The Blue Oval’s attention to quality continues to pay off, as customers named the Ford division the highest-ranking non-luxury brand in the J.D. Power & Associates 2010 Initial Quality Study (IQS). Not only that, but Ford tied Lexus as the only brand to have three separate vehicles lead their segments in this year’s study. Ford moved into fifth place overall, while Lincoln, 26th in the industry in 2009, climbed all the way up into the top 10 and was ranked eighth among all brands this year.
The Ford Focus was the top-ranked entry in the Compact Car segment after finishing at the 11th spot last year, and it’s now one of the top 20 vehicles in the entire study. The Ford Taurus showed a similar quality improvement, going from eighth in its segment in 2009 to topping the Large Car category in 2010. In the Midsize Sporty Car segment, the 2010 Ford Mustang was the best-ranked vehicle for the second consecutive year.
“These results are remarkable in many ways,” said Bennie Fowler, Ford group vice president, Global Quality & New Model Launches. “Steady and meticulous attention to new model launches along with consistency in how we do them across the brand and the globe are having a very positive effect on the initial quality of our all-new or redesigned products.”
That attention to strong launches certainly helps explain the IQS success of the recently introduced Taurus, and bodes well for the 2011 Mustang and next-generation Focus.
The new Mustang, which went on sale this spring, packs even more customer-satisfying features than ever before, starting with its exceptional powertrains. Holstering its advanced new V6, the 2011 Mustang achieves both 305 hp and a sterling 31 mpg on the highway—making the Mustang the first production car to top both 300 horse and 30 highway mpg in the same package. And even its re-born 5.0-liter V8 is a surprisingly efficient powerplant, making 412 horses and a class-leading 26 mpg highway.
As for the Focus, the completely redesigned 2012 model will come to market early in 2011, bringing new levels of style, fuel efficiency and technology to the compact segment. The Focus, too, will feature a cutting-edge powertrain that includes a higher-efficiency 2.0-liter I4 that gets 10 percent better fuel-economy than the Focus’ current mill, while also delivering 20 more hp.
Also a good sign for Ford quality: While the company’s customers are obviously well-satisfied with their new cars and trucks, its execs aren’t.
“While we are pleased with where we are today, our job is not done,” said Fowler. “Our plan is to keep improving quality each and every year.”
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