Dealership Buzz : January « 2010 « Oklahoma City Ford Dealer Buzz Oklahoma

Archive for January, 2010

Oklahoma Meet Ford’s High-End F-150 Models for 2010

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

If the terms “desert racing,” “custom” and “luxury” don’t immediately come to mind when you think about pickup trucks, they will after you take a look at the high end of the 2010 Ford F-150 lineup.

Ford has long been America’s pickup truck innovator, so it’s no surprise that you’ll find four distinct high-end models in the nine-model F-150 line for 2010: SVT Raptor, King Ranch, Platinum and Harley-Davidson editions. The F-150 SVT Raptor is based on the SuperCab body; the others are all based on the four-door SuperCrew.

A creation of Ford’s Special Vehicle Team, the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor (MSRP $38,020) is a high-performance off-road truck inspired by Baja desert racers. The Raptor not only looks the part of a tough race truck, it has the performance and chassis to back up its menacing looks. The standard engine is a 310-hp Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) 5.4-liter FlexFuel (FFV) V8. Long-travel suspension with special shock absorbers enables the Raptor to comparatively glide over off-road obstacles – and the harsh pavement of an urban streetscape. A plethora of advanced chassis control technologies, including Hill Descent Control, Electronic Locking Differential and Trailer Sway Control, equip the Raptor to handle the rigors of any road or trail.

At the other end of the spectrum, Ford offers its top F-150 for 2010, the Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson (MSRP $42,690). No, it doesn’t come with a Harley in the bed! But it does celebrate the long heritage of both Ford and Harley-Davidson with special styling and paint. Its interior recalls the amazing attention to detail found on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, particularly the high-end touring bikes.

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Transit Connect fills Unmet Needs of Small Businesses

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

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.

On Transit Connect, Ford Work Solutions delivers three innovative features:

A wireless in-dash computer that provides full high-speed Internet access, Bluetooth-enabled hands-free calling and navigation. The system also allows customers to print invoices, check inventories and access documents stored on their home or office computer networks right on the job site.
Tool Link™, a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) asset tracking system that enables customers to maintain detailed real-time inventory of the tools or equipment.
Crew Chief™, a fleet tracking, telematics and diagnostics system that provides dynamic location and performance data fleet owners need to more efficiently manage their vehicles, quickly dispatch workers to job sites, monitor driver performance for safety and economy, and keep detailed vehicle maintenance records.

Awards and accolades for the 2010 Ford Transit Connect include:

2010 Editors Choice for Vans by CAR and DRIVER Magazine
Detroit Free Press 2010 Truck of the Year
The Detroit News 2010 Truck of the Year
2010 Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Award for Best Workhorse Vehicle
A Great Car for the Small Business Delivery/Utility Worker by Kelley Blue Book kbb.com

Source: IMN

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Ford Invests $450 Million To Build Batteries In Michigan

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

Ford announced that it’s planning to invest another $450 million towards it’s next generation of plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles.

This is great news for Michigan, the investment would bring about 1,000 new jobs in 2012 when the battery production gets into full swing. Ford has been able to focus it’s efforts into becoming the world’s best car manufacturer by dedicating resources such as this to the future of electrified vehicles.

A growing lineup of electric vehicles has only begun, and to have the battery system technology being developed in Michigan represents the vast manufacturing and engineering capabilities for all future vehicles will originate in Detroit. The impact has been felt worldwide, as will the rebuilding and success that is soon to come.

Everywhere you look, online, newspapers, interviews, there are people praising everything about Ford, from the leadership, the products, and now the decision being made to bring about a new generation of electric vehicles. The confidence in buying American has not only come back, it has taken over.

In addition to building in-house talent and producing vehicles for a global market, Ford has begun to streamline this by making complicated processes and products much simpler. The result will be a combination of not only in-vehicle technology, but the realization of how all of our mobile devices, and means of communication will integrate and make lives easier.

In addition to the future of electric vehicles on the horizon, it’s going to be interesting to see how this new consolidation of technology will begin to enhance our lives, opening up lines of communication through new internet applications and the integration with vehicles.

The anticipation of vehicles like the pure battery electric version of the Ford Focus for 2011, and it’s 100 miles per full charge and zero emissions is exciting and inspirational to see the vision come to life.

Tags: battery, electric car, Ford
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Moving Up at Marc Heitz Ford!

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Good things are a foot at your Powerstroke Powerhouse, Marc Heitz Ford in Purcell! We’re starting off the year with some new faces joining our staff. Tom Ausdenmoore has joined us from Marc Heitz Chevy as the new General Manager of the Ford dealership, Tim Irwin has been brought in to run the service department, and Kasey Kerby to run the Internet Sales Staff.

ausdenmoore-200px Tom Ausdenmoore – General Manager
Tom has worked for Marc Heitz for many years, most recently running the Business Development Department at Marc Heitz Chevrolet in Norman, where he has been instrumental in building business online.

irwin-200px Tim Irwin – Service Manager
Tim hails from Blanchard, Oklahoma and brings with him over 25 years of experience working with Ford vehicles. Most recently with Lindsey Ford, Tim accepted the Service Manager position to bring his extensive knowledge of Ford vehicles to Purcell.

kerby-200px Kasey Kerby – Internet ManagerA familiar face is back among those at Marc Heitz Ford with Kasey Kerby, who rejoins us as Internet Manager. Kasey got his start as a mechanic in 1998 and worked his way up into sales, where he has made a lot of great friends and helped a lot of people find what they need for the past five years.

Remember: Our success starts with our name. We don’t label ourselves as an ‘Auto Group’. We’re ‘Marc Heitz Auto Family’, and we treat every one of our employees and customers like they are a part of our family. Our stores are known for their laid-back, friendly atmosphere and our customers know they don’t have to fight for a fair price. We provide them with service loaner cars for the life of their vehicle. And we work hard so our customers will not only come back for future purchases, but also refer their friends and family to our dealerships.

Tom, Tim and Kasey bring with them the positive friendly attitudes you look for when you come to Marc Heitz, so stop by and welcome them to the family!

You can contact both Tom, Tim and Kasey by visiting MarcHeitzFord.com!

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Fusion Hybrid, Transit Connect Win Car and Truck of the Year Awards

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

In a poll of journalists at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Ford Fusion Hybrid was named North American Car of the Year while Ford’s Transit Connect was named Truck of the Year.

More than 50 vehicles were considered in the voting, with the Fusion Hybrid finishing ahead of the Buick LaCrosse and Volkswagon Golf. The Transit Connect finished strong over the Suburu Outback and Chevrolet Equinox.

The Car and Truck of the Year sweep shows another example of Ford’s growing strength of the competition.

Tags: car of the year, Fusion, hybrid, transit connect, truck of the year
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