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21 · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, May 20, 2009 Ford engineers pit shopping carts and everyday mishaps against new safety technologies Carguide Magazine Metroland Newspapers Ford Motor Company has ushered in new, extreme tests ­ such as ramming shopping carts into car doors and blasting water cannons to force vehicles into skids ­ to fine tune new safety technologies. "These novel tests may seem over the top, but they're part of a serious testing regimen that Ford had to invent, because increasingly sophisticated technologies require more advanced testing," said Sue Cischke, group vice president, Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. "We will continue to build on our safety leadership with advanced safety technologies that help enhance crash protection or even help customers avoid accidents." Ford engineers conduct unusual "crash" tests to take thousands of impact readings that help calibrate the sensitivity of new air bag pressure sensors being introduced on the new 2009 F-150 and 2010 Taurus. The new air bag systems use pressure pulses from a side impact to deploy up to 30 percent faster than a traditional air bag system that uses acceleration-based sensors. Engineers, however, were concerned that everyday mishaps ­ such as shopping cart collisions in parking lots or errant basketballs from neighborhood children ­ could trick the new sensors that now help predict crash forces before the full impact occurs. The engineers used reams of data from these unusual tests to calibrate the air bag sensor to disregard typically minor collisions. In one test, a lab robot repeatedly pushes a shopping cart loaded with a 110-pound New side impact pressure sensors debuting on the new 2009 F-150 and 2010 Taurus are being tested in simulations of everyday mishaps ­ such as shopping cart collisions in parking lots or errant basketballs from neighborhood children. The engineers used data from these unusual tests to calibrate the air bag sensor to disregard typically minor collisions. weight into the vehicle doors at 10 miles per hour. Another robotic test replicates the impact of a bicycle wheel on the car door. Pressure-based sensors more accurately measure the severity of a crash than acceleration-based sensors, which makes them better able to differentiate between a lifethreatening, air bag-deployable crash and relatively harmless daily abuse that should not require air bag protection. They also perform better in new federal side-impact and oblique-impact tests, are less likely to be affected by vehicle design differences, and give designers more flexibility because they take up less space. The new F-150 is one of North America's first vehicles to offer this new technology. According to a recent study by the IIHS, the truck offers better side-impact crash safety than the Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram and Nissan Titan. BUY LOCALLY SERVICE LOCALLY SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY Phone: (905) 825-8088 www.volvoofoakville.com 2219 Wyecroft Road, Oakville, ON L6L 5L7 Toll Free 1-877-469-5969 fax 905-469-4562 CONSUMERS SHOULD READ THE FOLLOWING: Vehicles may not be exactly as shown. Limited time offers are subject to change without notice. *New starting prices are calculated after subtracting dealer participation and stackable credits off the 2009 MSRP. Starting prices of a new 2009 SX4 Sedan with manual transmission (Model S3L83J9), 2009 SX4 Hatchback with manual transmission (Model H3N83H9) and 2009 Grand Vitara with manual transmission (Model LLNB0S9), after subtracting dealer participation credits of $500/$500/$500 and stackable credits of $1,900/$1,900/$2,500, are $14,995/$14,995/$22,995. $1,395/$1,395/$1,550 destination and delivery charge, administration fee, $75 tax for fuel conservation (where applicable), duties on new tires (where applicable), $72 PPSA (where applicable), other taxes, license, insurance, applicable fees and registration are extra. Limited time finance offers available to qualified retail customers on approved credit. 0%/0%/0% purchase financing APR for a 36/36/36 month term. Financing example: the monthly payment of a new 2009 SX4 Sedan with manual transmission (Model S3L83J9), after subtracting dealer participation credits of $500 and stackable credits of $1,900, at 0% purchase financing APR is $417 per month for 36 months. Cost of borrowing is $0 for a total obligation of $14,995. Financing example does not include $1,395 destination and delivery charge, administration fee, $75 tax for fuel conservation (where applicable), duties on new tires (where applicable), $72 PPSA (where applicable), other taxes, license, insurance, applicable fees and registration. +Prices of models shown, 2009 SX4 Sedan Sport with manual transmission (Model S3L83K9), 2009 SX4 Hatchback JX with automatic transmission (Model H3N84J9) and 2009 Grand Vitara JLX with automatic transmission (Model L2NB5V9), after subtracting stackable credits of $1,400/$1,400/$2,000, are $17,945/$18,595/$26,995. $1,395/$1,395/$1,550 destination and delivery charge, administration fee, $75 tax for fuel conservation (where applicable), duties on new tires (where applicable), $72 PPSA (where applicable), other taxes, license, insurance, applicable fees and registration are extra. Certain conditions apply. Dealers may sell for less. Information shown is based on the latest available information at the time of print. See participating dealers for conditions and details. Offers ends May 31, 2009. ©2009 Suzuki Canada Inc. Suzuki of Oakville SERVICE DEPARTMENT OPEN SATURDAYS