DEARBORN, MI – The Ford Five Hundred sedan offers nearly 30-percent more power and boasts a new look inside and out for the 2008-model year. On sale by summer 2007, the Five Hundred features a new front end resembling the Ford Fusion, more horsepower and torque due to a new 3.5L V-6 engine with 260 horsepower and 245 lb.-ft. of torque, a new six-speed transmission, and all-wheel-drive system and safety upgrades that include Ford's available AdvanceTrac electronic stability control system. For 2008, the Five Hundred's sound package has been completely revised, helping make it as quiet as many luxury cars, according to Ford. The new sound package includes such technologies as expandable foam pellets in the A-pillars to reduce wind noise and the use of sound-deadening material called Sonosorb, which increases sound-deadening efficiency by 20 percent, in the doors, headliner, and pillars. One of the most significant changes is how the engine is mounted in the vehicle. Previously, the engine was mounted to the front subframe. On the new model, the engine and transmission are bolted to the body with hydraulic mounts to reduce vibration. By moving the roughly 600-lb. powerpack off the subframe, engineers were able to better tune the suspension. The Five Hundred features best-in-class legroom front and rear and 60/40-split fold-flat second-row seats. With the fold-flat front-passenger seat, items up to nine-feet long can fit inside. Five Hundred also offers a voice-activated navigation system, DVD entertainment system, and factory-installed SIRIUS satellite radio. Ford Sync is also available on the new Five Hundred. Sync is a voice-activated hands-free in-car communications and entertainment system, which fully integrates mobile phones and digital media players. The Sync in-car communications system was developed in collaboration with Microsoft and will be offered exclusively on 12 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products in North America beginning this year. The 2007 Five Hundred has earned five stars in all four categories for the U.S. government's crash tests. Five Hundred was also the first Gold Award winner from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and is the class leader in rear crash performance, according to Ford. For 2008, Five Hundred offers the added safety and control of Ford's AdvanceTrac electronic stability control system. AdvanceTrac can predict the vehicle's intentions using a sensor to detect and measure oversteer and yaw by monitoring the vehicle's speed, throttle position. and steering wheel angle. When the system senses wheel slip, engine torque is reduced and braking is applied where needed to help keep the car tracking safely on its intended path. Five Hundred comes standard with dual-stage driver and passenger front airbags, seat-deployed side airbags for driver and front passenger, and Safety Canopy side-curtain rollover airbags for both rows.