FPV ups GS price, slashes F6

FORD Performance Vehicles (FPV) has temporarily slashed about $10,000 from the price of its slower-selling F6 turbo-six sedan, just weeks after increasing the prices of its new GS blown-V8 sedan and ute models by $1000.

FPV lifted the price of its supercharged V8-powered GS manual and automatic sedan by 1.75 per cent to $57,990 plus on-road costs in March, when GS manual and automatic ute prices were raised by 1.92 per cent to $52,990 plus ORCs.

Powered by a 315kW/545Nm 5.0-litre V8, FPV’s new entry-level GS sedan and ute models have taken advantage of the absence of an XR8 – or any V8 – model from Ford to attract exactly 300 buyers between their release in November last year and April this year.

So far in 2011, however, the GS twins continue to be outsold by the higher-performance 335kW/575Nm GT sedan range, which remains FPV’s volume-selling model ahead of the GS sedan and GS ute.

According to detailed VFACTS obtained by GoAuto, FPV has found a total of 233 GS customers to April this year, as well as 145 GT customers (up from 74 to April last year), 18 GT-E homes (up from eight) and 53 GT-P buyers (up from 11).

From top: FPV GS sedan and ute, FPV GT sedan, FPV GT-P sedan.

In stark contrast, sales of 310kW/565Nm turbocharged six-cylinder F6 models have plummeted, with Ford’s performance brand delivering just 66 F6 sedans (down from 84), eight F6-E sedans (down from 19) and three F6 utes (down from 43) to April.

In response, FPV last week slashed the base F6 sedan price from $67,890 plus on-road costs to just $59,990 drive-away, effectively matching the new $58,000 plus ORCs price of FPV’s cheapest sedan, the GS.

The unprecedented retail offer, which equates to a transaction price cut of about $10,000, is available at selected FPV dealers until the end of the financial year.

“Sales of the F6 have slowed down since the launch of the supercharged V8 engine variants late last year,” FPV general manager Rod Barrett told GoAuto.

Despite fewer six-cylinder sales, strong V8 sales in April helped FPV sales increase by 24.5 per cent overall in the first four months of this year to 516 sales.

That is still well down on HSV’s January-April tally of 1003 sales (which itself is down from 1027 during the same period in 2010), including 278 ClubSports (down from 381 during the same period last year), 337 GTSs (up from 233), 52 HSV Tourers (up from 50), 78 Senators (up from 76) and 258 Maloo R8 utes – down from 287.

However, a full compliment of its entire model range should see FPV close its sizeable gap to HSV last year, when the hot-Holden franchise shifted 3215 Commodore-based models to FPV’s 874 Falcon-based models.

“After the GFC affected sales in 2009 and the transition to the new V8 last year, FPV is looking to reinvigorate sales in 2011,” said Mr Barrett.

“Retail figures to date have been extremely pleasing. Dealers are taking cars and the outlook is good, with the FPV GT continuing to be the number one selling vehicle, followed closely by the GS sedan and GS ute respectively.”