Two production makers spring to mind when you think of car models that start with the letter ‘F’. They would be Ford and Ferrari.
However, several other manufacturers within the automotive industry have also produced models that start with this letter.
We can think of at least 75 brands of F-named cars. Here is a selection of 8 that struck a chord with us.
Jaguar F-Pace
The all-new, first-generation Jaguar F-Pace was launched in 2016 to much fanfare and anticipation.
This seven-seater, five-door, SUV emphasises good looks over its genuine off-road capabilities. But its direct relationship with Land Rover helps when you drive over gravelly dirt roads.
Its favourite domain is urban roads and in Australia, it is offered in a plethora of model choices. These include 2.0 and 3.0-litre petrol engines (not supercharged), as well as the 2.0 and 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel engines.
The price range for this beauty starts from $82,000 for the F-Pace P250 R-Dynamic S and $149,000 for the fully decked-out F-Pace SVR model. All models are all-wheel drive and use a regular eight-speed auto transmission as standard specification.
Skoda Fabia
The Czech-made Skoda Fabia is an alternative to the Volkswagen Polo.
The Fabia hatch didn’t launch in Australia until 2011, but it has been around since 2007.
It was officially launched with a 1.2-litre turbo 77kW engine. However, a more sporty and powerful RS variant arrived a year later, along with a wagon body style. Currently, in its second generation variant, it shares a platform alongside the Volkswagen Polo.
The Fabia can be currently bought for $24,900 for the Fabia Base Model Run-out Edition and reaches up to $36,900 for the Fabia 110TSI Monte Carlo Edition 150.
It competes with other small hatches like the Mazda 2, Suzuki Swift and Renault Clio.
Ford Falcon
In the Australian motoring landscape vernacular, the Ford Falcon is the bread and butter of the roadways.
An American-designed Ford product from 1960, the Falcon competed directly with its nemesis Holden producing models like the Kingswood and Commodore and reigned supreme in the sales arena for more than 50 years.
Ford was slow to see the huge wave trend of SUVs coming onto the motor vehicle landscape. This change of taste in the kind of vehicle models the Australian public was after meant that the locally built Falcon was no longer a sustainable variant model.
Subsequently, the last Australian-built Falcon was produced in Melbourne in 2016. It had a total production run that exceeded three million vehicles.
When it came out the prices ranged from $ 21,000 for the base model up to a staggering $62,000 for the XR8.
Toyota FJ Cruiser
The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a mid-sized SUV that was retro-styled as a concept car. It arrived in Australia in 2011 and was sold in Australia until 2017 when it was discontinued.
Featuring a V6 4.0-litre, 200kW/380Nm petrol engine with five-speed auto transmission, the Cruiser’s design had a nostalgic retro-styling element which was a nod to the original J40 Land Cruiser.
While the FJ Cruiser was not great on fuel economy, the car was explicitly geared towards off-road use. It possessed a low-range gearbox, good ground clearance and a rear-differential lock as standard features.
Prices for the Toyota FJ Cruiser ranged from $39,000 for the base FJ Cruiser to $50,000 for the fully optioned FJ Cruiser.
Subaru Forester
The Subaru Forester was a little late to the small SUV party when it first debuted in Australia in 1997 – a full three years after the Toyota RAV4 flooded the market.
In saying that, it was still able to make a major impression due to its car-style driving experience, decent space and excellent off-road capability.
As a result of its long suspension travel and higher ride height, the Forester had the measure of the standard sedans, hatches and wagons, when it came to the unpredictable and sometimes rough Australian roads.
Its smooth handling is due to it being based on the Impreza wagon and sedan, which was launched down under in 1993. Today, the car maintains the same production formula which has resulted in it steadily becoming bigger, more secure and increasingly powerful through successive generations.
Current prices for the Forester range from $37,800 to around $49,300 for the Forester 2.5-litre (AWD) and Forester Hybrid S (AWD).
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta has existed in one variant or another since 1976, but the first arrival in Australia was in 2004.
By this stage, the small Fiesta hatch was in its fifth generation model internationally. Though it easily transitioned to the Mazda-based Ford Festiva locally.
At the 2004 launch, the Fiesta was available with a 1.6-litre engine. The XR4 sport variant came with a 2.0-litre engine and was added to the production models in 2007.
The Fiesta’s size is similar to that of the Mazda 2, Suzuki Swift and Volkswagen Polo.
Currently the Ford Fiesta can be bought from around $28,000 to $33,400 for the Fiesta ST.
Toyota Fortuner
Not for the first time, Toyota has plonked a wagon body onto a ute and called it a new car. See the latest model Toyota Fortuner 4×4 as exhibit A.
The Fortuner 4×4 wagon isn’t identical to its HiLux donor. Its bodywork is different, front to back, while the interior is more upmarket. The rear end was also given coil springs in place of leaf springs for a more comfortable and softer ride. However, it does share the same four-cylinder, 2.8-litre diesel engine and can tow up to three tonnes in manual guise.
Internationally, this vehicle is also known as the Toyota SW4 and Hilux SW4.
The current price range in Australia is from $49,900 for the Fortuner GX to $62,900 for the Fortuner Crusade.
Ferrari F12
The Ferrari F12berlinetta is a front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, grand tourer. It debuted at 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show and hit Australian shores in July 2013.
The naturally aspirated V12, the 6.3-litre engine propels this thoroughbred from 0-200km/h in just 8.5 seconds.
The Ferrari F12berlinetta won the 2013 International Engine of the Year Award in the Best Performance category and Best Engine above 4.0 litres.
Its production numbers have never been announced. However, it’s estimated that around 5,000 of the standard F12berlinetta’s were produced from its debut in 2012 through 2017 when the 812 Superfast was introduced.
The original price point of the Ferrari F12 started at $319,900. Its current prices for the now classic model are $589,900 for the base model, up to a staggering $ 700,000 for the F12tdf track-focused model.
