The Petrol FG Falcon sedan range was awarded the maximum five-star safety rating with a total score of 34.6 (out of a possible 37 points), giving it the highest score ever recorded by a locally-produced car in Australia by a significant margin.

The FG Falcon's five-star score places it in the top seven per cent of all published ANCAP results, as well as in the top 24 per cent of published ANCAP five-star results.

Click here for more information of Ford's ANCAP result

Due to go on sale in mid-October, the exclusive XR by Craig Lowndes Utes offer almost $6,000 of additional equipment and features for just $1,000 over the recommended retail price of the standard XR Utes.

Additional features include a set of four 18-inch sports alloy wheels, a one-piece hard tonneau cover with integrated power bulge and rear spoiler, Momo steering wheel, prestige audio system with six-disc in-dash CD player, an iPod®/MP3 audio player input connection and unique "by Craig Lowndes" decals.

"Recently voted one of the ten greatest Australian racing drivers in history by a panel of drivers, journalists and senior motorsport figures, Craig's achievements within the world of V8 Supercar racing resonate with a huge percentage of our Falcon XR Ute customers," Mr Winslow said.

"And as the reigning Bathurst and Sandown champion, it's fitting for the Craig Lowndes name to sit alongside the performance XR brand in celebration of his achievements at the highest level of Australian motorsport."

As part of the exclusivity of the XR by Craig Lowndes Utes, only a limited selection of exterior paint colours are available – Lightning Strike, Octane, Vixen, Conquer and Silhouette.

The Momo steering wheel is available in Blue, Grey or Red depending on the exterior paint colour and interior seat trim colour of the vehicle.

Only 650 examples of the limited edition XR by Craig Lowndes Ute will be built.

The new look Falcon XR sedan includes a new bodykit and revised exterior mirror treatment, along with a revised alloy wheel design on premium XR sedan models – XR6 six-speed automatic and all XR6 Turbo and XR8 sedan models.

The new bodykit features a modified front bumper with new mini rockers on each side, all-new side rockers and a new insert in the rear bumper valance, all of which have been treated with an accent colour paint finish.

Modified exterior mirror scalps are also finished in the accent paint colour, which is a high-gloss Dark Argent for maximum impact.

The premium XR models receive a revised five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheel with a unique shadow chrome paint finish to complement the new bodykit.

The new look wheels are finished in a high-gloss Mid Argent paint colour with a machined face, along with a matching Mid Argent wheel centre cap, and are available as an option on the XR6 six-speed manual and four-speed automatic models.

"The new look Falcon XR sedan is the most significant upgrade to the exterior design of the performance XR models since BF Falcon was introduced," Ford Australia Vice President Marketing and Sales Mark Winslow said.

"With its powerful and distinctive quad-headlight signature, the Falcon XR continues to have an unmistakeable road presence, while the new bodykit and individual paint treatments are sure to make the XR sedan stand out from the pack even further."

Due to go on sale in mid-November, recommended retail pricing remains unchanged for the restyled XR sedan models.

In doing so, Ford will become the first Australian car manufacturer to respond to the increasing popularity of smaller vehicles by producing the company's globally successful Focus small car alongside its current Falcon and Territory model lines.

Rising fuel costs and changing consumer lifestyles have created a dramatic shift in customer buying preferences with small cars accounting for 21.7 per cent of all new cars sold in Australia year-to-date, up from 15.4 per cent in 1998.

By manufacturing the European designed and engineered Focus in Australia, Ford will be able to enhance the vehicle's key product attributes by enabling further consideration of Australian-specific customer demands.

The Ford Focus will also represent the most fuel efficient and environmentally friendly vehicle produced in Australia, with the current manual diesel model offering fuel economy levels of 5.6 litres/100 km and CO2 emission levels of 148g/km. Both petrol and diesel Focus variants will be manufactured in Australia.

Ford Australia is preparing for an annual production of 40,000 Focus vehicles, which will add approximately 300 new jobs across Ford's operations, returning the Campbellfield manufacturing assembly plant to full capacity utilisation. In addition, the company's Stamping Plant in Geelong will stamp a significant number of panels for the new vehicle.

Australian component suppliers will also have the opportunity to become involved in production of the new Focus, with talks beginning immediately to determine the opportunities for inclusion in the fully integrated manufacturing process.

The Focus will be sold in Australia as well as exported to regional markets, including New Zealand and South Africa. Significant additional export markets will be announced closer to 2011.