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What's new at Ford?
By Daniel
Fricker • Bankrate.com
 Ford
Motor Co. Chairman Bill Ford Jr. says he will revitalize the venerable 100-year-old
automaker with 20 new cars and trucks every year. And the 2003 model year begins
to deliver on the promise of Henry Ford's great-grandson.
The new models are led by the Lincoln Aviator, a sports
utility vehicle that is a midsize version of the Navigator. Powered by
a 302-horsepower V-8, the Aviator shares the Navigator's interior design cues,
including leather seats, burl walnut and satin-nickel trim and white LED lighting.
It's part of Ford's new attention to detail and materials and
a tripling of its investment in interior design and development, spokesman Said
Deep says. The SUV also features a fold-flat, third-row seat and has towing
power that Ford calls best in class. The base price is $39,995.
Ford has updated the popular Lincoln LS with more powerful
and fuel-efficient V-6 and V-8 engines, a quieter interior and a couple of nifty
new features. They include a DVD-driven navigation system and the THX audio
system. The audio system includes 10 speakers and four 50-watt amplifiers to
power the door speakers and two 32-watt subwoofer amplifiers. The combination
creates a clarity comparable to theater sound, Deep said. No price was available.
For those who like to drive in the passing lane, Ford is resurrecting
a couple of brutes from the past as well as offering two new performance cars.
The Ford Mustang Mach 1 features a "shaker hood''
reminiscent of the classic 'Stangs of the early '70s, performance handling and
braking and a power plant producing more than 300 horsepower. The automaker
plans to build only 6,500 Mach 1s. Prices start at $28,995.
Ford's high-performance group, the SVT or Special Vehicle Team,
has produced a Mustang Cobra that promises to be the hottest Mustang
ever. It's equipped with independent rear suspension and a 390-horsepower V8
producing 390 pounds of torque. The Cobra's base price is $34,495.
The Mercury Marauder is a 1960s-style throwback, a performance
car with no apologies. Based on the Crown Victoria, the Marauder packs
a 4.6-liter, 32-valve V-8 producing 302 horsepower. But it offers contemporary
handling, thanks in part to rack-and-pinion steering. The base price for this
muscle car is $34,495.
The SVT folks also have produced a Focus five-door. The hatchback
is an expansion of the 2002 SVT Focus three-door. Like its predecessor, the
2003 SVT Focus five-door comes with a six-speed manual transmission and
two-liter, four-cylinder engine producing 170 horsepower. The base price is
$17,480.
Ford updated its Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition
SUVs. The 2003 models come with independent rear suspension.
"We're the only full size SUV with independent rear suspension,''
Deep said. "It means better handling on all types of roads.''
There is an added bonus. The independent rear suspension allows
both models to offer full-flat rear row seats. With the press of a switch, the
seats power fold into the floor.
Lincoln Aviator |
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Like the Aviator, the Navigator offers a rich interior with a
center-mounted shift, satin nickel and burl walnut trim and full-grain leather
seats, It also has more than 100 white light emitting diodes or LEDs in the
cabin and illuminating an instrument panel inspired by the 1961 Lincoln Continental.
A 5.4-liter V8 powers both trucks.
The Navigator comes with a dual overhead cam producing 300 horsepower
and 355 foot-pounds of torque. The Expedition version, with a single overhead
cam, delivers 260 horsepower. The Navigator's base price is $48,775 while prices
for Expeditions start at $31,295.
Later this year, Ford will begin selling the five-passenger Escape
Hybrid. The SUV promises to be stingy on gas, traveling 40 miles per gallon
in city driving without compromising performance or cargo capacity.
The Hybrid uses a small electric motor to power it during startup.
When more power is required, for example while passing or climbing, a traditional
internal combustion engine delivers most of the power. At higher cruising speeds
-- when gas engines are most fuel efficient -- gasoline power is used. The hybrid
also saves fuel by recovering energy while braking. No price was available.
Daniel Fricker is a business writer with the
Detroit Free Press.
-- Posted: Oct. 1, 2002
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