Ford overhauls biggest-selling models

[DanielXR8]

Ford overhauls biggest-selling models
Jez Spinks, drive.com.au, 02/07/07


Ford Australia is fighting falling sales with price reductions and equipment upgrades for Falcon, Territory, Ranger and Focus, reports JEZ SPINKS.


Ford Falcon XR6


Ford Australia has announced an aggressive pricing and equipment overhaul for its most popular models as it tries to halt sliding sales.

The local car maker’s sales are nearly 10 per cent lower than this time last year despite the overall Australian new-vehicle market heading for a record one-million units in 2007.

Revised pricing, safety equipment upgrades and additional features have been applied to four Ford models: the Focus small car, Falcon large car, Territory SUV, and Ranger utility.

The total saving per vehicle ranges from just $50 on a Ford Territory Ghia AWD to a significant $6,025 on a Falcon XR6 six-speed auto.

Ford Australia is the sixth worst-performing brand out of 41 car makers in terms of year-to-date sales.

Compared with May 2006, Falcon sales are down 24 per cent, Falcon ute down 11 per cent, Territory down 12 per cent, and Fiesta down one per cent. The Escape (up 39 per cent), Focus (up 8 per cent) and Ranger (up 8 per cent on Courier model it replaced) are the Blue Oval’s positive movers.

The company says its revisions are designed to put Ford back on track with the Australian new-car market’s positive growth.

“We have to remain competitive in the market,” says Ford Australia spokesperson Sinead McAlary, “and we have studied the market for a number of months to see where it’s moving.

“There is a variety of new competitor action that has either taken place or is coming up in the short to medium term, and we wanted to ensure we were positioned accordingly and could aggressively attack the market to get our fair share.”

Ford admits 2007 has been a challenging year so far.

“We have had some good months and some not so good months,” says McAlary. “It was always going to be a difficult year because of Falcon [which is replaced by a new model in early 2008]. Our decline [in sales] is really driven by Falcon.


“But even if we recognize it’s going to be a difficult year that doesn’t mean we are going to give up. So we’re looking for new opportunities, so [these pricing/equipment changes] are what we’ve decided to do for last six months of the year.”

Ford believes the changes will help drive sales of its key models, but says the strategy is not a simple case of discounting.

“[Our approach] is a mixture between cutting the price and adding the features that customers are starting to tell us they want,” says McAlary.

“We haven’t just cut prices across the board; it’s been a case of what does that segment of the market need, what are they looking for, and we’ve attacked each model line like that. It’s about making the overall package more appealing.



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The key changes to Ford’s four most popular vehicles are as follows:

Falcon

Stability control (DSC in Ford-speak) becomes standard equipment on XT (4-speed auto), Futura and Fairmont. DSC now standard on XR6 in six-speed manual and four-speed auto guises, and both are reduced by $1,720.

The XR6 with ZF six-speed auto is reduced by $1,220 and standard equipment list now includes 18-inch alloy wheels and climate control and premium audio system.

XR6 Turbo and XR8 models are all reduced by $1,000 and are each upgraded with climate control and premium audio. XR6 Turbos also move up a size to 18-inch alloy wheels.

The five-speed-manual XT is now the only Falcon sedan not equipped with stability control. LPG Falcons do not include DSC.

Territory

Stability control is now standard on entry-level (TX) and mid-spec (TS) rear-drive Territorys, making this active safety feature standard across the SUV’s range.

Rear-drive TX and all-wheel-drive TX are reduced by $1,500 and $1,850 respectively. TS RWD and TS AWD reduced by $2,700 and $2,500 respectively.

The price of a rear-drive Ghia drops by just $100, and all-wheel-drive Ghia increases by the same amount. There is no change in the prices of the range-topping Turbo models.

From 1st September, Ghia RWD and AWD and Ghia Turbo models will get additional standard equipment in form of six-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat and electrochromatic rear-view mirror.

Ranger

Air-conditioning becomes a no-cost option (valued by Ford at $2,000) on manual versions of XL single-cab with 2.5- and 3.0-litre engines. Sticker prices reduced for entire Ranger line-up, varying between $1,000 and $4,000 depending on model.

Focus

Ford’s small car launches later this week with a mid-life update and a new diesel engine – the first diesel to be added to the Blue Oval’s local line-up.

Further details will be released then, but the company has announced that the entry-level CL manual hatchback and sedan will dip below the $20,000 mark ($19,990).

The full Focus range will receive similar treatment to the other key Ford models, with a combination of price reductions and enhanced standard equipment lists.



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Ford’s average monthly sales for 2007 put it on course for its worst sales year for more than a decade, although there are new models arriving.

A soft-top version of Ford’s small car, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet, launches in October, followed shortly afterwards by the all-new, mid-sized Mondeo.

[Donut King]

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=106894