'Slap' happy Ford

The new president of Ford Australia Graeme Whickman has predicted the brand's long-term sales decline may start to reverse as soon as the second half of this year as new models roll out and start to impact.

"It's a 'slap you around the face year' in terms of launches," he told motoring.com.au

But Whickman, who officially takes over from Bob Graziano on April 1, has stopped short of nominating any bullish growth targets, citing the short tenure of former Holden MD Gerry Dorizas who said he wanted to wrest market leadership away from Toyota by 2020.

"The last new CEO of a company in Australia who predicted their position got fired six months later," Whickman told motoring.com.au. "So I'm not sure I want to make the same claims as a recently departed Holden leader."

Last year Ford's overall sales – at 79,703 – hit their lowest annual total since 1966 and Falcon sales, at 9134, were their lowest since the historic badge's launch in 1960.

After the first two months of 2015, VFACTS official registration figures show the overall Ford number to be another 20 per cent off, while Falcon sales also continue to decline.

But while Whickman says sales of the final FG X Falcon sedan and ute are on "target" as the model heads for termination no later than October 2016, he insists a roll-out of new and updated models will begin to reverse an overall sales decline for the brand that has been going on for a decade.

"Our front-end and back-end of the year might look very different ... given the cadence of our launches," Whickman told motoring.com.au. '

"So you'd probably have to look at it potentially from a wider view in terms of how this full year might pan out given what we're launching in what period, and what we're running out of in what period."

Whickman said Ford was effectively in "six to seven" run-outs as new models draw nearer, limiting sales numbers.

He also insisted the brand's much-publicised new 'customer experience' focus will boost its stocks.

Ford launches all-new Mondeo, Everest and Mustang (pictured) in 2015, mixed in with updates to the Ranger utility, Focus small car and Kuga SUV. Of that lot, only the Ranger can currently be classified as a true success, running second to HiLux in the 4x4 pick-up segment and fourth in 4x2.

Whickman said Mondeo would be marketed as the brand's "technology flagship", the Ranger-based Everest would be one "of the most capable SUVs on the market", while strong interest in the iconic Mustang had already been registered.

Ford has also promised 20 new models will be launched here by 2020.

"Our volume will grow and it will grow organically on the back of customers that are happy with us from an experience point of view, and they are happy with us from a product point of view," Whickman said.

"I would not be a Rocket Scientist to work out that with six to seven new launches this year alone, and 20 new products in a very short space of time, that there will be an expectation that we would have a different number than we are selling in recent years.

"But I'm not going to make any crazy predictions, I'm going to sit quietly and hopefully achieve with a bit of humility and a bit of respect. And then when we get there, I'll be happy about it."

Whickman said part of Ford's sales decline in recent times had been driven by a conscious decision to withdraw from high-volume, low-profit sectors of the market.

"Our volume of rental cars as an example; our volume of demonstrator cars as an example; our volume of government fleets; our volume of large fleet changed quite considerably.

"And we're shaping our business and making sure our dealers shape their business in a way that it's sustainable going forward."