Ford Five Hundred facelift

The most noticeable change will be at the exterior. Ford is working overtime to overhaul its entire lineup so the new sedan will have to adopt Ford’s styling signatures.
The 2008 Five Hundred will receive a three-bar horizontal grille that will become the face of Ford cars.. The 2006 Fusion introduced that styling in the fall of 2006 and was adopted by the Edge latter.
The new image of the car should reflect the new face of Ford, translating "bold" and "American" feelings into sheet metal.Distinguishing Ford vehicles from other brands through strong, innovative designs is a key aspect of the company’s plan moving forward.
New headlamps and taillights will offer contemporary look, while the revised bumpers will bring the overall image in the modern design.
 Under the hood, is a jump from its barely-adequate 3.0-liter V6 to the more substantial 3.5-liter unit that’s being launched first in the Ford Edge, Lincoln MKZ and MKX. However, a hybrid gas- electric powertrain remains under consideration. The 3.5-liter V6 with around 265 horsepower is exactly the powerplant this car needed to hope for a succcess.
 

 The existing model

The Ford Five Hundred was first produced on July 12, 2004 in Chicago, Illinois and became available to the public in September 2004. Is succeeding the now discontinued Ford Taurus program.It was created as a full-size sedan, and it slots between the Ford Fusion and the Crwon Victoria.

The Ford Five Hundred is the company’s interpretation of the modern American sedan and was introduced at 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The Five Hundred is the longest sedan in the group and, accordingly, offers a spacious cabin and one of the world’s largest trunks (21 cubic feet). A tall seating position provides excellent visibility and easy entry. And eight cupholders and a folding front-passenger seat assure maximum functionality.
The Five Hundred is longer than its competitors, Chevrolet Impala and Toyota Avalon.

The car is based on the Ford D3 platform (also known as the Volvo P2 Platform), which also supports the Volvo S60 and S80, the XC70, and XC90 SUVs. The Five Hundred’s twin is the Mercury Montego, and is also the basis for the Ford Freestyle crossover SUV.
It was designed to provide large car interior volume with manageable outside dimensions, while delivering good fuel economy.

Although criticized by the automotive press for its bland styling in comparison to that of its competitor Chrysler 300, the Five Hundred has been a relative success for Ford. It has captured 8.5% of the American large sedan market, above expectations, with slightly more than 100,000 sold in the U.S. market in 2005