2008 Ford Five Hundred debuts across Saudi Arabia

The new model boasts a rich array of features that make it distinctive and provide quiet, fast and safe driving. Highlights include marked exterior styling, great powertrain, an all-wheel-drive system, standard safety features and structural advancements to further enhance crash protection.

"Customers will find the 2008 Five Hundred delivers what they are looking for, including a strong design, high-quality interior, power and performance, must-have features like MP3 audio input jack and a great safety reputation. We are very proud to bring this outstanding sedan in our region,"

said Kurt Peterson, District Sales manager-Saudi Arabia, Ford Middle East.

Sh. Abdullah F. Al Kraidees, president of Al Jazirah Vehicles Agencies Co. said: "We are delighted to present to our customers the new addition to our sterling line up of Ford models - Five Hundred is expected to steer the full-size sedan market not only with its great styling but with its outstanding safety features and advance technology."

The 2008 Five Hundred features Ford's 3.5-liter Duratec V-6 that delivers 263 NET horsepower and 249 pound-feet of torque. It is mated to the same smooth shifting, 6-speed automatic transmission as the new Ford Edge.

Building on safety leadership

With standard air bags and available electronic stability control, the 2008 Ford Five Hundred is rated the safest full-size car in North America and is a segment leader in safety, capable of achieving five-star ratings in all four categories for the U.S. government's crash tests.

Ford's AdvanceTrac electronic stability control system can predict the vehicle's intentions using a sensor to detect and measure oversteer and yaw by monitoring the vehicle's speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When the system senses wheel slip, engine torque is reduced and braking is applied where needed to help keep the car tracking safely on its intended path.

Additional standard safety equipment includes dual-stage driver and passenger front air bags, seat-deployed side air bags for driver and front passenger, and Ford's Safety Canopy side curtain air bags for both rows. For an added measure of safety, a new steering wheel design recesses the air bag 15 millimeters farther away from the driver.

Exterior design is emotionally appealing

The design of the 2008 Five Hundred suggests the same proven emotional appeal of the American Ford Fusion. The new Five Hundred features the Ford brand's signature three-bar chrome grille, a sculpted hood with crisp accent lines and a new front fascia chamfered at the outer edges, adding more structure to the design.
Its taillamps carry a strong, horizontal theme to the rear, while a rear fascia houses dual chrome-tipped exhausts. Chrome side vents, door handles and mirror caps give the high-line model a more exclusive appearance.

Ultra-quiet interior and plush ride

Interior quietness is often associated with a customer's perception of overall quality. The Five Hundred team delivered interior quietness that rivals many luxury cars. The sound package includes such technologies as expandable foam pellets in the A-pillars to reduce wind noise and the use of an advanced sound-deadening material called Sonosorb in the doors, headliner and pillars. Sonosorb increases sound-deadening efficiency by 20 percent while retaining the same thickness as the material it replaces.

Engineers also reduced road noise by stiffening the area where the rear package shelf meets the floor pan. Even the new climate control system is 50 percent quieter than before.

Five Hundred's plush, confident ride is distinct with strut towers that help increase front suspension travel by 10 percent, dampers and springs in both front and rear, and a revised, retuned rear suspension.

Five Hundred's engine is not mounted to the front subframe. The engine and transmission are bolted to the body with hydraulic mounts to reduce vibration thereby allowing engineers to better tune the suspension and, ultimately, create an even better ride.

Maximum convenience and space

A large majority of customers shopping in the large car segment identify front seat roominess as a key want (86 percent) while many also prioritize cargo capacity (63 percent). Answering these desires, the 2008 Five Hundred features the most spacious interior of any large sedan, with best-in-class legroom front and rear and 60/40-split fold-flat second-row seats. With the fold-flat front-passenger seat, items up to nine feet long can fit inside.