It’s been a big week for the Ford Motor Company.

On Monday, Canadian auto workers reached a tentative new four-year contract.  

Rumors have been flying about who will succeed the highly-successful CEO Alan Mulally.  And Ford’s launched a brand new hybrid that boasts 47 miles per gallon. 

Mark Fields is the president of the Americas division of Ford and he swung by the Marketplace world headquarters to go for a spin. Fields drove. Kai navigated. 

Fields says freedom and escape for young people used to mean getting the keys to the family car. “This generation, they’re online. They don’t need a car [to escape].” 

Fields explained that understanding those young consumers — even wiring today’s cars for high-tech gadgetry — has been a priority for Ford. “How do we bring them to a vehicle that not only takes them from Point A to Point B, but connects with their smartphone while they’re driving?” That’s a question Fields says Ford is tackling.

But even with a more high-tech car, Field says you should focus on driving, “Not texting! Connected, but with their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.”