Ford to Baby Boomers: We Get that You’re Old and Feeble and Can’t Read Small Fonts

*This article has been (patronizingly) posted in a larger-than-normal font for our older readers

From next year, the fonts in Ford’s Edge and Explorer SUV models will be some 40% larger as well as thicker. The reason? Baby Boomers have poor eyesight. No, really, Ford’s done a study and everything. The bigger fonts will extend to interior display screens control and A/C controls, and will gradually be rolled out onto other models in the Ford range in coming years.

In a statement on their website, Ford expressed its desire to make it, “easier for people of all ages, particularly aging Baby Boomers, to read display fonts.” Ah, like the little boy or girl who flat-out tells his grandparents that they’re old and wrinkly, Ford has snagged upon that babying / slow and loud way anyone under the age of 30 speak to anyone over the age of 50:

“YES, MRS. JOHNSON. THE WEATHER IS NICE TODAY. DO YOU THINK YOU’LL GO DOWN TO THE PARK?”

Read more »

Ford Recalling F-Series Trucks, Edge and Lincoln MKX Over Fire Hazard

Nearly 15,000 Ford trucks and crossovers are being recalled in the States because of problems with electrical systems that can short and create a fire. The recall concerns certain 2011MY Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550 and Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles.

Read more »

Ford Confirms 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost Turbo for F-150, 2.0-liter Turbo for Explorer and Edge

Over the past few months we've heard several rumors regarding the models that will get FoMoCo's EcoBoost turbocharged engines.

Now, the Detroit automaker has officially confirmed that the 2011 F-150 pickup truck will be offered with its 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 upgraded for rear-wheel-drive applications, while a new 2.0-liter inline-four turbo will find its way under the hood of the next next-generation Ford Explorer SUV and Edge CUV.

The 2.0-liter EcoBoost unit will be launched along with a smaller displacement 1.6-liter EcoBoost unit, which will be used initially on the European C-Max people mover, by the end of the year.

Read more »

James Bond's Ford Edge Hydrogen from "Quantum of Solace"

James "I'll- even-advertise-panties-for-the-right-price" Bond will get behind the wheel of a black 2008 Ford Edge SUV in the new 007 film "Quantum of Solace," which opens this weekend in theaters in the U.S. The four Ford Edge crossovers that will be seen throughout the move will be dressed to look like hydrogen-powered vehicles. But this is a case of 'fiction-meets-reality' as Ford is currently working on the Edge HySeries which promises to be the world's first fuel cell hybrid electric plug-in. According to FoMoCo, the HySeries combines an onboard hydrogen fuel cell generator with lithium ion batteries to deliver more than 41 mpg.

"Four Edges dressed up as hydrogen-powered vehicles are part of a fleet that belongs to Greene, and they are integrated naturally into the plot of the movie," said Al Uzielli, senior advisor to Ford Global Brand Entertainment. "When you see the Edge – as when you saw the Mondeo in 'Casino Royale' – there's no question to the relevance or the correctness of the vehicle being in that scene."

Relevant or not, Ford's product placement in 007's new adventure does not end with the Edge Crossover as the firm's European arm will also have an ambassador in the movie, the 2009 Ford Ka mincar that will be driven Bond's new girl Camille played by Olga Kurylenko. (Opening image