Today, Ford took the wraps off its 2010 model lineup and made some pretty significant announcements, despite most models not seeing major changes. The biggest news that will grab headlines is the fact that the 2010 Ford lineup is 20% more fuel-efficient than the 2009 lineup. And this is without dropping any large vehicles from the lineup.
Significant chunks of that mileage improvement come from the Ford Fusion family of cars, including the 2010 Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ. The base Fusion and Milan, for example, see their combined mileage increase from 23 mpg to 25 mpg. Even a base 2010 Mustang now gets 21 mpg combined, compared with 20 mpg in 2009. The V-8s also add 1 mpg. The Edge crossover also adds 1 mpg in combined mileage. Even the 2010 F-150’s V-8 adds 1 more mpg to its highway or city rating, depending on transmission.
Big news on the new-product side of things is confirmation from Ford of a new turbo four-cylinder engine.
“A new 2.0-liter, four-cylinder EcoBoost engine will go on sale in the 2010 calendar year. It is the first EcoBoost engine to include Twin-Independent Variable Cam Timing and will deliver a 10-20 percent fuel-economy improvement versus larger-displacement V-6 engines without compromising performance,” according to Ford’s press release.
The thinking here is that this engine could be fit not only into cars, but also crossovers like the Edge and the upcoming Explorer, which will have been transformed from a truck-based SUV into a crossover. For enthusiasts, the smaller footprint of a turbocharged four-cylinder means it could also be added to compact cars like the redesigned Focus that’s planned for the coming years. There’s also the question of whether it would be offered in the Mustang.
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