AIMS: Ford to unveil plethora of product

FORD’S Melbourne motor show presence will be almost exclusively focused on its surfeit of upcoming new models, including the new Falcon LPi, redesigned Focus range, all-new Ranger one-tonner, facelifted Territory and fresh Mondeo EcoBoost.

All-important pricing and fuel consumption figures for Ford’s new-generation liquid-injection Falcon LPi models will be revealed on the day before they become available in late July.

Similarly, pricing for the Blue Oval’s vital new Focus small car range – which makes its Australian debut on Friday before it arrives in showrooms in August – will also be announced.

Not far behind will be the Australian designed and engineered Ranger utility, which will make its first local appearance in XLT and flagship Wildtrak 4x4 dual-cab versions, but will not match its mechanical twin in Mazda’s new BT-50 by appearing in extended-cab guise as seen at the recent Bangkok show.

From top: Ford Ranger Wildtrak, Ford Mondeo EcoBoost, Ford Territory.

Ford will, however, announce the five Australian finalists for its Ford Ranger Global Challenge competition, which attracted 1376 suggestions for ways to test the new Ranger. The winning entry – as judged by the public based on internet videos of the Ranger challenges – will win a dual-cab Ranger ute.

Naturally, Ford will take the opportunity to show the facelifted Territory SUV range – including the first diesel versions – that began reaching forecourts this month, as well as the upgraded Mondeo range that officially goes on sale on July 1.

The latter is headlined by Ford’s first EcoBoost turbo-petrol engine for Australia, where a higher-output version of the force-fed direct-injection engine will power Ford’s first four-cylinder Falcon by next February. The Falcon range will receive a facelift before then in October, but it will not be seen at the show.

While FPV is expected to present a limited-edition ‘Black’ model in Melbourne, Ford’s 2011 AIMS stand will also feature a concept car twist by presenting the final two Mad Max concepts created after-hours by Ford designers Simon Brook and Nima Nourian.

A Top Gear magazine reader poll will determine the favourite of the two.

Ford has said it will not produce a full-size version of either 40 per cent scale model, but is keen to highlight its design capability in Australia - in this case via two young Monash University graduates.