Ford Edge is 'Most appealing vehicle' according to JD Power and Associates

• Ford Edge ranks highest in its segment in the J.D. Power and Associates APEAL study, which measures customers' views on vehicle design, content and performance after three months of driving.

• Ford's crossover is 'Most Appealing Midsize Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV).'

Ford's newest five-passenger crossover vehicle outperformed its segment average by 68 index points, becoming the highest performing all-new or redesigned vehicle in the industry. Edge also ranked highest overall in the Midsize MAV segment of J.D. Power's APEAL Study, in which customers assess delight with the design, content, layout and performance after three months of driving.

'This is certainly good news and further affirmation that we're delivering the products people really want - especially when you consider the newest vehicles in our lineup,' said Hussein Murad, Sales and Marketing director, Ford Middle East.

'Fresh on the heels of Ford receiving top honors in five vehicle segments in the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS), Ford receives more strong quality feedback from customers who made Edge the industry standout and a top performer in the fastest-growing and most competitive segment in the industry,' Murad said.

Customers participating in the APEAL study also praised Ford Mustang, making it the highest ranked vehicle in the Midsize Sporty Car segment - for the second straight year. This is the third year in a row that Mustang has received an APEAL award, having garnered the Sporty Car segment award in 2005.

Three other Ford Motor Company vehicles ranked second or third in their segments: Ford Explorer Sport Trac is 2nd; Lincoln Navigator is 3rd; and Mazda CX7 is 2nd. Additionally, most Ford Motor Company brands improved or maintained their performance from last year's APEAL study.

'It's gratifying to have two strong Ford nameplates - Edge and Mustang - leading the pack on consumer appeal,' Murad said. 'While we celebrate this achievement, we know that the quality race never ends. We're going to continue working harder to provide people even more reasons to continue driving Ford vehicles.'

The new Edge is the first vehicle in its segment to offer an all-glass roof, which was inspired by architectural trends toward greater use of glass in wall-to-ceiling windows, the Vista Roof™ serves as a large front moonroof and a rear skylight.

The interior makes ingenious use of space, delivering maximum flexibility and functionality. The available EasyFold™ electro-mechanical seat release switch drops either of the back seats at the touch of a button for easy cargo loading. An innovative use of materials and technology has produced a crossover with luxury-vehicle interior quietness.

J.D. Power and Associates IQS and APEAL are among the recent third-party metrics to demonstrate Ford's quality improvements. In April 2006, RDA Group of Bloomfield, Michigan, released the Global Quality Research System report (GQRS) showed Ford in a statistical dead heat with Toyota and just behind Honda.