The Ford Escape is the #1 selling compact SUV in Canada since 2004 and we here at Capital Ford Lincoln sell more than anyone else in Saskatchewan.

Did you know that a hybrid version of the Escape was released in 2004, making it the first hybrid SUV ever? And that the hybrid version of the 2010 Escape is the most fuel efficient SUV on the planet! It has an EPA estimated 34 city and 31 highway miles per gallon in front-wheel drive. Now that surely is a mighty green vehicle!

That’s not all either! There are so many other green features in the new Ford Escape Hybrid, and they don’t all have to do with the engine either. Keep reading to learn about these features!

Even cloth seat fabric on the interior is eco-friendly. The material is made from recycled polyester fibers that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill. To add to this, all the cushions in the Escape are made with a bio-based polyurethane foam that is made from the oils of plants like soybeans. The interior is durable, comfortable, and stylish and of course green, which suits the Escape Hybrid perfectly.

However, the most important green part of the Escape Hybrid is the flex-fuel-capable engine. It is designed to use either regular gasoline or E85 alternative fuel, allowing the owner of the vehicle a choice. How about that? Being able to pick between the two?

A view of the Hybrid engine in all its green-ness!

The Hybrid is also partially an electrically-driven vehicle. The newly released nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery, which stores the vehicle’s energy, is located under the flat rear cargo area floor. The electric motor is capable of moving the Hybrid up to 70 km/hour on its own. But when more power is needed, the electric and gasoline engines combine power to give that extra acceleration needed.

Something else on the Hybrid that is pretty smart and green is the regenerative braking system! What is a regenerative braking system you ask? Well, when braking in a regular vehicle, the energy produced is usually lost as heat, but in the Escape Hybrid, the electric motor captures the energy created and sends it back to the battery pack. So basically, when you apply the brakes in the Hybrid you’re recharging the battery pack.

And in addition to the all the wonderfully green features, you get even more when it comes to your warranty. The 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid comes with an extended warranty covering the unique Hybrid components such as the high-voltage battery eCVT and DC/DC Converter.

See? Being green is easier.

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Sales Manager & Team Leader

ROB USHER

Product Specialists & Team Members

- LES RING
- BLAYNE MORROW
- KURTIS MCGONIGAL
- BEN STADNYK
- DEREK FUHR

Working with the same guys over the past few years has been a privilege for not only Rob, but his team members as well. There have been some pretty good times, they work hard – very hard – but they also play hard too and have a great time. Every day is a challenge and every day is a memorable moment with these guys.

Read on to learn more about the team!

Rob has high expectations for his team, and they know it, but they work hard and get rewarded.

“Yeah, I have high expectations, but you get really good results with high expectations. Sometimes I get grumpy and things aren’t the greatest, but my guys have been pretty supportive with the ups and downs.”

The main success for Rob is learning every day, getting better every day, but also being able to work with the same group of guys every day too. The team finds success because they have been working together for a long time. They work hard, do things right and treat people they way they should.

Rob is really proud of the honesty that his team brings to the customers. It’s simple to be honest, but if you’re not then it burns a bridge. Rob tells his team members to tell the truth all the time.

“Tell the truth. Don’t hide anything. You have nothing to worry about if you tell the truth. Everything else looks after itself.”

Service after the sale is another important thing the team puts a lot of effort into, because if you make the effort it will turn into good word of mouth for the team. If as an individual or a team you do something right and treat somebody good, they will go and tell 5 or 6 people about it. But if you do something wrong, that person will go and tell about 150 people about what you did wrong. You always hear about the worst things before the good things and that is true in all walks of life.

Rob Usher’s Personal Thank You to his and the Team’s Customers!

“Really good thank you and a warm hand to all of the customers for trusting us and letting us look after them and giving them a good deal.

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Rob on his Team Members:

“We get bigger and we grow and each guy has come a long way. I took Blayne under my wing and now he’s one of the top salesmen in the store and he’s only a young guy. And Derek, he’s my right hand man. He looks after all my stuff when I’m not around or too tied up.”

The Team Members on Each Other and Rob:

LES

• “Our whole team compliments each other.”
• “Rob is fair and doesn’t give you unnecessary criticism.”

BLAYNE

• “Everyone on the team contributes equally and that makes it great because every one helps everyone out.”
• “The man (Rob) is one of the most personable people ever when it comes to the customers.”

KURTIS

• “Everyone gets along; we’re all friends. It’s easy to come to work when your team-mates are you best friends.”
• “Rob is dedicated. He goes that extra mile, and he’s the best guy to work for.”

DEREK

• “The team is dedicated and we all mesh together very well.”
• “Rob is a great guy to work for.”

BEN

• “They’re pretty cool, easy going young guys. They make work enjoyable.”
• “Rob’s a good guy to work for. He’s good at his job, very professional.”

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The North American Car and Truck of the Year awards recognize vehicles based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. A jury of 49 automotive journalists in the United States and Canada vote for the vehicles, which must be “all-new” or “substantially changed” from the previous model to qualify for the award.

If you’re driving either a Fusion or a Transit Connect, Capital Ford wants to hear from you! How’s it been, what’s it like and would you recommend it to others? Thinking of buying either one? Leave us some questions on the blog and we’ll get back to you asap.

In the winner’s circle
The Ford Fusion Hybrid edged out finalists including the Buick LaCrosse and Volkswagen Golf/GTI to win the North American Car of the Year award. It is the fourth hybrid vehicle in 17 years to win recognition as North American Car (or Truck) of the Year. It also is the second hybrid win for Ford – the most hybrid wins for any automaker. The Ford Escape Hybrid was named North American Truck of the Year in 2005.

The Transit Connect bested finalists including the Chevrolet Equinox and Subaru Outback to win the North American Truck of the Year award. It is the sixth Ford truck to win the award – the most wins of any automaker in the 17-year history of the awards program. It also is the second year in a row that Ford has captured the title. Last year, top honors went to the 2009 Ford F-150.

Fusion Hybrid a winner out of the gate

The North American Car of the Year award is the latest in an impressive string of awards and accolades for the Fusion Hybrid. Most recently, the vehicle was honored as CAR and DRIVER Magazine’s “10Best” Cars for 2010, one of AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s 2010 All-Stars, and the entire Fusion lineup captured the acclaimed MOTOR TREND Car of the Year® award.

The all-new Fusion Hybrid arrived in dealers in March, complete with a powertrain system that combines the best attributes of the gasoline engine and electric battery-driven motors to deliver the optimal experience for the customer in terms of driving performance and fuel economy. The Fusion Hybrid also offers drivers a way to be more connected to the hybrid driving experience thanks to Ford’s SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide, a unique instrument cluster execution that helps coach them on how to optimize the performance of their hybrid.

Transit Connect fills unmet needs of small businesses and fleets

Developed with the unique needs of small business owners in mind. Transit Connect is spacious, economical, and durable.

The Transit Connect was brought to the U.S. to fulfill the unmet needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs, offering them a new vehicle choice with significantly improved fuel economy, generous and accessible cargo space, and the agility and maneuverability to operate in crowded urban areas.

Powered by a 2.0-liter I-4 engine with a four-speed automatic overdrive transmission, the Transit Connect offers double the fuel economy of full-size vans, delivering an EPA-estimated 22 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.

The Transit Connect also has more than double the cargo-carrying capacity of the Chevrolet HHR Panel, making it suitable for a broader range of commercial-use applications. And it offers commercial users a cargo payload of up to 1,600 pounds – a larger payload than the full-size Dodge Ram 1500 standard-cab short-box pickup truck.

The Transit Connect also is available with the industry-exclusive Ford Work Solutions™, a suite of affordable technologies that provides customers with connectivity, flexibility, visibility and security to better run key aspects of their business.

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Selected by unbiased expert editors from CNET (www.cnet.com) at the 2010 International CES, winners are recognized as having the hottest products in their respective technology categories for their unmatched innovation and creativity and their ability to excite consumers and help them explore a world gone digital. CNET editors reviewed hundreds of entries, as well as scoured the 2010 CES show floor for products to consider for the prestigious award.

The nine categories include Digital photo and video; Car tech and GPS; Cell phones and smartphones; Computers and hardware; Gaming; Green; Home Theater; MP3 and portable video players; and Televisions. In addition, there were awards given for the Best in Show product and People’s Voice, given by the thousands of online viewers who cast their votes.

Videos of the winners and finalist products can be found at http://www.cnet.com/ces.

About MyFord Touch

“Each year, CNET editors spend hundreds of hours on the show floor to find the hottest technologies that will drive industry trends for the coming year and beyond. Ford was chosen from thousands of products at the show and demonstrates the innovation to be honored with one of our ‘Best of CES’ award.” – Scott Ard, Editor in Chief of CNET

MyFord Touch is the all-new driver interface launching later this year on new Ford products. The interface retains the traditional car interior layout that has existed for decades – instrument cluster in front of the driver, center stack dividing the dashboard – and adds even more voice control plus full-color LCD screens for much of the visual information presentation. We’ll be seeing this technology land at Capital Ford in what’s guessed to be 10 months with the 2011 Edge and Lincoln MKX.

The information presented is customizable by the driver using a combination of voice controls, touch-screen technology and five-way cell phone-style buttons mounted on the steering wheel.

MyFord Touch displays information using two 4.2-inch full-color LCD screens flanking an analog speedometer and an 8-inch touch-screen LCD at the top of the center stack. A five-way switch on each side of the steering wheel crossbar – similar to the one found on most mobile phones and MP3 players – controls the information displayed on the corresponding instrument panel screens. Check out a slick video from edmunds.com showing off MyFord Touch.

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This annoying habit is so frustrating to drivers that it made the “Top 10 Driving Pet Peeves” list by a leading vehicle insurance company, which surveyed thousands of drivers nationwide. Nicknamed Morse Coders in the survey, these drivers often cruise for miles without realizing their blinker is on. Meanwhile, they are annoying everyone behind them. Are you ready for the list?

Most annoying driving habits:

1. Distracted drivers talking on cell phones (28.5 percent)
2. Slow drivers in the fast lane (21.6 percent)
3. Pushy drivers who tailgate (18.1 percent)
4. Drivers who weave through traffic to gain one or two car lengths (12.5 percent)
5. Obnoxious drivers who speed up to keep you from changing lanes (5.5 percent)
6. Hasty drivers who change lanes without signaling (4.9 percent)
7. Road Rage (2.7 percent)
8. Motorcyclists who race down the middle of a lane, between cars (2.1 percent)
9. Women applying makeup and men shaving (1.7 percent)
10. Drivers who leave their turn signal on for miles (0.92 percent)

Source: Hagerty Insurance

Capital Ford, Saskatchewan’s Ford Dealer wants to hear from you! Drivers in our province must be perturbed by similar pet peeves. Do you have one that didn’t make Hagerty’s list? Let us know in the comments below!

Coming this summer on the 2011 Ford Fiesta

Ford’s three-blink lane change technology is simplifying the way drivers maneuver on the road. With a simple flick of the switch – either up or down, depending on which lane the driver is moving into – the turn indicator will blink three times and automatically shut off. The switch can be held in the lane change position longer for additional blinks beyond the three minimum.

To engage the turn signal, drivers move the switch into the standard position, one more press past the lane change mode.

For motorists who drive behind the “Morse Coders”, this is welcome news: “Driving behind a car that’s blink, blink, blinking is enough of a driver annoyance that we’re putting the technology in our full Ford line going forward,” said Murphy. “Customers say this is confusing – and it bugs them. So we’re doing something about it.”

Going on sale in the summer of 2010, the all-new Ford Fiesta is among the first vehicles in the Ford lineup to receive the new three-blink technology. The “annoyance avoidance” feature is yet another technology going into the expressive, fun-to-drive Fiesta that makes perfect sense.

With a projected best-in-class highway fuel economy of over 50mpg, Fiesta is designed to be versatile, personal and adaptable. In fact, Fiesta is expected to deliver best-in-class safety, convenience and connectivity with segment-exclusive SYNC® voice-activated communications system, an expressive color palette and available graphics.

The 2011 Ford Super Duty is also set to receive the three-blink turn signal technology when it goes on sale in 2010.

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The new F-150 – which features exclusive “K-bag” side air bag technology – provides better side-impact crash safety ratings than the Chevrolet Silverado and Dodge Ram, according to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Special “K-bag”

Among the truck’s unmatched list of advanced standard safety features is its patented “K-bag” technology, a new front seat-mounted dual-chamber side air bag named for its unique shape, which is designed to help protect the rib cage from excessive crash forces during a side impact. This air bag is supported with a state-of-the-art side crash sensing system that uses pressure pulses from the impact to deploy the air bag 30 percent faster than a conventional system.

Canada’s safest full-size pickup

The F-150 earned an IIHS “Top Safety Pick” last November and quadruple 5-star government crash test ratings in January – making it the only full-size pickup to achieve both top crash-test ratings. Combined with the most standard safety features in the segment, the F-150 is Canada’s safest full-size pickup.

More exclusive occupant protection

Also new to the F-150 dating back to 09′ is Ford’s standard Safety Canopy® side-curtain air bag rollover protection system, which helps protect front and rear outboard passengers in both rollovers and side impact crashes. The air bag is designed to stay inflated for several seconds for additional protection in rollover crashes, which often last longer than side impact crashes.

Ford’s Personal Safety System – also a standard feature – is made up of a suite of protection technologies, including dual-stage front air bags and occupant weight classification, working together to help protect occupants.

Most sophisticated electronic stability control

The F-150’s standard offering of Ford’s industry exclusive AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control™) also met a newer requirement that vehicles must offer electronic stability control to earn IIHS’s top rating. The system is the world’s most sophisticated electronic stability control, helping prevent skidding and rollovers. It goes a step beyond typical stability control systems with a gyroscopic roll sensor that determines both the vehicle’s body roll angle and roll rate.

Lighter, tougher structure

The F-150’s safety leadership also is built on the solid structure that underpins the truck’s legendary “Built Ford Tough” durability and capability. The truck has an all-new hydroformed steel front end – including use of tubular ultra high-strength, lighter weight steel that contributes to its unsurpassed fuel economy in the full-size pickup truck segment.

At Capital Ford we love trucks, we know them inside and we want to show off the F-150. If you have any questions stop by anytime or leave a comment for us below so we can answer it for everyone. Tough, crazy durable, and insanely safe, great case for the best truck ever made!

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Keeping with our Capital Tailgate goal of supplying great information we’ve also included this short video explaining how EcoBoost works. It’s an animation of how it all comes together.

Here are some key highlights on Ford’s new EcoBoost technology:

Power and fuel economy –

The twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Duratec V-6 EcoBoost engine produces 355 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 350 ft.-lb. of torque at 3,500 rpm. A 10-15 percent fuel-economy benefit is expected versus normally aspirated 4.6-liter V-8 engines in the same competitive class.

Engine –

The proven Duratec 3.5-liter V-6 comprises the base engine architecture. To handle the increased torque that EcoBoost delivers, some upgrades were made to some of the components, such as the cylinder block, crankshaft, connecting rods pistons and exhaust valves to ensure the EcoBoost V-6 engine is as robust as possible.

Turbochargers –

Two Honeywell GT15 turbochargers with water-cooled bearings and operate in parallel, spinning at approximately 170,000 rpm up to 12 PSI. They are rated for a 150,000-mile, 10-year life.

Direct fuel injection –

A cam-driven high-pressure fuel pump feeds the fuel injectors at pressures ranging from 200 to 2,175 PSI (pounds per square inch) depending on customer driving. A typical port fuel injection system operates at pressures of around 60 PSI. Six sprayers in each injector target fuel into the cylinder, resulting in a cleaner and more-efficient fuel burn and better cold-start emissions.

The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 accumulates thousands of hours on the Ford dynamometer to verify the reliability of the complete engine system. During the punishing testing, engine performance is examined under maximum engine speeds and loads, coolant and oil temperatures and customer driving pattern

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One wonders what a no-nonsense guy like Mike Rowe, host of TV’s “Dirty Jobs,” would think of the word webisode. He’d probably run over it with the all-new 2011 Ford Super Duty. There’s no harm in dreaming, right?

Mike Rowe is hosting a series of – you guessed it – webisodes detailing the development and testing of the new powertrain lineup of the all-new Super Duty – a truck so tough all of your frenemies will run scared. I’m posting the 2011 Super Duty info now and in less then 2 weeks is the Canadian Western Agribition. Wouldn’t you know, Ford has chosen the Agribition in Regina to launch the new 2011 Ford Super Duty to the public.

Finally, Webisodes for Truck Guys

In the series, Rowe leads customers through laboratory and real-world durability testing of the Ford-built 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V-8 turbocharged diesel, 6.2-liter V-8 gas engine and 6R140 heavy-duty TorqShift® six-speed automatic transmission.

The webisodes are at http://www.fordvehicles.com/2011superduty/ if you’d like to see a larger, higher resolution than on our Capital Ford – Tailgate blog.

According to recent Ford customer research, Mike Rowe is the quintessential “truck guy” (like there was ever any doubt!) One respondent said: “I would say that he drives a truck in real life and is not afraid to do stuff like pull out a stump or go off-road.”

In the coming months, the site also will feature webisodes demonstrating the capability of the all-new 2011 Ford Super Duty on commercial customers’ work sites.

The 2011 Ford Super Duty Grill

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Ford has been, without a doubt, improving, innovating and all together becoming a better automobile producer. To some it may be a surprise that Ford’s quality is #1, ahead of all manufacturers (and continues to get better,) but to those of us who’ve been watching from a closer vantage point – it’s no surprise at all. The real story is behind the scenes, the processes, the tests and the research & development. There’s some very cool things they do that I’ll bet you’ve never heard of!

Demonstration of the virtual environment to measure vehicle performance by Kevin Shores (seated) - test engineer.

Virtual Design- Designing Ford Quality

• An Immersive Virtual Review (iVR) of a vehicle is done long before any nuts and bolts are ever touched. This evaluation tests early designs and increases safety and quality, allowing engineers to get a heads up on where any weaknesses may arise.
• A full electronic version of the vehicle is created and tested in real world type environments and is amazingly accurate in the prediction of vehicle performance.
• Electronic versions of the Ford assembly plants are also in use where virtual employees, Jack and Jill, assemble those vehicle to predict and eliminate fatigue issues for workers. This too, is amazingly accurate and has all but eliminated manufacturing issues even before the first prototypes are built!

Electrical System Checks… and Checks… and more Checks

• On the assembly line every single component that electically controls any part of the vehicle is checked on the assembly line, then double checked again before it ever sees the light of day. Once they are out of the plant awaiting transport there are random selections to triple check, it’s a little excessive but wouldn’t you feel better knowing the people who build the things everyday take that much time to make sure it’s perfect?

Paint Pioneers

 

 

 

 

The environmental painting process applies three coats of wet paint. No need for a conventional paint booth ovens.

 

• GQRS rates for with the most durable paint, with fewer paint chips and scratches that anyone else.
• New exclusive technologies have cut paint shop water usage IN HALF, reduced sludge production by 90% and the three part application has cut CO2 emissions by 15%. Ford’s painting system is not only the most durable, but is incredibly responsible!

Shhhhh… It’s awfully quiet in here

• In the last 4 years Ford’s wind noise rating has risen to #1. There is a full, focused, dedicated team ensuring your new Ford is as quiet as a library.
• Improvements have been made by moving sheet metal coordination upfront in the developmental process. This means parts fit better together, doors close nicer and seal better and the overall quality becomes that much better for you and your family while you drive.

Overall this is but a small glimpse into some of Ford’s creation processes, geared to increase the quality of the vehicles that we offer to you. What do you think of these steps Ford takes to ensure quality?

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New Tests for a New Technology: Ford engineers conduct unusual “crash” tests to take thousands of impact readings that help calibrate the sensitivity of new air bag pressure sensors.

I think it’s a great place to start, amidst the fun of shopping carts and monster garden hoses, safety is  serious at Ford. The focus of the amazing engineering team at Ford, has our vehicles reigning supreme. Ford holds more Top Safety Picks awarded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) than any other company and more  government 5-star-ratings than any brand. I think that’s something pretty cool to brag about. Like the guy in the latest Ford commercial says, “the thing about safety is, when you need it – you really need it!”

It blows my mind how elaborate the safety testing is. Among other crazy tests, Ford’s safety engineers have concocted a clever test method using a multi-tailed, lead-tipped steel whip. They use it to repeatedly “pepper” the under body where side impact air bag sensors are located.  Data collected from such tests is used to refine sensor calibrations and test durability. For Saskatchewan that makes sense, with so many grid roads, your vehicle is going to get peppered under there eventually.

To the Ford engineers it makes perfect sense to drive vehicles at highway speeds into curbs and railroad tracks… and we’re not talking nice a railroad crossing, its full on carnage in the middle of a test area, of a rail road track meets car at serious speed. As fun as that might sound, there’s some practical reasons for the barrage of tests the engineers throw at these vehicles and although you’d never drive that recklessly, there may be a split second where all this testing, thought and care going into the vehicle, saves your family.

Water Cannon: Ford researchers use a water cannon test to analyze how a moving vehicle reacts to being struck from the side, without putting test vehicles and drivers at risk of damage or injury.

All the crazy testing stems from cutting edge technology and innovative ideas incorporated into each Ford and Lincoln hitting the road today. Some of the standouts are:

• New airbags deploying 30% faster
• BLIS – Blind Spot Information System
• Advance Trac ESC (electronic stability contro;)
• RSC (Roll Stability Control)
• Safety Cell construction
• A full Safety System complete with RCM smart computer in EVERY new vehicle

When you have so many industry exclusive compnents, there’s no standardized method to test and evaluate how well they might work. With the battery of tests and standards Ford has set, I could go on for hours… no days. What do you think of Ford’s approach to safety and what would you like to know more about when it comes to the features incorporated into the vehicles we have for sale?

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