The Ford Edge sales have recently  hit 400,000, more than any midsize crossover since its introduction in late 2006
Considering the fact that  the crossover segment is one of the most fiercely contested in the industry, this is a huge achievement. The new 2011 Ford Edge is expected to continue the success as Ford introduces America to the revolutionary MyFord Touch driver connect technology and offers unbeatable fuel economy of 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway.

In 2006 when Edge was introduced, the midsize crossover segment accounted for 4.3 percent of the retail industry. Last year, that number grew to 9.5 percent. And this year, it’s expected to top 11 percent, making the segment the same size as full-size pickups and more than sports cars. Now comes the new 2011 Ford Edge with three new powertrains, bold new styling, improved driving dynamics and industry-leading MyFord Touch technology. The 2011 Ford Edge SEL and Limited, which account for about 80 percent of all Edge sales, have EPA-estimated fuel economy of 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway (front-wheel drive), which is unsurpassed in each category among V6 competitors. The new Edge is now 1 mpg better city and 2 mpg better highway – with even greater power. The standard 3.5-liter V6 engine produces 285 horsepower, best-in-class among V6 competitors and 20 more horsepower than the outgoing Edge.

The 2011 Ford Fiesta was a much anticipated launch, with a fun, unique and trendsetting campaign.  Furthermore, the Ford Fiesta will be participating in this years X Games. For the 2011 X Games, Fiesta’s all-star driver lineup grows from three drivers to four with the addition of Ford Rally America and WRC driver Ken Block to last year’s trio of Kenny Brack, Tanner Foust and Brian Deegan. This year’s rally competition at X Games will be comprised of two competitions: Rally Car Racing and SuperRally, a European-style rallycross where four cars will race simultaneously against each other. The Ford foursome of Block, Brack, Deegan and Foust will drive their Fiestas in both competitions.

In addition to the action at X Games, Ford has created unique ways for fans to get in on the fun. One, called “I Win! You Win!” is an on-site promotion where fans in attendance to X Games can text “FORD” to 66937 to be randomly paired with one of the featured athletes for the events. The athletes include Ford Racing rally drivers and Metal Mulisha’s motocross team. If a fan is paired with an athlete and that athlete wins the event, the fan wins the athlete’s custom Fiesta.

Fans also will have another opportunity to win a Fiesta through the “Rock It Like Block” contest. A grand-prize winner will win a 2011 Ford Fiesta, custom designed by Ken Block. The contest runs through Aug. 13, and entries can be submitted at www.rockitlikeblock.com.

Ford also is teaming up with Metal Mulisha to display a Ford Fiesta in its pits during X Games. The team will sign autographs at the Ford Fiesta display, where co-branded Ford and Metal Mulisha posters and skateboard decks will be given away.

Ford’s new 2011 Shelby GT500 is in such high demand, that the supercar Ford model is approaching production limit. More than 3,300 orders have been placed for the new Shelby GT500. To ensure exclusivity, U.S. sales of the 2011 Shelby GT500 will be limited to 5,500 units. The goal of Ford’s limited production of the GT500 is to make the car even more desirable. The Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 was greatly improved for the 2011 model year, including more power, better fuel efficiency, new technology, and new standard features.

The 2011 Shelby GT500 is powered by a new aluminum-block 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine, which produces 550 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque, a 10 horsepower increase over the 2010 model. The engine is 102 pounds lighter than its predecessor, delivering a better power-to-weight ratio, improved fuel economy, acceleration, handling and steering precision.

The new engine uses a state-of-the-art Plasma Transferred Wire Arc (PTWA) liner coating, a process that applies a 150-micron composite coating that contains nanoparticles on the internal surfaces of engine cylinder bores, replacing cast-iron liners typically used in aluminum engine blocks. The Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation honored the inventors of the Ford-patented PTWA technology with the 2009 National Inventor of the Year Award.

Standard 2011 performance features include the 550-horsepower aluminum 5.4-liter V8 engine, a new 2.75-inch exhaust system, revised brake cooling and pedal box construction for more consistent brake pedal efforts and feel, and electric power-assisted steering (EPAS). SVT worked hard to make EPAS better than the outgoing hydraulic steering system, with improved torque build-up and road feel.

New for 2011 is an optional glass roof providing customers with yet another open-air option that does not compromise the coupe’s versatility, headroom or climate-controlled environment. Interior options have proven immensely popular, with almost 70 percent of the GT500s ordered with the Electronics Package, which includes voice-activated navigation, SIRIUS Travel Link, HD Radio and dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control.

While the Fiesta debuted in Europe last year with instant success, it has been eagerly waited in the States, until now. The 2011 Ford Fiesta has arrived at many dealerships, and is on its way to many more.  And considering the fact that the European model of the Fiesta was the best-selling vehicle across the continent in the first quarter of 2010, Ford is hoping it will do just as well in the U.S.  Our version of the Fiesta is slightly different than overseas. More appealing to buyers in the U.S.is a newly styled four-door sedan, which will be sold here alongside a slightly pricier five-door hatchback beginning in July. The starting price for the four-door base-level sedan is $13,995, while the five-door hatchback will go for $15,795.

The U.S. Fiesta comes only with the largest engine available in any Fiesta: a 1.6-liter four-cylinder that produces 120 hp and 112 lb-ft of torque, yet returns spectacular fuel efficiency when matched to a sophisticated new automatic transmission that makes its debut here. The engine features the most optimal variable valve timing setup, with independent control of both intake and exhaust. A refined five-speed manual transmission is standard, but for about $1,200 the so-called “Powershift” automatic six-speed raises the car’s expected EPA  test cycle performance from 38 to 40 mpg on the highway. In the city, the standard manual is expected to get 29 mpg, while the automatic gets 30 mpg. For more research and information about preordering the 2011 Fiesta, read our 2011 Fiesta Review.

Ford’s new 2011 Super Duty trucks have taken heavy duty hauling fuel efficiency to another level. In the past, fuel efficiency was at the bottom of the list for truck owners, the fact was they needed power, towing, and hauling capacity, and what their gas mileage was didn’t really matter. But fuel economy on the all-new 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty equipped with the Ford-engineered and Ford-built 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbocharged diesel engine averages an 18-percent improvement for pickup models and up to 25-percent improvement for chassis cabs versus 2010 models. To help track fuel economy numbers 2011 Super Duty diesels are available with CrewChief™, a component of available Ford Work Solutions™, a technology package that can help owners manage their business from the work site. CrewChief is a fleet telematics and diagnostics system that allows fleet owners to efficiently manage their vehicles, quickly dispatch workers to job sites and keep detailed vehicle maintenance records.

Ford recently held a competition in Arizona for journalists to see who could get the best mileage out of a Super Duty. During the program, Ford challenged these reporters to a contest to see who could achieve the best fuel economy while driving a the Ford-built 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 on an 80-mile stretch of surface roads and highways. The winning media team on the first round achieved 29.2 mpg and the second an astonishing 34 mpg. Three-person media teams drove from Buckeye to Glendale, Arizona, in an F-250 or F-350 with 1,000 pounds of payload. Depending on vehicle configuration, media teams were expected to meet targets of 26.5 mpg (pickups with 17-inch wheels and a 3.31:1 axle ratio) or 24 mpg (pickups with 20-inch wheels and a 3.55:1 axle ratio) while driving the 80 miles in a time frame consistent with what Ford engineers achieved. Drivers were given fuel economy tips from the Ford vehicle energy engineering team and a few ground rules: stay on the specified route, follow the provided turn-by-turn directions and drive at the posted speeds (no speeding and no crawling).

Overall, it was a fun event that further proved Ford’s point, that they have created one of the most fuel efficient heavy duty trucks available. When the 2011 model arrives at dealerships, potential truck buyers may have a new requirement at the top of their lists: optimal fuel economy.

Ford has big news in the ‘green’ automotive world: the all-electric Ford Transit Connect. The new model recently debuted at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. This zero-emissions, electric vehicle (EV) version of the small van will be in fleet operators’ hands later this year, likely first entering the European market. Ford is collaborating with Azure Dynamics Corporation to upfit the Transit Connect Electric with Azure’s Force Drive™ battery electric powertrain and Johnson Controls-Saft’s advanced lithium-ion battery technology. The Ford Transit was recently named the 2010 North American Truck of the Year.  In addition to the Transit Connect Electric, Ford plans to bring three more electrified vehicles to market by 2012: the Focus Electric in 2011, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in 2012 and a next-generation hybrid in 2012.

Ford Transit Connect Electric goes into production in late 2010. It will be well-suited for commercial fleets that travel predictable, short-range routes with frequent stop-and-go driving in urban and suburban environments and a central location for daily recharging. The vehicle, which will accelerate at a similar rate as the gas-powered Transit Connect and will have a top speed of 75 mph, has a targeted range of up to 80 miles on a full charge. Owners will have the option of recharging the Transit Connect Electric with either a standard 120V outlet or preferably a 240V charge station installed at the user’s base of operations for optimal recharging in six to eight hours. A transportable cord that works with both types of outlets will be available for recharging at both kinds of locations. The vehicle’s charge port is located above the passenger-side rear wheel well. The onboard liquid-cooled 28-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack is charged by connecting the charge port. Inside the vehicle, an onboard charger converts the AC power from the electric grid to DC power to charge the battery pack.