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FPV not interested in tuning small cars

Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) is not interested in applying its performance treatment to small cars, according to the company’s boss.


FPV managing director Bryan Mears believes large sedan and ute performance cars are still a viable product portfolio for FPV going into the future.

“Do we do small cars, are we going to do small cars? That is not really something that appeals to us all that much,” Mears said at a press conference in Melbourne today.

FPV has previously ventured into making a performance version of the Ford Territory SUV but stopped producing the F6X in 2009. Since then the company has solely focused on producing Falcon sedan- and ute-based performance cars.

“If you look at what’s available in the marketplace in the small car imports, I mean everyone has got one. Look at all the hot-hatch type vehicles. There are a huge number of those vehicles coming into Australia. For us to go into that space, it’s going to be expensive, we don’t see a vehicle that lends itself well to what FPV does to its vehicles. A number of those vehicles in that space are (already) real crackers.”

When asked about the prospect for an FPV-tuned Focus, Mears emphasised that he doesn’t think the Focus will work well with the FPV brand.

“Ford have got their view of the Focus and their brand of the Focus, I point out that Prodrive had a bit to do with their RS Focus in the early days and produced a terrific vehicle there. Have a look at the new cars coming in from Toyota, the 86. I mean that’s not a fast car. I mean it’s a handling car, it’s a driver’s car, but it’s not a high performance car as such and this is the game that we are in and people say are you happy with what you’re selling at the moment? I couldn’t be happier."

FPV currently sells around 1800 vehicles per year and has just introduced the limited edition FPV GT RSPEC and an updated Ute range. The 425 cars (350 sedans and 75 utes) have already been sold to dealers.

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