Ford says it plans to greatly increase the use of more fuel-efficient six-speed automatic transmissions. The company says it's doubling their number by the end of next year and putting them in 98 percent of its North American vehicles by 2012. Ford says the six-speed automatic transmissions offer 4 percent to 6 percent better fuel economy than four- and five-speed automatics. The automaker says its 6F35 six-speed transmission will debut in the 2009-model Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner. Ford says its Sterling Heights transmission plant will make 1.3 million 6F35 transmissions a year.    

   

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