FPV models debut alongside new Falcons

Ford Australia's performance arm, Ford Performance Vehicles, showed it was firmly back in favour today, revealing its new models alongside Ford's all-new FG Falcons for the first time ever. Indeed, save for Ford's range-topping Falcon, the G6E Turbo, FPV's top models actually took pride of place in the unveiling of the Blue Oval's new large car at Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

Many details about the new FPV sedans and utes will not be revealed until the company has its own product launch in early May. Key will be the power outputs of the new models -- yet to be revealed.

We've speculated previously on the power outputs for the new versions of the V8 and Turbo six. Expect the entire FPV sedan range to boast engine outputs over 300kW.

And it won't only be numbers that separate the products. Differentiation of FPV and Ford's models took another step forward today. No longer will FPV's car wear Ford's Blue Oval -- instead a new, larger FPV badge will take pride of place on the cars.

"Featuring the FPV badge on all our new models is a major repositioning for the FPV brand," said FPV boss, Rod Barrett.

"It signifies the maturing of our brand and the evolution of FPV as Ford's performance partner."

Barrett said the presence of the FPV models at the FG's launch was important.

"[It shows] a collaborative approach between the two companies, I hope, and it's the way we look at operating going forward. I think it's a really good thing for both Ford and FPV to be here today and a show of what really is a representative range [of the new cars].

"It's quite significant that [after the Falcon's G6E Turbo 'hero' car] our cars were the next two cars to come out -- I think that says something about it [the relationship between Ford and FPV]," Barrett told the Carsales Network.

The cooperative approach has stretched further than concurrent unveilings, however. Indeed, it's clear the new FG FPV range has been massaged to work around the new Falcon strategy that sees the Ford range-topper powered by a turbo six (G6E Turbo) and its XR turbo six and V8 now sharing equal billing and specifications.

As predicted by the Carsales Network, FPV drops the Typhoon and Tornado names as well as the Force nomenclature for the FG. FPV's turbo sixes will simply be known under the F6 title in future and just a single sedan and ute models will be offered -- at least initially.

The V8 utes retain the Pursuit and Super Pursuit nameplates (for the moment) while the sedans leverage the GT epithet.

In addition to the GT and GT-P, FPV will now also offer a GT-E. Sporting more understated cosmetics, it is effectively a replacement for the Force8 and in many ways is also a G8E in all but name -- one that wears FPV rather than Ford badges.

The understanding is that there is now no 'room' in the FPV/Ford spectrum for a replacement for the Force6 -- what would have been the F6-E

Quite simply, FPV boss Rod Barrett explains, an F6-E would be too close to the Ford range-topper for comfort.

"It's hard to determine what a 'flagship' is these days but I'm looking at two families -- the FPV brand above and two drop-down families [F6 and V8]. To ask have we got a halo car? Well, it depends how you position it.

"[There's] Not enough room to differentiate it [F6-E]... And particularly given the marketing position of this car," Barret said pointing to the G6E Turbo.

"That will be Ford's halo car right throughout their marketing campaigns.

"My thinking was let's not compete door-to-door. Let's get our own range in order. The F6 to me is the driver's car -- it's sports luxury with overt performance. It's not simply a sports luxury car like the G6E Turbo," he opined.

"When our performance figures come out there's significant differentiation between the two."

The new FPV models will go on sale in June -- within around a month of the main Falcon range.  

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