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The 2015 Mustang Could Kill Other Ford Performance Cars Around the World

The 2015 Ford Mustang is the first Mustang to be marketed on a global level, but there is a concern that this new marketing approach for the fabled pony car will kill other Ford performance models in “foreign” markets such as the European Focus RS and the Australian Falcon sedan.

While Ford performance fans in the USA have been turning to the mighty Mustang for their high performance needs for 50 years now, gearheads in other markets around the world have not been privy to the Mustang in the past. Because of that, other models have emerged as the chosen Ford performance model such as the Focus RS in Europe and the Falcon sedan (which offers similar rear wheel drive, V8 fun as the Mustang in addition to some 6-cylinder options) in Australia. In the US, Ford fans who wanted a high performance compact have complained about the lack of availability for the Focus RS while Blue Oval racers who wanted a big, roomy sedan to battle the likes of the Dodge Charger R/T have plead for the Falcon. At the same time, there are plenty of Ford enthusiasts in other markets around the world who have been demanding an easy means to acquire the Mustang than costly importing.

American Ford fans had their requests answered with the introduction of the Focus ST (which is a great fill-in for the Focus RS) and the Taurus SHO (which is as close as we will get to a high performance large Ford sedan in the US). Those folks in Europe, Australia and other non-US markets will also receive an answer to their demands as the 2015 Ford Mustang will be marketed in both EcoBoost and V8 GT form – but the long awaited arrival of the Mustang in local dealerships might come with a cost. In order to prevent the sales of the 2015 Mustang from being hindered by in-fighting with other performance models, Ford could slowly phase out those models and others like them in other non-US segments where the Mustang was previously unavailable.

Ford Australian buyers, the Ford Falcon is already slated to leave production in the next few years so those folks who want to go fast in a Ford Down Under will be left to drive the new Mustang...which isnt all that bad. It may not provide the same people haling capacity as the Falcon, but it will most certainly provide greater levels of driving fun.

The Ford Focus RS is likely to be far more directly impacted in Europe than the Falcon in Australia. The Focus RS is a 2-door hatchback with a front wheel drive, turbocharged 4-cylinder drivetrain. The 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost package will be sold in Europe with the same 2.3L EcoBoost as the Focus RS and it is possible that the two cars will have very similar power outputs.

Now, I should clarify that the ousting of cars like the Focus RS and the Falcon XR8 will not happen overnight. These models have been the go-to model for Ford performance fans in those markets for a very long time and Ford knows better than to take away a car like that. However, if the 2015 Mustang proves to be a popular enough choice in Europe and Australia, there is a chance that the performance packages for the Focus and Falcon could fade away over the next 5 years. In the meantime, European buyers will soon be able to buy a 420+ horsepower 2015 Mustang GT and a 300+ horsepower Focus RS while Aussie racers could have both a high performance Falcon and a 5.0L Mustang GT in their garages very soon.

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