blk05stang Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 2008 FORD FIVE HUNDRED UPGRADED WITH POWERFUL V-6 ENGINE AND NEW EXTERIOR DESIGN (Dearborn, Michigan) BlueOvalNews.com – The Ford Five Hundred sedan packs nearly 30 percent more power and boasts a new look inside and out for the 2008 model year. On sale by summer 2007, the Five Hundred features a new front end resembling the popular Ford Fusion, more horsepower and torque thanks to a new 3.5-liter V-6 engine, a new six-speed transmission and all-wheel-drive system and safety upgrades that include Ford’s available AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control system. Structural upgrades to further improve crash protection include reinforcements in the footwell area and new interior door panels. “Customers love the Five Hundred’s ride and package, and its safety reputation is excellent,” says Cisco Codina, Ford’s group vice president of North America Marketing, Sales and Service. “For this year, we’ve dialed up the appeal with a new, more expressive look, a more powerful engine and more than 500 changes to make this great car even better. The Five Hundred’s 3.5-liter Duratec V-6 now delivers an estimated 260 horsepower and 245 pound-feet of torque. It also benefits from the same smooth shifting, six-speed automatic transmission and the same available all-wheel-drive system as the new Ford Edge. Importantly, even with the upgraded powertrain, real-world fuel economy for the front-wheel-drive model is expected to be similar to the current model – thanks to advancements in powertrain technology. New look inside and out The Five Hundred’s new look aligns it with the Ford Fusion. New from the A-pillars forward, the Five Hundred now features Ford’s signature three-bar chrome grille. A sculpted hood adds a touch of crisp detail, and a new front fascia is chamfered at the outer edges, adding structure to the design. All-new side mirrors are smaller yet provide better visibility and reduce wind noise. Chrome side vents, door handles and mirror caps give the Five Hundred Limited models a more expensive appearance. New taillamps carry the horizontal theme to the rear, while a new rear fascia houses chrome-tipped dual exhausts. Ultra-quiet interior and plush ride For 2008, the Five Hundred’s sound package has been completely revised, helping make it as quiet as many luxury cars. The new sound package includes such technologies as expandable foam pellets in the A-pillars to reduce wind noise and the use of an advanced sound-deadening material called Sonosorb™ in the doors, headliner and pillars. Sonosorb increases sound-deadening efficiency by 20 percent while retaining the same thickness as the material it replaces. Engineers also reduced road noise by stiffening the area where the rear package shelf meets the floor pan. Even the climate control system was improved by making the system 50 percent quieter than before. The Five Hundred’s quiet, confident ride starts with an already solid foundation. Upgrades include revised shock towers that help increase front suspension travel by 10 percent, new dampers and springs in both front and rear, and a revised, retuned rear suspension. One of the most significant changes is how the engine is mounted in the vehicle. Previously, the engine was mounted to the front subframe. On the new model, the engine and transmission are bolted to the body with hydraulic mounts to reduce vibration. By moving the roughly 600-pound powerpack off the subframe, engineers were able to better tune the suspension and, ultimately, create an even better ride. Maximum convenience and space The Five Hundred features the most spacious interior of any large sedan, with best-in-class legroom front and rear and 60/40-split fold-flat second-row seats. With the fold-flat front-passenger seat, items up to nine-feet long can fit inside. Five Hundred also offers a number of must-have technologies. In addition to a standard auxiliary audio input jack, available convenience features include a voice-activated navigation system, a DVD entertainment system and factory-installed SIRIUS® satellite radio. Ford Sync™ is also available on the new Five Hundred. Sync is a voice-activated hands-free in-car communications and entertainment system which fully-integrates mobile phones and digital media players. The Sync in-car communications system was developed in collaboration with Microsoft and will be offered exclusively on 12 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products in North America beginning this year. Building on safety leadership The 2007 Five Hundred is already the segment leader in safety, earning five stars in all four categories for the U.S. government’s crash tests. Five Hundred was also the first Gold Award winner from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and is the class leader in rear crash performance. For 2008, Five Hundred offers the added safety and control of Ford’s AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control system. AdvanceTrac can predict the vehicle’s intentions using a sensor to detect and measure oversteer and yaw by monitoring the vehicle’s speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When the system senses wheel slip, engine torque is reduced and braking is applied where needed to help keep the car tracking safely on its intended path. Five Hundred comes standard with dual-stage driver and passenger front air bags, seat-deployed side air bags for driver and front passenger and Safety Canopy™ side curtain rollover air bags for both rows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordDan74012 Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 Pics http://forums.bradbarnett.net/attachment.p...mp;d=1168140800 http://forums.bradbarnett.net/attachment.p...mp;d=1168140800 The Focus look alot better from that angle and the 500 is still a little bland but at least the 3.5 is in it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcsario Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 (edited) Wow... three years for that. Edit: Apparently no new interior either... ROFL. Edited January 7, 2007 by pcsario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Extreme4x4 Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 (edited) Pioneer............... did you just say something nice about a new/upcoming Ford??? HOT DAMN !!!! Frankly I think they both look nice. I also think more was done with the 500 than anyone hoped. It sounds like they truly tried to make the vehicle more than just a nose and tail upgrade. I would love to drive the new one, as I recently had a 500 rental for the day. I very much enjoyed it, and was surprised at how spry it was. As a mid cycle refresh, they both seem pretty complete. edit: I see the naysayers are popping up already. How dare Ford not completely redesign and change everything. :rolleyes: Edited January 7, 2007 by Extreme4x4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FStephenMasek Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 Wow! They did far, far more than I thought they would, with significant changes to the suspension, body, and so forth in addition to the new front and rear styling and 3.5 / 6 speed. Now if we could just see that new interior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcsario Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 See if the 500 was a Camry or an Accord this could pass and probably be enough, as it stands, this car needed major surgery and the improvements won't do shit to attract new customers, only the people previously interested in buying a 500 will benefit from the improvements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthewq4b Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 Wow... three years for that. Edit: Apparently no new interior either... ROFL. Looks Like a CV from the ass end now Matthew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Extreme4x4 Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 See if the 500 was a Camry or an Accord this could pass and probably be enough, as it stands, this car needed major surgery and the improvements won't do shit to attract new customers, only the people previously interested in buying a 500 will benefit from the improvements. Question................. when was the last time you had your crystal ball tuned and calibrated??? However, understanding that you hate the car with a passion, nothing short of a ground up redesign would have made you happy................ thus your comments mean nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLPRacing Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 The spy pics showed a split dual exhaust. Where is it? Now the FiveHundred will have more HP than a Vic and have AWD. it will sell better now. Where's the Freestyle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcsario Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 Question................. when was the last time you had your crystal ball tuned and calibrated??? However, understanding that you hate the car with a passion, nothing short of a ground up redesign would have made you happy................ thus your comments mean nothing. I didn't want them to redo the car, just go as far as needed. This was as bad as the Taurus and Sable from a sales standpoint and a similar update/fix was in order. Again, as it is no one will care about all those improvements, have we forgotten about the old "new" Lincolns already? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordDan74012 Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 I wouldnt consider the 08' Focus a refresh I would consider it a redesign because it looks a whole lot different than the current one. I do think Ford could have done a little better on the front it loks unfinished for some reason but I do love the rest of it especially the interior, really cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Oval Guide Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 Click for more images. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCK Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 I like it. So I guess I can't call it the boringest car in the history of the automobile. oh well..................got to pick on something else now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomcat68 Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 No! This can't be it! A new grille, Montego taillights and a fender vent?!!! Oh yeah new colorful instruments in the same interior. Igor almost had the look, but his version looked better. I never thought the old one was ugly and this one isn't either, but I am disappointed. At least it has a new powertrain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcsario Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchdevil Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 The Passat got a facelift... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZanatWork Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 More distictive, and the new motor should help...now, if Ford will just, y'know, TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THE CAR..the possibilities are astounding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcsario Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 (edited) The Passat got a facelift... I don't even dislike the 3 bar grille as a styling trend, but damn, this is just terrible. Edited January 7, 2007 by pcsario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser Soze Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 I like the old nose better. The fog lights look tacky and the 3-bar grille works a lot better on the Fusion IMO. Hopefully it looks better in person. I will give credit that is does make a real change to the appearance. On the plus side, maybe I'll be able to get an extra good deal on an '07 once these hit the streets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueblood Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 Wow... three years for that. Edit: Apparently no new interior either... ROFL. So the 500 got te powertrain improvements and the Focus got the style. I think the current 500 looks way better, I actually liked the front end, the mesh grill looks upscale and fits well with the lights and the rest ofthe car. The things that really needed improvement was the rear end and the greenhouse and of course the Freestar crap interior. So they go and change the one thing that looked good and leave the rest alone! The interior is shit, easily beat out by Korean cars costing ten thousand less. And the cheerleaders wonder why we want Ford to just bring over the Euro cars!!! OMG this thing is a bomb! I don't know if the extra power can save it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANTAUS Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 The positives: Newly much needed powertrain Stability Control Standard Suspension Tweaking (not expected by many) Toys- Ford Sync (not expected by many) Quieter (they addressed from some complaints) Even safer structure (not expected) Quieter A/C system (not expected) As For Negatives: People hoping for a more stylish redesigned interior. Please share them if anyone can think of any. Personally for me, I'm "ok" with ths styling, cept that front grill looks as if it were added on. Just all rectangular slapped onto a missing area But again, styling is up to people taste...and the Merlot color doesn't help any either. Any others? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 I don't even dislike the 3 bar grille as a styling trend, but damn, this is just terrible. What's the bet they use the same nose treatment on the 2009 Crown Victoria? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F250 Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 See if the 500 was a Camry or an Accord this could pass and probably be enough, as it stands, this car needed major surgery and the improvements won't do shit to attract new customers, only the people previously interested in buying a 500 will benefit from the improvements. The 500 is better than the Camry. Standard V6 powertrain vs Camry's rough 4-cylinder engine. Available all wheel drive system not offered by Camry. Higher safety rating than Camry. The 500 has a modern V6 engine that uses maintenance free timing chain as opposed to Camry's expensive rubber-band timing belt on their optional V6. And the Camry V6 is a carryover engine of their infamous oil gel design. I prefer the front of 500 to the Camry's Studebaker-like nose, especially the base model with the cheap body colored grille. If you want to see plain and bland look at the interior of the Camry and the cheap materials. Toyota does offer their "hybrid synergy drive system" on the Camry for those who would like to order one from the dealer, pay above sticker price for this very expensive option, and get a vehicle that gets about 25% less gas mileage than the EPA estimate. But the Camry is better than the 500 because the propaganda says so...For those who believe the propoganda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swenson88 Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 I'm just sad that I looked forward to the new styling and now that I see pics of the previous version side to side with the new version I think I like the old front end better, as odd as that seems. I never thought the 500 was bad looking, but I can see why it didn't set the market on fire when it debuted given the sedate styling that was too "VW" and the lowly powertrain, but I don't think this refresh is really going to do much like we were hoping. I think it's good that Ford is implementing more significant mid-cycle changes into their cars (should happen across the line, not just one that isn't considered great to begin with), but we shouldn't get hopes up based on a mild grille and taillight change and the implementation of an engine the car really needed from the get-go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wescoent Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 Two tone interior... finally! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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