DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 10, 2002 – Ford’s all-new 6.0-liter Power Stroke® Diesel was named one of 2003’s “10 Best” engines by Ward’s AutoWorld, a premier automotive industry magazine.

The new 6.0-liter Power Stroke Diesel engine, designed and manufactured by International Truck and Engine Corp., is available on Ford F-250 through Ford F-550 Super Duty pickups and chassis cabs, as well as the Ford Excursion. Mated with a new TorqShift® 5-speed automatic transmission, the new 32-valve diesel engine produces best-in-class horsepower of 325 at 3,300 rpm and 560 foot-pounds of torque at 2,000 rpm.

“Ward’s 10 Best is the top award in the industry recognizing engines,” said Dave Szczupak, vice president, Powertrain Operations, Ford Motor Company. “To be the only diesel chosen by Ward’s, in a year with such tough competition, makes this award even more special.”

Dick Fotsch, president of International Engine Group, an operating company of Navistar International Corporation, added: “The new Power Stroke is a major step forward in diesel technology for our truck customers. We are extremely proud that International and Ford have won this prestigious award.” The award, given annually by Ward’s, is decided by a panel of jurors from the magazine who select the engines they consider to be the “10 Best” engines in the industry – based on test-drive evaluations.

“The new Power Stroke is a remarkable convergence of state-of-the-art turbo-diesel technology,” said Bill Visnic, senior technical editor, Ward’s AutoWorld, and editor of Ward’s Engine Update. “The fact that an engine designed for the medium-duty pickup segment can be a Ward’s 10 Best Engine winner – alongside some of the world’s most sophisticated and refined passenger-vehicle engines – speaks volumes about the intense engineering that’s gone into the all-new Power Stroke.

“We congratulate Ford and its partner International Engine Corp. for developing the all-new Power Stroke,” Visnic added. “It is a world-class engine that improves upon its best-selling predecessor in almost every way.”

Visnic added that Ward’s testers found it significant that the new 6.0-liter Power Stroke provides class-leading horsepower and torque figures despite a 1.3-liter displacement reduction compared to the previous-generation Power Stroke. He said the six editor-judges were particularly impressed that the new Power Stroke’s outstanding performance is achieved while simultaneously improving fuel economy and reducing NOx emissions.

Ford sells more Power Stroke Diesel engines than Dodge and GM combined. Two of out every three F-Series Super Duty trucks sold are equipped with a Power Stroke Diesel engine. Since August, Ford has received more than 50,000 orders for vehicles equipped with the new engine.

The new diesel engine is more powerful and cleaner than the well-respected 7.3-liter Power Stroke Diesel it replaces, achieving approximately 8 percent better fuel economy while satisfying more stringent emissions standards. The new engine reduces emission of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by approximately 20 percent, while providing customers reduced noise and vibration.

The new Power Stroke is matched with the new TorqShift 5-speed automatic transmission that sets a new benchmark in responsiveness and confidence. TorqShift features a newly designed 5-speed gearbox and electronic control system to provide smoother shifts and higher low-gear ratios to help a loaded truck get off the mark smoothly. The transmission also features a “tow-haul” mode that automatically minimizes shifts and maximizes available torque to help increase a driver’s feeling of control.

The new Power Stroke Diesel is built at International Truck and Engine Corporation’s Indianapolis Engine Plant. The new TorqShift 5-speed automatic is produced at Ford’s Sharonville Transmission Plant, near Cincinnati. The F-Series Super Duty truck lineup is manufactured at Ford’s 4.6-million square foot Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, the largest truck plant in the world.