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Show The Park Record Wed/Thur/Fri. December 8-10, 2004 T he Five Hundred is Ihe new face of Ford family transportation, but just the tip o\' company's fast-moving automotive iceberg. Yes, your local Ford store will be a happening place by the end of the year as almost every ear there will lie either brand new or heavily revised. Ford is calling 2(X>4, its ICXJLh anniversary, "the \ear o\' Ihe car", during which time il will unveil a brand new family sedan, a new wagon, an all-new Mustang platform and a heavily revised entry-level Focus. The most .significant of these in main ways is the front- all-wheel-drive 2d)5 Ford Five I kindred sedan, a car that Ford hopes will re-in\ent the family hauler when il arrives this fall alongside a wa^on sibling allied Freestyle. As the compam s flagship sedan, and an indication of future design direction, the Five I kindred will carry significant burden on its four rubber contact patches, especially after the Taurus1 s eventual phase-out. By RICHARD RUSSELL FOR WHEELBASE COMMUNICATIONS Think of it as a bigger, more modern, more upscale Taurus with the benefit of optional all-wheel drive and a continuously variable transmission Your Local C-17 transmission (optional on front-drive models). The all-wheel-drive system is a iroveu Volvo design (Volvo falls under the •ord umbrella). To complement the fully independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock and standard traction control, the 'base' Five 1 kindred SI- will ride on 17-mch wheels and tires while the SliLand Limited will come with 18s. l:\cn the SF, comes fully equipped including a six-way power-ad justaolc driver's seal, tilt wheel, cruise, power folding mirrors, remote keyless entry; air and power windows. You'll also find distinctly upscale appointments with heavy emphasis on texture and tone. Interior surface treatments range from smooth metal lo soft-touch plastics, W(XKI accents and carbon-fiber-kxiK materials on some models. Making the most of the expertise and testing facilities of its whollyowned \olvo subsidiary. Ford engineers .say they have developed a complete safety package that ranges from a new energy With a tall and bloeky physique, a big pan ol ihe design goal was to maximize interior passenger and cargo space. Key is the ' H ' point, the pivot point of the human hip. channeling frame and body structure, to In the Five I lundreu, occupants sit as much leading-edge side-impact and aill-over as four inches higher off the fkx>r than in airbag protection. traditional mid-size cars. The vertical disBut the Five Hundred and its features tance between the 'IT point and the heel shouldn't really come as a surprise to anypoint - where the I'ml rests on the floor - one. has been raised to 12.7 inches, which not Ford has a history breaking new ground, only improves comfort, but provides better from the Model T earl)- in the last century visibility. to the then-radical Taurus in 1986. The company appears set lo equal those perAt 128 cubic feet, the Five Hundred formances with a big new package offers 25 cubic feel more rcxmi inside than • firmly planted on a new Ihe Taurus and 17 more than the Crown architecture and in its Victoria with notable improvements in rear l(X")-year-deep roots legrmm (but slightly less front legroom) in automakino over both. The trunk offers a whopping 21 cubic feet of room, more than oven the Crown Vic. Make no mistake, The Five 1 kindred is a hig car. Outwardly sized between the Taurus and the Crown Vic, the wheel base measures 113 inches (close to that of the Crown Vic), which lips you off as to where all that interior space comes from. It's also a heavier car, weighing about 300 pounds more than a similarly equipped Taurus. Lugging around the extra 10 per cent in weight, however, is a revised version o\' Ihe of the double-overhead-cam 3.0-liter Duralec unit that's used in the Taurus. It's rated at |iist 2(X) horsepower. However, the Five Hundred will receive significant upgrades in ihe remainder of the dnvetrain - including available all-wheeldrive - with two all-new transmissions. Front-drive variants will get a six-speed automatic, while all-wheel-drive versions will come with a continuously variable SPEC SHEET 2005 Five Hundred •The big new sedan will be available in three trim levels: SE; SEL; and Limited •The 3.0 liter 24-valve DOHC V6, producing 200 horsepower and 200 Ib. ft. of torque, is heavily revised from the (optional) motor used in the Taurus. •Front-wheel-drive models will be available with a six-speed automatic or a continuously variable transmission. All-wheeldrive versions get the CVT. •Traction control and four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock will be standard across the line as will air conditioning, power windows, power driver's seat, cruise control, tilt wheel, keypad entry on driver's door, remote keyless entry and folding power mirrors. •The suspension is strut-based and independent all around. •Tall roofline with upright seating indicates a new styling direction for Ford and greater comfort for drivers and passengers. •Side-impact and and side-curtain airbags will be available. •MPG(clty/hwy):TBA •Base price: $22,000 (est.) Taller, wider and offering more wheelbase than a Taurus, the new Ford Five Hundred will also have more standard equipment and optional all-wheel drive. M E R C U R Y Neighbors! The Next Generation of Ford has Arrived at Your Summit County Ford Dealer! '05 Mustang Bold New All American Design-Uniquely Mustang! All New Body Structure and Chassis System! New 300 Hp 4.6L V8 & 210 HP 4.0L V6! The American Muscle Car Legend Lives! '05 Freestyle AWD •Ct Seven Passenger Theater Style Seating! >V Best in Class Cargo Space! >V Platform & Suspension Derived from Volvo! •>V Continuously Variable Transmission! '05 Five Hundred AWD > Best in Class Interior Volume! > First Sedan with All Wheel Drive in its Class! A Powerful Duratec 3.0L Engine! (0-60 in 7.45 Seconds) >V Largest Trunk of any Sedan in America! The Smart Purchase is One Tou Make in Tour Own Back Yard! Experience Staff: Stan Peterson 6Yrs • Jeff Marble 28 Yrs • Bob Olson 27 Yrs 2175 Rasmussen Road, Park City, Utah ( 4 3 5 ) 6 4 7 - F O R D www.crandallfordmerc.com |