And it’s all thanks to Ford New Zealand. It’s not that often that you get invited to attend a car maker’s launch of three nameplates, but it looks like it’s been a busy year for Ford and they have a lot to talk about – so why not. At an intimate event at the Glasshouse in Morningside (Auckland), Ford Motor Company of New Zealand’s MD Simon Rutherford brought us up to speed with Ford’s year thus far, gave us a peek at the future and unveiled the Puma, Escape and EV Transit.
Despite these turbulent times, the US is shaping up to have its best share of market for 5-years. They have announced joint ventures with VW to share knowledge of EV and Utes and are also working Mahindra for smaller projects.
So far this year Ford NZ has launched the Ranger FX4, Focus ST, Transit Sports and Double Cab, sold out of Fiesta ST and RTR Mustang, are soon to launch the GT Shadow Edition and entered into EV partnership with Evnex, ABB and Singer – phew.
But we were also there to see some brand new steel.
Firstly the Ford Puma. (Puma & ST-Line). It’s powered by a 1L, 3-cylinder EcoBoost, that gives off 92kW and 170Nm of power and torque respectively. It’s got (the ST-Line) Adaptive Cruise Control, Evasive Steer and AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection.
12.3-inch instrument cluster, wireless charging, Sync 3, Apple/Android, FordPass Connect and a rearview camera with 180-degree visibility, oh and five drive modes.
5-year/unlimited km warranty and 3-years road assist.
Then the Ford Escape. Available in four EcoBoost derivatives and two Plug-in-Hybrids (PHEV).
It’s the first electrified Ford SUV offered in NZ. It has four selectable EV modes EV Auto, EV Now, EV Later and EV Charge.
It shares its platform with the award-winning Focus but is longer, wider and lower than the previous Escape. It boasts heaps of safety features such as AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, Evasive Steering Assist, BLIS and Lane warning/Keep assist.
12-inch instrument cluster, wireless charging, Sync 3, Apple/Android, FordPass Connect
5-year/unlimited km warranty and 3-years road assist.
And finally the Ford Transit EV. Available in SWB (Short Wheelbase) Van and Tourneo Titanium.
It’s a Series Plug-in Hybrid with a 92.9kW electric motor powered by a 13.6 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that drives the wheels 100% of the time. Plus it has a 1L EcoBoost petrol engine that acts as a range extender that recharges the batteries when needed and removes the range anxiety.
It offers 50+kms of range and offers a 4.3h charge time via the mains or 2.7h on a Type-2 Charger. Yet it still gives you 1,130kg net payload and 6m3 load volume.
FordPass Connect is on-board for max connectivity.
Three new nameplates and a whole new world of opportunity, no wonder the Ford New Zealand’s Puma Escaped with the EV Transit.
