BF XR8 price puts it out of market

[VZSS250]

The BF XR8 price has risen by $1,300 to more than $52K and now cannot compete with the VZ SSZ at $49,990. Meanwhile the SSZ comes fully equipped with leather, 18 inch alloys, premium brakes, sports binnacles and rear park sensors. Meanwhile, the XR8 is priced as a manual and asks for a further $1200 for the auto!

So we are expected to pay $1,300 extra for what? A new bumper? New seat fabric? Supposedly better fuel economy?

This is a disappointing move by Ford who have now officially given the budget performance game away and pushed the XR8 into the premium V8 sports sedan segment competing alongside the Calais and Fairmont Ghia.

Combined with a sluggish bottom end and a breathless top end as reported in Motor in the last couple of editions (admittedly these comments were about the FPV V8s, such as in the recent ute comparison) the XR8 is no longer an option for young boy racers seeking blistering V8 performance at a sub $50k price.

Ofcourse, people will talk about chassis balance and refinement, but performance weighs heavily on the minds of budget conscious performance buyers who want a car that can put down good track times, not preserve the weary bones of old men.

What do you guys think? Has Ford mistimed its price hike? Should they have at least provided a noticeable facelift? Should the price hike have been matched by a performance increase? Is the SSZ a better option? Will the BF be blown away by VE at this price?