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.July 28, 2004
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This Week:

• Extensive Facelift for the Mazda Tribute

• Four Wheels Go Six Feet Under as Two American Families Bury Their Vehicles in Front Yards

• GM Breaks Ground For $385 Million Engineering Centralization Business Unit

• Go-ahead for the BMW Group Scientific Award 2005

• In-car cinema in the Volkswagen Touran

• Toyota's New Corporate Advertising Campaign Highlights U.S. Job Creation

• DaimlerChrysler Posts Record Sales of 22,200 Passenger Cars in China in First Half of 2004

• Nissan Unveils Business Strategy For Thai Operations

• The Year Of The Car And More In 2005

• New Innovations In Manufacturing Will Further Improve GM's Quality

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The Year Of The Car And More In 2005
 

Ford Freestyle 2005

Photo: Ford

Ford and Lincoln Mercury showrooms are being transformed for the 2005 model year. Six new nameplates are being introduced as part of the "Year of the Car," plus a host of significant design, chassis and powertrain improvements across several car, truck and SUV lines.

Highlights of the product news:

Six new nameplate additions to the Ford and Mercury showrooms: Ford Freestyle, Ford Five Hundred, Mercury Montego, Mercury Mariner, Ford Escape Hybrid and Ford GT

An all-new version of America's original pony car, Ford Mustang

Significant freshenings of the Ford Focus, Ford Escape and Ford F-Series Super Duty models

New powertrain and appearance upgrades for the Lincoln Navigator, Ford Expedition and Ford F-150

A "Revolution Under the Hood" with an unprecedented number of powertrain improvements, including 11 new or significantly updated engines, five all-new transmissions and a new all-wheel-drive system in select new car models

Standard Advance Trac® with Roll Stability Control™ system in the Lincoln Navigator and Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer and the world's No.1-selling SUV, the Ford Explorer

Innovation in Products and Powertrain

Ford, Motor Company strengthens its showroom for the 2005 model year with a product lineup dominated by all-new or freshened vehicles.

It starts as Ford changes the face of traditional family transportation with the introduction of two breakthrough models, the Ford Five Hundred and Ford Freestyle.

The 2005 Ford Five Hundred is an all-new flagship sedan that reinvents the family car. It uses high-package design to maximize interior room and cargo capability, while delivering Command Seating™ and the all-weather confidence of available all-wheel-drive.

The Mercury Montego is a contemporary new sedan that delivers the sophisticated design that has come to define the future of the Mercury brand.

The Ford Freestyle is an all-new vehicle that bridges the gap between SUVs and traditional passenger cars by combining SUV design cues and available all-wheel-drive with the ride and handling of a car. But its watchword is versatility. Freestyle can carry up to seven passengers across three rows of seats or a combination of people and cargo.

The news continues up and down the lineup with Ford's "Revolution Under the Hood." The company is delivering 11 new or significantly updated engines, five all-new transmissions and a new all-wheel-drive system for select new car models.

These advanced transmissions allow many of Ford's new cars to perform the same or better than similarly sized sedans that use larger, thirstier engines.

In addition, the timing could not be better to bring to market the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid. This vehicle delivers a "No Compromise" answer with better fuel economy with excellent cargo carrying capability. Ford is upping the ante further announcing the creation of a new organization, Sustainable Mobility and Hybrid Programs. This team will soon deliver two more hybrid vehicles and is working to research and develop hybrid and hydrogen vehicles and their related infrastructure.

Performance Driven Adrenalin

"There are a few times in history when a car captures the hearts and minds of a culture," says Steve Lyons, president of Ford Division. "It happened twice in the 1960s at Ford. In 2005, we're going to do it again with the all-new Ford Mustang and Ford GT."

2005 marks the triumphant return of the Ford GT. Ford's legendary race car becomes a road-going supercar and is already established as a world-beater by the enthusiast press.

2005 also brings an all-new Ford Mustang. The 2005 model charts new ground for Mustang while preserving technologies essential to the car's legions of fans. For example, Mustang's architecture is an all-new design for improved steering, ride and handling.

Power also is part of the Mustang mystique, and the 2005 Mustang GT will be the first Mustang to offer a 300-horsepower V-8 straight from the factory. The Mustang's V-8 is a far cry from traditional Detroit iron of the 1960s. The new engine is an all-aluminum 4.6-liter V-8 that uses 3-valve cylinder heads, instead of 2-valve heads, for improved torque, horsepower and lower emissions.

Customers for the Mustang V-6 will enjoy 210 horsepower and performance that rivals Mustang GTs from the 1980s and '90s - all in a well-equipped car that will have a base sticker price under $20,000.

Truck and SUV Leadership

The cornerstone of the Ford brand is the F-Series. And on the heels of the successful launch of the all-new F-150 in 2004, Ford offers a new V-6 in the 2005 F-150 and delivers a new 2005 F-Series Super Duty. With class-leading payload ratings, increased tow-ratings across the board, new engines, a new design and a sophisticated trailer brake control system, the Super Duty will continue to lead.

For 2005, Ford is taking a major step toward improving the driving confidence of SUV customers by making standard an AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control™ system on the Lincoln Navigator and Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer and the world's best-selling SUV, the Ford Explorer. This system works in conjunction with existing interactive vehicle dynamics technologies. It adds the ability to detect that a vehicle is beginning to roll and employs a series of countermeasures with the ABS system and engine controls to help prevent a rollover.

Lincoln Mercury Rising

Lincoln Mercury's product onslaught began in 2003. During the next four years, Lincoln Mercury will add 11 new products to the showroom. Two new nameplates join the lineup this year. The new 2005 Mercury Montego sedan and Mariner small SUV are joined by an updated Lincoln Navigator, which includes a new 5.4-liter 3-valve V-8, combined with a new six-speed automatic transmission.

"The 2005 and 2006 model years are important turning points in Lincoln Mercury's ability to attract new customers to our products," says Darryl Hazel, president of Lincoln Mercury. "The new Mercury Montego and Mariner provide a fresh dose of style and design sophistication to their segments. And the updated Lincoln Navigator with a new 6-speed automatic comes on the heels of an all-new showroom in 2003."

These products combine to offer the most modern, expanding lineup of cars, trucks and SUVs in Lincoln Mercury's history. And more are on the way next year with the launch of the 2006 Lincoln Mark LT pickup and 2006 Lincoln Zephyr midsize sedan, as well as an all-new Mercury midsize sedan.

Major Changes in Class Leaders

The 2005 model year brings updates to some of the Ford and Lincoln brands' most important, best-selling models.

Ford Focus, recognized as one of the highest-quality, best-handling small cars on the road today, debuts an impressive redesign for the 2005 model year, including cleaner, more powerful new engines. A new performance sedan model, the Focus ZX4 ST, marries chassis components from the SVT Focus with a 151-horsepower, 2.3-liter version of Ford's new four-cylinder Duratec engine family - the Duratec 23.

The 2005 Ford Escape expands its capability and style with a new four-cylinder engine, Intelligent 4WD System, a fresh look inside and out, standard anti-lock brakes and Ford's available Safety Canopy™ curtain air bag system with rollover protection.

The 2005 Ford Expedition continues its tradition of leadership in the full-size SUV segment with a new, standard 5.4-liter, 3-valve V-8 engine that delivers 300 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque, as well as improved fuel economy and emissions. This engine replaces last year's 4.6-liter and 5.4-liter 2-valve V-8's for more standard horsepower and torque.

Product Onslaught Continues for 2006

Ford's explosive product growth won't end with the 2005 model products. In 2006, a trio of all-new midsize cars for the Ford, Mercury and Lincoln brands and important updates to some of the company's best-selling SUVs ensure that more great products will be coming from Ford well into the future.

(July 23, 2004)