From stuff.co.nz in association with New Zealand Autocar magazine.
Upgrades lift Ford's four-cylinder game
28 November 2005
The contrast in the different compact car strategies between Ford and Holden could not be more marked.
Just weeks after Holden NZ announced that it would import Korean-made Daewoo cars to add price appeal to its compact car range, Ford NZ have headed in the opposite direction - upmarket.
The increasingly-popular second-generation Focus will now be imported from Germany instead of South Africa, while the smaller Euro-made Fiesta has extra appeal thanks to classier interior trim, and added safety equipment. Where the General has opted to make cheapness a prime virtue of the new Barina and Viva, Fiesta and Focus now have added class.
Holden must be feeling some concern about the pricing of Ford's two revised four-cylinder ranges. The Fiesta kicks off at $21,990 in five-speed manual form ($1000 more than a Daewoo-made Barina automatic), however buyers can delete the newly-added side airbags and head curtains for a $1000 saving if required. Powered by the same 74kW 1.6 litre engine, Fiesta now holds the crash safety high ground in the small car class with its fitting of six exploding crash pillows.
Barina only offers two frontal-impact airbags, and
ABS brakes (standard on Fiesta) are an option.
Meanwhile the move to European sourcing for the larger Focus has won a measurable lift in build quality for a car that narrowly missed out on the prestigious European Car of the Year award this year. New Zealand is now the largest export market outside the EU for Ford's Focus plant in south-west Germany.
According to Ford NZ spokeswoman, Suzanne van Pels, the shift to German sourcing was motivated by a desire to add equipment to the range that the South African plant could not offer. Side airbags are now standard on the $30,490 base Focus model along with dual frontal protectors, and head curtains are now a $1000 option. Other additions include cruise control, adjustable power steering, and power exterior mirrors. Ford NZ says it has added roughly $1500 worth of extra equipment to each model for a price increase of $500.
"It's a win-win situation for all," said Ford New Zealand managing director Richard Matheson. Focus is a finalist in the coming Car of the Year award conducted by New Zealand Autocar magazine, having been chosen as one of the final six contenders primarily for its outstanding ride/handling characteristics. It is one of the few cars in its class with fully independent suspension, and is arguably the most technically-sophisticated.
It will be interesting to watch whether the New Zealand car buyer recognises that it is worth paying a premium of over $5000 for the Ford when comparing Focus with the Daewoo-made Holden Viva.