USA - The new Ford Fusion V6 Sport is the most powerful midsized family sedan within it's class.

• All-new 2017 Ford Fusion V6 Sport boasts 325 horsepower and 380 lb.-ft. using 93 octane fuel – the most power and torque in its class; enabling sport mode unleashes the  car’s maximum performance
• Incorporated in Fusion’s all-new rotary gear shift dial, a sport mode button brings seven character changes that transform a family sedan into a sports sedan
• Adjustments impact steering, shifting, throttle response, suspension and cabin sound

Fusion V6 Sport is the most powerful midsize family sedan in its class, bringing attributes more commonly found in sports cars than midsize sedans like adaptive suspension and fully-enabled paddle shifters. 

Its 2.7-liter EcoBoost® engine produces a staggering 325 horsepower and 380 lb.-ft. of torque, and yes, there are styling upgrades inside and out. But perhaps the most exciting feature is that the demeanor of Fusion V6 Sport transforms with the simple touch of a button.

The sport mode button lives at the center of the car’s all-new rotary gear shift dial. Pushing it enables seven dramatic changes that result in maximum performance.

Here’s a rundown of the seven ways in which Ford Fusion V6 Sport transforms into an all-out sports sedan:

• Handling: Increases stiffness of the continuously controlled dampers compared to the normal tuning and adds damping under spirited cornering to enhance vehicle responsiveness and minimize body motion.
• Powertrain sound: In-cabin noise cancellation is tuned to provide an entertaining in-cabin engine note
• Steering: Unique tuning for electric power-assisted steering provides clean, intuitive feel to match enhanced vehicle response
• Transmission: Aggressive transmission programming selects lower gears resulting in higher available torque and responsiveness. Gears are held through turns to maximize cornering performance. Downshifts with braking are rev-matched for smoothness and increased engine braking; when stepping off the accelerator, the gear is held to maximize engine braking performance
• Engine: Electronic throttle programming revised for responsive feel
• Paddle shifters: Shifters behind steering wheel become fully enabled – allowing for complete control of transmission for spirited driving
• Cluster: Sport mode icon appears in the cluster

USA - Ford adds interior & exterior upgrades to offer stylish, value-oriented trucks with the STX Appearance Package.

• Ford adds special interior and exterior upgrades to offer stylish, value-oriented trucks with the STX Appearance Package for 2017 F-Series Trucks
• Positioned between XL work and XLT mid-level models, STX available for 2017 F-150 and Super Duty 
• Customers can order the STX package on F-150 in either SuperCab or SuperCrew and on Super Duty in any cab configuration from Ford dealers today

Ford, America’s truck leader, is giving entry-level truck customers a new option to find the truck of their dreams with great infotainment features and stylish design at an affordable price.

The STX Appearance Package will be available for 2017 F-150 and Super Duty trucks, building on the success of the previous generation F-150 STX. This will be the first time F-Series Super Duty is offered with the STX package.

“STX is for customers who want the utility of an F-Series truck in a stylish, well-optioned package at a competitive price,” said Doug Scott, Ford truck group marketing manager. 

Positioned between the XL and XLT models, STX adds a stylish exterior and many interior features that aren’t normally available on the entry level F-150:

• 20-inch machined-aluminum wheels with dark gray painted pockets
• Black billet-style grille with body-color surround and black mesh insert
• Body-color front fascia and front and rear bumpers
• SYNC® 3 with 8-inch center stack touch screen and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto™
• Privacy glass
• Unique black sport cloth seats with Flow-through Console and steering column-mounted shifter
• STX Sport Box decal
• Fog lamps
• Manual driver and passenger lumbar support

The F-150 with the STX package is available with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost, 5.0-liter V8 and 3.5-liter EcoBoost.

The Super Duty STX Appearance package brightens up the exterior with chrome features and unique badging. The package is available with either the 6.2-liter V8 gas engine, or the 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel, and adds the following to the XL trim:

• Bright chrome grille
• Chrome front and rear step bumpers
• STX fender vent badge
• Unique aluminum wheels
• Steering wheel-mounted cruise control
• Bright hub covers (SRW only)
• AM/FM stereo with single CD/MP3 player

Available in either SuperCab or SuperCrew configurations on F-150, and in all cab configurations in Super Duty, the STX package bundles numerous features together to give customers a great value truck.

The STX package is available to order through dealers on both models now.

The F-150 STX starts at: $35,615.

F-250 STX starts at $34,910, and F-350 STX starts at $36,080.

USA - Ford launches a new Fusion derivative, the Sport, built to compete, and beat the german brands.

• Following success with Explorer Sport and Edge Sport, Ford seeks to woo performance car buyers – including those considering Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz – with all-new Fusion V6 Sport
• 2017 Ford Fusion V6 Sport will offer class-demolishing 380 lb.-ft. of torque from 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost^® engine, along with 325 horsepower
• Premium sports sedan comes with standard all-wheel drive

Ford is adding serious EcoBoost^® muscle to its Fusion sedan in an all-out assault on more expensive German sport sedans. 

Following on the success of Explorer Sport, which has seen one in five buyers come over from recent Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz experiences, Ford has its eyes not only on owners of V6-equipped Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords, but some other distinguished German models that command a five-figure premium over the 2017 Fusion Sport.

Since the newest-generation Fusion launched in 2012, midsize car buyers have been asking for a performance version, says Wade Jackson, Ford Fusion marketing manager.

“It’s not just Fusion buyers who want something hotter,” Jackson says. “Owners of other midsize sedans, along with our own dealers, ask repeatedly. So buyers get a 2.7-liter EcoBoost that makes 325 horsepower and a more impressive 380 pound-feet of torque.”

These consumers also crave a car that’s much more distinctive inside and out, Jackson explains. “Cross-shoppers will be shocked by the bang for the buck our new Fusion Sport delivers,” he says.

Peak torque of 380 lb.-ft. from a 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost^® engine makes Fusion Sport stouter than established performance sedans like BMW 535i, Audi A6 3.0T and Mercedes-Benz E400. Ford Fusion Sport torque rating is achieved with 93-octane fuel.

Ford has reason to be confident with its newest sport-minded offering. While Explorer sales rose 24 percent from 2013 to 2015, Explorer Sport jumped 103 percent. Edge sales were close to flat over that same period – mostly due to model changeover – but Edge Sport jumped 62 percent.

For discerning sport sedan buyers seeking the ultimate in braking and handling performance, a summer-only tire package will be available as well.

The 2017 Ford Fusion Sport starts at a very un-German sports sedan price of $33,475, and that’s with all-wheel drive as a standard feature.  

USA - Ford launches an updated Fusion Mid-sized sedan, with various trim levels including hybrids and Sport models.

• Class-exclusive combination of all-wheel drive and twin-turbocharged V6 engine pushes Ford Fusion V6 Sport to leave other family sedans – including Honda Accord and Toyota Camry – in the dust; Fusion even out-powers the 2016 BMW 340
• Fusion Energi is the plug-in hybrid that stands out in a crowd – allowing customers to drive extended distances using just electricity, then operating as a conventional gas engine-powered hybrid when the battery runs low
• Fusion is the first Ford car in North America with a pedestrian detection system; other advanced technologies include hands-free parallel and perpendicular parking and SYNC® 3

The new Ford Fusion continues to be a game changer among midsize sedans, with the most technologically advanced lineup ever – including two hybrid models and a new all-wheel-drive Fusion V6 Sport engineered to leave other family sedans in the dust.

Fusion V6 Sport and the new Fusion Platinum add to a lineup featuring three EcoBoost® engine choices, along with two hybrids, Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid – something neither Toyota nor Honda offers midsize sedan shoppers.

“Fusion offers people a lot more car – including helpful technology, beautiful design and a more rewarding driving experience than other midsize sedans,” said Raj Nair, Ford executive vice president and chief technical officer, Global Product Development.

• Fusion V6 Sport: Fusion V6 Sport is a performance sedan unlike anything in the segment with a twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter EcoBoost® V6 delivering a projected 325 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque. All-wheel-drive Fusion V6 Sport is projected to make approximately 100 lb.-ft. of additional torque and nearly 50 more horsepower than the 3.5-liter V6 engines in Toyota Camry and Honda Accord
• Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi: New Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi lead America’s best-selling lineup of plug-in hybrids. New software in both hybrids delivers an even more refined and engaging drive for customers, while more efficient electric motors are expected to contribute to better fuel economy and a purer range of electric driving
• Fusion Platinum: Fusion Platinum is designed for those seeking even greater levels of refinement and craftsmanship in a midsize sedan. With available award-winning 2.0-liter EcoBoost and all-wheel drive, the real story is the interior experience. Instrument and door trim panels are wrapped in antiqued Cocoa leather, and the hand-wrapped steering wheel is finished in premium Venetian leather. A unique grille finished in Magnetic paint makes for an upscale design and 19-inch polished wheels return confident performance

Together, Fusion V6 Sport, Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi, and Fusion Platinum offer three different flavors of an award-winning lineup for midsize sedan customers.

Fusion V6 Sport adds continuously controlled damping for real-time suspension tuning based on setup and road inputs. The system features pothole detection technology that, in less than the blink of an eye, adjusts the shock absorbers to greatly reduce the severity of impact transmitted to occupants. 

Power and handling are complemented by unique, performance-inspired style inside and out. The look is distinguished by an aggressive exterior with deeper air intakes and a gloss black-finish mesh grille, 19-inch wheels, rear spoiler and dual twin exhaust outlets.

Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi are technology-packed electrified vehicles that offer an advanced EcoGuide system to provide drivers real-time coaching to get even better fuel economy. Fusion Energi features a 7.6-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery for an expected range of 19 miles using electric power only. The car automatically switches to an efficient 2.0-liter gasoline engine when the battery is depleted, allowing customers to drive more than 500 miles. 

Ford continues to innovate and evolve with its lithium-ion batteries that save weight and take up less space than the less sophisticated nickel-metal hydride batteries found in Toyota Camry Hybrid. Neither Camry nor Accord offers a plug-in hybrid.

Recharging Fusion Energi can be done overnight in just 2.5 hours. The car is smart enough to know when to begin charging to get electricity at the lowest price. It can even preheat or precool the cabin before drivers leave to save more fuel. 

Both electrified Fusions deliver impressive overall performance with electric-only speeds up to 85 mph. Regenerative braking captures up to 95 percent of the energy lost through heat during braking and recharges the hybrid battery on the move.

Meaningful technology

Fusion is the most technologically advanced midsize car Ford has ever built in North America – the first car sold here with Ford’s pedestrian detection system. Fusion also has hands-free parallel and perpendicular parking capability. The new high-tech gear shift dial results in a roomier cabin with easy-to-reach bins.

Lane-keeping assist helps drivers maintain proper lane position using a small, forward-facing camera behind the rearview mirror that “looks” at the road ahead – monitoring lane lines to ensure the car is on course.

Available Blind Spot Information System with cross-traffic alert includes sensors in the car’s rear quarter-panels that can detect traffic in a driver’s blind spot, providing both audible and visual warnings if traffic – unseen by the driver – is detected. BLIS® enables cross-traffic alert, warning the driver of oncoming traffic when backing out of a parking space with obstructed views. 

In combination with the standard rearview camera, BLIS makes for confident maneuvering in parking lots.

SYNC® 3, Ford’s new communications and entertainment system, is also available. It features faster performance, more conversational voice recognition, a more intuitive smartphone-like touch screen and easier-to-understand graphical interface. 

SYNC Connect, optional with SYNC 3, enables owners to remotely start their car, schedule future starts, or lock and unlock the car using their smartphone. The new Fusion arrives at dealerships this summer. Fusion V6 Sport follows a few weeks later.

USA - Green Car Journal today named the Ford F-150 its 2016 Green Truck of the Year™

Green Car Journal today named the Ford F-150 its 2016 Green Truck of the Year^™ at the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show.

The 2016 Ford F-150 – the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever – includes the highest EPA-estimated highway fuel economy rating of any full-size gasoline pickup on the market, at 26 mpg. A segment-exclusive compressed natural gas/propane gaseous fuel prep package is available for 5.0-liter V8-equipped F-150 – helping reduce operating costs and tailpipe CO₂ emissions.

“The 2016 Ford F-150 is a great example of the environmental leadership that can, and should, be accomplished in the immensely popular pickup field,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher, Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com. 

“Milestone lightweighting through the extensive use of aluminum and high-strength steel, the availability of a powerful and efficient 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, and a segment-exclusive gaseous fuel prep option that enables the F-150 to run on clean-burning compressed natural gas or propane are all important contributions that raise the bar in environmental performance.”

Ford F-150 uses sustainable materials to help reduce its environmental footprint. REPREVE fiber, made from recycled plastic bottles, is available for F-150’s cloth seats. By using this recycled material, Ford will divert more than 5 million plastic bottles from landfills this year.

Other eco-conscious materials employed include rice hulls to reinforce plastic used in an electrical harness, fuel lines made from castor bean oil, seats made of soybeans and post-industrial recycled cotton – one 2015 F-150 uses shoddy that includes blue jean material, bath towels and/or T-shirt material.

“We designed Ford F-150 to be a game changer,” said Doug Scott, Ford truck group marketing manager. “Many have recognized F-150 as the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever, but this award is proof it’s also a fuel-efficient, environmentally responsible option.”

Ford F-150, its groundbreaking technology and the engineering team behind it have won the following awards and accolades:

• 2015 North American Truck/Utility of the Year
• 2015 Motor Trend Truck Trend Pickup Truck of the Year
• Automobile Journalists Association of Canada Pickup Truck of the Year
• Automobile Journalists Association of Canada Utility Vehicle of the Year
• Detroit News 2015 Vehicle of the Year
• 2015 and 2016 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Truck
• 2015 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Overall
• Kelley Blue Book 10 Best Road Trip Cars of 2015
• 2015 Popular Science Automotive Grand Award Winner Best of What’s New
• 2015 MotorWeek Best Pickup Truck
• 2015 Detroit Free Press Truck of the Year
• 2015 New England Motor Press Association Yankee Cup
• AutoGuide 2015 Reader’s Choice Truck of the Year
• New Car Test Drive 2015 Truck of the Year
• 2015 Detroit News Reader’s Choice NAIAS Awards Most Innovative
• Automotive Science Group 2015 Best All-Around Performance Award Winner, Best Full-Size Truck of 2015, Smallest Carbon Footprint
• Urban Wheel Award for Urban Truck of the Year
• Green Car Technology Award^™
• Edmunds.com 2015 Most Popular Awards – large truck category
• Detroit Free Press Automotive Leadership Award – engineering and technology category
• Greater Atlanta Automobile Media Association Best Pickup/SUV
• 2015 New England Motor Press Association Official Winter Vehicle of New England
• AAA Green Car Guide Award – pickup truck category (F-150 SuperCab Lariat)
• TFLtruck 2015 TFL Gold Hitch Award – half-ton/light-duty category (2.7-liter V6)
• AutoPacific 2015 Vehicle Satisfaction Award – light-duty pickup category (second highest owner score ever and highest truck rating ever)
• AutoPacific 2015 Best in Class Ideal Vehicle – overall winner
• Altair and Center for Automotive Research Altair Enlighten Award
•  J.D. Power and Associates J.D. Power APEAL – large light-duty pickup category
• Consumer Electronics Show 2016 Innovation Award – Best of Innovation honoree in vehicle intelligence category for Pro Trailer Backup Assist^™
• Vicentric 2015 Best Certified Pre-Owned Value in America^™ – full-size half-ton pickup category

USA - Porsche adds a new Special edition Cayman Black Edition model to its new and re-invigorated range.

Exclusive edition of 2016 Porsche Cayman in classic color combination

Porsche is expanding the Black Edition line-up to include a new special edition of the Cayman. A strong complement inside the special edition series, which also includes the Boxster and the 911 Carrera, the Cayman Black Edition is distinguished with a timeless Black on Black design and an extensive level of standard equipment. 

Improvements to standard equipment include enhanced headlights, wheels, and sound system. Additional standard content includes the Sport Design steering wheel, door sill guards with Black Edition logo, auto-dimming rear view mirrors, and headrests embossed with the Porsche crest. Black paint is standard, while Jet Black Metallic is available as an option.

The Cayman Black Edition is powered by a 2.7 liter flat-six engine with 275 hp. 20-inch Carrera Classic wheels and Bi-Xenon headlights with PDLS (Porsche Dynamic Light System) set distinctive highlights, while two-zone climate control and heated seats provide a higher level of comfort for both driver and passenger. The Porsche Communication Management system with navigation, the upgraded Sound Package Plus and Park Assist for front and rear are also included as standard features on the Cayman Black Edition.

The Cayman Black Edition will reach showrooms in January, 2016. MSRP is $59,200, not including a $995 destination charge.