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Ford's "XR" badge carries a lot of weight Downunder, possibly because the cars that have traditionally worn it are pretty heavy and imposing: pseudo-sporty versions of the Australian Falcon.
Now Ford is hoping the X-factor will work for its small- and medium-car ranges, with the addition of XR5 versions of the Focus and Mondeo.
It's a deliberate piece of branding for the Blue Oval's local arm - the XR5 monicker is specific to Australia and New Zealand.
In Europe, the hot Focus and Mondeo models are called "ST". Same cars, different badge.
Both use the same powertrain - a Volvo-sourced 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
In the Focus, the five-pot makes 166kW and 320Nm at 1600rpm; the Mondeo is tweaked for just a little more torque, with 162kW and the same 320Nm, but at 1500rpm.
The Focus XR5 tops a facelifted range that sports Ford's new "kinetic" styling cues and a broader range of models. It's also priced in what Ford calls a "transparent" manner, with a more realistic showroom sticker and less scope for discounting. At $44,990 it's still a pretty expensive small car, but a great value performance hatch.
A preview drive north of Auckland suggests the little Ford is one of the best. Ford New Zealand imported a handful of previous-generation XR5s for evaluation last year, and this new model is better still.
It's the best of the trio of fast hatches that share Ford's C1 platform (the others are the Mazda3 MPS and Volvo C30 T5).
It's supremely torquey for a turbo car, beautifully balanced and astonishingly fluid along the trickiest backroads. It will hit 100km/h in less than seven seconds and tops 245km/h.
The XR5 also benefits from the upgrades to the Focus range - especially in the cabin, with a revised centre stack, more soft-touch materials than before and redesigned switches. Truly a magic little car.
The Mondeo XR5 evaded us during Ford's media launch drive - timing and driver schedules weren't with us.
But on paper, the very smooth turbo-five engine has the potential to transform the Mondeo into a real driver's car. The mainstream 2.3-litre versions have sublime steering and handling, but the standard engine struggles to shift what is a large, heavy car. The extra grunt and responsiveness of the XR5 make this new version a tempting prospect - even at $48,990.
The hatch certainly looks the part. The warmed-over Mondeo gets special alloy wheels, blue-tinted glass, bright chrome or brushed silver exterior detailing, which looks amazing in combination with a dark paint colour, and "puddle lights" on the door mirrors.
