Ford & FPV: 2003 Sydney Motor Show

Territory: On sale in the second quarter of 2004, Territory will be the first Australian crossover vehicle to offer a choice of all-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive variants.

While the Territory has given ground to Holden's Adventra, the latter having a good sixth months lead in time, the Ford does look to be the more complete package.

Customers will be able to choose between a five or seven seat configuration and the entry-level vehicle will be generously equipped with standard safety features including traction control, anti-lock brakes, independent rear suspension and front airbags.

Creature comforts will include air-conditioning, CD player, electric windows, power seats and power-adjustable foot pedals.

The high-series vehicle specifications (still to be named) include standard leather, cruise control, a six-stack CD player, alloy wheels, dual front and side curtain airbags and a cargo shelf in the rear load area.

The AWD vehicles feature the same equipment levels as the RWD models but add the Australian-first, sophisticated stability control system that modulates braking and engine torque to enhance stability.

An all-new front suspension and a specially tailored version of the award-winning Control Blade Independent Rear Suspension will hopefully provide Territory with excellent levels of steering, traction, comfort and handling.

A number of accessories have also been developed for the Territory, where outdoor enthusiasts can choose from a variety of accessories, including a bike carrier, canoe holder and ski holder. A dedicated Territory fridge in different storage capacities, starting at 15 litres, adds to the list of innovative accessories. The fridge is easily connected to the 12V power outlet in the rear of the vehicle.

Territory buyers can also enjoy the latest digital technology with the Rear Entertainment Xtreme (REX) in-car entertainment system. Featuring a roof-mounted 18cm anti-glare wide screen, it plays DVD, MP3 and CD through the vehicle's audio system or through infrared headphones.

Books, toys and drink bottles can be neatly stored in the seatback organiser, which includes a tray and zipper compartments, clips around the front passenger seat headrest and can conveniently be converted into a stylish backpack.

"The accessories in the Territory were designed as part of the vehicle development, rather than as an afterthought," said Ford Australia Design Director Simon Butterworth. "This gives the entire Territory package an integrated, seamless look and feel."

At this stage in the game, Ford has only confirmed its 182kW 4.0-litre DOHC, VCT-equipped straight-six engine will ship with the Territory - no word on a V8 option. Standard features across the entire range include air conditioning, power driver’s seat (4 way), steering wheel audio controls, Interior Command Centre, single CD player, 17-inch steel wheels, ABS and power adjustable pedals.

Fiesta: Bringing German engineering to Australia when it goes on sale in April 2004 is the new Fiesta range.

The new sub-compact line-up includes two body styles and three series variants – a three or five door Fiesta LX, the three-door Fiesta Zetec, and the five-door Fiesta Ghia.

All models will come standard with a 1.6-litre Duratec all-alloy engine, featuring double overhead camshafts, 4-valves per cylinder, sequential fuel injection and drive by wire technology.

The 1.6-litre engines develop 74kW @ 6000rpm and peak torque of 146Nm @ 4000rpm and ultra-rigid subframes and chassis promise to offer best handling in class.

Teamed with either a slick shifting 5-speed manual or an electronically controlled automatic, the engine will provide responsive performance to match the vehicle's spirited steering and handling.

The styling of the new Fiesta is head and shoulders above the sloppy-looking Festiva Trio we were offered not long ago and adds a model one class smaller than the Focus, in order to better tackle the likes of the Mazda2 and Hyundai Getz.

Escape: Complementing the introduction of the 4-cylinder model will be interior and exterior upgrades across the range.

"Ford has previously offered Escape with a V6 engine only," says Ford Australia President, Mr Polites.

"However, the availability of a new 4-cylinder engine has given us the opportunity to offer our customers the choice of either a 3.0-litre V6 engine or a 2.3-litre 4-cylinder engine."

The ZB Escape XLS 4-cylinder engine will produce 108kW at 6000rpm and 201Nm of torque at 4500rpm -- a detuned version of the engine seen in the Mazda6 (Mazda is owned by Ford).

The ZB Escape XLS 2.3-litre also includes a mechanical brake-assist system, which supplements the driver's pedal effort to minimise braking and stopping distances under hard braking conditions.

Interior upgrades for both the 4-cylinder and V6 XLS Escape includes premium cloth trim, a new two-tone dash, a newly styled steering wheel and black finish centre instrument panel and power window switches.

New exterior colours include Sand Dune, Amazon, and Ice. Escape Limited will only be available in Midnight Black, Mediterranean Blue or Sand Dune. ZB Escape also features new interior seat and door trim colours, Pebble or Flint and pricing for the ZB Escape model range will be announced closer to launch.

FPV GT: A striking new colour combination will makes its way into Ford Performance Vehicles showrooms this month.

Lightning Strike, a bright silver colour, has been added to the FPV colour charts and is expected to become an extremely popular choice for buyers of the FPV range, particularly with the GT and GT-P which will be available with orange stripes.

Lightning Strike will become only the second colour in FPV’s dynamic range of high-performance cars to have the bold orange side stripes as an option on the sedans.

Previously, the orange stripes have only been available on Phantom Purple, one of the most popular colours for FPV since deliveries began in March.

The Lightning Strike and orange stripes combination is a modern interpretation of one of the classic GT Falcon colour combinations of the 1970’s, Silver Fox.

"I am positive Lightning Strike will become very popular for FPV," says David Flint, Managing Director of Ford Performance Vehicles. "We have been waiting to expand the availability of the orange stripes across our range, and Lightning Strike provides the perfect opportunity for us to do this."

At the same time as Lightning Strike is introduced, Ford Performance Vehicles will also replace Venom with a richer shade of red called Vixen. As it was with Venom, the new Vixen red will be available with black stripes.