Ford Laser

Laser (KA, KB)

The KA Laser (Australian model code), built under license from Mazda, was introduced in March 1981, replacing the rear-wheel-drive Escort in Australia. The range was available as a hatchback, in both three- and five-door varieties, as well as a four-door sedan badged Ford Meteor. Originally sold only with the 1.3-litre engine, the smaller 1.1-litre engine was never available in Australia. Later, 1.5-litre versions were added, eventually even a turbocharged version. In January 1983, the Laser underwent a facelift to become the KB. Light changes were made to the rear, while the front was redesigned in a more modern style, aligning it with Ford's corporate look of the era.

In Japan this is referred to as the "BE" Laser, which was identical to the Australian KB series. The BE model code relates to the BD model code used for the corresponding Familia/323. The first Lasers went on sale in Japan in late 1982. Fuel-injection and a 115 PS turbocharged model were added in July 1983; these variants were never offered for sale outside Japan.

Aside from being built in Australia and Japan, Lasers were also assembled in New Zealand. In New Zealand, the Laser was sold as both a hatchback and sedan, the Meteor name not being used in that market, and was later assembled alongside the Mazda 323 at the Vehicle Assemblers of New Zealand (VANZ) plant in Wiri, Auckland in a joint venture between Ford New Zealand and Mazda. New Zealand-built Laser hatchbacks were available with the 1.1-litre (Ritz), 1.3-litre (GL), and 1.5-litre (Sports) engines, while the Laser sedan (L, Ghia) was not available with the 1.1-litre engine.

The Laser was also sold in some countries in Latin America, including Argentina, where the local model was identical to the KA version sold in Australia. In Mexico, however, the first-generation Laser had a front end similar to the North American Mazda GLC. In addition, it was sold in right hand drive markets in the Caribbean such as Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, where it was locally assembled. In Europe, it was sold in Cyprus and Malta.

Assembly of the Laser also occurred in Malaysia and Indonesia (in right hand drive) and in left hand drive for markets like Taiwan and the Philippines. In Taiwan, it was assembled using complete knock-down kits from 1981 via the local joint venture Ford Lio Ho.

The Laser was also introduced in Zimbabwe in 1981, the first Ford model to be sold in the country for fourteen years, after the imposition of sanctions on the then Rhodesia after its Unilateral Declaration of Independence. It was assembled at the state-owned Willowvale Motor Industries plant, in Harare, alongside the Mazda 323.

Meteor (GA, GB)

Introduced in April 1982, Ford Meteor was the name given to the sedan version of the Laser. Designated as the GA series, the Meteor featured conventional three-box styling with a 60/40 folding rear seat to increase luggage capacity that was already considered "very large for the class". Compared to the Laser, the front seats could be moved back a little further at the expense of rear seat passengers. To further improve practicality, the Meteor's spare wheel could be relocated from the floor to an upright position to increase boot depth from 410 to 585 millimetres (16.1 to 23.0 in). The additional length of 195 millimetres (7.7 in) over the Laser hatchback was used by Ford Australia to justify the Meteor as replacement to the TF Cortina. In Australia, the Meteor was only available with the 1.5-litre engine and five-speed manual transmission or optional three-speed automatic. Naturally, the Meteor had a difficult undertaking replacing the Cortina—it offered engine displacements from 2.0 litres for the inline-four, up to a 4.1-litre inline-six, plus a station wagon option. However, the Meteor's pitch as the Cortina replacement was merely a temporary measure prior to the introduction of the Telstar mid-sized sedan and hatchback in May 1983. In Australia, the Meteor directly competed against the Holden Camira.

The Meteor's front styling and grille differed from the corresponding Laser. The Meteor styling was based on the Japanese market Mazda Familia (BD) sedan. Lighting changes included the replacement of the Laser's amber front turn signals with clear lenses, plus the fitment of larger, flush headlamps over the Laser's smaller lights that were "sunken" into an enclosure. The Meteor grille had more of an "egg crate" pattern than the plain black slats of the Laser. Suspension was fully independent with coil springs.

Trim levels in Australia comprised the entry-level GL and upmarket Ghia, both available with an optional "S" pack that added full instrumentation and upgraded tyres. Steel wheels with bright metal trim rings differentiated the GL from the Ghia with its alloy wheels and deep side protection mouldings.

The mid-term facelifted model of May 1983, coded GB, brought the range closer together, though Meteors continued as a separate and slightly more premium line.

Japan

January 1985 saw the advent of the BF series Laser in Japan. This was the Laser's first major redesign. For the first time a diesel version was offered in Japan, as well as a factory two-door cabriolet, a DOHC 16-valve Sport version, and a potent 140 PS DOHC turbo model with full-time 4WD drivetrain (identical to the contemporary Mazda Familia BFMR). This added up to an extremely convoluted Japanese product line, which was later streamlined in 1987 with a mid-life model refresh (KE series in other markets). This refresh dropped E-series engines in favour of all-new B-series equivalents, poorer-selling variants were discontinued, and minor changes were made to exterior styling and interior trim.

Australia and New Zealand

For Australia, the range was known as the KC Laser and GC Meteor. All body styles were carried over, with the addition of a station wagon (badged as "Meteor", like the sedan) from 1986. A new "TX3" variant, which was at the top of the "Laser" models in specification level and designated "KC2", replaced the "Sport" variant from the KB series. Unlike the Sport, the TX3 was only available as a three-door (the Taiwanese TX3 was available in a five-door version only). The "L" and "GL" models were no longer available as a three-door. A notable change was the introduction of engines capable of running on 91 RON unleaded petrol (this became mandatory in Australia from 1986).

The E5 1.5-litre SOHC carburettored engine that was optional on GL, and standard on Ghia in the KB series was replaced with the new B6 1.6-litre I4 SOHC. For the first time, electronic fuel injection was available as an option on Ghia models, and was standard on TX3 models. Buyers who ordered automatic transmission with this engine received an electronically controlled four-speed unit, which was quite advanced for a small car in 1985. The B3 I4 SOHC 1.3-litre engine was standard on the "L" (hatchback only, the wagon had a 1.6-litre engine). The 1.6-litre engine was standard on GL, Ghia and TX3, though some early GL models were equipped with a 1.5-litre SOHC carburettored.

The KC/KE Laser wagon was also assembled in New Zealand, alongside its Mazda 323 equivalent, until Ford closed their VANZ assembly plant at Wiri, Auckland in 1996.

KC / GC model range (Australia):

North America

A version of the KC Laser, the Mercury Tracer, was marketed in the US and Canada, available as a hatchback and wagon only. The Tracer hatchback shared its bodyshell with its Laser counterpart, but the wagon was a distinct design based on the Laser hatchback, rather than the sedan, as was the case with the Meteor wagon. US versions of the Tracer were built in Mexico, whereas for the Canadian market, Ford opted to import the Mercury Tracer from Taiwan instead. In Bermuda, however, the KE Laser was sold locally in right hand drive badged as a Ford.

Laser (KE)

In October 1987, Ford introduced a facelift of the KC series, the KE. There were a number of notable changes with the introduction of the KE. The "Meteor" name was dropped from the sedan and wagon body styles, meaning they were now badged as "Laser", like the hatchback variants. The TX3 was also now available with a turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive (AWD) as options. The TX3 Turbo with AWD is now very rare and highly sought after. The AWD was fully imported from Japan, while all other models in the Laser range were manufactured locally in the Sydney suburb of Homebush.

The KE is easy to distinguish from the earlier KC, by different grilles, headlights, tail lights, body-side mouldings, bonnet, front guards, and on some models, wheels. The dashboard and instrument cluster received new graphics, and the interior was available in slightly different colour shades to the KC. In mid-1989, in preparation for a new ADR (Australian Design Rule) to come into effect in 1990, all models were fitted with a high-mount rear stop lamp as standard. When the redesigned KF Laser was introduced in March 1990, the wagon continued in a sole GL specification, with minor upgrades until 1994, when Australian production of the Laser ceased.

The "L" is quite rare, as it was primarily aimed at the budget or fleet buyer and available as a five-door hatchback and station wagon. It had silver-painted 13-inch steel wheels, with no centre caps, a large analogue clock in the instrument cluster, no passenger-side rear-view mirror, vinyl interior trim, no body side mouldings, no rear windscreen wiper, and the folding rear seat was only one-piece. The stereo was also AM-only and had no cassette player. Air conditioning was not available. The only engine on offer was the 1.3-litre engine, with four-speed manual transmission (no automatic was available). The "L" wagon had the same level of trim, except the 1.3-litre engine was replaced with the 1.6-litre unit, but still with four-speed transmission (automatic was not available on either the hatchback or wagon).

The "GL" was the most popular model. It featured the same silver-painted 13" steel wheels as the "L" but with satin chrome half-width centre caps (only covering the centre of the wheel), a digital clock on the top of the dashboard, cloth interior trim, grey body side mouldings, a rear windscreen wiper, grey tailgate and beaver panel garnishes and 50/50 split-fold rear seat. The stereo was an analogue-tuned AM/FM unit with a basic cassette player. Air conditioning was optional as a dealer-fit accessory. Power was provided by a 1.6-litre engine, with 4-speed manual transmission (5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic was optional). Sedan and wagon came standard with five-speed transmission.

The Ghia was the luxury model. It had black 14-inch steel wheels with full-size plastic wheel covers, power steering, body-coloured rear-view mirrors and bumpers, velour interior trim, tachometer, centre console with Ghia emblem, lockable glovebox, driver's seat with lumbar support and height adjust, storage drawer underneath the front passenger seat, full-size interior door trims, vanity mirror in passenger sunvisor, ticket holder in driver's sunvisor, felt interior headlining and sunvisors, rear headrests, additional warning lights in the instrument cluster, central locking with illuminated driver's door lock barrel, remote exterior mirrors, front door map pockets, front seatback pockets, additional reading lamps, chrome insert strips in the body side mouldings and bumpers, red tailgate garnish and orange beaver panel garnish. Air conditioning and power windows were optional. The stereo was a digitally tuned AM/FM unit, which featured a cassette player with Dolby enhanced sound. The 1.6-litre engine was fitted as standard, with EFI optional (standard on wagon), with either 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission (EFI automatic was 4-speed).

The TX3 was the Laser flagship. It came standard with 14-inch satin-chrome alloy wheels, sports cloth interior trim, red insert strips in the body side mouldings and bumpers, black tailgate and beaver panel garnishes, semi-bucket seats with adjustable seat height, back and lumbar support, auto fade interior lamps, and all other Ghia appointings. EFI and A/C was standard, and automatic transmission was not available. The TX3 also had a unique front fascia with quad headlights and the parker lamps incorporated into the indicator lenses (L/GL/Ghia had the parkers inside the main headlight unit) and two-tone paint.

Halfway through KE production, Ford introduced two limited edition versions, called "Redline", and "Livewire". The Redline was based on the GL hatch, while the Livewire was based on the GL sedan and hatch. The Redline featured the TX3's alloy wheels, two-tone paint and red inserts in the body-side mouldings and bumpers, air conditioning, and a tachometer. The Livewire featured yellow inserts in the body side mouldings and bumpers, a body coloured grille, air conditioning, and a tachometer. Both models had 5-speed manual transmission (as opposed to the standard 4-speed) as standard, with 3-speed automatic transmission as an option.

KE model range;

Engine specifications:

South Africa

The Laser was introduced in South Africa in 1986, as a hatchback, with the sedan version being sold as the Meteor. Replacing the Ford Escort, it was produced alongside the Mazda 323 by Samcor. In addition to the 1.3 L carb, 1.6 L carb and 1.6 L EFi engines, South African models of the Laser and Meteor also gained the Mazda FE-DOHC EFi 16-valve engine with 146 hp (109 kW; 148 PS) and 136 lb·ft (184 N·m) from 1991 to 1993. The KC/KE Laser and Meteor remained in production in South Africa until 1995, when the Escort was reintroduced.

However, Ford introduced an entry-level model called the Tonic and Tracer, a rebadged version of the locally manufactured BF series Mazda 323 hatchback, which was sold until 2003. From 1989, Ford's CVH engines (1.4 and 1.6) were used, with fuel injection available for the 1600 Sport model. These were later in turn replaced by Mazda's B3 and B6 engines.

Third generation (KF, KH; 1989–1994)

The third generation BG series of 1989 to 1994 went on to be the most popular Laser sold in Japan, with the new "coupe" (liftback) version an instant success. Again, a DOHC turbo model with full-time 4WD was offered as a companion car to the Mazda Familia GT-X, now producing 180 PS (132 kW; 178 hp) from an increased displacement of 1.8 litres.

Australia

In Australia this model, known as the KF and KH, was released in March 1990 as the KF series, updated in October 1991 with the KH facelift. Local production of the Laser in Australia ceased in 4 September 1994 when Ford closed its plant at Homebush, New South Wales, and imported the new KJ model from Japan;

New Zealand

In New Zealand, the KH Laser continued in production at Ford's assembly plant in Wiri, Auckland, until the end of 1996 when the factory closed. The extended production model in New Zealand was sold only in five-door hatchback form as either the Laser Encore or Laser Esprit, as a cheaper alternative to the newer KJ Laser imported from Japan. The Encore was the cheaper of the two, available only with a five-speed manual transmission, while the Esprit was slightly higher specification and was available with both the five-speed and also a four-speed automatic. Both featured red pinstriping around the body and many received dealer-fit accessories such as alloy wheels to boost appeal.

Other markets

This generation of Laser was also sold in Cyprus and Malta. This generation was the basis of later Escort models sold in North America from 1990 for the 1991 model year, which is not to be confused with the model of the same name sold in Europe. The Escort name was retained for the new model due to both strong brand equity on the Escort name as well as Chrysler already using the Laser name for the Plymouth Laser. The Escort wagon seen in North America during this generation was unique to that continent and was not part of the Laser ranges elsewhere.

Engine specifications (Australia):

Japan

The fourth generation model was known as the BHA series in Japan. All sporting models were discontinued with the release of this model in the wake of poor sales and financial returns as Mazda scaled back operations and sought to rearrange market focus. Only the sedan and three-door hatchback were sold in Japan, the hatch being based on the Mazda Familia Neo.

Australia

The Japanese built KJ Laser in Australia released in October 1994 represented a major change in design; looking very different from the previous KH model. The three-door hatchback was known as the Laser Lynx and the five-door as the Laser Liata. The new KJ Laser was introduced in 1994 with variants, facelifts (KL of December 1996 and KM of December 1997) and engine driveline improvements continuing up until the last of the KM series were released in 1998. The KJ Laser was the first Laser manufactured wholly in Japan, following Ford Australia's decision to close their Homebush plant. However, the KJ was disappointing in sales numbers mainly because of the smaller Festiva and other cheaper South Korean models from Hyundai, Kia and Daewoo to which many conservative buyers flocked.

New Zealand

With the introduction of the KJ Laser in 1994, Ford New Zealand found itself in a unique position, offering three different generations of the Laser as new vehicles at once at its dealerships—the new KJ Laser imported from Japan, the locally assembled previous-generation KH Laser as a five-door hatchback, and the older-shape KE Laser station wagon. This continued until 1996 when Ford NZ closed its Wiri, Auckland factory.

The second update KM Laser was not sold in New Zealand. The KL Laser, now replaced in Australia, continued to be sold alongside the European Ford Escort in New Zealand during 1997 but was discontinued locally at the end of the year, the Escort hatchback and sedan replacing it for just 16 months between January 1998 and May 1999 when the new KN Laser was introduced.

Taiwan

In Taiwan, Ford Lio Ho Motor assembled the Laser sedan branded as the Ford Liata; the Lynx three-door version was rebranded as the Ford Aztec. However, the Liata five-door version was not available in Taiwan, although the Mazda 323 was sold as a rebadged version of the Laser sedan only.

Latin America

In Latin America, this generation of Laser was assembled in Colombia and Venezuela, alongside its Mazda 323 counterpart, known as the Mazda Allegro.

Engine Specifications:

Fifth generation (KN, KQ; 1998–2002)

Fifth generation "BJ" series models were renamed "Laser Lidea" in Japan in December 1998, but popularity waned even further than the previous model. Japanese production ceased at the end of 2002, to be replaced by the imported Ford Focus, which was already sold there since 2000.

Released in Australia in May 1999, the KN Laser was the last new shape of Laser to be introduced. The model range was almost completely identical to the Mazda 323 on which it was based, which was the first time since the KE Laser. In February 2001, the KN received a minor facelift and became the KQ Laser. The big news with the KQ Laser was the addition of a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine for the new top-spec "SR2", which was also the first sports-oriented Laser variant in almost five years, since the unpopular Laser Lynx was discontinued in 1996. A new "SR" level of trim, which sat below SR2 was also introduced at this time. The KQ can be distinguished from the earlier KN, with a new grille with chrome moulding, new headlights, revised tail lights, different exterior colours, and slightly revised interiors.

In March 2002, due to falling sales, Ford made one last attempt to restore the Laser's popularity to its former glory, by announcing minor upgrades to the SR2, and added three new exterior colours to the range, being "Goldrush", "Red Revenge", and "Electric Blue". Three engines were available, a 1.6-litre that was fitted to the LXi, a 1.8-litre that was fitted to the GLXi & SR, and a 2.0-litre that was exclusive to the SR2.

Despite Laser having a good reputation with buyers in the marketplace, and many attempts from Ford to re-ignite interest in the model, it still failed to sell in reasonable numbers. In September 2002, Ford decided to discontinue the Laser in Australia, replacing it with the European-sourced Focus. However, the Laser continued in New Zealand until mid-2003, when it was also replaced by the facelifted Focus.

Model range;

Engine specifications:

In Taiwan, Ford Lio Ho Motor renamed the KN/KQ Laser sedan as Ford Tierra while the Laser hatchback was renamed Ford Life, and both was sold as rebadged versions of the pre-facelift Mazda 323 BJ generation without any exterior redesigns. The KQ facelift design was directed by Ford Lio Ho Motor and was based on the Australian KN Laser as the rear fenders are different from the Mazda-derived Ford Tierras. A facelift of the Tierra arrived in the early-to-mid 2000s, distinguished by its completely new front fenders, new hood, a new grille with chrome moulding, new headlights, revised tail lights, new trunk lid, different exterior colours, and slightly revised interiors. When the facelift for the Tierra was introduced, the pre-facelift model sold along side it, renamed as Ford Activa and acting as a cheaper alternative. The Activa was sold in both sedan and hatchback forms and a wider variety of colour choices was also available while the Tierra facelift was only offered in sedan form and was offered in a variety of trim levels. The KQ Tierra was sold originally as the Tierra LS and the Tierra RS with a slight performance tuning and body kit. In 2005, the RS was replaced by the Tierra Aero which was a slightly tuned down version of the RS, and later in 2007, the Tierra GT was introduced and later the Tierra XT with a redesigned body kit before the model was replaced by the second generation European Ford Focus.

The Laser was replaced in most markets around the world by the European-sourced Focus, designated as one of Ford's "world cars". The Mazda 323 replacement, the Mazda3, was also based on the same platform as the Focus, continuing the tradition of both companies having products in this market segment around the world sharing common componentry. However, updated versions of the Laser known as the Laser, Laser Tierra (Thailand), Laser Lance, Laser Lynx RS, Lynx (Malaysia) and Tierra were marketed in Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan. These too were eventually replaced by the Focus.