Ford Landau Reviews

What does it say about us humans that the most popular car colours globally are black, white, grey and silver? Where are all the properly colourful car colours at?Well, we found them.This started out seeming like an easy task, but ended up with me visiting the website of every car brand selling their wares in Australia and checking the colour options for their models.There brands offer vibrant colours, the rest will offer the usual white, black and silver. Most of these brands will also offer red and blue, while others offer more modern hues such as dark green and light brown, or even lilac. Yep, lilac appears to be trending.I’ve excluded the exotic car brands such as Porsche, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and so on, from this little project. All of them offer bespoke colours or will even match the colour of your car to that of your sofa, but it’ll cost you. Which is out of reach for most people.Here are the top 5 brands that aren’t afraid of loud or vibrant colours.Ford offers a surprisingly good range of vibrant colours thanks to models such as the Mustang, which comes in Orange Fury, Molten Magenta and Adriatic Blue; and the Ranger Raptor that gets Code Orange and Blue Lightning.The upcoming Bronco Basecamp SUV is expected to come in Flare Orange and other adventurous hues, too.Lepas is another of the many brands owned by Chinese auto giant Chery. It'll launch its first vehicle, the L6 EV, in October.What separates Lepas’ from Chery’s other sub-brands such as Omoda and Jaecoo is the bold colours of the models in its overseas ranges, which will follow the L6 over the coming 12 months.Right now, the  L6 offered in a very striking purple and orange.Mini knows exactly what it’s doing, and it’s doing premium quirkiness. Yes Renault and Peugeot can do quirky and premium, but Mini has really mastered the statement car thing, and of course a big part of that is colour.The Mini Cooper comes in 11 colours and while Sunny Side Yellow makes me want to own a car, which looks like a rubber duckie, the Ocean Wave Green is so sublime, I want a tin of it to paint my front door.GWM is currently doing a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to outrageous colours and I’m completely here for it.The Ora 5 small electric SUV launched in July and arrived in colours that would make most car company executives very uncomfortable. Flamingo Pink? Yes please. Cute Cyan? Absolutely. Emerald Green? Don’t mind if I do.Jeep’s the undisputed champion of colour offerings… and of vehicles with removable doors. Just knowing the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon ute comes in bright purple, and the hue is called Reign, somehow makes me sleep better at night. There’s also Mojito, which is a luminous monster green, a bright orange named Joose and a Gold named Goldilocks.Ah, thank you Jeep for keeping it irreverent and colourful.  

The true successor to the Ford Falcon is finally coming, with a new name, fresh body styles and the right powertrain for our times, and it should be huge.This isn’t speculation or hyperbole either, but the facts behind an upcoming entire family of electric vehicles (EVs) recently announced by Ford’s global CEO, Jim Farley.With the first model badged Fathom, they represent a return to brand values at a most critical time in the company’s 123-year history.While not yet announced for Australia, the Fathom name has already been trademarked in this country, while its architecture has been engineered for right-hand-drive, auguring well for an eventual local launch.Starting from around $A40,000 in the US when orders commence early next year, the Fathom will initially launch as a four-door, five-seater mid-sized dual-cab EV of monocoque construction.Despite what the styling implies, this is not a ladder-frame pick-up, but an integrated ute around the size of the existing and highly successful Maverick, which is sadly unavailable in Australia.The Fathom is expected to eventually be part of a wider family of EVs that will likely include an SUV spin-off.In other words, Ford is devising a range of models that sit at the heart of the global new-vehicle market.Van and possibly passenger-car and crossover versions are also set to arrive in time.These are all possible due to some smart thinking behind what Ford calls the Universal EV Platform (UEP).New from the ground up, this is a modular architecture designed and engineered to be as flexible as possible.A key component of the UEP’s flat, skateboard framework is an integrated lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery module to provide extra strength and packaging efficiency.Other details, including range and specifications, will be released at a later date.Created to keep costs down, UEP is a direct response to the dramatically increased competition from China, as well as from South Korea, Japan and Europe.China in particular has rewritten the rules on hybrid and EV affordability, so Fathom is part of Ford’s wider fightback strategy.And not for the first time since 1903, either.Have no doubts. Philosophically, Fathom is a modern Falcon in all but name.The Fathom is a textbook return to everything the Falcon was and represented when Ford unveiled it in America in September, 1959.Back then, the company was struggling amid recession and the financial fallout of the multi-billion-dollar Edsel premium brand disaster.These were happening against the backdrop of booming sales for smaller and cheaper European (and later Japanese) models, like the Volkswagen Beetle and Renault Dauphine – something that none of the major American carmakers foresaw nor had adequate responses for.Described as a “compact”, it’s mad to think the Falcon was Ford’s direct answer to the Beetle, but until then, the Blue Oval’s smallest US offerings were still massive, like the 1959 ‘Tank’ Fairlane.With demand far outstripping forecasts, in one fell swoop, the original Falcon turned Ford around, outselling all before it.And let’s not forget – the Falcon also spawned the phenomenon that was the original Mustang.After all these years, Ford is hoping that magic Falcon lightning will strike again with Fathom. And, in the latter 2020s, it makes sense for that to be dual-cab ute. Going where the buyers are.The first Falcon was released in Australia in September, 1960, starting a 56-year battle against Holden, finally toppling it from number one for the first time in 1982.Before utes and SUVs ruled, sedans and wagons were on top, something the also-modular Falcon provided, along with ute and panel van alternatives.Fast forward to today, and Ford is profitable in North America but struggling in Europe, China and elsewhere, including in Australia.The least expensive new Ford passenger vehicle is the Everest Active 4WD from $58,990 before on-road costs.That’s why the Falcon handbook has been dusted off and modernised to better-suit consumer tastes, as the 2027 Fathom.Ford is returning to its roots by going back to basics.Here’s why the Fathom would be relevant for Ford Australia.We might be a ute and SUV-loving nation, but our appetite for EVs is now amongst the strongest in the world per-capita, so the timing couldn’t be more crucial.Especially as Ford is facing massive fines under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) because its carbon pollution-heavy internal combustion engine-powered T6 II Ranger ute and its Everest diesel SUV spin-off account for around 90 per cent of total brand sales volumes.Plus, it will be increasingly difficult for Ranger and Everest sales to sustain the same cadence as before, coming under pressure from newer and mainly hybridised competition pouring into Australia.Of course, Ford will continue to evolve the T6 II models, and it’s believed that body-on-frame replacements – likely from China – are in the pipeline as the end of the decade nears.

Ford has put out a recall notice and stop-sale order for some of its Mustang sports car examples in Australia. The recall impacts 7724 units built between 2023 and 2026, across both its 2.3-litre four-cylinder and 5.0-litre V8 engine options. The Mustang is one of the most popular choices for sports car buyers on the market.Nearly 500 vehicles in dealer stock will not be sold until the issue is rectified.Any stock built since the start of June is not affected by the issue as well as upcoming Mustang Dark Horse and Dark Horse T8 Spec Pack examples.The issue concerns potential vibrations causing the engine wiring harness to break loose.“Due to a manufacturing defect, the engine bay wiring harness ground terminal may become damaged due to vibrations,” the notice reads. “This may cause the wiring harness to break, resulting in a loss of engine power. Additional safety functions such as the headlamps and windshield wipers may fail to operate as intended. “A loss of motive power and safety functions whilst driving increases the risk of an accident, resulting in serious injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users.” A spokesperson for Ford Australia said there have been no reported instances of the issue occurring in Australia.   Ford will contact affected vehicle owners in writing to request they contact an authorised dealer to arrange inspection and repair, free of charge. Owners can also contact Ford Australia for additional information. 

A former prime minister is backing Australia’s carmaking industry to make a triumphant return. Kevin Rudd told the National Press Club on September 10, 2026 new technologies available could return the industry to its former glory. Australia used to have a thriving car industry, with it being one of the biggest manufacturing hubs globally. Ford, Holden and Toyota all had major operations in Australia, spanning across decades. The Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore dominated the sales charts during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Even the Tesla Model Y’s more than 8000 sales in a single month in June 2026 couldn’t eclipse the Commodore's single-month record set more than two decades ago.The federal government’s withdrawal of subsidies in 2013 in combination with increasing costs and decreasing profits saw carmakers pull out of Australian manufacturing. There are now no cars built on a commercial scale in Australia, leaving the country reliant on imports.Rudd said the then federal government’s decision to remove subsidies was the final blow to the industry. Australia’s 26th prime minister also praised the previous strength of the car industry, describing it as a “sovereign capability we are sorely missing”. “Of all the short-sighted acts of economic vandalism in recent decades, the closure of our car industry by the Abbott-Hockey government stands apart,” Rudd said. “Australia under my government had one of the most modest industry subsidies in the auto world. “But politics triumphed over reason, sacrificing tens of thousands of jobs, tearing the beating heart out of Australia’s engineering and manufacturing base, and rendering us 100% dependent on auto imports.”Rudd said that developing new technologies in the car industry could reignite interest in it. “Now the 3D printing and EV revolutions mean we can rebuild an Australian auto sector and repair this fatal vulnerability in our national security,” Rudd said. 3D printing is now an essential part of virtually every carmaker’s manufacturing processes. It can develop model prototypes quickly and improve assembly processes, among other things.It is also used for creating complex moulds in gigacasting - a process where die-casting machines shape large single-piece car body parts instead of individual steel welds. Some popular EVs rely on gigacasting in production, including the best-selling Tesla Model Y. Australia could become an EV hub of the future by investing in this technology.

Ford Australia has revealed a race-inspired pack for the Mustang Dark Horse co-engineered with Triple Eight Race Engineering and its team principal seven-time Supercars Champion Jamie Whincup.The 2026 Ford Mustang Dark Horse T8 Spec pack is still in the last stages of development, but Whincup was on hand at Ford’s recent ‘Ford Uncovered’ event to present the T8 pack prototype.“I've been wanting to do something like this for many years,” Whincup said. He also confirmed pricing at an apt $138,888 plus on-roads.The new ‘Stang was joined by the reveal of the incoming Ford Bronco Basecamp, Transit City EV, and the announcement of a conditional seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty that will cover the Mustang Dark Horse T8 when it launches.The T8 Spec pack is based on the US market Handling Package and has been tweaked by Triple Eight and Whinup alongside Ford Australia’s engineers to create not only a visual difference but also a tangible difference on the road.Ford Special Vehicles Engineering’s James Holloway didn’t want this to just be a sticker pack.“This wasn't a branding exercise," he said, "this was Jamie Whincup and Mark Dutton sitting in meetings with us, giving their views on what this could be and what it shouldn't be.”The limited edition will be a 250-unit run, with each owner being invited to Queensland Raceway (Triple Eight’s home track) for an experience day with Whincup’s team of drivers and some track time, as well as a run-down of the car.The drivetrain for the Mustang Dark Horse remains unchanged, with a 5.0-litre ‘Coyote’ petrol V8 under the bonnet making 350kW and 550Nm. The Dark Horse T8 Spec Pack is currently only listed with the six-speed manual gearbox.The biggest changes come underneath, in the tyres and suspension.“At the end of the day, the tyre is the only thing that touches the ground,” Whincup said. “You can have the best car and the best driver, but if you've got the wrong tyres, it's not going to be quick.”Semi-slick, track-biased Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tyres and a series of changes to the springs, the roll bar, the ride suspension and the steering rack are all key to the changes made.“Suspension is what keeps the tyre on the ground. It's a critical part, particularly over bumps and under braking,” Whincup added.“That's where we've been able to bring our knowledge and experience to the Mustang Dark Horse. It's already a nicely balanced car. It not only handles well, but it gives great feedback to the driver, so they enjoy the experience. We wanted to help take that to the next level with T8 Spec 1.”A rear spoiler and an updated front aero splitter complete the look as well as the Triple Eight exterior badging.

Aussie buyers have a new 4WD to think about.The Mitsubishi Pajero will launch in Australia with great anticipation in December 2026 when the revived 4WD hits showrooms. Mitsubishi has revealed pricing and specifications for its new model, but how does it stack up to key rivals in the segment?It will face the most fierce competition with the popular Toyota Prado and Ford Everest, so here is how it shapes up against those popular options. The Pajero squeezes under the $70,000 mark, starting from $68,490, which is cheaper than the Toyota Prado, but more expensive than both Ford Everest variants.It continues to undercut the Prado up the grades, with its Exceed starting from $79,990, while the GSR starts from $84,990.The Prado's $73,200 starting price is $4710 more than the base five-seater Pajero ($68,490), with Prado pricing extending to $100,620 on the top grade.The Pajero’s cheapest seven-seater variant is $69,990, more than $10,000 cheaper than the Prado's base seven-seater ($80,665). Both 2.0-litre and 3.0-litre Everest base variants are cheaper than the Pajero and the Prado. The Everest 2.0 starts from $58,990, with prices increasing up to $71,990, while the Everest 3.0 kicks off from $66,990, with the top-spec grade starting from $83,417.The Pajero’s 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine matches the Prado for power at 150kW, but its 480Nm, is just shy of the 500Nm total in its Toyota rival. The Pajero also has more performance than the 2.0-litre Everest, but the 3.0-litre Everest is the pick of the bunch for outright power with 184kW and 600Nm. All four competitors boast the industry standard 3500kg braked towing capacity. Mitsubishi hasn’t revealed the Pajero’s fuel efficiency, so we don’t know how it compares to its rivals. It will need to offer below 8.0L/100km to be competitive. The closely-related Triton offers as little as 7.5L/100km, so it could beat that figure. The Pajero comes with a rear differential lock and low-range transfer case on all grades as part of its permanent 4WD system.The Prado has a permanent 4WD system, but a locking rear differential is only found on a higher grade of the car.All 4x4 grades of the Ford Everest feature a rear differential lock and a permanent 4WD system.The Pajero's approach and departure angles are similar to the Everest's, along with a competitive ground clearance figure.The Prado's 17.0-degree departure angles is significantly less than the Pajero and Everest, as is its 210mm ground clearance.The Pajero has a 12.3-inch digital driver display and a 12.3-inch central touchscreen, while higher grades are equipped with dual 14.3-inch display.This beats the Everest’s standard 8.0-inch digital driver display and 12.0-inch touchscreen.All Prado grades match the Pajero’s 12.3-inch central unit, but it only has a 7.0-inch driver display as standard. The Pajero has waterproof black fabric seat trim to start, mirroring other standard fabrics in its rivals. Leather seat trim is available for all further up the range. The Pajero boasts a 10-year/200,000-kilometre conditional warranty, when services are completed on time at Mitsubishi dealers.If buyers opt not to service at Mitsubishi, warranty reverts to a five-year/unlimited-kilometre guarantee. It is also available with a 10-year capped price servicing deal, but we don’t know how much it will cost yet.All new Ford Everests bought from 1 September 2026 are now covered by a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.Ford offers a capped price servicing deal on the Everest of $1596 for the first five years, working out at $319 per annual service. Toyota also offers capped price servicing, for either three or five years, with servicing every six months. The Prado is available with Toyota’s five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty, which can be extended to seven years for engine and driveline when the car is serviced at dealers. 

Ford Australia has confirmed it will add a new member to its Transit van family in the form of the ‘City’ electric van, a product of its joint venture with Jiangling Motors (JMC) in China.The 2026 Ford Transit City is confirmed for an Australian launch in November this year, with a competitive drive-away price of just $50,000.Confirmed as part of an event the brand called ‘Ford Uncovered’ to announce this and two other new cars, the Bronco Basecamp and Mustang Dark Horse with T8 pack, the new Transit City will be covered by Ford’s new seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.Ford also confirmed the launch of its Ford Pro ‘ecosystem’ for businesses and business owners to manage their Ford commercial vehicles or fleets.While not specifically altered for Australia in any major sense, the Transit City has undergone Ford’s global testing and is already available in the UK and Europe.The 2026 Transit City comes in one specification, with a front-mounted 110kW electric motor drawing power from a 56kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery.Ford says a WLTP city range of 380km is enough to serve the Transit City’s intended purpose of urban and city work and transport. Its 254km combined WLTP range will seem underwhelming to some.The Transit City’s DC charging rate sits at 87kW, allowing a 33-minute charge from 10 to 80 per cent, though Ford says 10 minutes of charging adds up to 68km of range. 11kW AC charging means 5.5 hours to charge from 10 to 100 per cent.Ford quotes a payload capacity of 1085kg, and says its cargo space of 6.4m3 is enough to hold three Euro pallets or two Australian pallets.The Transit City also features an ADAS suite with AEB, front and rear parking sensors plus a rear camera, and adaptive cruise control with lane departure warning.Inside, a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen features wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and Ford has forgone optional extras to simplify the offering in terms of features.Ford also confirmed it’s launching the Ford Pro ‘ecosystem’ here in Australia, which allows Ford commercial vehicle owners and fleet operators to see data and manage servicing, finance and downtime using Ford’s software."Our seven-year warranty is a strong commitment to our retail and commercial customers that we've got their backs for longer," said Greg Davidson, Director of Ford’s Customer Service Division."That's a century of trust, earned one repair, one service, one honest conversation at a time, and Ford Pro builds on that legacy to keep our commercial customers' businesses moving.“Ultimately, this is about giving Ford owners real confidence, not just in the vehicle they've bought, but in the brand they've bought into."

Ford Australia has confirmed the future arrival of the Bronco SUV to Australia, but not as it has historically been known.The 2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp will arrive in Australia in the second half of 2027, with the model’s platform unrelated to the T6 Ranger-based Ford Bronco and Escape-based Bronco Sport SUV both available in the US.The Bronco Basecamp is, instead, a product of Ford’s joint venture with China's Jiangling Motors (JMC) and is available in China as the Ford Bronco New Energy.While Australian details are yet to be confirmed as global market development work continues, Ford confirmed the model would retain its EREV (extended-range electric vehicle) powertrain. This means a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine will act as a range extender to charge the 49kW battery. Ford estimates a driving range of around 800-900km.While not as rugged as the full-size Ford Bronco available in the US, the Basecamp still features an all-wheel drive system thanks to electric motors driving the wheels - the engine doesn’t directly power the wheels.While the Bronco Basecamp’s local launch is around a year away, Ford Australia confirmed the ‘camping’ capability of the Bronco is expected to be a big draw.The roof of the Outer Banks grade is able to pop up to allow more space inside, and a mattress designed to fit the cabin with the seats folded flat is available.Heated and cooled compartments are included, and 6.6kW onboard power means camping gear like cooktops, lights or other equipment is able to be run from the battery.Given the arguable failure of the most recent Ford Escape in Australia, the starting price for the Bronco Basecamp will need to be competitive - and it could be, given its Chinese origins.Ford will want the starting price to sit well below the larger Everest SUV’s entry point of around $60,000.A combination of 130kW and 180kW motors at the front and rear are used in the Chinese market EREV, but Ford engineers wouldn't confirm or hint at local outputs.A full-EV variant is also available in China, though it’s not being discussed openly as a possibility for Australia given Ford’s insistence that the EREV will suit Australian buyers.Ford Australia will confirm pricing and specifications closer to its H2 2027 launch.

Ford Australia has announced a move to a conditional seven-year warranty/unlimited km warranty, as of September 1, 2026.The confirmation was presented to media at a Ford Australia event called ‘Ford Uncovered’ at which the Blue Oval confirmed the 2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp, Transit City, Mustang Dark Horse T8-Spec and its Ford Pro commercial customer service.Ford owners will need to service their vehicles at a Ford dealer to access the seven-year guarantee. This puts them ahead of Toyota and Mazda, but behind Nissan, Mitsubishi and MG's 10 year conditional warranties and Kia and Hyundai's unconditional seven years offerings.Nissan, Mitsubishi and MG offer conditional ten-year warranties as long as servicing is undertaken at their service centres.Many brands from China including Chery, Geely and GWM all offer seven year warranties.At the Ford Uncovered event, executives confirmed three new models and variants as well as the new warranty, with President and CEO of Ford Australia and New Zealand Fadi Mawal saying the brand intends to “show what’s next for our customers”.Director of Ford’s Customer Service Division Greg Davidson said the warranty applies to “all customers, all nameplates” retailed from September 1, as a “strong statement to customers that has their backs now for even longer”.“This is about giving Ford owners real confidence, not just in the vehicle they bought, but in the brand they bought into.”The warranty includes commercial customers who now have access to the Ford Pro ‘ecosystem’ in Australia, which allows them to use software to manage their work vehicle or fleet from servicing to finance.“That’s a century of trust earned, one repair, one service, one honest conversation at a time. Ford Pro builds on that legacy to keep commercial customers’ businesses moving,” Davidson added.Ford is now leaning on its 220-strong service centre network in Australia to keep its word on the extra two years of warranty for its customers.

Ford’s two biggest names in Australia suffered huge sales declines in August 2026. The Ford Ranger sold just 2440 examples across two-wheel and four-wheel drive variants, equating to a more than 50 per cent drop compared to August 2025. This exacerbates an already challenging year for Australia's best-selling vehicle in 2025. It has sold 32,796 units so far in 2026 compared to 37,183 in 2025 - a near 12 per cent overall drop.Ford said it's a blip on the radar.The Blue Oval was forced to recall almost 14,000 Ranger examples built between November 2025 and July 2026 last month due to a potentially fault airbag.The brand held back deliveries of some of its vehicles to have the issue rectified, contributing to lower figures in August.A spokesperson for Ford Australia said its sales result in August heavily impacted by the temporary delivery and demonstration hold placed on some Ranger dual-cab variants as part of the airbag recall."The hold prevented Ranger Double Cab vehicles in dealer stock from being delivered during August," they said."As a result, Ford’s reported monthly volume was approximately 30% lower than anticipated for the month."The August figure primarily reflects the delayed timing of Ranger deliveries rather than a material change in customer demand."Ford’s Everest large SUV also had a tough August 2026, and was down almost 25 per cent compared to July 2026. Everest has had an even more steep decline on year-to-date data, with a more than 14 per cent drop up to August 2026.The Ranger has been a staple of the best-selling car charts over the past few years, consistently winning out in a tight wrestling match with the Toyota HiLux. August 2026 marked one of few occasions where the HiLux outsold the Ranger - and it has done so by some margin. The HiLux more than doubled the Ranger’s sales in August, registering 4833 units, having also toppled the Blue Oval’s ute in June, but by a smaller gap. Diesel ute sales are expected to only slow from here, so the Ranger will face a serious challenge to reclaim its place at the top of the charts in Australia.  Increasingly stringent emissions regulations and the ongoing fuel price increases are having a material impact on the future of diesel utes in Australia, like the Ranger.The BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid was one of the only utes to experience a meaningful upturn in sales last month, with a near 10 per cent increase. Electrified utes like the Shark 6 have been eating into the sales of established diesel competition like the Ranger since it went on sale in late 2024. Ford sells a PHEV variant of its Ranger in Australia, and the local brand has been contacted to see how many units it sells compared to its diesel sibling. As emissions regulations continue to squeeze big CO2-emitting vehicles like the diesel Ranger out of the market, more hybrid and electric utes have entered the fray. New options include:KGM’s Musso is available as a fully-electric uteToyota offers an electric variant of the HiLux, mainly to fleet buyersGWM's Cannon Alpha is offered with a PHEV set-upJAC recently introduced its Hunter PHEV ute that will rival the BYD Shark 6The pair are soon to be joined by the Stockman diesel PHEV from CheryIt's not just Ranger that is facing more tough competition in Australia.The Everest must contend with a raft of new Chinese competition, including the GWM Tank 500 available in conventional hybrid, PHEV and diesel forms.