Ford Fusion and Fiesta Take Home New Awards

PEKIN, Ill., –  This week, the Ford Fusion and Fiesta took home new awards from Kelley Blue Book and MotorWeek. The 2017 Ford Fusion was named Best Family Sedan in the 2017 MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Awards, while the 2017 Ford Fiesta won the award for Lowest Projected Five-Year Ownership Costs from Kelley Blue Book. Check out the reasons these cars are turning heads!

2017 Ford Fusion

This Ford sedan is the first Ford vehicle in North America to provide adaptive cruise control to its drivers. The stop-and-go functionality means a safer driving experience. It also has available Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection. The Fusion Sport comes with 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost engine and All-Wheel-Drive, earning its place as the Best Family Sedan.

2017 Ford Fiesta

Kelley Blue Book gave the Ford Fiesta a Fair Purchase Price rating, referencing its low maintenance costs, earning its place as best 5-Year Cost to Own Award for sporty compact cars. The Ford Fiesta gets an impressive 26 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. The ST model comes with a six-speed manual transmission and a 1.6-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine.

Velde Ford is proud to present the Ford Fusion and Fiesta as they take home new awards this week! If you're interested in learning more about these great Ford vehicles, you can take a look at our Ford Car Comparison page! Check out our online inventory of Ford Fusions or Ford Fiestas and then schedule a test drive at the dealership! You can always give us a call with any questions!

Located at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554, Velde Ford of Pekin is committed to providing customers outstanding service. We want you to enjoy your car buying experience. If you have any questions or concerns, be sure to stop by the dealership or visit our website at www.VeldeFordPekin.com. You can also reach us at (888) 221-2804. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

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2017 Ford Fusion Earns A Top Safety Pick+ Award

PEKIN, Ill., – The 2017 Ford Fusion earns a Top Safety Pick+ Award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) by earning good ratings in all five crashworthiness tests. Each test targets a different area of the vehicle and how it will hold up in the case of a crash.

These five tests include moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, head restraints, and front crash prevention. To earn a Top Safety Pick+ award, a vehicle must receive good ratings in all categories, as well as have a front crash prevention system with an advanced or superior rating. The 2017 Ford Fusion received superior marks in the front crash prevention category.

The 2017 Fusion was designed with a new modified front-end structure, which helped it get a good rating in the overlap front test. As well as this addition, the new Fusion offers an optional active braking system to help drivers avoid collisions. This improvement helped it receive its superior rating in the front crash prevention category.

As well as the new safety features, the Ford Fusion’s other features include a pedestrian detection system, hands-free parallel and perpendicular parking capability, lane-keeping assist, and Blind Spot Information system with cross-traffic alert.

We’re happy to announce that the 2017 Ford Fusion earns a Top Safety Pick+ Award from the IIHS. If you’d like to test drive the 2016 Ford Fusion, come down to Velde Ford Pekin, or schedule an appointment online! If you need any help with your routine maintenance this summer, be sure to check our new Summer Car Care pages for tons of helpful information about your cooling and A/C system, exterior lights, fuel system, cosmetic repairs, and sun protection!

At Velde Ford, we're committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Stop by the dealership located at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554 or visit our website: VeldeFordPekin.com for more information.

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Introducing the 2016 Ford Fusion

PEKIN, Ill., – If you’re looking for a car with a bold design and the latest technology features, then the Consumers Digest Best Buy Award Winner is what you need! Introducing the 2016 Ford Fusion, with available MyFord or MyFord Touch SYNC technologies and numerous other entertainment and safety features. Cruise around in style while feeling the safety and functionality of the new 2016 Ford Fusion.

Ford Fusion Hybrid
If you’ve ever been curious about the hybrid car craze, the Ford Fusion Energi offers the best of both worlds. Efficiency is the main focus of this plug-in hybrid sedan. With an estimated mileage rating of 40 mpg city and 36 mpg highway, the Ford Fusion Hybrid gives you the freedom to go further.

SYNC Technologies
The 2016 Ford Fusion is available with two SYNC options. With Ford SYNC you have the ability to use your voice to make calls hands-free, control apps and music, and more! If you choose to upgrade to MyFord Touch, you’ll get to enjoy a color-coded LCD touch screen, navigation and voice controlled climate control.

Other Technologies
The 2016 Ford Fusion offers tons of technologies designed with you in mind. Rear view cameras come standard, while many features are optional. Optional features include:

• Class-Exclusive Active Park Assist
• Intelligent All-Wheel-Drive System
• Auto Start-Stop
• Heated and Cooled Seats
• Heated Steering Wheel
• Lane-Keeping System and Driver Alert System
• Blind Spot Information System with Cross-Traffic Alert

Come experience the 2016 Ford Fusion for yourself! Schedule a test drive at Velde Ford Pekin. We’re happy to be introducing the 2016 Ford Fusion and we’d love it if you would come see what all the excitement is about for yourself! With three available trim levels and three available engines, we’re sure we can put you in the perfect car for your needs! Not sure whether to buy or lease the new Ford Fusion? Our Buying vs. Leasing page can help you with that! Visit our website to learn more about the 2016 Ford Fusion and everything it has to offer! Feel free to contact us at (989) 288-2657 with any questions!

Located at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554, Velde Ford of Pekin is committed to providing outstanding customer service. We want you to enjoy your car buying experience. If you have any questions or concerns, be sure to stop by the dealership or visit our website at www.VeldeFordPekin.com. You can also reach us at (888) 221-2804. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

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Ford Fusion Energi Will Take You Further Than Any Other Plug-In Hybrid

PEKIN, Ill., – Have you ever found yourself worried how far your tank of gas will get you? Worry no more! The newest 2017 Ford Fusion Energi will take you further than any other plug-in hybrid model. Its combined range of 610 miles on a full tank of gas and a full battery charge is the highest on the hybrid market in the United States.

Ford is currently the number one seller of plug-in hybrids, and has been since 2015. This statistic appears to be on an upward trend, as Fusion Energi sales are up 58% through April. With more and more people deciding to buy hybrid, it’s important that these vehicles are competitive when it comes to range.

“Plug-in hybrids are electric vehicles until you run down the battery,” Wade Jackson, marketing manager for Ford Fusion said, “then they work exactly like a conventional hybrid. Fusion Energi – with a full battery and a full tank of gas – can go from San Diego, through Los Angeles and all the way up to San Francisco, and still have up to 110 miles of range remaining.”

The 2017 Ford Fusion Energi has an EPA-estimated rating of 43 city/41 hwy, a 14 gallon tank and 21 miles all-electric range.

That sounds great, but what does that mean for consumers? Well the way we see it, this means the Ford Fusion Energi will take you further than any other plug in hybrid. It means extending the life of your road trips and vacations, and saving you money in the long run. Hybrids bring together the efficiency of electric vehicles, while allowing you to maintain the convenience and familiarity of gas run cars. Come down to the dealership to find out about all the excitement surrounding hybrid cars. You can even test-drive a 2016 Ford Fusion Energi for yourself!

If you’re looking for a new ride this summer, we want to help you decide between buying and leasing. Our new Buying vs. Leasing page breaks down the pros and cons of each option. Be sure to check out our How to buy and How to Lease pages for more information on how each process works.

At Velde Ford, we're committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Stop by the dealership located at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554 or visit our website: VeldeFordPekin.com for more information.

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Ford Plans On Testing Autonomous Vehicles in California

PEKIN, Ill. – Starting next year, Ford plans on testing autonomous vehicles in California. Ford is officially enrolled in the California Autonomous Vehicle Tester Program, and their first vehicle to take the road will be a fully autonomous Ford Fusion Hybrid.

Ford plans on testing autonomous vehicles in California to advance its 10-year autonomous vehicles development program. It’s also a key component of Ford Smart Mobility, a plan to take the company to the next level in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, customer experience, and data and analytics.

Improving on this plan is the Ford Research and Innovation Center Palo Alto. Ford has expanded its Silicon Valley facility from a 15-person team to a 100-plus-person team. The team is made up of the best scientists and engineers from around the world. 

The Ford Research and Innovation Center Palo Alto just added on a new research lab in January. To develop the autonomous vehicles, many different tests have been performed in the last year, like:

• Autonomous vehicle virtual test drive: a study that allows virtual interaction between autonomous cars and pedestrians, which replicates real-world situations. This is to get a better understanding of responses and develop responses of unexpected things that can occur on the road. 

• Sensor fusion: sensors on autonomous vehicles detect and track objects in the vehicle’s view, combining information together to provide a 360-degree view of the vehicle’s surroundings. 

• Camera-based pedestrian detection: camera sensors that are used as the eyes of the vehicle, allowing the car to see and sense pedestrians.

Ford has made relationships with top universities including University of California-Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University, Santa Clara, and San Jose State. The company is also expanding its research collaboration with Stanford next year. They have 13 new projects planned for 2016 covering all five areas of Ford Smart mobility, which is more than double the collaborations this year.

While autonomous vehicles are not available to us yet, Velde still has plenty of great Ford cars and trucks you can take home. If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, come on over to your Peoria area Ford dealership today and take one for a test drive. At Velde Ford, we're committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Feel free to visit Velde Ford located at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.

Visit our website: VeldeFordPekin.com

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