No Movement on F150 Bronco & Maverick

[Elks]

https://www.carsales.com.au/editoria...for-oz-129724/

Ford F-150, Bronco, Mustang Mach-E and Maverick still not for Oz
Blue oval boss stonewalls on potential future products; focusses on Ranger but hints at EV
Ford’s stunning range of new US models including the top-selling F-150 pick-up, Ranger-based Bronco and electric Mustang Mach-E are off-limits to Australia and it appears they will remain so.

Ford Australia boss Andrew Birkic sat through a media roundtable this week as journos asked about the local prospects of these three big-hitters – as well as the newly-unveiled Chinese-market Ford Evos crossover, the Bronco Sport compact SUV and the upcoming Maverick small ute based on the same C2 car platform – and he pretty much offered the same response on all of them.

“Nothing to share,” he said.

It was a defensive performance legendary British cricketing stonewaller Geoff Boycott would have been proud of.

While some past Ford Australia presidents have been prepared to drop the occasional hint about future product plans, Birkic was resolute in his determination to reveal nothing about anything, unless the media release has been issued.

On the prospects of the 14th generation F-150 taking the fight up to the RAM 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 in the local market, Birkic said:

“We always review programs and vehicles around the world, that is the beauty of being a global company, but nothing to share on that [F-150]. There is no right-hand drive,” Brkic confirmed.

On the prospects of local right-hand drive conversion – as performed by the Walkinshaw Group in Melbourne with the RAM and Silverado – if RHD isn’t available ex-factory, Brkic was equally opaque.

“We are always surveying the landscape and the landscape and our competitors… we understand the market, we have open lines of communication with our management bit I won’t be discussing the cycle plan.

“Nothing to share on future product announcements.”

Same goes for the born-again Ford Bronco, an all-new Jeep Wrangler rival based on the latest iteration of the Aussie-developed T6 Ranger platform. While its interior and exterior design was developed in the US, the Victorian-based T6 homeroom had massive input into this vehicle.

Despite this – and being a smash-hit in the US – the Bronco is not available in right-hand drive and therefore is off the list for Australia, as we’ve previously reported.


“We’re always looking at what the globe has and that is part of our role. But there is no right-hand drive for that vehicle,” said Birkic.

In contrast, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is being built in right-hand drive for the UK market, but that still doesn’t mean it’s a candidate for Australia, where the plug-in hybrid Escape – delayed until early 2022 after battery packs in early build examples caught fire – will remain Ford’s sole electrified commitment.

“Nothing to share on the Mach-E. There is incredibly strong demand [overseas] for that product,” said Birkic, who nevertheless confirmed Ford Australia would release an all-electric vehicle – one day.

“We will start with the Escape PHEV and we will have some [electrification] news to share at some point and it will include BEV.”

Asked if a lack of strong government policy support for electrification was discouraging a commitment to EVs, Birkic deflected.

“Globally we have said we want to be carbon-neutral by 2050. We understand there is an FCAI [emission reduction] code which we have signed up to.

“We will make the decision where we see levels of demand and also what our customers want.”

Evos: “That vehicle will be in China and we have nothing to share on that vehicle coming to Australia.”

Bronco: “As a Ford employee, we think it’s an amazing product. We are really proud… it’s an amazing body of work and we’re incredibly proud. But the vehicle isn’t built for right-hand-drive and that’s where it’s at.”

Bronco Sport: “Same response [it’s left-hand drive only].”

Maverick: “I’ve got nothing to comment on it. What we need to focus on is Ranger.”

Ford is clearly doing that job effectively, as the Ranger 4x2 and 4x4 accounted for 63.35 per cent of all Ford Australia sales in the first quarter of 2021, or 10,003 of 15,788 total sales.

Ford’s second-best selling vehicle was the T6-based Everest SUV with 1433 sales. The once-mighty Focus small car found only 356 sales, or 2.25 per cent of the action.

[Elks]

Whist you can never know for sure. It seems like a case of doing the bare minimum going on at Richmond.

All the eggs are firmly in the Ranger Basket. And if something happens there to either product quality or supply they are at risk.

[WASP]

Yeap, seems so. He really knows how to sap all the excitement out of the room

[4Vman]

Some models have supply issues already in LHD markets, so until they cater to them RHD is a distant second.

Another issue is the vastly different global standards subsets of the RHD markets.

It's like LHD 90% of sales, 1 standard, RHD 10% of sales multiple different standards...

Where would you focus you efforts?

[WASP]

I get that but as a consumer products company you also want to keep consumers excited about your brand. By shutting down all talk of future models you effectively extinguish that opportunity.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[4Vman]

I get that but as a consumer products company you also want to keep consumers excited about your brand. By shutting down all talk of future models you effectively extinguish that opportunity.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have no idea why Birkic invited the media in for a round table when he was going to refuse to elaborate on anything!

P.S Birkic went to my Primary school and was in My Sisters year.

[andrewforbes]

This is all pretty standard, ford generally don't leak info unless they want to.
But in saying that I know and have read the mach e will be a global vehicle, this was announced a number time from the states way back during development n testing. Which I'd like to see, it will go head to head with tesla globally, pushing shit up hill to win that. Ford have spent big on ev tech eg. Buying companies who are in advanced stages of newer tech.
I'm disappointed the bronco n f150 aren't being aimed here, we have growing market in large trucks n a continued growth in weekend adventures, with current situation ford may of missed the boat in trying to secure the popularity of bronco here. More people wanting that type of vehicle n really could of built quite the following if it was released here a few months after it's release in USA.
Don't think maverick would really work, if it's essentially a ranger.
Ford really only need to look at what people are spending on 2nd, 3rd hand f150. That alone should tell u people will buy it.
But I guess it's all a numbers game, volume will be deciding factor really. We know ford will spend money on rhd factory capabilities if the return in those markets are worth it.

[4Vman]

Allegedly Mach E production capacity is booked solid for the next 3 years with existing region demand.

The Window for us to get it opens up in 2024

[FTe217]

Not too fussed about the pickups - Explorer would have been a great seller here imo.
Look how many of the large Euro SUV's are about, then the latest KIA Sorento size.
Alas were in that too hard small market.

[WASP]

Allegedly Mach E production capacity is booked solid for the next 3 years with existing region demand.

The Window for us to get it opens up in 2024

I guess we'll have to have to let the market or origin be the test dummies for their all-new EV model.

Apparently, we have the hybrid Escape coming here soon but if the interest in that is anything like the petrol variants I don't see that taking a marketing leader position in the compact SUV stakes. The new Escape in Titanium form is actually a very vehicle, but at the same time nothing about it really stands out against the competition. The Mach E would do better I suspect.