MOTOR

42 march 2015 motormag.com.au

parts, accessories and experiences for
customers,” is the message from the
horse’s mouth in Detroit.
For Aussie Ford fans, the
announcement seals the demise of the
FPV brand in Australia. In the One
Ford big picture, the main game is
global model ranges and the plan is
everything from the podium victories to
merchandising will output through the
same Ford Performance branding.
The message couldn’t be clearer.
Without a locally built car with which
to hang its providence on, there are
no reasons rational, commercial or
otherwise, for FPV branding to continue.
It won’t disappear altogether, however,
as Ford Australia will slowly phase the
brand out rather than kill it dead.
If Ford’s official line is taken as
gospel, the yet undisclosed dozen
“global” performance cars excludes
the GT, Shelby GT350/GT350R and
F-150 Raptor models. So far, the only
truly international nameplate release
confirmed under the Ford Performance
banner is the new-generation Focus RS,
due to lob later this year.

So what are the other 11 Ford

Performance models? And what hot

metal can Aussies expect to land in local

showrooms in the next six years between

now and end of the 2020?

Read between the lines, a ‘global’

model doesn’t necessarily have to be

one sold to all available markets. For

example, it seems illogical that Ford

would sink the considerable investment

required to green light its GT hypercar

and not make variations of the core

vehicle available in markets outside the

US if buyer demand dictated. Ditto for

F-150 Raptor.

Certainly some of the unnamed 11

models will be next-generation revamps

or facelifts of existing ranges, such as

Fiesta and Focus. Five years is a long

time in a model’s lifecycle and, as of

December last year, Ford pledged to

launch 20 new or refreshed models

across its range by 2020.

Expect the ST badge to proliferate

across Ford’s more affordable volume-

sellers. Ford sees ST branding as the

lynchpin to attracting younger buyers.

“In the US, more than 65 per cent of

ST customers come from outside the

Ford brand,” is the claim. “Millennials

are purchasing ST vehicles at a rate

twice that of other Ford-branded

vehicles.”

Indeed, it’s feasible both of Ford

Performance’s two established

enhancement grades – ST and RS –

will roll out across not just Fiesta and

Focus but also to Johnny-come-lately

‘new’ Mondeo that will debut in Oz

mid-year. You’d be brave to bet against

Ford marketing go-faster versions of the

Kuga small SUV – which already makes

178kW/345Nm in high-spec variants

• or its EcoSport city car, particularly
  to Asian and European markets with a
  hunger for sports variants of compact
  urban vehicles.
  While the Detroit Show F-150 Raptor
  is unlikely to see Aussie terra-firma,
  a performance-enhanced and -styled
  version of the soon-to-be-facelifted
  Ranger in a market increasingly
  enamoured with imported utilities seems
  like a no-brainer.
  And Mustang? The emergence of the
  stove-hot, hardcore Shelby GT350/

THIS huge spoiler claws at the wind and

makes up part of the car’s aerodynamic

package. It’s complemented by that snow-

ploughing front splitter, matching side skirts

and rear underbody diffuser.

Sadly, chances of the GT350R

arriving in Oz are not great as

the engine isn’t designed for

right-hand drive, but expect a

hot Mustang to arrive before

too long

other 11 1 Ford

dels? Annd what hot

sexpecttolandinlocalttolandinlocal

ST customers come from outside the

Ford brand,” is the claim. “Millennials

arepurchasingSTvehiclesatarate

THIShuge spoiler claws at the wind and

makes up part of the car’s aerodynamic

package. It’s complemented by that snow-

ploughing front splitter, matching side skirts

and rear underbody diffuser.

Sadly, chances of the GT350R

arriving in Oz are not great as

the engine isn’t designed for

right-hand drive, but expect a

hot Mustang to arrive before

too long