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Since its introduction, the new Ford Fusion has been getting attention for many things—its value, its versatility, its comprehensive list of features and extras, its performance, and arguably most of all, its outstanding looks. Now we can add another item to the list: unprecedented popularity. In fact, the demand for the Fusion has been so high that Ford recently added 1,400 new employees to its Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Flat Rock, MI, where the Fusion is assembled. more This move wouldn’t have been made unless drivers were waiting in line to get a Fusion of their own, from San Francisco to Frankfort. Ford Fusion availability is excepted to rise by 30 percent due to the new hires, bringing its production potential up to 350,000 units annually. According to Ford president of The Americas Joe Hinrichs, “with its bold design and great fuel economy, Fusion has exceeded all of our expectations, with demand outstripping supply.” While the new Ford Fusion stands out with its unparalleled looks, the concept behind it was to satisfy the needs of customers who wanted such design elements packaged with leading fuel efficiency and the integration of smart technology. This means that drivers of the fusion can expect it to deliver on all fronts. Special Ford EcoBoost power trains as well as hybrid versions help provide outstanding fuel economy. Meanwhile, technologies such as Auto Start-Stop, Lane-Keeping technology, adaptive cruise control, and MyFord Touch mean that there are few vehicles on the road with as much technological power as the Ford Fusion. No wonder it’s in high demand—come stake your claim today!

The Ford F-150 is already one of the best-selling vehicles of all time, and certainly the king of pickup trucks on the road in the U.S. But although the standard F-150 packs a punch and a lot of power, there is a special edition out there that brings the power and performance so high that no other truck in the world comes close. We’re talking about the F-150 SVT Raptor, and the 2014 model has been named the “Off-Road Truck of Texas.” more The award for the new 2014 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor comes from the Texas Auto Writers Association, who spent a weekend putting a whole list of powerful trucks through their paces at Knibbe Ranch outside of San Antonio, Texas. When the dust settled, the immensely powerful and capable Raptor stood at the front of the pack. There are three main reasons for this victory: first, the incredible power of the Raptor, which tops out at 411 horsepower; second, the functional stance for off-road performance; and third, the innovative suspension technology in the underpinnings of the F-150 SVT Raptor, which help it to dominate every type of terrain. According to Ford truck group marketing manager Doug Scott, the Raptor was run through “one of the most rugged off-road courses in Texas,” and “again showed why it’s the most capable off-road pickup in America.” But once you get yours back to Louisville, the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor proves itself capable on the road as well, because the SuperCrew version is rated for towing up to 8,000 pounds. This is possible both because of the 6.2-liter V8 engine, but also because of the electronic six-speed SelecShift Automatic transmission and its special towing mode. Wherever you choose to put the 2014 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor to the test, it will be up to the challenge.

The modern car is much more than a means of getting from point A to point B. Thanks to huge leaps and bounds in technology, the car also functions as a mobile communications tool, entertainment hub, utility work-tool, and more—the possibilities are vast. Because of the impact of technology on the modern car, Ford has announced the acquisition of a Michigan-based technology and software startup company to enhance its vehicles’ connectivity and functionality. more The company is called Livio, and it makes software and apps that enhance the connection between drivers and their new Ford vehicle. Under the terms of the deal, both companies can share engineers, projects, insights, and talent. The end result will be the most seamless, well-developed, and well-integrated suite of connectivity technology available in a modern vehicle for the buyers of, for example, a 2014 Ford Focus. Shelbyville drivers have already been able to connect their mobile devices and other technology to Ford vehicles using the Ford SYNC since 2007—now that technology is taking the next step forward. The leadership of the respective companies have spoken highly of the possibilities for collaboration, at a time when the fields of technology and vehicle manufacture are crossing paths more and more often. “Ford intends to continue to lead the next generation of in-car connectivity with technology advancements that give consumers more options to access their devices on the go,” said Ford chief technical officer and vice president Paul Mascarenas. This commitment to innovation and enhanced connectivity for the technology-savvy drivers of Ford vehicle have defined the past several years of development at Ford, so it’s no surprise that the next generation of vehicles promises to be the most advanced and well-connected on the market.

There is no more popular pickup truck in the world than the Ford F-series. The reasons are easy to see: no other pickup enjoys the reliability, the reputation, the capability, and—most of all—the legacy of the Ford F-Series. And now a new version was recently announced at the State Fair of Texas: the 2015 Ford F-Series Super Duty line. more Among the features that will set the 2015 F-Series Super Duty apart at a Louisville Ford dealer is its improved 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel engine. This incredible powerplant, which debuted in 2010, has been one of the most successful diesel motors in the heavy-duty truck market. Part of the reason is that Ford remains the only manufacturer designing and building its own diesel engine for its trucks. This one has been amped up with a new GT37 turbocharger, which helps the engine produce more power more efficiently. But there’s more than just power at stake with the new F-Series pickup truck. With the new 2015 lineup, improvements also include design. That’s why there will be an exclusive 2015 Ford F-Series Super Duty King Ranch edition, which includes a cut and stitched King Ranch logo from the ranch itself sewn into the leather, along with Mesa leather trim and accents on the interior, and a new, dark Caribou paint accent around the wheels and trim. This will keep the 2015 King Ranch edition one of the most distinctive pickups on the road. Finally, the 2015 F-Series Super Duty lineup will address a major concern for drivers: fuel efficiency. This pickup will enjoy improved fuel economy for several reasons, among them the GT37 turbocharging technology mentioned above. Also, the fuel system has been enhanced with a high-pressure pump and exhaust temperature monitors, which inform computers that fine-tune the engine on the fly for power when you want it, and fuel efficiency when you’re not using it.

We devote a lot of time on this blog to discussing new Ford vehicles and celebrated new releases or venerated classics. It’s not as often that we turn to discussing things as specific as Ford engines, but in this case, there’s a good excuse: in only a few years, the powerful 6.7-liter Ford Power Stroke turbocharged diesel V8 has reached a production number of 500,000. And the reason that this motor has come off the assembly line half a million times since its recent debut is that there’s no engine like it on the market. more The specific power plant in question—number 500,000—was installed into a 2014 Ford Super Duty F-350 Lariat. While a truck like that would be a special sight rolling through Frankfort, Ford trucks across the range are available with the 6.7-liter Power Stroke motor. It’s easy to see why this engine, rolling off the line at the Louisville, KY Ford Truck plant, has been so popular: virtually no other truck engine offers as potent a combination of horsepower (400), ft-lb of torque (800), or fuel economy. Additionally, this motor is built exclusively by Ford, ensuring that it comes with all the reliability and toughness of the Ford Super Duty line. According to Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president of powertrain engineering, Ford “Super Duty customers are no-nonsense, no-compromise individuals,” and those “are the attributes our team took to heart when engineering this diesel engine.” Combining the Super Duty power with best-in-class fuel economy is a no-brainer for those who need powerful, workhorse truck with a motor to match. Don’t be surprised to see another 500,000 on the road before you know it.

The modern dilemma for car manufacturers is fuel economy. Many vehicle manufacturers are searching for ways to maximize not just the value of the cars they build or the life of the cars they sell, but the distance those cars can travel on a single tank. And, arguably, no manufacturer has done more to meet this challenge than Ford. Their effort is apparent not only in the wide range of EcoBoost engines offered in most Ford vehicles, but also particularly in the 2014 Ford C-MAX Hybrid, which has raised the stakes for economical manufacturers everywhere using advanced technology. more The first thing to note about the 2014 Ford C-MAX, though, isn’t its exemplary fuel economy or its high-tech design—instead, the first thing a Frankfurt Ford driver will notice about the 2014 C-MAX is its styling. This Ford is simply the next of a line of new Ford vehicles that have set a new trend in vehicle styling. But the big gains are in the fuel economy of an already-class-leading member of the hybrid/fuel-economy segment. The updates will place this C-MAX, with an advanced transmission, hybrid drive train, lightweight, and aerodynamic body structure, at the forefront of gas-saving technology among for-sale vehicles. But the improvements for the 2014 C-MAX don’t stop at transmission technology and aerodynamic styling. Ford has also introduced an improvement to the engine oil, which reduces friction that eats away at the vehicle’s fuel economy. According to Raj Nair, Ford group vice president for global product development, “Ford is absolutely committed to being a leader in the hybrid market and to top fuel efficiency across our lineup.” The commitment—and the accomplishment—are evident in all aspects of the impressive new 2014 Ford C-MAX.

While the SUV has been one of the most lauded vehicle developments of the past half-century, an SUV is not necessarily “all things to all drivers.” In fact, there are some potential drivers who are turned away from SUVs by some of their well-known drawbacks: slightly-lower gas mileage, larger size, and often, a slightly tougher ride from robust, truck-like chassis. Enter a new segment pioneered by Ford: the Sports Activity Vehicle, embodied by the new Ford S MAX concept, which won't be available for purchase, but demonstrates the elements and advantages of the segment. more Athough this concept won't be available at any Louisville Ford dealer, there are many important aspects of the S MAX concept that make it noteworthy in terms of the Ford approach to vehicle design and segment-determination. Chief among these is the balancing act performed by a car in the Sport Activity Vehicle category: a fine line between the cargo capacity and conventional utility of an SUV, and the increased economy and performance of a sedan-like automobile. The performance side is driven by an all-new turbocharged 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine. The small capacity and EcoBoost technology preserve impressive fuel economy, while combining the turbocharging and twin-independent variable camshaft timing to deliver surprising performance. It’s important to note that such EcoBoost power plants are a staple of cars in the Ford range. Another aspect that is becoming a hallmark of new Ford vehicles is the eye-catching styling of the S MAX concept. This is where the benefit of a Sports Activity Vehicle’s sedan-like elements comes into play. This singular styling statement comes with all the common artifacts of the new global Ford design cues, including the high-set grill and gracefully treated front fascia. It’s worth a second look, and such outstanding styling instincts are just a small piece of the attraction of the new Ford lineup.

The Ford Focus has a special place among compact vehicles as one of the most successful vehicles in the segment. But the success that the Focus has enjoyed doesn’t arise solely from its popularity in the United States. In fact, around the world, among drivers who tenant both sides of the road, the Ford Focus has been a phenomenon for over a decade. With the recent sales results, it has defended its title as the best-selling nameplate in the automotive world. more You may already be familiar with the 2012 Ford Focus. Shelbyville drivers know it as one of the most economical compacts—both in terms of price and also fuel efficiency—that you can find. But it takes more than a good price and high miles-per-gallon to win the hearts of millions of drivers around the world. Add to these factors its inimitable style, reputation for build-quality, zesty driving personality, and wide range of models (sedan, hatchback, wagon, electric-power, and high-performance), and you have a surefire recipe for global success. In fact, the success in 2013 has been such that registrations of the Ford Focus are up a whopping 18 percent in the first quarter of 2013, over an already stellar 2012. A few markets in particular have shown renewed interest in new Ford vehicles. Among them, China and Brazil have shown tremendous demand for the quality and flexibility that the Ford Focus offers. China alone saw a 153 percent increase in registrations. To meet this surge of demand from around the world, Ford has increased its production capacity for the world’s best-selling nameplate. There are now nine Ford Focus plants worldwide, located in the U.S., China, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Russia, Germany, and Argentina. With capacity for 1.5 million vehicles a year, you should feel welcome to go and grab your own!

Among the many accolades that have been handed down to the 2013 Ford Focus, you can now add “outstandingly safe” to the list. The reason is that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has given the Focus a Top Safety Pick+, the highest-possible safety rating awarded by the institute for vehicles that demonstrate way-above-average performance in keeping both their drivers, and the drivers of other vehicles, safe. more Now, the 2013 Ford Focus isn’t the only Louisville Ford on the road that has an outstanding safety record. Nor is it the only Ford vehicle to have been named a particularly safe vehicle by the widely respected IIHS. But in earning the highest possible safety rating, the Focus has proved that being a small, affordable, economical and fuel-efficient car is no barrier to keeping the lucky owner of such a car safe on the road. The IIHS rates vehicles in a number of different categories to determine the correct safety rating. The tests include frontal crash, side impact, rollover situations, and safety/head restraints. While their normal rating system awards a car either “good,” “acceptable,” “marginal,” or “poor,” the “Top Safety Pick+” category is new this year, for those vehicles like the 2013 Ford Focus that stand out among the rest in their safety performance. Ford is committed to designing vehicles that help keep people safe,” said Ford Automotive Safety Office director Steve Kenner. To this end, the design team took a holistic, whole-vehicle approach toward the safety aspects of the Focus. This approach included high-strength steels in the body to protect the driver, and special Boron steel to re-direct crash forces away from the driver. Their efforts have paid off, and the IIHS has attested to this vehicles safety credentials.

Ford has long been a leader in manufacturing, going all the way back to the first assembly line—the cornerstone of virtually all manufacturing, vehicle or otherwise, done today. Because of this, many other companies in the automotive world look to Ford for innovation and expertise—and they rarely disappoint. Take, for instance, the 2014 Ford F-150 pickup truck, which is already making waves for its innovative use of sustainable materials in the manufacturing process to take us further into the future of green manufacturing. more Not to say that there aren’t green aspects to the average Frankfurt Ford truck —in fact, many Ford vehicles, trucks included, are segment leaders in their fuel economy and the environmental impact of their manufacturing process. And this extends to the development of Ford factories and facilities as well. But the 2014 F-150 pickup is a little different: a recent addition is rice hulls, which are utilized as reinforcement in some of the electrical components of the truck, and replace a non-recyclable component used before. These rice hulls, which are a byproduct of rice grain, are sourced from a farm in Arkansas, and Ford expects to utilize 45,000 pounds or more of the material in the coming year. But this isn’t the only place that Ford researchers in Dearborn, Michigan have found to utilize sustainable materials in the F-150. There are also components composed of recycled cotton (for insulation and sound absorption), soybeans (in cushions), and recycled products like tires and bottles. Wherever you look in the Ford F-150 pickup, you will find places where Ford has lead the manufacturing world in using recycled and sustainable products to keep their processes green without sacrificing quality.

In one important aspect, Ford has been dominating the market against other manufacturers, both from the U.S. and abroad. And if you’ve seen a new Ford Fusion in Lawrenceburg, you might think it’s for the outstanding styling cues in the most recent generation of Ford vehicles. But the fact is that car makers the world over have been looking on enviously at the fuel efficiency of Ford vehicles, and the secret to their success has been in the design behind the EcoBoost line of motors. more Ford has searched far and wide to find the best and brightest minds from a variety of fields to help with the design of their award-winning motors. The ranks of researchers and developers behind the EcoBoost engine line include professionals from fields as diverse as particle physics, laser-guided weapons defense systems, and Space Shuttle launch safety. And the wealth of insight and ingenuity from these minds is combined to create the software needed to achieve the fuel economy in the EcoBoost vehicles available at your local Ford dealership. The product that these minds have combined to make is a line of smaller engines with power output and torque capacity equivalent to much larger motors. The smaller size helps the car achieve better mileage per gallon of fuel in most driving situations, but still have the utility and gusto when it counts. While mechanical adaptations like turbocharging and direct injection contribute to this result, the secret has been in highly developed software that underlies the EcoBoost engine architecture. The engineers employed by Ford have been working for years on the technology to achieve better fuel economy from powerful engines, and their work has been successful enough to earn their group several patents for engine management technology. Take a look at a new Ford to experience the results for yourself.

The 2014 Ford Fiesta occupies a special place among subcompact vehicles by doing it all. In a Fiesta, you can enjoy the best of the worlds of compact performance, fuel economy, standard and available features in an affordable vehicle, and eye-catching design. This is great, but how does one vehicle manage all of this? more One of the secrets is that, like other new Ford vehicles, the 2014 Ford Fiesta is backed by one of the best reputations for reliability and build quality in the business. So regardless of the price or the features, you can rest assured that your new Fiesta comes with the backing of a quality warranty and quality design. But that’s not enough to set it apart from all the other cars at a Louisville Ford dealer —this is why the Fiesta is available in a staggering array of hot colors, trims, and configurations to make sure that the one you get is customized to you. Another feature that sets the new Fiesta apart is class-beating fuel economy. When equipped with an award-winning 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine, its projected mileage per gallon is literally miles ahead of any competing vehicle, and still produces 123 horsepower. According to Mark Fields, president of Ford Americas, “Our goal with this Fiesta was to take a car that was already a leader in fuel efficiency, performance, connectivity and personality, and make it even better.” Other features that set the 2014 Ford Fiesta apart are the presence of the new Ford MyTouch system in the cabin, an inclusive system that includes a 6.5-inch touch screen and voice control technology that allow the driver to connect to almost any device, as well as utilize SYNC AppLink. This technology allows a driver to control Ford-approved smartphone apps while driving through voice-commands alone. Whichever way you look at it, the 2014 Fiesta comes out ahead of its competition.