Ford boosts lineup, not prices, for 2010

Ford Motor Co. has been able to weather the bad days while the other members of the Big Three accepted federal bailouts and declared bankruptcy.

Auto executives know that car buyers this recessionary year are serious about value, safety and improved fuel mileage, so it's no wonder that some prices on new, 2010 models -- such as the Ford Taurus -- have held steady from 2009 even though the family sedan has substantial changes.

Here is what Ford's divisions have to offer for the 2010 model year:

Ford

The Ford Taurus family sedan is bigger and restyled, and the high-performance Taurus SHO -- now with a 365-horsepower, 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged, EcoBoost gasoline V-6 rather than a V-8 -- returns to the lineup.

Ford kept the price for the Taurus steady at $25,995, even while adding space and comfort to the sedan.

The standard engine is a 263-horsepower, 3.5-liter, Duratec V-6, and there's a long list` of available high-tech features, including cruise control that uses radar to automatically slow the Taurus on the highway if it's closing on a vehicle ahead too quickly.

There's also a MyKey feature that lets parents restrict or set warnings on activities when teens are driving. For example, MyKey can limit radio volume and activate speed warning alerts.

The Ford Fusion is restyled and updated. The result is a midsize sedan with attractive looks, an improved interior and a more powerful four-cylinder engine than before.

The base, 2.5-liter four-banger cranks out 175 horses, and if that's not enough, a 263-horsepower, 3-liter V-6 is available for the sedan.

Fusion adds a gas-electric hybrid model for 2010, and its gas mileage rating of 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg highway is noteworthy because it puts the Fusion Hybrid and its sibling Mercury Milan Hybrid sedans at the top of midsize sedans in fuel mileage in the country.

Prices start at $20,345 for the gasoline Fusion and $28,350 for the hybrid.

Another new model is the F-150 SVT Raptor full-size pickup. It's a high-performance, off-road truck with a 310-horsepower, 5.4-liter V-8 and later, an even more powerful 6.2-liter V-8. The inspiration for the sporty Raptor comes from desert race trucks.

Small business owners or anyone with an offbeat taste in vehicles will want to check out the 2010 Ford Transit Connect. It looks like a delivery van, but it's a much smaller, handier size.

The Transit Connect is powered by a fuel-thrifty, 136-horsepower, 2-liter four-cylinder and starts at $21,475, including destination charge.

Ford's well-known Mustang is freshened for 2010 with mild upgrades, inside and out. The suspension is revised, too.

The Mustang GT's 4.6-liter V-8 adds 15 horses, for 315 horsepower.

The styling updates to the regular 2010 Mustang carry through to the high-performance Shelby GT500, where horsepower from the 5.4-liter V-8 now peaks at 540 and torque climbs to 510 foot-pounds. Suspension and clutch also are revised.

The 2010 Edge gets engine refinements that improve fuel mileage, while the 2010 Escape can be had with an electronic system that parallel parks the car by itself with a touch of a button.

Trailer Sway Control is added as standard equipment on Ford's Explorer, Explorer Sport Trac and Expedition SUVs this year to help keep trailers being towed behind the vehicles stable.

The Flex crossover SUV adds the availability of a 355-horsepower, 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged, EcoBoost V-6 and a six-speed automatic transmission.

Ford's smallest car, the Focus, gets standard electronic stability control, traction control and anti-lock brakes on all models.

Lincoln

There's no way to confuse Lincoln's newest model with anything else.

The 2010 MKT crossover SUV wears a sizable, split waterfall-styled grille and a boat-tail rear. At 17.3 feet long, it's full size and has three rows of separate, roomy seats for a maximum passenger count of six. It weighs nearly 5,000 pounds. Inside, there are luxury touches and a list of technology options that will please techies.

Based on the Ford Flex crossover, the MKT is offered with two V-6s. The base, 3.7-liter powerplant provides 268 horses, while the 3.5-liter, turbocharged, EcoBoost V-6 delivers a healthy 355 horsepower. Starting price, including destination charge, is $44,995 for a front-wheel drive MKT. All-wheel drive also is available.

Lincoln's flagship sedan, the MKS, gets an additional engine offering this model year: the 355-horsepower, 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged, EcoBoost V-6 that's available in the MKT. This engine has direct injection for efficient use of fuel and provides the five-passenger MKS with notable 17/25 mileage ratings from the federal government.

Also for 2010, all MKZs get spruced-up front styling and interior.

Mercury

Mercury's top-selling car, the Milan, has freshened styling inside and out.

The Milan's lineup also expands to include a gasoline-electric hybrid model that, along with its Ford Fusion sibling, ranks tops in fuel mileage among midsize sedans.

Specifically, the Milan Hybrid uses a 156-horsepower, 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine working with a 106-horsepower electric motor. The federal government fuel economy rating for this model is 41 mpg in the city, 36 mpg on the highway. It starts at $31,655.

The Mercury Mariner gets additional safety features, including outside Spotter Mirrors that use secondary convex spotter areas in the top outer corners of the outside mirrors to help a driver detect cars in the blind spots to the rear side of the car. The 2010 Mariner Hybrid has a starting retail price of $30,720.

Mercury no longer offers the Sable sedan.