Planet Ford

Best Buy & Future Shop to Help Customers Sync Devices with Ford SYNC

Christine Persaud - Published: 05/28/2010

Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd. has partnered up with Best Buy and Future Shop to help new vehicle owners fully understand the benefits of the Ford SYNC system.

Ford SYNC comes factory-installed, and lets customers connect a variety of gadgets, then communicate with them while on the road using the built-in entertainment system. With this new partnership, Future Shop and Best Buy employees will be given ongoing training about the Ford SYNC system so they are able to effectively assist customers with that gadgets will work with the SYNC system, how to connect them, and how to get the most out of the high-tech vehicle.

Specifically, this will involve Best Buy Mobile and Future Shop Cellshop workers, who can offer advice on Bluetooth-compatible mobile phones, and how to pair them with the vehicle, then make use of all the in-car controls. For example, calls can be answered and made with a paired phone via a button on the steering wheel; and text messages can be converted to audio and then read aloud through built-in speakers.

Advice will also be offered for syncing other devices, like Bluetooth-enabled portable media players, as well as using the system to control them.

While a system like SYNC will certainly compete with portable devices like Bluetooth headsets and speakerphones; as well as third-party accessories that offered wired connectivity, it does require that the customer own a Ford SYNC vehicle. What's more, the portability factor of systems that aren't built in hold tremendous value for multi-vehicle families, and those who often travel and use rentals. Still, the built-in system affords a clear view into the future of in-car technology.

All-new engines give whip to Mustang

PREVIEW: 2011 Ford Mustang 2011 Ford Mustang; Power and fuel economy way up for venerable American coupe and convertible

Sat Apr 3 2010
Page: W14
Section: Wheels
Byline: Jim Kenzie

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CALIF.-Mustang is one of the few true class-less brands in the car business.

No, no, not as in "no class." I mean, a brand that crosses all class boundaries, a car that can be driven proudly by just about anyone, from bank presidents to hairdressers - of either gender.

The appeal has been consistent: style, performance, affordability.

For 2010 model year, it got all-new sheet metal and new interior, plus significant suspension and feature upgrades.

Now, just a model year later, another major update, with all-new V6 and V8 engines, new six-speed manual and automatic transmissions, and further refinements in the structure, suspension, brake and equipment departments.

The 2011 models are on sale this summer, starting at $22,999 for the Value Leader V6 coupe, ranging to $42,899 for the GT 5.0 Convertible.

The engines are about as all-new as engines get these days. The V8, for example, shares only bore and bore centre spacing with the 4.6 L unit it replaces.

The two all-aluminum, twin-cam, four-valve, variable valve-timing engines feature just about every modern engine technology except direct fuel injection and turbocharging. Interesting, given Ford's stress on its EcoBoost (which has both) on other models.

David Pericak, chief nameplate engineer for Mustang. says the V6's combination of 305 hp and a 31 m.p.g. U.S. EPA highway fuel consumption rating (6.9 L/100 km) has never been achieved before.

The V8 is a real 5.0 litre (barely), displacing 4951 cc. The previous "5.0," last seen in 1995, was actually a 4.9, at 4942 cc. Ford is not giving any 0-to- 100 km/h sprint times, but early tests suggest the low- to mid-four second range for the V8.

That's quick. Quicker, in fact, than the V8-powered Chev Camaro or Dodge Challenger, both of which have more horsepower, but also more weight.

Ford claims 412 horsepower, 97 more than the old GT. Some sources are suspicious that Ford isn't being entirely truthful here.

Privately run dyno tests and back-calculating from recorded acceleration times and weight suggest that number is closer to 435, which also helps explain why it beats Camaro and Challenger.

Ford set up a 1/8-mile drag-strip run for us against a Camaro. I ran the Ford first, giving the Camaro coupe the advantage in terms of getting a practice run in. And, I ran a heavier Mustang convertible .

The Mustang was about a half-second quicker than the Chevy. The Mustang V6 should run the 0-to-100 km/h sprint in the mid-to-high fives.

The major chassis upgrade is electric power-assisted steering, which delivers lighter effort yet quicker response at low speeds, with more weight and feel as you motor on.

Plus, it compensates for crosswinds and road crowns, and for vibrations caused by unbalanced wheels or warped brake rotors. Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control and ABS are standard across the board.

A press preview of two half-days put us in V6s on day one, V8s on day two. To cover as much of the model variation as possible, we chose a V6 automatic convertible, followed by a V8 manual coupe.

The roads we travelled on were all well-surfaced, so we couldn't really evaluate the live-axle rear suspension. What we did feel plus previous experience suggests it works pretty well.

The handling on both cars was a pleasant surprise, even with electric power steering. You basically don't ever notice the steering in the Mustang, and that's as it should be.

The V6's performance and exhaust note were very impressive. The autobox shifts very nicely: slip the lever back from D to Third (no Fifth or Fourth in the quadrant) and you get a modicum of control. Interesting that in the States, convertibles make up between 15 and 20 per cent of Mustang sales. In Canada, it's more like 50 per cent.

Then we drove the V8. Oh my! This thing hauls. And makes an even more beautiful noise.

The manual gearbox has rather long throws - always a trade-off versus effort - and is quite notchy. I suspect many enthusiasts would accept even more effort in return for shorter, hence quicker, shifts. If the company doesn't do a shift kit, I bet the aftermarket won't take long.

Typically, Mustang's V6/V8 sales split has been about 50/50. Ford expects this ratio to continue, but I believe the results from the new V6 will make this $10,000 to $15,000 cheaper option (depending on model) even more popular.

All these model upgrades put Mustang clearly in the lead in the three-entry Pony Car race, and could even give shoppers who can look past their brand and country-of-origin prejudices reason to consider Mustang instead of such as Honda Accord coupe, Nissan 370Z coupe or roadster, or even a BMW 3-series.

Why not? It's way faster than any of those, handles remarkably well, and is cheaper to boot.

And while I think their stated goal of equalling Audi for interior quality has a way to go, it is pretty nice. 

I quizzed chief engineer Pericak about the degree of changes so soon after last year's major makeover.

"Derrick (as in Kuzak, Ford's v-p for product development) wants everything, and he wants it now," he replied. "The marketing people complain about the price, but Derrick is very persuasive."    See you next year, chief engineer Dave.

PRICE: V6 $22,999- $31,399; V8 $38,499-$42,899

ENGINE: 3.7 L V6; 5.0 L V8

POWER/TORQUE: V6 305 hp/ 280 lb.-ft.; V8 412 hp/390 lb.-ft.

FUEL CONSUMPTION: V6 manual 11.1/6.9 L/100 km (25/41mpg); automatic 10.7/6.4 L/100 km (26/44 mpg); V8 manual 12.1/7.6 L/100 km (23/37 mpg); automatic 11.8/7. 8 L/100 km (24/36 mpg)

COMPETITION: Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger; possibly BMW 3-series, Honda Accord, Nissan 370Z

WHAT'S BEST: Strong yet thrifty engines, excellent handling, excellent feature availability, class-leading brand image.

WHAT'S WORST: GT models look a shade pricey for a Mustang

Wed Mar 3 2010
Page: B1
Section: Report On Business: International
Byline: Greg Keenan
Source: With files from Associated Press

As Ford Motor Co. roared into first place in the auto sales race in North America, General Motors Co. overhauled its sales and marketing operations in an effort to speed up its transformation into a leaner, more nimble competitor.

Ford rode to the front in both Canada and the U.S. in February with gains of 51 per cent and 43 per cent respectively in each country (year-over-year), while GM posted an 11-per-cent U.S. increase that had its North American president demanding the company shift into a higher gear.

"I don't think we're moving far enough, fast enough," GM president Mark Reuss said on a conference call about the marketing and sales shakeup. "We've got good product here and we've got to start selling them."

The marketing and sales shuffle included the appointment of a new president of General Motors of Canada Ltd. Kevin Williams, who had been heading GM's parts and service operations, will replace Arturo Elias, president of GM Canada since August, 2006.

The February sales results show that even as the industry is slowly recovering from the crisis that sent two of the largest Detroit auto makers into bankruptcy protection last year, it is still being battered by surprise shocks.

Last month, those shocks were both hot and cold: The firestorm of negative publicity raging around Toyota Motor Corp. hurt overall sales and so did the fierce snowstorms that battered the U.S. Northeast.

"We're at the beginning of a recovery," said George Magliano, director of North American automotive research for HIS Global Insight in New York.

"It's a slow recovery, but it is a recovery."

U.S. sales hit an annualized rate of about 10.4 million, down from the January pace of 10.8 million but substantially better than the rate of about 9. 5 million in February, 2009, a month when both General Motors and Chrysler LLC were careening toward bankruptcy protection.

The ability of both of those auto makers to pay off more than $75-billion (U. S.) worth of taxpayer loans from the Canadian and U.S. governments that bailed them out, and when they're able to do so, depends on the pace of the recovery.

Ford grabbed the top spot in the U.S. for the first time in 12 years, when 1998 strikes at two U.S. GM parts plants shut down most of GM's North American operations for two months.

In Canada, Ford not only outsold GM in February, but grabbed first place in the year-to-date standings.

Chrysler Canada Inc., also surpassed GM in February to stand second.

The gains of 51 per cent at Ford, 17 per cent at Chrysler and 22 per cent at GM in Canada were part of a 25-per-cent jump overall in Canada.

The Canadian new-vehicle market outperformed its U.S. counterpart - as it has done since the industry first went into a tailspin in 2008.

Toyota Canada Inc. matched the overall Canadian market with a 25-per-cent bounce, an indication that it may have sustained less damage from the recall crisis than its U.S. cousin, which reported a 9-per-cent drop.

"I'm surprised that we sold as many vehicles as we did," said Bob Carter, vice-president of Toyota Motor Sales USA.

Toyota unveiled a hefty incentive program in Canada and the United States yesterday that includes interest-free loans for up to five years.

Other auto makers reported positive and negative effects in February from the Toyota situation. They picked up some business, but noted that some potential Toyota buyers sat on the sidelines, hurting overall sales.

Sales in the U.S. market could have been as high as 11.2 million on an annualized basis without the Toyota recall and the snowstorms, said Mike DiGiovanni, executive director of global markets and industry analysis for GM.

"Three-and-a-half feet of snow on these cars, it took our dealers a bit of time here to get that snow off there and to get customers back into the showroom," added Susan Docherty, who was GM's vice-president of sales and marketing during a morning conference call, but vice-president of marketing only when the management shuffle was announced yesterday afternoon.

© 2010 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. Length: 694 words

KEEPING IT REAL

Section: Driving
Source: National Post

DETROIT - Automakers at this year's North American International Auto Show are keeping it real. There are no ridiculous displays of waste, no Jeeps flying through plate-glass windows, no over-the-top vehicles and not as much ear-splitting, bass-thumping music as usual.

Even the luxury makes are curbing their thirst for precious fuel, if not horsepower numbers. Case in point: Bentley's Mulsanne has lowered its fuel consumption and boasts 15% fewer emissions.

Asian automakers are known for their green machines and this year is no exception.

The Big Three automakers are going small, not just in fuel economy but in size, with compacts such as the Ford Focus and GMC Granite making the biggest splashes here this year.

Even the normally wild vehicle previews, the concepts, have toned it down and are geared more toward reality than science fiction, with an unprecedented number of electric cars, hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles.

Illustration:  Bryan Mitchell, Getty Images / The Ford Focus emerges from the depths of the stage in Detroit during the North American International Auto Show, which opens tomorrow to the public.