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Ford Bolsters Market-Leading Commercial Truck Lineup With Three Tough New Offerings

Posted on: Monday, 2 March 2009, 23:01 CST

CHICAGO, March 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) has an expanded presence at the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) show to showcase three new commercial vehicle offerings, further bolstering its market-leading product portfolio.

"These new commercial vehicles demonstrate our 'One Ford' strategy by harnessing the best of our global products, adapting our existing resources to new market opportunities and combining innovative technologies to better deliver on the needs of our customers and end-users," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas.

With 40 percent market share, Ford is America's commercial truck leader. In launching Transit Connect, F-59 Super Duty(R) Chassis and a gasoline E-Series Ambulance Prep Package, Ford aims to build on this commercial truck leadership.

Ford expanded its NTEA presence this year with a significantly larger display and event luncheon, reinforcing its commitment across multiple product segments of the commercial vehicle industry and to the body builders and upfitters that tailor Ford products to specific applications. It aims to demonstrate the technologies that help customers work smarter while using NTEA as a forum for listening to customers' unmet needs and to help lower their cost of ownership and further improve productivity.

"Ford is at NTEA to showcase both our new and existing commercial vehicles, display our innovative technologies and listen to our customers," said Group Vice President of Global Product Development, Derrick Kuzak. "The message is clear: We're committed to the commercial vehicle market and to the upfitter industry that serves it. We're here to stay, over the long haul."

Transit Connect

Ford Transit Connect has been a global success story for Ford. More than 600,000 Transit Connects have been sold worldwide, to customers in 58 countries on four continents. It arrives in the United States with a global reputation for durability and toughness dating back to its 2003 launch, when an expert panel of commercial vehicle journalists named Transit Connect International Van of the Year.

Ford Transit Connect is built on a dedicated front-wheel drive commercial platform to exceed the unique needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs. To prepare Transit Connect for commercial use in North America, the powertrain was upgraded to include the proven Duratec 2.0-liter I-4 engine and a four-speed automatic overdrive transaxle. These components combine to provide EPA fuel economy of 22 city and 25 highway miles per gallon.

With 135 cubic feet of cargo space and a generous 1,600 pound payload, no other vehicle in the American market can deliver this combination of capacity and fuel economy. Transit Connect offers customers more than twice the cargo space of the Chevrolet HHR Panel and can carry a heavier payload than the full-size Dodge Ram 1500 standard-cab short-box pickup truck.

Ford Transit Connect is adaptable to a variety of commercial uses. It's available in multiple window configurations from solid side and cargo doors, to both side and rear windows for maximum visibility.

Once it arrives from Ford of Europe's Kocaeli, Turkey production facility, Transit Connect can be upfitted with all manner of bulkheads, racks and bins to suit many specific applications and needs.

Ford Transit Connect goes on sale this summer, starting at $21,475 including destination fees.

Ford F-59 Super Duty Chassis

Parcel/courier services, food distributors, laundry specialists, construction trades and government fleets -- among other various end users -- all will have a new commercial chassis choice for 2010. Ford is expanding its coverage of the commercial stripped chassis segment with three new gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR). These new chassis offerings enable body manufacturers to closely match their products to a task-appropriate chassis.

Already established in the market, E-Series Super Duty chassis are available up to a GVWR of 14,500 pounds. The new F-59 stripped chassis takes over at that point with GVWR offerings of 16,000, 19,500 and 22,000 pounds.

The F-59 chassis provides a smooth ride with premium gas-pressurized Bilstein(R) shock absorbers, fitted to both front and rear suspensions. Robust stabilizer bars are fitted to both front and rear axles for confident handling, a compliant ride and large load carrying capacity. Road jolts and disturbances are further reduced by the addition of variable-rate jounce bumpers. Ford's exclusive heavy-duty front track bar is standard on the 22,000 pound GVWR chassis, enhancing the steering and ride and handling characteristics.

The proven 6.8-liter Triton(R) V-10 gas engine combines with the TorqShift(R) five-speed automatic overdrive transmission to provide responsive power, durability and economy. With five years of field experience, this engine/transmission combination provides the reliability that commercial customers have come to expect from Ford.

The F-59 Super Duty stripped chassis is equipped with standard four-wheel Anti-lock Disc Brake System (ABS) to provide steady, reliable braking service. The dual parking brakes include both a mechanical "lock-up" of the transmission when the gear shift is placed in the "Park" position, as well as a pedal-actuated driveline brake.

Building on the Ford F-53 Super Duty motorhome chassis, Ford's F-59 commercial stripped chassis will provide body companies who complete these vehicles the quality and support they have come to expect from all Ford chassis entries. The end customer also benefits from the F-Series Super Duty heritage from using existing, proven components that provide quality, reliability and durability.

"This chassis represents tremendous value for the customers in this unique commercial segment," said Rob Stevens, chief engineer.

The F-59 Super Duty stripped chassis will be available in January, 2010, and is produced in a dedicated facility in Detroit. Final pricing will be announced closer to market introduction.

E-Series Super Duty Ambulance

Ford Commercial Truck is introducing a new E-Series Ambulance Preparation Package, available in van or cut-away configurations. Powered by a proven 6.8-liter Triton(R) V-10 gasoline engine, this new offering significantly lowers the cost of ambulance acquisition for private and municipal customers alike. This powerful engine delivers significantly more horsepower for critical emergency response, while delivering torque comparable to the diesel ambulance offerings.

This new E-Series Super Duty Ambulance Prep Package features an impressive array of heavy-duty features to help withstand the extreme conditions inherent to this market segment.

The E-Series gas Ambulance Prep Package will be available for order later this year.

Blue Diamond Collaboration

Ford Commercial Truck also confirmed it will continue to offer dealers and customers F-650 and F-750 medium duty trucks produced by the Blue Diamond Truck and Parts joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Navistar International Corporation.

"We're committed to the medium-duty truck market, and our F-650 and F-750 vehicles will continue to haul the goods for a wide variety of commercial applications," said Len Deluca, director, Ford Commercial Trucks. "The availability of extended cab and crew cab versions has increased the appeal of these work vehicles."

More NTEA News from Ford

Ford Work Solutions(TM) -- an array of available in-vehicle technologies aimed at helping Ford commercial truck customers to drive smart, increase productivity and help keep valuable cargo safe and secure -- officially began production Monday.

The "solutions" behind this system allow customers to: -- Stay connected with an in-dash computer -- Track tools and cargo with Tool Link(TM) -- Track their fleet with Crew Chief(TM) -- Secure valuable cargo with Cable Lock

On Tuesday, Ford Commercial Truck also shared elements of its 2010 Federal Diesel Emissions strategy, with specific emphasis on "what the upfitters need to know." Stevens described Ford's Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) after treatment and system and the implications for body builders and the upfit industry. Ford Commercial Truck will meet or exceed all applicable emission standards, and will provide robust solutions to meet the new requirements in the 2010 calendar year.

"Ford Commercial Truck supports the NTEA, and we're delighted to be here to support the commercial vehicle and upfit industries," said Stevens. "We want our customers and end-users to know that from Transit Connect through F-750, we've got them covered."

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 213,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's wholly owned brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company

Source: PR Newswire

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