FORD has kicked off the annual round of price increases by adding up to £300 to the on-the-road costs of most of its vehicles. The Ka, Fiesta and Escort special editions, Puma, pre-August Mondeo and Focus, Probe, Explorer and Transit escape the increase, but prices for the rest of the range go up by an average 1.2%.

Ford fleet marketing manager Nick Themistocleous said the relatively slender rise was the result of low inflation and a very competitive marketplace. Other manufacturers said they were monitoring their competitors' pricing strategies, but none have yet announced similar increases.

The Ford increases come into effect on August 18. Sample new prices with old prices in brackets: Fiesta 3-dr 1.25LX £10,085 (£9,945), Escort 5-dr 1.6LX £13,550 (£13,390), Mondeo 5-dr 1.8LX £15,090 (£14,875), Maverick SWB 2.4GLS £18,320 (£18,060), Scorpio 4-dr 2.3 Ultima £24,665 (£24,365), Galaxy 7-seat 2.0 Aspen £18,490 (£18,285), Courier van (ex. VAT) 1.8D £9,676 (£9,561).