Ford accelerates transformation with wave of products next year

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Ford accelerates transformation with wave of products next year and 20 new or freshened models by 2020

Ford to build on a full family of passenger, SUV and commercial vehicles by launching 20 new or freshened models by 2020

EcoBoost technology propels Ford to become a leader in fuel economy, and will be joined by the company’s first hybrid in Australia by 2020

Australian reveal of Ford’s iconic Mustang and regional reveal of the 2015 Focus and Focus ST with more advanced technologies, performance and enhanced fuel economy

Ford is adding even more investment to its Australian product development operations, building $2.2 billion invested the past seven years – the most of any auto R&D

Innovative new technologies, including Enhanced Active Park Assist to now help customers more easily park perpendicularly and Enhanced Active City Stop, which enables automatic emergency braking up to speeds of 50km/h

MELBOURNE, Dec 9, 2014 – As Ford launches an unprecedented wave of new products next year, the company is accelerating its product- and technology-led transformation with an ongoing refreshed line-up that will include 20 new or freshened models by 2020.
Ford is currently refreshing its entire vehicle line-up in Australia by 2017, as it continues launching 10 global vehicles to serve Australian customers for years to come with a full family of passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles with exceptional quality, smart design, safety, fuel efficiency and value.
Ford will maintain the aggressive product cadence as part of its global One Ford strategy, including more investment in the company’s Australian product development operations to serve the local market and others around the world.
“Ford is aggressively transforming our company with great new products and even more investment in our Australian development operations to offer one of the freshest, most exciting line-ups in the industry,” said Bob Graziano, President and CEO of Ford Australia. “This is our long-term plan as we strengthen our line-up even more with 20 new or freshened by products by 2020, responding to customers who seek out the newest products with freshest innovations.”

Mustang coupe, Focus and Focus ST debut in Australia
Ford also is introducing the Mustang coupe in Australia after revealing the convertible a year ago as part of the car’s global reveal.
The Mustang is generating unprecedented excitement among customers, with 15,000 Australians having already expressed interest in the vehicle ahead of its arrival in Australia in mid-2015.
“The Mustang is an iconic vehicle in Australia and around the world, and is drawing people to Ford well before it arrives here,” said Graziano. “This is the power of Mustang, and something we underestimated as we have many more customers asking to follow the car than we expected this early in the launch.”
For the first time in Asia-Pacific, Ford also is debuting the 2015 Focus and Focus ST with more advanced technologies, performance and enhanced fuel economy.

Product progress
Since Ford’s Go Further event in 2013, Ford has launched Fiesta, Fiesta ST, EcoSport SUV, Transit Custom, Transit, Ranger XL Plus and the 2015 Falcon and Territory.
Ford will build on these launches with a wave of new products hitting next year, led by Mustang and Focus and including:

2015 Ford Mondeo: The all-new, stylish and technologically advanced Mondeo mid-size sedan arrives early in 2015. The new Mondeo will feature at least 10 advanced features not available on the Camry, including a diesel model that will be more fuel efficient than Camry Hybrid.

2015 Ford Kuga: The newly launched Ford Kuga will be freshened in early 2015 with a new 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine on its high series models offering 30 per cent more power than Toyota’s RAV-4 with comparable fuel economy.

2015 Ford Everest: The Australian designed and engineered Everest is a technologically advanced, stunningly capable and refined seven-seat SUV that will be launched in 2015.

2015 Ford Ranger: A freshened version of the tough, capable and Australian-created Ranger will arrive in 2015 to build on its momentum after cutting Toyota Hilux’s sales lead by 38 per cent since 2011.

“We are sending a message that Ford has an exciting future in Australia with a great lineup of new vehicles, including the re-introduction of Mustang, which is going global after 50 years as America’s greatest motoring icon,” said Bob Graziano, Ford Australia President and CEO.

Fuel economy leadership
Ford continues investing heavily in fuel economy with EcoBoost petrol engine technology and advanced diesels. By the end of 2015, EcoBoost technology will be rolled out across 80 per cent of our passenger car range.
As well, Ford’s turbo-diesel technology will continue to be a strong alternative for customers. In the all-new 2015 Mondeo hatch the 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine is more fuel efficient than Camry Hybrid (combined fuel figure of 5.1 l/100km* versus 5.2 l/100km).
Ford is also challenging the hotly contested SUV segment with a refreshed Ford Kuga feature improved EcoBoost engine technology and an improved TDCi diesel engine. When compared with 2.5-litre AWD Toyota RAV4 models, the new 134kW EcoBoost offers more power and torque whilst still offering better fuel economy and the new 178kW high-output EcoBoost engines offers a considerable 44kW and 107Nm over the 2.5-litre Toyota with comparable economy†˄.
To further compliment Ford Kuga’s acclaimed driving dynamics, a high-output, 178 kW (345 Nm) EcoBoost engine is now standard on Trend and Titanium to offer customers a premium driving experience.
“Our Ford EcoBoost technology continues to set us apart – and it will be a cornerstone of our ongoing product onslaught,” said Graziano. “EcoBoost is part of our commitment to deliver significantly better fuel economy with turbocharged smaller engines that still offer the power of larger engines.”
Building on this commitment to leading fuel economy, Ford will introduce its first hybrid in Australia by 2020. Ford already is the second highest seller of hybrid technology globally, with technology offering a compelling combination of performance, efficiency and affordability.

Innovations of the Future
Ford will launch at least eight new technologies by 2016 in Australia, including the company’s world-first rear inflatable seatbelts, Blind Spot Information System, Cross Traffic Alert, and Active City Stop and Enhanced Active Park Assist.
Ford’s Enhanced Active Park Assist, which enables hands-free parking in both parallel and perpendicular parking spaces. The system scans for suitable spots, and when a parking space is found it will take care of all the steering – requiring only shifting, acceleration and brake input from the driver.
Ford’s Enhanced Active City Stop is the next generation of this technology, which enables automatic emergency braking up to speeds of 50km/h and will be available to customers soon. Enhanced Active City Stop is part of Ford’s work to deliver more advanced braking systems, which may enhance the safety of our cities and roads.
Ford’s Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with Cross-Traffic Alert, which helps detect vehicles in a driver’s blind spots, giving peace of mind on the road and when parking.
BLIS® is a radar-based system that identifies when there are other vehicles in a driver’s blind spot and alerts the driver using indicator lights and audio alerts. Cross-Traffic Alert, working in tandem with BLIS®, scans 20 metres in each direction – the equivalent of seven parking spaces – in order to warn drivers of approaching vehicles when backing out of a parking spot. All these smart features aim to help increase driver awareness and convenience.

Customer Service of the future
Customers will soon experience the Ford transformation story the minute they walk into a dealership. These dealerships will have non-sales-oriented concierges to welcome customers and ask how they want to engage with the sales staff. This “permission-based” sales process continues throughout the experience.
The core of the transformation is the dealership’s evolution with modern customer trends. For example, sales and service experts will blend modern technologies such as iPad-based shopping tools, SYNC-based product information during test drives and convenient online scheduling to make the experience easier and more transparent for customers.
“Ford’s new vehicles are widely being credited for competing with the best products in the world,” said Graziano. “We now are taking a similar approach to innovating and transforming our dealerships to make it easier to buy and service these great vehicles.”
Almost 40 dealers across the country Melbourne and Sydney will have transformed their stores with the majority of Ford’s 200 dealerships completing the work by the end of 2015.

Investment in the Future
Ford is investing heavily in Australia. In 2013, Ford invested $340 million into product research and development facilities in Australia, bringing the company’s total R&D investment in Australia over the past seven years to more than $2.2 billion.

This investment makes Ford the largest automotive R&D investor in the country.
Ford is also continuing to collaborate with the most relevant and technically capable world-class universities. Ford has several major Ford-funded University Research Projects looking at key areas of innovation and the company plans to expand its collaborations further.
Apart from the university collaboration projects, Ford is helping inspire engineers of the future through a new collaboration with FIRST Australia, which offers exciting mentor-based programs in a competition setting for young people interested in science, maths and technology.
These programs are some of the ways that Ford is helping nurture the skills of the next generation of talented Ford designers and engineers.

* All fuel consumption figures are from officially approved tests in accordance with ADR81/02. Fuel economy figures quoted are based on the combined cycle according to ADR81/02 and might differ from fuel economy drive cycle results in other regions of the world.
† Based on the combined cycle according to ADR81/02 published on www.toyota.com.au
˄ All Ford performance figures for petrol models measured using premium unleaded fuel (95 RON)