Ford is committed to improving residual values of its products by scaling back its short-cycle rental business starting with the new Ford Focus.

The next version of the Focus is due in showrooms in March and residual values are an average six percentage points higher than the outgoing model at three years/60,000 miles.

Jon Wellsman, sales director at Ford of Britain, said while the company was pleased with the uplift in values, he admitted they were not class leading. Wellsman said: “We would like this car to be best in class for residual values.

We are moving out of short-cycle rental to the extent we have participated and will be increasing the retail and user-chooser mix of this car.”

He said Ford had consulted with the main RV guides extensively over the new model, making information available at an early stage, and had selected specifications and equipment grades that would increase the desirability of the cars on the used market.

“We plan to polish and enhance the residual values further,” said Wellsman, “And will continue to with CAP and Glass’s to ensure we achieve it.”

Ford also confimed that production of the existing Focus would continue at its Valencia plant until the summer, with variants on sale alongside the new model in the UK until September.