Ford says 2015 will be one its busiest years ever in terms of new product launches in the UK – broadening the appeal of the Ford brand to more customers- Ford last year strengthened its UK market lead while recording 38 consecutive years of car sales leadership and 49 years of commercial vehicle leadership on strong demand for its new, all-new and refreshed cars, commercial vehicles and remarkable technologies
- In 2015, all-new Mondeo will be joined by the all-new Ford Galaxy and S-MAX and versatile new C-MAX and Grand C-MAX
- Ford debuts upmarket product and ownership experience this year with the new Ford Vignale Mondeo
- The all-new Ford Mustang will go on in the UK, and with right-hand drive, this year for first time in the iconic vehicle’s 50-year history; new Focus ST and Focus diesel ST also debut
- Ford will extend all-new Mondeo range to include the first Mondeo Hybrid, and models equipped with Intelligent all-wheel drive, and the award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost
- Production to start for advanced all-new Ford Edge SUV in late 2015, joins Kuga and EcoSport as Ford continues to leverage global SUV strength
BRENTWOOD, Essex, 12 January, 2015 – Ford of Britain – which last year strengthened its UK market lead while recording 38 consecutive years of car sales leadership and 49 years of commercial vehicle leadership on strong demand for its new models – said 2015 will be one of the busiest years for new product in the company’s history.
Ford confirmed for the first time that an all-new Ford Galaxy seven-passenger vehicle will go on sale about mid-year. Other new models coming in 2015 include the all-new S-MAX, C‑MAX, Grand C-MAX and Mustang. All-new Edge SUV will go into production in late 2015.
In addition, Ford will complete the rollout of the all-new Mondeo with variants equipped with Intelligent all-wheel drive, high-powered diesel and petrol engines, and the award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost. The new Focus family is also being expanded to include a new Focus ST and Focus diesel ST, followed by refreshed versions of EcoSport and Ranger.
“In 2014, our new passenger cars, commercial vehicles and remarkable technologies helped us outperform the market and increase our market share in Europe,” said Jim Farley, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe. “In 2015, we’re excited to build on this momentum and reach new customers with everything from larger, more upscale cars and utilities to new performance vehicles to vehicles designed for families of every size. These new vehicles reflect a more emotional and upmarket vision for Ford products in Europe.”
This year Ford expects to launch new or significantly refreshed versions of passenger cars that last year accounted for around 45 per cent of total sales.
Here is a closer look at Ford’s product plans for 2015:
Vignale
Ford will debut its upscale Vignale product and ownership experience in 2015 with the Vignale Mondeo. Vignale will be sold from select FordStores across the UK.
Among bespoke services available to customers who have bought a new Ford Vignale from the FordStores will be collection and delivery for vehicle servicing – from a home address or office location – alongside servicing scheduled to suit the owner. Vignale customers will be able to make all arrangements, and make any Vignale-related enquiries via a single, free telephone number. Vignale vehicles will always be handled with care and, with a premium valet, handed back to owners waxed, cleaned, and vacuumed.
SUVs
Ford’s expansion of its SUV range was led by the introduction of the new Kuga, first revealed in late 2012. Last year, the company introduced the all-new EcoSport compact SUV, combining the practicality and affordability of a small car in a spacious, flexible SUV package.
This year Ford will start production of the all-new Edge, Ford’s most advanced SUV, which will go on sale to European customers for the first time. The company also will introduce enhancements for EcoSport for a fresh, comprehensive range of small, medium and large SUVs.
Ford Performance
A mouth-watering year for performance vehicle enthusiasts includes the arrival of an icon. After more than 50 years, the all-new Ford Mustang will go on sale in the UK for the first time and Fastback and convertible models will be offered equipped with Ford’s new 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine, and the latest generation of Ford’s legendary 5.0-litre V8.
In early 2015, Ford will introduce the new Focus ST. Offered as a five-door model, and estate, the new Focus ST will for the first time offer a powerful diesel option – the most fuel‑efficient and lowest CO2 Ford performance car ever.*
Only last month, Ford confirmed it will be launching an all-new Focus RS. The 30th RS model produced by Ford since 1967 will be the first to go on sale globally, and is among more than 12 new performance vehicles that Ford is bringing to customers worldwide through 2020.
Family vehicles
The all-new Ford Galaxy that will join Ford’s family vehicle line-up this year, is the fifth generation of one of Europe’s most popular seven-seat family movers.
For families, Ford will deliver a wide spectrum of new models including, in spring, an all-new version of the trail-blazing S-MAX sports activity vehicle. At the same time, the stylish new C-MAX and Grand C-MAX multi-activity vehicles will enhance a MAX family that also includes the B-MAX multi-activity vehicle to ensure the broadest choice of family vehicles in Europe.
All-new Mondeo
Ford will extend the all-new Mondeo range which includes, for the first time, the Mondeo Hybrid Electric Vehicle. There also will be a first Mondeo 1.0-litre EcoBoost, equipped with the engine that achieved an unprecedented third consecutive victory when it was named 2014 International Engine of the Year. Ford will introduce to the line-up Intelligent all-wheel drive, and a new twin-sequential turbocharged 210PS 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine.
Remarkable technologies
All-new Mondeo and S-MAX customers will this year be able to specify technologies including:
- Intelligent all-wheel drive, which measures how the car’s tyres are gripping the road surface every 16 milliseconds, and can adjust power delivery to individual wheels in 100 milliseconds
- Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection, which can detect people in the road ahead – or that could cross the vehicle’s path – and automatically apply the brakes if the driver does not respond to warnings
- Active Park Assist with Perpendicular Parking technology, which can detect and reverse the car hands-free into spaces alongside other cars as well as parallel to the road; technology first offered on the new Ford Focus
All-new S-MAX will debut in Europe Ford Adaptive Steering, which continually changes the ratio between the steering and road wheels according to vehicle speed. It also will introduce Front Split View Camera technology to the segment, which makes negotiating junctions or parking spaces with restricted visibility easier through the use of a 180deg camera system installed at the front of the vehicle.
Finally, all of the vehicles being launched in 2015 will feature SYNC 2 – Ford’s connectivity system with advanced voice control and eight-inch colour touchscreen. This enables drivers to operate phone, entertainment, climate and navigation systems using simple conversational language. Drivers can even bring up a list of local restaurants by using the command: “I’m hungry”.
“Our entire product development team around the world, and especially here in Europe, have been working harder than ever to deliver on the product promises that we have made as part of our revitalisation plan,” said Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe. “From performance cars that deliver outstanding on-road performance to family vehicles that deliver great quality, fuel efficiency, safety and technology, 2015 promises to be one of the most exciting years for Ford of Europe and its customers.”
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* The declared fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are measured according to the technical requirements and specifications of the European Regulations (EC) 715/2007 and (EC) 692/2008 as last amended. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are specified for a vehicle variant and not for a single car. The applied standard test procedure enables comparison between different vehicle types and different manufacturers. In addition to the fuel efficiency of a car, driving behaviour as well as other non-technical factors play a role in determining a car’s fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. CO2 is the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. Results in MPG also correspond to this European drive cycle and are stated in imperial gallons. The results may differ from fuel economy figures in other regions of the world due to the different drive cycles and regulations used in those markets.