Ford Australia Restructed: Running Bigger And Better
By Pam Erickson on February 9, 2011, 10:54 am
Ford’s share of the market dropped below 10 per cent for the first time last year, despite overall vehicle demand exceeding one million. The slump was led by a 5 per cent drop in demand for the Falcon large sedan, which is built alongside the Territory at Ford’s Melbourne factory, and meant production fell to just 50,000 — half the level of six years ago.
Upgrades
Mr Graziano said his focus was on immediate prospects for the upgraded Territory and a four-cylinder Falcon due later this year, which together cost $230 million and attracted $42m from the government’s green car fund. The money helped pay for a diesel engine in the Territory and a long-overdue freshening up of its design.
Restructure
“The team has done a great job of restructuring the business over the last couple of years,” he said. “Our intent is to continue to ensure we’re operating with the right business model here.” Mr Graziano, an American who was drafted to Australia after running operations in China, is Ford Australia’s third chief executive in two years. He said he was impressed by the calibre of the Australian team and planned to be here for the long haul.
Territory
Featuring the latest take on Ford’s kinetic design language, the new Territory is instantly recognizable as a member of the Blue Oval’s expanding vehicle family and according to the automaker it provides a glimpse into the future of its global SUV styling. We can clearly see influences from the new 2011 Ford Explorer, especially in the tail lamps, as well as a 2012 Focus-inspired front air dam
This is the second-generation Ford Territory SUV, which has been fully designed and engineered in Australia. It is powered by the same 4.0-liter straight-six that appears in the Falcon sedan or an optional turbodiesel engine. A high-performance turbocharged version of the gasoline model should be released further down the track.