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2008 Ford Five Hundred Gets a Dose of Emotion Review

January 2007
Filed under: FORD Car News | FORD Headlines

2008 Ford Five Hundred

January 17, 2006 (Ford Motor Company) -- What at first glance may look like a simple design tweak is really a whole lot more. The 2008 Ford Five Hundred has gone through a major facelift, and the company says there's plenty that's new under its skin, as well.

With more than 500 updates, Ford's flagship full-size sedan boasts more power, a smoother transmission, a quieter and more refined interior, more standard safety features, and a new Ford Fusion-like look.
"We knew we had a great package to begin with," said chief designer Richard Woolley. "What we wanted was to appeal more to a customer's emotional side. When you see it coming you know what it is, even from a distance."

Introduced at this week's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), the Ford Five Hundred's most notable change is the front end. Replacing the original grill is Ford's new three-bar grill which was first introduced on the Fusion and Edge. Ford's designers have also taken visual weight off the front end by lowering the hood.

The Ford Five Hundred's new, more horizontal look continues in the rear with new tail lamps and dual chrome-tipped exhaust.

2008 Ford Five Hundred

"With a Fusion-inspired appearance, the Ford Five Hundred is really going to stand out on the road," Ford's president and CEO Alan Mullaly told auto show reporters. "The overall impression inside and out is upscale."

A new instrument cluster, new wood finishes, colors, materials and accents have refined the interior. In addition to its standard audio input jack the Five Hundred also offers a voice-activated navigation system, a DVD entertainment system and Ford Sync™, Ford's in-car communications system. Developed in association with Microsoft, Sync allows hands free use of mobile phones and entertainment systems.

Under the hood, the Ford Five Hundred features a new 3.5-liter Duratec V-6 which delivers nearly 30 percent more power, a new sound package for deadening outside noise and vibration, a new six speed automatic transmission and the same optional all-wheel drive system as the new Ford Edge.

Having already won numerous awards for crash test safety, the new Five Hundred has also added additional safety features including Ford’s AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control system.

"The Five Hundred has always been a great car. I've never been able to quite understand why it's been one of Ford's best-kept secrets," said Scott Taylor, vice president of Troy ( Ohio) Ford. "The fact is, once you get a customer to drive it, they love it."

As more of the 75 million baby boomers in the U.S. become empty-nesters, Taylor sees a growing interest in full-size cars as an alternative to SUV's.

2008 Ford Five Hundred

"The Five Hundred is a logical choice for them," he said. "Not only is it the easiest car to get in and out of in the industry, it's one of the safest, and the interior is awesome."

While the demise of the full-size sedan has been predicted for many years, the demand remains strong, according to Ben Winter, the Five Hundred's chief nameplate engineer who says the segment sells more than 1 million vehicles a year -- 80 percent of which are American brands.

"I'd have to say that when Chrysler introduced the 300, they did us all a bit of a favor, because they revitalized the full-size segment," said Winter. "When you combine that growing interest in larger vehicles with the Five Hundred's refined looks, extraordinary fuel economy, and available all-wheel drive, you can see why we expect a great future. That's why we've invested so much to refine it."

The Chrysler 300, which was introduced at around the same time as the Ford Five Hundred in 2004, would go on to dominate the full-size market for the next two years

2008 Ford Five Hundred

"It wasn't that the Ford Five Hundred wasn't a handsome car when it was introduced, because it was," said Jim Hall, the vice president of industry analysis for Auto Pacific, a Detroit-based consulting firm. "It was just too conservative compared to the 300. It was like a quality Brooks Brother's suit standing next to a flashy Armani suit. The 300 was like a rolling billboard; whether you liked it or not, you noticed it."

With its new look for 2008, Hall sees the Five Hundred headed in the right direction.

"Ford cannot be conservative with styling," he said. "If you think back; to the '50s, when the company's vehicles were conservative its sales were down. In the '60s, when its designs became flashier and brasher, sales went up."

For Ford sales analyst George Pipas the Ford Five Hundred is a vehicle just waiting to be discovered, and those kids who grew up in the '60s are the key.

"It's a great vehicle for the baby-boomers," he said. "Don't forget, they are a generation of consumers that have controlled automotive trends going all the way back to the Mustang. They're still the largest group with the largest disposable income. It's simply up to us to let them know what the Ford Five Hundred is all about."

Source: Ford Motor Company

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