2011 Ford Mustang V-6 is finally out

The new Mustang V-6 is Ford’s first rear-drive application of its familiar 3.7-liter with twin-independent variable cam timing. The Mustang 3.7 includes aggressive deceleration shutoff, piston-cooling jets, polished valvetrain tappets and electric power steering and transmits its power through six speeds, automatic or manual.

And the numbers are impressive: Ford claims 305 horsepower at 6500 rpm, 280 pound-feet at 4250 rpm and 30 mpg with the automatic, on the highway. “We are the only ones who can provide 30 mpg and 305 horsepower,” says Barb Samardzich, Ford’s global powertrain vice president. What’s more, redline is now a Honda-like 7000 rpm.

For those of you keeping score, the Mustang’s new V-6 is 0.5-liters smaller and 41 pounds lighter than the lump it replaces, it has 95 more horses and it’s 2 decibels quieter.

In addition, Ford will offer the V-6 Mustang with a performance package, featuring the GT’s suspension with high-performance brakes, summer tires on exclusive 19-inch wheels and vehicle stability control. Ford figures it will be popular with Mustang’s younger buyers (read, “growing out of the Civic Si”). So the next Mustang-Camaro faceoff won’t just be about 0-60 and quarter-mile, it’ll be about which one can go furthest on a tank of gas, as well.

New Ford Edge Sport model has Mustang engine

DETROIT — Ford is adding a little Mustang to the Ford Edge crossover.

The automaker says that the 2011 Ford Edge Sport edition will have the same engine as the Mustang sports car.

The 305-horsepower V-6 engine will give the Edge Sport 40 more horsepower than the current model. But it will still have the same fuel economy thanks to the efficiency of the engine and other changes, including improvements to the vehicle's aerodynamics.

The Edge Sport has other sports-car touches, including paddle shifters on either side of the steering wheel for shifting gears. It also has new 22-inch aluminum wheels.

The Edge Sport goes on sale at the end of the summer. It will start at $36,220, or about $9,000 more than the base model Edge

Ford Sync Now Understands 10,000 Commands

Ford is showing off the latest update to its Sync multimedia system that will debut in the upcoming 2011 Edge SUV.

The 10,000 commands Sync now understands — versus 100 in the first generation — is the showstopper, but after watching the somewhat lengthy video above, we’ve found a few things that we really think will improve the daily interaction with Sync after our years of firsthand testing of the current system.

• You no longer need to specify “Phone” or “USB” before a command. This is the most annoying part of the current system. Sync now understands what you want when you say “Call Joe.” You don’t have to say “Phone” first.
• You can use multiple words for the same action, like “Play song” or “Play track.”
• You can control the climate controls via Sync with the MyFord Touch system.
• Navigation now allows you to speak an exact address for guidance, but we’re not sure if you have to be parked for it to work.Ford has confirmed that you can read new addresses while driving.

While these updates seem to be a major step forward, MyFord Touch will be a higher-end version of the Sync system, requiring upgrades of certain models. To get MyFord Touch on the 2011 Edge, you have to opt for a more expensive Limited trim where it is standard or as part of a $1,000 option package on the SEL.

Ford Confirms Electric Focus for 2011

In an announcement Tuesday about Ford selecting a supplier for the vital lithium-ion battery pack that will be used in the Focus Electric, the automaker confirmed that the car will go on sale in 2011.

The redesigned Focus sedan and hatchback were shown at this year’s Detroit auto show, but the electric powertrain was only mocked up in the previous-generation Focus on sale today. The redesigned Focus with a gasoline engine goes on sale early in 2011 as a 2012 model.

Ford says the Focus Electric, as it’s being called, will go on sale sometime in 2011, but we don’t expect it in the first quarter. It is expected to have a range of 100 miles per full charge.

The lithium-ion battery will be built by LG Chem in Korea first, then at a new plant in Michigan. Ford says it will build two new hybrids with the same lithium-battery pack in 2012 on the company’s new C-car platform, the same platform as the Focus. 

2010 Ford Flex EcoBoost Gas Mileage

The Flex performed pretty well on our cross country move, given that we had two adults and a car full of cargo. Its EPA rating is 16/22 mpg city/highway. The 2011 Flex EcoBoost is rated at 16/21 mpg for some reason. We traveled a total of 2,024 miles over four days. Here’s how each day broke down:

Day 1

• Distance: 550.7 miles
• Travel time: 10 hours
• Terrain: Combination of flat desert roads and crossing the San Bernardino Mountains, and beginning to climb into the Rockies in Utah.
• MPG: 22.8
• Notes: Our mileage was likely affected to some extent by trying to keep two cars together on the journey. Still, the Flex’s cruise control worked terrifically, and the steering-wheel controls made slowing down and speeding up easy, not nerve-wracking.

Day 2

• Distance: 485 miles
• Travel time: 10 hours
• Terrain: Mountains all the time, with some quiet stretches of valleys between peaks.
• MPG: 23.2
• Notes: I was astonished at how the Flex’s engine handled the climbs through the mountains. Never once did we lag far behind, no matter how steep the incline. Of course, the mileage on this leg was helped a great deal by the steep drop-offs, which didn’t tax the engine at all. This was the best mileage day by far. We were challenged by rain that came and went quickly, often leaving us battling the bright reflection of sunlight from brand-new puddles.

Day 3

• Distance: 545.5 miles
• Travel time: 9 hours
• Terrain: Flat, boring and smelly.
• MPG: 21.5
• Notes: It’s amazing how much 40-mph gusts can cost you in gas mileage. We struggled to keep the Flex in its lane. It’s a big target on the road, although the Prius we were driving along with even got pushed around.

Day 4

• Distance: 443 miles
• Travel time: 8 hours
• Terrain: Flat, but greener. Iowa was a welcome break after Nebraska. (Who could have imagined I’d ever compliment Iowa’s countryside?)
• MPG: 22.8
• Notes: This was the easiest driving day of all, with no mountains, no winds, no other troubles.

Totals

• Miles: 2,024.2
• MPG (cumulative): 22.7
• Travel time: 37 hours
• Highest gas price seen: $3.29 in Santa Monica, Calif.
• Lowest gas price seen: $2.61 in Littleton, Colo.
• Highest temp recorded: 112 degrees in Death Valley, Calif.
• Lowest temp recorded: 61 degrees in Vail, Colo.

Final thoughts: The new Flex with the EcoBoost engine got 1.1 mpg better than the one we drove in 2008. That would have saved me $12 on this trip, and the engine is a $3,500 premium. The EcoBoost puts out a healthy 355 horsepower compared with 262 hp in the base engine, though, which is a huge bump.

The difference in performance more than makes up for the higher price. It’s no longer a stately family transport; it’s now more of the kind of car drivers actually want: responsive, road-clinging while still comfortable over the long haul.