Published on August 1st, 2011 | by Daniel Sherman Fernandez
0Ford’s vehicles fuel efficiency ratings above segment average
The fuel efficiency ratings of all of Ford’s vehicles were above their segment average, according to the J.D. Power 2011 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study. Customers were asked to rate how gratified they were on several attributes such as safety, fuel efficiency, cargo space, roominess and exterior styling. Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development, said that customers actually become “fonder” of their Ford vehicles over time. He also said that more customers are saying that they buy a Ford vehicle because the carmaker leads in terms of fuel efficiency. The Environmental Protection Agency said that Ford has 12 vehicles that are the leaders in their respective sales segments in fuel efficiency. This includes four vehicles with EPA-certified 40 mpg or higher ratings. No other automaker can match this claim. By the end of 2012, Ford will already have presented five new electrified vehicles in North America. The segment winners in this survey include the new Ford Fiesta and F-150. The survey measures customer satisfaction in design, content and vehicle performance.
Rating second in their segments are the 2011 Ford Taurus and Flex. Getting third-place rankings are the new Ford Explorer, F-Series Super Duty, Expedition and Mustang. Ford was shown to have outperformed all other automakers in numerous study areas, especially in terms of fuel efficiency. In particular, all of Ford’s newer retail vehicles had fuel efficiency ratings that were higher than their segment averages. The Fiesta did really well in the area of fuel efficiency in the subcompact car segment. In addition, the new F-150 bested the industry average for fuel efficiency.