Ford's Full 2007 Line-up: More Side Airbags Standard
Today, Ford announced its line-up for 2007 and there were no surprises as far as rolling out a never-before-seen concept or production model. No, the news was more pedestrian but it shows that Ford is paying attention to consumer demands.
Side curtain airbags will now be standard on the 2007 Ford Fusion, Five Hundred, Freestyle, Edge, Expedition and Expedition XL; Mercury Milan and Montego; Lincoln MKX, Navigator and Navigator L. That’s significant, since a recent report showed how vital side curtain airbags can be in preventing deaths in side impacts.
Another customer demand we see increasing across almost every segment is the desire for all-wheel-drive. Ford is adding AWD as an option on the popular Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ (formerly called the Zephyr) sedans in 2007. The MKZ also gets an engine upgrade with Ford’s new 3.5-liter V-6. It’s heralded as a significant improvement over the company’s past V-6. The 3.5 will put out 263 horsepower, compared to the past powerplant’s 221 hp. This new V-6 will be phased in to most Ford models over the next few years.
That’s the big news for consumers, but be on the lookout for the all-new Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers. They go on sale in November, and if you’re in the market for a new SUV, you may want to wait a few months. We’ll keep you posted as prices and gas mileage for those models are announced. We’ll also be posting some early driving impressions of all the 2007 Fords from our reporters in the field as soon as possible.
