Ford preparing new Fiesta ST and Kuga

Ford Australia will reveal its comprehensively upgraded 2014 Falcon range in one form or another by the end of next year, and now it has also confirmed details of the redesigned Kuga crossover and new three-door Fiesta ST hot hatch it will launch before then in 2013.

The new Kuga has now been confirmed for release here in the second quarter of 2013 – following the first-quarter release of Subaru's new Forester and Toyota's new RAV4, and the recent release of Honda's new CR-V and Mitsubishi's latest Outlander.

Unlike the existing Kuga, which is available exclusively with a 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol engine, two engines have been confirmed for Australia's new Kuga – Ford's familiar 2.0-litre TDCi four-cylinder turbo-diesel and the 1.6-litre EcoBoost turbo-petrol engine.

Ford's new Kuga is already available in North America with a range of turbo-petrol engines and the 2.0-litre EcoBoost powerplant is fitted to Ford Australia's Focus ST, Mondeo and Falcon.

Both petrol and diesel versions of the Kuga, which has been awarded a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, will come with a six-speed automatic transmission in Australia.

It will also bring a range of new technologies, including the hands-free 'open sesame' automatic tailgate, the Active Park Assist parallel parking aid and the sensor-based Blind Spot Information System.

The latest Kuga will also be the first Ford in Australia to equipped with the SYNC-based Emergency Assistance system, which connects vehicle occupants with emergency services following an accident.

The Ford SYNC hands-free in-car connectivity system was first seen here in this year's new Focus and will also be offered in the Kuga. It allows drivers to make calls or select music from devices connected via Bluetooth or USB while keeping their hands on the wheel.

It is not clear if the new Kuga, like the vast majority of its mid-size SUV rivals, will be available in price-leading front-wheel drive form, but Ford says the Kuga's all-wheel drive system pre-emptively reassesses conditions 20 times faster than it takes to blink an eye.

The Fiesta ST, meanwhile, has been confirmed for local release in the third quarter of next year, but only in three-door form. While the three-door hot-hatch is built in Germany, Ford revealed a Mexican-made five-door Fiesta ST at the Los Angeles motor show last month.

Both versions are powered by a 132kW/240Nm 1.6-litre EcoBoost turbo-petrol engine, and the three-door Ford will do battle with a range of five-door hot-hatches here.

They include Skoda's 132kW/250Nm Fabia RS, Suzuki's 100kW/160Nm Swift Sport, Peugeot's upcoming 147kW/275Nm 208 GTI (due here in mid-2013) and Renault's upcoming 149kW/240Nm Clio RS (due here in late 2013).

While the Peugeot hot-hatch will also be a three-door model, only Volkswagen's 132kW/250Nm Polo GTI is available in both three- and five-door body styles.

The successor for Ford's previous-generation Fiesta XR4 will come only with a six-speed manual gearbox, a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of less than seven seconds and a top speed of around 220km/h.

Ford also says the Fiesta ST will offer combined fuel consumption of around just 5.8L/100km, making it around 20 per cent more efficient than the XR4 – despite performance hikes of 22kW and 50Nm.

The Fiesta ST will also come with a heavily upgraded chassis, including a 15mm lower ride height and an enhanced electronic Torque Vector Control system, which debuted on the Focus ST and brakes the inside front wheel to maximise traction.

Ford's smallest performance model, which underwent more than 5000km of testing on the Nurburgring Nordschliefe circuit in Germany, also features a tweaked electro-mechanical power steering system and redesigned steering arm, plus Recaro sports seats and a more aggressive bodykit.

The all-new Fiesta ST will arrive as part of a facelifted 2013 Fiesta line-up that will also be headlined by a Ford's new 1.0-litre EcoBoost three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.

As we've reported the upgraded Fiesta range will also wear bolder new exterior styling and revised interior ergonomics.

"Ford Australia is continuing to evolve and provide our customers with new and exciting vehicles and we expect our 2013 arrivals to create a lot of excitement," said Ford Australia President and CEO, Bob Graziano.

"Next year we're continuing our technology and smart story with the some high-quality global vehicles that cater to the differing customer wants in the market. From driving enthusiasts to young families and small business owners, we have something for everyone.

"We're really excited by the arrival of the Ford Kuga as it will provide a welcome addition to our SUV line-up. It is an important vehicle for our customers as it will introduce EcoBoost technology into our SUV line-up and a host of new features to the market.

"We've also gone further to provide an enjoyable driving experience, be it with driver assistance technologies or smart in-car features."

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site.