276 Mercury-Lincoln dealerships that could become solely Lincoln dealers when the phase-out is completed.

“We have the vehicles that people really do want to cover the needs of the customers who were looking at Mercury before,” he said. “The entire Ford product line has moved up.”

Ford has reintroduced a small car to the United States this year in the Fiesta and will add a redesigned Focus compact car and a redesigned Explorer SUV to its brand lineup among other additions and investments. That leaves the Ford brand with a full lineup globally and within the United States, he said.

When it announced the Mercury closing, Ford affirmed its outlook for “solidly profitable” in 2010 and for its 2011 earnings to improve on 2010. It has not detailed the cost to wind-down Mercury or a specific earnings target.

“We have everything associated with what we are doing included in our guidance,” Mulally said.

Ford, which last year posted its first full-year profit since 2005, reported a first-quarter profit of $2.1 billion and raised its full-2010 outlook to solidly profitable. The automaker’s losses totaled $30 billion from 2006 through 2008.

Ford has been working for several years to reduce its dealership network, primarily in some metropolitan areas where consolidations would leave the surviving dealers with higher annual volumes.

“We are pretty much on track with our consolidation,” Mulally said. “We have a few too many dealers in some of the larger metropolitan areas, but we are continuing to work with all of our dealers including the Mercury dealers in a collaborative way.”

The Dearborn, Mich.-based automobile company Tuesday announced that it plans to add Google Maps to in-vehicle Ford Sync communications systems installed in some Ford and Lincoln Mercury brand vehicles. The Ford Sync factory-installed in-car communications and entertainment system was developed jointly by Ford and Microsoft.

The Google maps update, dubbed Send to Sync. is designed to enable people to send Google maps and directions from their computers or smart phones directly to their vehicles.

Google Maps is expected to be available by July 1 on all 2010 and 2011 models equipped with Sync.

“Printing paper directions from a Web site is a relic in our digital age,” said Doug VanDagens, director of Ford Connected Services Solutions Organization, in a statement. “With Send to Sync, you can map a destination at home, at work — wherever you have connectivity — and when you get to your car, it already knows where you want to go. It’s convenient and it eliminates the waste and distraction of paper maps, conserving resources while helping drivers keep their eyes on the road.”

Researchers from multiple organizations have long been working to add various types of computer-aided driving capabilities to vehicles.

Last October, MIT announced that scientists there are working to develop a robot, called the Affective Intelligent Driving Agent (AIDA), that’s would sit inside motor vehicles. According to MIT, the system is designed to change the way people interact with their vehicle, helping them avoid traffic jams and maybe even help find the cheapest gas along the route home from work.

And in the fall of 2007, Nissan showed off its Robot Agent at the Tokyo Motor Show.

The Robot Agent, designed to sit in the dashboard of the company’s Pivo 2 concept car, uses built-in cameras to read the driver’s facial queues for signs of fatigue or stress, and then nod, shake its head and even blink while it speaks in English or Japanese to talk the driver out of a bad mood. If that doesn’t work, Robot Agent is programmed to suggest that the driver pull over and take a break.

The company would continue to provide dealer and customer financing in Canada, but getting a bank charter would give it an additional funding avenue through Canada Deposit Insurance Corp-insured deposits, Margaret Mellott, a spokeswoman for Ford Credit, said in an interview.

“As a strategy globally, Ford Credit diversifies its funding sources, and this fits into that strategy of diversifying sources of funding to continue to support Ford dealers and customers,” she said.

“Over time, there may be a very small, very limited capability for customers to buy GICs over the Internet, but primarily we would expect brokers to sell GICs to (institutional) investors.”

Mellott said it was too early in the process to say how big the operation would be.

A notice posted on an official government of Canada website late last week said the bank would be called Ford Credit Bank, and that it would be headquartered in Oakville, Ontario.

Ford was the only large U.S. automaker to avoid bankruptcy last year. The Dearborn, Michigan-headquartered company has forecast a “solid profit” in 2010 and has said it hopes to soon return to an investment grade credit rating. [ID:nN28189045]

The leveraging of its assets, and the government-supported reorganizations of General Motors Co [GM.UL] and Chrysler Group LLC, left Ford with far more debt than its U.S. rivals, but it posted a small profit in 2009 and a $2.1 billion profit in the first quarter of this year.

Ford gained market share in Canada throughout the massive downturn in the auto sector and has continued to do so during the recovery. It was the No. 1 seller of vehicles in Canada last month.

Mulally said he sees some drivers play with their devices and do dangerous things like texting while driving. The best thing Ford could do for the consumer is to manage the user interface, so that drivers can keep “their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.”  To do this, the company came up with the “Sync” system working with Microsoft and “MyFord Touch,” its touchscreen method for controlling automotive features, replacing the traditional console displays.

While the system does some speech recognition now, Mulally said the company is waiting to do more until the technology improve: He doesn’t want technology that might give wrong results and confuse drivers.

One difference in Ford’s approach compared with many of the other car makers was that it isn’t trying to provide all the solutions, but instead works with end users’ own phones and music players.  By having an open architecture and APIs, Sync can support more applications, such as Pandora. Ford needs to work with the developers, though, to make sure the applications didn’t interfere with the driving experience.

Mulally mentioned that Ford isn’t that concerned about building a business model to sell services; instead the company is laser-focused on building great vehicles. Car technology is changing, and Mulally is particularly bullish on electric cars. He believes that batteries are a challenge, as they need to get lighter while storing more energy, but the infrastructure is an even bigger issue. He mentioned the need for recharging stations in many more places (especially with a need to use 220V or more to make charging faster) and for a smart grid that would enable different pricing at different times.

Mulally wouldn’t give a date when he thought most cars would be electric, but said he expected Ford will be a leader in getting there.

He also spoke about other technology, such as back-up cameras, sensors that detect cars in other lanes, and that look for cross traffic when you are backing out of a parking space. Ford is focused in bringing this technology to a mass market.

Regarding the bailouts of GM and Chrysler, Mulally testified in favor of them, because if those companies had gone into bankruptcy , they would have taken the supply chain with them and perhaps turned the recession into a depression. But he did say he envisioned that it would be a short-term fix, not that the government would own those businesses going forward.

Finally, Mulally spoke about focusing on the Ford brand (divesting other brands Ford owned, phasing out Mercury, and re-emphasizing Lincoln), and noted that he was not only driving Ford cars but his competitors as well to benchmark against them.

The agency has verified three complaints in the 2010 Ford Fusion in which the auto maker’s optional “all weather” mat, when laid on top of the secured, standard carpeted floor mat, slipped forward and trapped the accelerator pedal. The event usually occurs after the driver “substantially” presses the accelerator pedal, according to a NHTSA statement. There have been no reports of crashes or injuries.

Fusion and Milan owners are being advised not to place any unsecured mats over the top of the standard mat in the driver’s side foot well. Ford’s “all weather” optional floor mat should only be used if the standard mat has been removed, the safety agency said.

A Ford spokesman couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Problems with stuck or sticky accelerator pedals, some traced to misaligned floor mats, have led Toyota Motor Corp. to recall more than eight million vehicles world-wide.

Industrywide deliveries probably reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 11.2 million light vehicles in May, according to the average of eight analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. If sales did exceed the 9.9 million rate from a year earlier, it would mean eight straight months of increases for the first time since a stretch that ended in June 2000, according to Bloomberg Data.

Sales during the Memorial Day weekend in the past three years ran about 40 percent higher than the typical May weekend, and sales on the last day of the month were more than double the average day, according to researcher Edmunds.com.

“This weekend’s activity aligns with the start of the big summer selling season,” said Jim Sanfilippo, chief operating officer of Innocean Worldwide Americas LLC, Hyundai Motor Co.’s in-house advertising agency.

Higher discounts may have been needed to help offset the weak retail environment, said Jeff Schuster, executive director of J.D. Power & Associates in Troy, Michigan. Sales to rental- car companies and discounted fleet purchasers may have also boosted results, scheduled to be announced tomorrow, he said.

Ford, Nissa

Ford added $500 rebates May 27 on the namesake brand’s Focus car, Edge sport-utility vehicle and F-150 pickup, said Robert Parker, a spokesman. The discounts also applied to the automaker’s Lincoln MKS and MKZ sedans and MKT and MKX sport- utilities.

Nissan added a $500 discount for most of its namesake brand vehicles from May 28 through yesterday. Honda’s luxury Acura brand is offering lease deals on all models with no down payment and no security deposit, said Chris Martin, a spokesman. The offer started May 28 and runs through July 6.

The annualized rate of sales in the month may match the 11.2 million pace in April, according to Autodata Corp. in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Ford’s sales in the month may have gained 10 percent or more, and the industry rate could be in the low 11 million vehicle range, Mark Fields, the company’s president of the Americas, said May 24. The Memorial Day weekend would have an “outsized impact” on May’s total, Fields said.

Ford’s May sales probably rose 16 percent from a year earlier, according to analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The company’s market share should continue to grow if it performs as expected, Fields said.

Honda’s U.S. sales may have increased 22 percent from last May, according to Edmunds.com, which predicted an 11 percent gain by Nissan and 28 percent growth for Hyundai.

GM, Chrysler

GM, which was in bankruptcy protection for 39 days starting on June 1, 2009, may have increased sales by 5.9 percent, the average of five analysts’ estimates. Chrysler Group LLC, which was in bankruptcy for all of May 2009, may have boosted sales 21 percent, according to the analysts.

Neither of those U.S. automakers nor Toyota Motor Corp. announced nationwide promotions for the three-day weekend. Memorial Day is observed in the U.S. on the last Monday of May to honor those who died while serving in the military.

Toyota’s sales during the early weeks of the month had a “pretty sluggish start” as the company reduced incentives, Christopher Ceraso, a Credit Suisse analyst in New York, said in a research note May 27. The company’s sales may have gained 7.5 percent in May, according to Edmunds.com.

The following table shows estimates for car and light-truck sales in the U.S. Estimates for companies are a percentage change from May 2009. Forecasts for the seasonally adjusted annual rate, or SAAR, are in millions of vehicles.

May had 26 selling days, the same as a year earlier.

Ford reported a net income of almost $1 billion in the third quarter – its first operating profit since early 2008. It was the only major U.S. automaker not to file for bankruptcy this year.

Alan Mulally

Ford’s Chief Executive Alan Mulally says the company expects to be “solidly profitable” in 2011. “Clearly the move from break-even or better to solid profitability – it means that we’ll be making money on all of our vehicle operations,” he said.

Ford benefitted from a government program that offered car buyers rebates if they traded in their older vehicles for more fuel-efficient models.

“Cash for Clunkers” helped Ford cut costly incentives and raise production.

Among the U.S. “Big Three” automakers, Ford alone declined to take billions of dollars in government loans. GM and Chrysler received bailouts and are still struggling after emerging from bankruptcy.

“The public, you know, views Ford a lot more favorably now than they ever have for not taking the government bailout money,” Mike Anderson, who owns a Ford dealership said.

Ford began cutting costs and slashing jobs several years ago. It has also come up with new models that are popular with consumers.

A recent [Consumer Reports] survey ranked 90 percent of Ford’s models as “above average or better” in terms of quality.

Jeremy Anwyl

Jeremy Anwyl is chairman of the online car buying websiteEdmunds. “When you look at where Ford was two or three years ago, versus where they are today, they have absolutely turned the corner,” Anwyl says, “and the signs for them moving into next year, I think, are positive.”

But Ford’s troubles are far from over. The company is carrying more than $23 billion in debt and is not predicting a profit for 2010.

Members of the United Auto Workers who work at Ford overwhelmingly rejected a proposed agreement for more concessions to the company.

The plan would have brought Ford’s labor costs in line with those of General Motors and Chrysler.

SALES AND SHARE LEADERSHIP

• Ford F-Series share for September is 40.6 percent, outselling the Chevrolet Silverado by more than 14,000 units and outselling the Silverado and GMC Sierra combined by more than 7,000 units; overall F-150 leads by more than 66,000 units vs. the industry
• Calendar year-to-date F-Series share of 35.6 percent is up almost 5 percentage points year over year
• With those numbers in the books, Ford F-Series is three-quarters of the way to becoming America’s best-selling truck for the 33rd consecutive year and America’s best-selling vehicle for the 28th consecutive year

QUALITY

• Winner of the J.D. Power and Associates IQS (Initial Quality Study) and APEAL (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout) awards for Light-Duty Pickups
• Consumer Reports “Recommended Buy”
• Highest-quality F-150 ever, with the lowest TGW (Things Gone Wrong) and highest TGR (Things Gone Right) scores of all time as measured by the Global Quality Research System survey

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

• Customer Satisfaction for F-150 currently stands at 84 percent, up 7 percentage points over last year

AWARDS
Most honored pickup truck of 2009 with 25 major awards, including:

• Motor Trend Truck of the Year™
• Named North American Truck of the Year at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS)
• Named “Truck of Texas” by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA)

FUEL ECONOMY

• The Ford F-150 line boasts improved fuel economy of 8 percent overall, including 12 percent on the 5.4-liter versions
• Unsurpassed fuel economy in the light-duty pickup truck segment with EPA ratings of 15 mpg city and 21 mpg highway

SAFETY

• America’s safest full-size pickup truck with 5-star frontal- and 5-star side-impact crash test ratings, the highest possible scores from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
• “Top Safety Pick” award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
• More standard safety content than any other pickup, including Safety Canopy® side-curtain air bag rollover protection system; new “K-bag,” a front seat dual-chamber side air bag named for its unique shape, which is designed to help protect the rib cage from excessive crash forces during a side impact; Trailer Sway Control and AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control™ (RSC)

CAPABILITY

• Reinforced best-in-class position by achieving class-leading status with every cab – Regular, Super Cab and SuperCrew
• Increased maximum towing capability to 11,300 pounds
• Increased maximum payload capability to 3,030 pounds

VERSATILITY

• SuperCrew increased by six inches and has flat-load floor
• Best-in-class box access with tailgate step and side access step
• Unsurpassed towing confidence with standard Trailer Sway Control and available Integrated Trailer Brake Controller

TECHNOLOGY/INNOVATION

• SYNC: Industry-exclusive, voice-activated, hands-free, in-vehicle communications and entertainment system offers even more functionality for the 2009 model year with 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report
• SIRIUS Travel Link™: When combined with voice-activated navigation provides users with a suite of data services, including real-time traffic, coast-to-coast weather conditions and fuel price information for more than 120,000 gas stations
• SIRIUS Satellite Radio: Broadcasts over 130 digital-quality channels, including 69 channels of 100 percent commercial-free music, plus exclusive channels of sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic, weather and data
• Ford Work Solutions: A suite of industry-first features and technological tools that provide the connectivity, flexibility and security to conduct business right from the cab
• EasyFuel®: This capless fuel filler is a North American industry-exclusive feature that uses an integrated spring-loaded flapper door to eliminate the need for a fuel tank screw cap
• Tailgate Step: This industry-first feature allows customers easier access to pickup beds with a simple-to-use step that stores neatly into the tailgate
• Trailer Sway Control: Detects sway and applies engine and braking countermeasures to stabilize the vehicle-trailer unit
• Trailer Brake Control: A system that can, during a sway event, apply brakes to the trailer to help stabilize it

“With class-leading fuel economy, increased capability and upgraded content, the 2009 Ford F-150 continues to be the all-encompassing solution truck buyers look for.”

– Doug Scott,
Truck Group Marketing Manager

JP Morgan automotive analyst Himanshu Patel said today that he estimates Ford will report a profit of 16 cents per share for the three month period ending Sept. 30. He credits improvements in pricing and sales volume in the United States, as well as gains in residual values and profits in Europe, for the forecast.

However, Patel’s expectations stand in contrast to a consensus estimate from Wall Street analysts, who are expecting a loss of 24 cents per share.

Patel acknowledged that his outlook is optimistic compared with other analysts but said he is confident that Ford is on track to outperform expectations.

“The quarter does look really good,” Patel said.

In North America, Patel said Ford is benefiting from a surge in Ford F-150 pickup truck sales and reduced incentive spending. He further forecasts that Ford is on track to report a $200 million pre-tax profit for the North American division.

“This would be the first time North America is not in the red in recent memory,” Patel said.

Ford says that hybrid sales have been up considerably over the last year. Sales in September were up 73% from the previous year, and according to Automotive News this will put Ford within a few thousand cars of passing Honda as the second largest seller of hybrids in America. Not bad.

“More than 60 percent of Fusion Hybrid sales have been from non-Ford owners, and more than half of those are customers coming from import brands, mostly from Toyota and Honda,” says David Finnegan, Ford hybrid marketing manager.

Compare Ford’s hybrid sales figures with those of the top dog in the green car market, Toyota. During the same time period that Ford has seen that 73% skyrocketing in hybrid sales Toyota, has seen sales of its hybrids drop by 28%. Overall though, Toyota is still king of the hybrid hill, owning nearly 66% of all US hybrid sales.

New hybrid shoppers have been attracted to the ford line of hybrids due to superior mileage numbers and increasing consumer confidence in Ford build quality. The Fusion Hybrid is certified by the EPA at 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, thumping the Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway.

Taken in total, what this all means is that on a level playing field Ford is a serious player. They will most likely surpass Honda soon, and if green-minded car buyers start to get a more patriotic bent in their buying decisions, Ford could also start to worry Toyota.

Best Buy will keep a list of cell phones that are the most compatible with the Sync system for consumers who want to pair the two technologies together. Sync, an in-vehicle system co-developed with Microsoft allows drivers to change radio stations and answer telephone calls through voice activation.

Ford is also considering expanding clinics at Best Buy locations to demonstrate how the cell phone and Sync can be linked together, said John Felice, general manager of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury marketing.

The move continues Ford’s push over the past two years to promote the technology aspects of its vehicles as it looks to attract younger consumers. Chief Executive Alan Mulally will provide a keynote address – for the second straight year – at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next year.

Sync currently allow users to access phone calls, browse their MP3 devices, call 911 and get traffic information or directions.

Xiang Dong Yu, also known as Mike Yu, 47, of Beijing, was arrested yesterday at Chicago O’Hare International Airport as he entered the U.S. from China, the Justice Department said today in a statement. He was a Ford product engineer from 1997 to 2007, the department said.

“Theft of trade secrets is a threat to national security,” said Andrew G Arena, FBI special agent in charge, said in the statement. “Michigan, as well as the rest of the United States, is significantly impacted by the auto industry.”

Ford, the second-largest U.S. automaker, last month said it was building a third auto-assembly plant in China as it seeks to increase sales in that nation. China is the world’s biggest auto market so far in 2009, with monthly passenger-vehicle sales in September passing 1 million for the first time.

Last year, Yu sought employment with China’s Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., using Ford trade secrets, and he eventually was hired by Beijing Automotive Corp., according to the indictment, which was unsealed yesterday. Yu copied about 4,000 Ford documents onto an external hard drive just before his departure from Ford, the department said in its statement.

Yu remains in federal custody in Chicago, the department said. He is charged with three counts of theft of trade secrets, one count of attempted theft of trade secrets, and one count of unauthorized access to a protected computer, according to the indictment. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison and $1.25 million in fines, the U.S. said.

“We are aware of the situation and we are fully cooperating with authorities as they pursue this case,” Marcy Evans, a Ford spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.

Ford, based in Dearborn, Michigan, was unchanged at $7.66 at 4:15 p.m. today in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have more than tripled this year.

While the Mustang is no stranger to the track, competing in various drift events  — the Grand-Am Koni Challenge Series, and the SCCA World Challenge Series to name a few — but the famous Ford Mustang has been absent from stock car racing since 1969. Next July will be the first time since then that the Mustang will hit the oval track.

“This truly marks the start of the next era of Mustang Racing. We fully expect this Mustang, with drivers like Colin Braun behind the wheel, to start to enjoy the kind of success so many other Mustang racing programs have enjoyed throughout the last four decades,” said Brian Wolfe, director of Ford North America Motorsports.

“Mustang is a proud and historic brand for Ford. This is a car born to race, and NASCAR is the next logical step for its racing pedigree.”

Even though the Mustang is making a return to NASCAR, the car will only be raced in limited numbers, meaning there will be two different Ford vehicles on the track next season. The very heavily modified Ford Fusion stock cars will still see track time in the Nationwide Series. Keep your eyes peeled next season when the Ford Mustang finally gets back to the stock car circuit.

After six weeks of formal negotiations, local union officials have been summoned to Detroit on Tuesday for a briefing on the talks. Ford has said it needs the concessions to remain competitive with cross-town rivals General Motors Co and Chrysler, which went through government-supported bankruptcies.

Ford spokeswoman Marcey Evans said the automaker was continuing to work with the UAW to improve competitiveness.

“We are making progress together, but we consider our discussions to be private and we have nothing to announce,” Evans said on Friday. The UAW had no immediate comment.

Ford opened talks with the UAW on August 25 to address areas where its contract differs from rivals GM and Chrysler. The contract expires in 2011.

Ford global manufacturing chief Joe Hinrichs has said the company would face disadvantages over the long term without concessions from the union.

A UAW local representing Ford workers in Dearborn, Michigan reported on its web site on Friday that a meeting of local leaders is scheduled for Tuesday morning and a national delegation meeting will be held in the afternoon.

In previous contract talks with Ford and other automakers, UAW leadership has used meetings in Detroit to brief local officials on the outlines of tentative agreements shortly before the proposals are brought to ratification votes.

The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions between the UAW and automaker are ongoing.