Ford have started and is continuing to bring out new models and upgrades to existing models that will make for a busy time for the Ford guys this year.

A facelift for the Ford Focus and Focus ST and the new Focus RS, this well loved hatchback is to receive a whole host of updates ranging from the cosmetic up to an improved build quality and technology upgrade.

The Focus has been selling well just about everywhere and at one stage was the biggest selling compact car when you add in sales in China, it was Britain’s third best-selling car in 2014 so expectations for the revised model have been high. It will be available in different trim and engine variations, allowing Ford to please to a vast range of potential buyers.

Next is the all-new Ford Mondeo (the Falcon replacement) and like the Focus, the Ford Mondeo will be available in a number of different combinations. From a Mondeo with the award winning EcoBoost 1.0L petrol engine, through to a 4 x 4.

The new Mondeo continues Ford's plans to shake up the market and offer New Zealanders new levels of reliability, smart technology and driving excitement. The new design does look good and the Mondeo is packed with smart features and safety technologies that have been proven around the world.

The all-new Mustang, known as the 2015 Mustang, is the first One Ford Mustang, a product from the global Ford stable. It’s different from the Mustang we know and of course it will be a right-hand drive configuration from the factory for the first time, a new chassis, complete with an independent rear suspension.

There will be a turbocharged 2.3L 4 cylinder with 227kW. But the Mustang's still a muscle car and will also be offered with a 313kW 5.0L V8. Each engine option is available with either a six-speed auto or manual.

The Ford Transit turns 50 in 2015 and this year will be the first year of sales for the new look commercial. Ford’s full-size van has adopted the global van platform for its new Transit with 3 body lengths, two wheelbases, and three roof heights, it can be had as a cargo hauler or a people mover with up to 15 seats.

Amenities include 270-degree rear-door openings and LED interior lighting. Engine choices include a 3.7L V6, a 3.5L twin-turbo V6, and a new 3.2L turbodiesel inline-five, each mated to a six-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive.

The all-new Ford EcoSport is being talked about as a perfect match for New Zealand’s unique traffic and road conditions. Big city traffic to our rural back roads EcoSport is supposed to give drivers a high driving position, smart technology, 5-star safety and the smart design inside and out.

The all-new Ford EcoSport has been designed to provide the highest levels of protection and driver support through a range of advanced features; all of which helped the Ford EcoSport earn a top 5 Star ANCAP safety rating.

The new Ford Everest in New Zealand will be a right-hand-drive production from Ford’s Rayong plant in Thailand, same place the Ford Ranger comes from.

The Everest has more than a passing relationship to the hugely successful Ranger; in fact it’s based on a shortened version of the Ranger platform with a different rear suspension with coil springs and a Watts linkage different to the Ranger's leaf spring set-up.

July 2015