Ford is also pumped about the fact that it will also debut all-wheel-drive (AWD) in vehicles priced under $40,000, including the 2005 Ford Freestyle crossover and Ford Five Hundred sedan, along with the Mercury Montego we won't get in Canada.
In an effort to expand the fuel economy and performance levels of the new cars and trucks launched in 2005, Ford will make its Electronic Throttle Control standard in nearly every model. ''By the end of the year,'' says Szczupak, ''nearly 60 percent of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products in North America will come standard with this feature.''
Szczupak says Ford will also put ''advanced, high-powered Powertrain Control Modules (electronic controls) in more products, improving performance and smooth operation.''
In addition to the advances its making in its 2005 model year vehicles, more than 60 percent of Ford's transmissions in North America will be new between the 2003 to 2008 model years, including the new TorqShift 5-speed, the CVTs, and the six-speed front-and rear-wheel-drive automatics.
The new transmissions will help lead to 4 percent to 8 percent gains in fuel efficiency over traditional 4-speed automatic transmissions, Szczupak explains.
''We believe six speeds and CVTs are the future," says Szczupak ''They help to optimize power, smooth operation and improve fuel economy. Today less than one percent of all vehicles sold have six-speed and CVT automatic transmissions. By 2010, up to 20 percent of vehicles in the U.S. will have six-speeds and CVTs, and by 2015 it could be up to 50 percent.''
Just 25 years ago, the average Canadian or American car with an automatic transmission that had three speeds, Szczupak points out, ''so the trend towards higher stepped-gear or infinitely variable automatic transmissions is a trend worth noting.''
Szczupak says these new transmissions use a compact, lightweight architecture and feature wider ratio spans than the transmissions they replace. ''This offers both better launch performance in lower speeds and better fuel economy at highway speeds,'' he notes.
''Typical automatic transmissions offer a relatively low ratio span -- in the range of 3.5 to 4.0,'' says Phil Yuhasz, chief engineer for Ford's Automatic Transmission Operations. ''Our new six-speed transmissions and our new continuously variable transmissions offer a ratio span of 6.0. We expect our new CVT to offer fuel economy improvements of up to six to eight percent."
Martens says all of Ford's current transmissions also are being revised, which he calls ''a process that already is paying dividends. Customer satisfaction and the quality of Ford's automatic transmissions are at their highest levels ever.''
