Ford F-150

We don't want to sound like we're complaining, but sometimes being a small, far-flung, right-hand-drive country has its downsides. While being an Australian certainly has some perks (we'd list them but we just keep coming back to Tim Tams, sprinklers slung over Hills Hoists in summer, and outstanding '80s cricket moustaches), it also means we miss out on a bunch of overseas car brands and models we'd rather like to take for a spin.

Ford Motor Company has made three separate safety recalls in North America, the largest being 1.48 million F-150 pick-up trucks for potentially faulty transmissions. The manufacturer says F-150 models fitted with the six-speed automatic transmission from 2011-13 may experience an "intermittent loss of the transmission output speed sensor signal to the powertrain control module, potentially resulting in a temporary, unintended downshift into first gear".

Ford has detailed its upcoming product rollout – for the United States, at least – which will focus on the SUV and pickup segments. The Blue Oval says will replace "more than 75 per cent" of its current portfolio by 2020, while also adding four new trucks and SUVs. Additionally, the company will commence the rollout of hybrid and electric variants of existing models form 2020.

Hybrid versions of the Ford Mustang and Ford F-150 have been locked in for 2020. Ford's executive vice president for product development Raj Nair outlined more details at today's Detroit motor show media day. The petrol-electric versions of two of Ford's most iconic models are among a planned 13 new global electrified cars to be rolled out over the next five years.