WESTLAND, Mich. ––In Michigan we're surrounded by beautiful lakes and four seasons of weather. Driving however, can be a more difficult during certain seasons because of changing weather and the continuous pop-up potholes. In an ideal world we wouldn't have to deal with any of that, but with the beauty of living in Michigan comes a little pain. Ford has always put their customers in mind and has been especially gracious with new features that will really benefit those of us in areas like Michigan. With the millions motorists around the world have spent on damage from rough roads, Ford is making driving during winter and pothole season easier with testing and development of new features on their vehicles. Let's take a look at what they've been up to.
2016 Ford Focus Winter Tire Package
As you may know already, the 2016 Ford Focus will be one to watch out for. It's winning factors include All-Wheel Drive, increased structural strength, and the most powerful brakes in a production Focus yet. Those factors not only make it a more appealing car all around, but more appealing to a driver dealing with the snowy and rough road elements. Ford has just announced they will, for the first time ever, be offering a winter tire and wheel package for the 2016 Focus RS.
This winter tire and wheels package will arrive at dealerships ready for installation and is completely up to Ford Performance standards. Included in the package are Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 tires and silver painted 18-inch wheels to hide salt spray, complete with center caps and tire sensors mounted and balanced. Overall the package provides a much more narrow tire and wheel for better snow traction. If you're looking for a confident and fun drive in the snow, this package is a must. Thanks to engineers testing in Northern Michigan and Sweden, you know it'll do the job.
2017 Ford Fusion V6 Sport Pothole Mitigation
On to talking about our favorite end of Winter/Spring complaint in Michigan: potholes. Even the word makes you cringe a little bit. If you've fallen victim to a pothole and had to pay too much money for the repair, we feel your pain, but you'll want to pay attention to what Ford is doing to help. Below you'll see a video of Ford's testing track in Lommel, Belgium which is a 50 miles worth of the bumps, cobblestones, and potholes to simulate the worst situations Ford customers might face all around the world. Engineers and test drivers take Ford vehicles loaded with sensors and monitoring technology on these strips at up to 46 mph. These tests help Ford innovate technologies like Electronic Stability Control and Tire Pressure Monitoring to help drivers on any road.
Thanks to some of these tests and the knowledge that U.S. drivers spend up to $3 billion annually on pothole damage repair, Ford has announced they will be including pothole mitigation technology in the 2017 Ford Fusion V6 Sport. It will be the first car in its class to offer this advanced suspension technology. The computer controlled shock absorber system - continuously controlled damping (CCD) - detects potholes through the 12 sensors located in the tire, which sends a message to the dampers to stiffen up when a pothole is detected. This holds the tire from dropping into the pothole like it typically would, and lessens the impact by quite a bit. Check out the video below to see how it works:
Ford is always innovating in mobility with Electric Vehicles, connectivity technology, and vehicle features. You don't have to wait to experience all that Ford has to offer. You can check out the 2016 model lineup, including the 2016 Ford C-MAX Energi and 2016 Ford F-150, today at our dealership and our incredible used inventory, too. Whatever your vehicle need, even seasonal maintenance services, we can help you with it at North Brothers Ford.
Visit our website: www.northbros.com
Follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and Google+
No comments:
Post a Comment