Few brands have quite the cache in Australia as Ford, with more than 100 years of local history, including mass manufacturing and vehicle development. The Blue Oval knows it can’t rest on its laurels though.
That’s despite its locally developed Ranger ute remaining the best-selling vehicle in the country. Speaking to media at an event in Melbourne on Monday, at which Exhaust Notes Australia was present, the company’s leading spokespeople detailed the brand’s direction.
The key message? Leaning into the brand’s existing strengths even harder, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.
“Australians and Kiwis deserve the peace of mind of a local legacy, a global footprint, and a service network that is not easy to replicate,” Ford Australia president and CEO Fadi Mawal explained.
“Our plan [is to be] a more resilient, profitable, customer-obsessed business built on what we do best: trucks and vans for work, performance cars for thrill, SUVs and off-roaders for adventure, and a dealer and service network to back it all up.”
Headlining the event was the public unveiling of three upcoming models which encapsulate these areas of its portfolio best. This was teamed with the announcement of Ford extending its warranty for all vehicles to include 7-year unlimited kilometre coverage.
That’s dependent on customers servicing their vehicles at a Ford dealer. When it comes to work vehicles, media were given a first look at the all-electric Transit City van, due later this year. It’s one of two models developed with its Chinese joint venture partner JMC.
The other is the Bronco Basecamp, a super-hybrid built for adventurous off-roading that draws upon the styling of the full-fat Bronco offered in the US. It’s slated for arrival in the second half of 2027.
Performance cars also remain central to the company’s plans, with the Aussie-only Mustang Dark Horse T8-Spec Pack, developed with Triple Eight Race Engineering, making its physical debut.
Already, Ford leads a number of important market segments. The locally-developed Ranger is the best-selling new vehicle in the country, the Everest is the best-selling large SUV, and the Mustang has been the best-selling sports car for eight of the last 10 years.
“We’ll get there by broadening our portfolio and bringing in more zero-tailpipe and low-emission vehicles, without asking customers to compromise on capability, lifestyle or quality,” Mawal said.
“Today, we are only playing in about 30 per cent of the new car market, but we know that’s not enough. Our ambition is to double that to more than 60 per cent in three years’ time,” he added.
“And we’re not just growing, we’re also renewing our existing portfolio as well. Our plan is that over 90 percent of all of our volume sold will be either all-new or significantly refreshed by the end of 2030.”
Already, those adjustments to the specification of existing models are scheduled on the calendar. A minor announcement at the event was that the Tourneo eight-seat people mover will be offered exclusively as a plug-in hybrid with 51km electric range from Q2 2027.
“All of [these changes] help us to compete aggressively with both new and legacy automakers alike,” Mawal added. Underwriting Ford’s confidence in its soon-to-be rejuvenated lineup is that new warranty.
For fleet and business customers, the company is also set to roll out its Ford Pro ‘integrated ecosystem’ in Australia – something already active and successful in North America and Europe.
Based around the principle that if a customer’s vehicle isn’t on the road, they’re not earning money, Ford Pro looks to bring vehicles, customisation, finance, service, and software together in one ecosystem.
It also caters to the fact that half of all new vehicles sold in Australia are transacted through an ABN – something Ford was keen to point out.
“Our future direction is clear: greater choice for customers, deeper loyalty to the Ford brand, more foot traffic into our dealerships and a much more diverse lineup to sell,” Mawal concludes.
“We will keep designing and engineering vehicles right here that are made for Australian drivers and our tough conditions. The best is still ahead, and our customers will be the ones who benefit.”
