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Ford Five Hundred

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Ford Five Hundred
Five Hundred Limited
Overview
ManufacturerFord Motor Company
Also calledMercury Montego
Production2004-2007
Model years2005-2007
AssemblyChicago, Illinois, United States
Body and chassis
ClassFull-size
Body style4-door sedan
LayoutFront engine, front-wheel drive / Four-wheel drive
PlatformFord D3 platform
RelatedVolvo S60
Volvo S80
Volvo XC90
Ford Freestyle
Powertrain
Engine3.0 L Duratec 30 V6
TransmissionFord Motor Company/ZF CVT
6-speed Aisin automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase112.9 in (2,868 mm)
Length200.7 in (5,098 mm)
Width74.5 in (1,892 mm)
Height61.5 in (1,562 mm)
Chronology
PredecessorFord Taurus
SuccessorFord Taurus

The Ford Five Hundred (code name D258) is a full-size sedan that was produced by the Ford Motor Company during the 2005 to 2007 model years in North America. In North America, the name evoked the classic Fairlane 500 and Galaxie 500 models of the 1950s through 1970s.

The Five Hundred was introduced at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It began production on July 12, 2004 in Chicago, which previously produced the fourth-generation midsize Taurus, and it became available to the public in September 2004. While the Taurus's direct replacement in the midsize classification was the Ford Fusion, introduced in 2005, the Five Hundred is also considered by some to be a successor as well, since it replaced the Taurus on the Chicago Assembly line.

The Five Hundred, along with the Ford Freestyle and the Mercury Montego, ended production in June 2007. The mid-generational refresh for the 2008 model year debuted during the 2007 North American International Auto Show, with the Five Hundred being rebranded as the 2008 Ford Taurus, which returns that name to the Ford retail lineup after a short absence. The previous Taurus—which used a different chassis and was slotted in the smaller category of midsize cars—was available in the 2007 model year for private fleet sale and in Canada, with no significant changes from the 2006 model year. [1]

The facelifted Ford Five Hundred newly entered the Middle East market under that name starting from the 2008 model year[2].

However, Ford doesn't sell the fifth-generation Ford Taurus in Mexico, leaving only the Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger as the only full-size sedans there.

Design

The fullsize Ford Five Hundred and the midsize Ford Fusion were part of Ford's initiatives of developing all-new passenger cars. This was a segment long neglected by the company, as their direct predecessors, the Ford Crown Victoria and Ford Taurus had not seen a platform change for nearly a decade, relying instead on cosmetic and mechanical changes, and as such were no longer competitive with Japanese rivals whose offerings were updated more frequently. During the last ten years, Ford had relied too much on gas-guzzling SUVs and light trucks, whose sales had plummeted as a result of rising crude oil prices. In particular, the Taurus was planned to be discontinued as the company believed that the nameplate's brand equity had declined with a lack of development, though the Crown Victoria would remain in production for fleet sales.

The Five Hundred is based on the Ford D3 platform (also known as the Volvo P2 platform), which also supports the Volvo S60, S80, XC70, and XC90 SUVs. This platform is used on the similar Mercury Montego (which is not available in Canada), and is also the basis for the Ford Freestyle crossover SUV. Befitting its Volvo roots, the Five Hundred has garnered class leading results in crash tests conducted by the IIHS as well as NHTSA.

The Five Hundred is classified as a full-sized passenger car. It is longer than its competitors (such as the Chevrolet Impala and Toyota Avalon) but still a foot shorter than the Crown Victoria, Five Hundred was designed to match the large car interior volume, but at the same time still have manageable outside dimensions, while delivering a lower than average fuel use. Its design is also notably tall for a sedan, giving drivers an SUV or minivan-like command of the road. The Five Hundred's trunk is also larger than those of its competitors, so it can hold 8 full-sized loaded golf bags.

Interior room was emphasized in the Five Hundred's development, and interior materials include imitation carbon fiber as well as traditional woodgrain.

Reception and sales

The Five Hundred was praised for its interior volume, design functionality, amenities for its price point, and safety features. However, it was much criticized for its bland styling (which was similar in basic appearance to the 1986-1995 Taurus and 1992-1997 Crown Victoria) and weak 203 hp (151 kW) engine. These deficiencies are considered by the automotive press to have hurt the Five Hundred's potential appeal, especially in comparison to the Chrysler 300, another new large sedan introducted around the same time, though the 300 is more upmarket and designed to be more sporty.[3][4]

Consequently, the Five Hundred has received a lukewarm reception from customers. Sales of the Five Hundred were very slow in Canada, with many Ford dealerships not even stocking the car on their lots. August 2006 sales were down by half compared to 2005, with the Taurus outselling the Five Hundred by two to one. 2006 sales have been down month over month since its launch including 22% in 2006 over 2005 as a whole.[5] (Note: 2006 Ford Taurus was produced and sold primarily for the fleet market.) Ford made a large production run before shutting down the Taurus production. The Atlanta plant produced its last Taurus in Fall 2006, after which the manufacturing facility is to be sold. While the Taurus's direct replacement in the midsize classification was the Ford Fusion, introduced in 2005, the Five Hundred is also considered by some to be a successor as well, since it replaced the Taurus on the Chicago Assembly line.

Trim Lines and Engines

Three trim lines were offered: SE, SEL, and Limited. An all wheel drive system was available across the range. Base prices start at US$22,795 (AU$28,883) (for a front-wheel drive SE) and range to US$28,495 (AUD$36,106) (for an all-wheel drive Limited).

Available powertrains consist of a 3.0 L Duratec 30 V6 engine, and the choice of a continuously variable transmission or six-speed automatic transmission. The Haldex AWD (All Wheel Drive) system is based on that use in the Volvo S80 and Volvo XC90.

2006

The 2006 Five Hundred carried over relatively unchanged: a new Navigation Radio made by Pioneer for Ford featuring Sirius Satellite Radio became an option, and Traction Control was no longer standard on front wheel drive models as it was in the 2005 model year. A mid-year running change removed the exterior doorside trim molding on all trim levels in favor of a small sill molding at the bottom edge of the door.

2007

Five Hundred Limited

The 2007 Five Hundred remained basically unchanged. There were no substantial styling changes and no new powertrain options, but the SE model was discontinued because of the development of the new Ford Taurus in 2008.

There is a new Chrome Package available, which includes 18-inch eight-spoke chrome wheels (Chromed over plastic spokes) and a chrome mesh grille. Also new for 2007 is a 5-year / 60,000-mile (97,000 km) powertrain warranty, and 2007 models built after 9/4/06 have standard front-seat-mounted side air bags, as well as Ford's innovative Safety Canopy side air curtain system. It is claimed to go about a top speed of (110 mph (180 km/h)) if the traction control is off.

Discontinuation

Wikinews has related news:

In a peculiar shift of branding strategy, the restyled Five Hundred sedan, which was first shown at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show was renamed as the Taurus for the 2008 model year. The change was reportedly suggested by Allan Mullaly, who was fond of the Taurus and thought the change would be cheaper than building brand awareness for the Five Hundred. The rebadging announcement was made at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show, and Ford employees hastily removed the badging from a Five Hundred on a rotating stand, and replaced it with Taurus badging.[citation needed] The Ford Freestyle was also discontinued, in favor of the 2008 Ford Taurus X, which is a facelifted revision of the Freestyle. The updated Five Hundred / Taurus included an upgraded 263 hp (196 kW) 3.5 L V6, replacing the 203 hp (151 kW) 3.0 L V6 for the 2008 model year, along with new front and rear styling. The CVT transmission, used with the AWD powertrain, is replaced by the standard 6-speed. The Mercury Montego was renamed as the Sable as well.

  • A black 2005 Ford Five Hundred Limited AWD (All-Wheel-Drive)
    A black 2005 Ford Five Hundred Limited AWD (All-Wheel-Drive)
  • A view from the front of the Five Hundred
    A view from the front of the Five Hundred
  • The interior of the Five Hundred Limited (black leather with wood trim)
    The interior of the Five Hundred Limited (black leather with wood trim)

References

  1. ^ "Ford Five Hundred to become 'Taurus'". MSNBC.com. 2007-02-06. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
  2. ^ "So we got a Ford Five Hundred". DriveArabia.com. 2008-02-10. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  3. ^ Mays, Kelsey (2006-11-27). "Ford Five Hundred Expert Review". Cars.com. Retrieved 2007-02-17.
  4. ^ Dear, Clare (2006-05-26). "New siblings put Ford back in car game". London Free Press. Retrieved 2007-02-17.
  5. ^ "Ford Motor Company Reports November U.S. Sales". Automotive.com. 2006-12-01. Retrieved 2007-02-17.
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