For hard numbers on Ford's 2006 lineup, look to the Environmental Protection Agency's fuel economy performance of 2006
model-year vehicles in March of next year.
While Chairman Bill Ford Jr. blamed the popularity of his company's large pickups and sport utility vehicles for Ford's poorer than average fuel economy record, less interest in these vehicles by consumers and greater focus on fuel saving technologies, such as the Fusion and Five Hundred's six-speed automatic transmission and Freestyle's low friction continuously variable transmission (CVT), move it ahead of most rival's conventionally powered offerings.
While Ford is far from profitable, its fuel efficient focus might be exactly what consumers want going into the latter half of the this millennium's first decade. Now, if it can build more vehicles as attractive, well built and enjoyable to drive as its Fusion and Zephyr, its fortunes should rise exponentially.
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| While Ford is far from profitable, its fuel efficient focus might be exactly what consumers want going into the latter half of the this millennium's first decade. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
While Chairman Bill Ford Jr. blamed the popularity of his company's large pickups and sport utility vehicles for Ford's poorer than average fuel economy record, less interest in these vehicles by consumers and greater focus on fuel saving technologies, such as the Fusion and Five Hundred's six-speed automatic transmission and Freestyle's low friction continuously variable transmission (CVT), move it ahead of most rival's conventionally powered offerings.
While Ford is far from profitable, its fuel efficient focus might be exactly what consumers want going into the latter half of the this millennium's first decade. Now, if it can build more vehicles as attractive, well built and enjoyable to drive as its Fusion and Zephyr, its fortunes should rise exponentially.
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