While most of us enjoy being right, we would be more than happy for our recent ‘crystal balling’ of our local Falcon’s fate to be well wide of the mark. Unfortunately, news just out of Detroit has added further fuel to this particular fire. It effectively sees our local Falcon stranded at the wrong end of the world, with a platform that seems to be out of favour, and possibly not figuring in Ford’s ‘fuel efficient’ future plans.
Ford’s design chief, J Mays, fanned the flames in Detroit, when he noted that Ford has all but axed its rear-wheel drive programs.
May spoke to Automotive News regarding plans for a RWD sedan:
“We’ve got other priorities. We’re going down a path right now that is all about fuel efficiency.”
Originally, Ford Australia was to develop a new RWD platform that would be shared with the US market (securing the future of the locally designed and built Falcon) but rising fuel prices and falling car sales have put an end to that plan. A new sedan based on that RWD platform was expected in 2013, but the shift in consumer trends has forced Ford’s hand on the issue.
There has been no official word from Ford Australia on the fate of the local Falcon, and we don’t expect that there will be for some time. However, it seems to us that arguably the best car ever made in this country (we think it is the best) has just been orphaned.
There is an all-new and rather flash large car in the Ford stable that is getting all the attention - the 2010 Taurus.
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Guess we’ll have to wait and see, Come on Ford Aus, stick it to the man. RWD all the way!
The FG is too good to lose, but when was the last sensible decision made by one of the big three. Some time in 1960?
Being a Holden Fan, it will still be a sad day if Ford going towards the front wheel drive of fail route.
Rear wheel drive cars are being coming more of Niche. I know if i was to carry my family (whenever i do have a family)and i had a big family car i would feel safe driving something rwd then fwd.
Sorry but the comment I read was [quote] ” With demand uncertain for big cars in the years ahead, Ford Motor Co. has dropped plans for new rear-wheel-drive sedans.
Ford design chief J Mays told Automotive News today that plans for rwd Ford and Lincoln sedans have been shelved. “It’s out of the cycle plan,” he said. [end quote]
So it’s not the actual death knell of Falcon yet, sure it does make it harder but then we’ve got 3 years to prove the point.
Ford-AU fortunately has the Focus to fall back on. Fleet buyers (govts) may rush towards that and the Camry hybrid. Ford Focus could very well be the best selling car.
They are saying that the new global RWD is out of the product cycle doesn’t necessarily spell bad news for Falcon. Maybe Ford have realised they have a great product here already.
The FG Falcon is a good 3 or 4 generations ahead of where the current US rwd sedans are. So why spend bulk money on a brand new platform when you have something that is probably a genuine 90% as good as a BMW 5 series anyway in the FG Falcon?
Easy, don’t. Adopt and refine the FG with a further update of suspensions, drivelines, chassis and other technologies.
It’s easy to think that it is the end of the world, but this could easily be a great thing for the Falcon.
Think that the US RWD sedans sold 87330 units & Mustang sold 87224 units in 2008. That represents about 9% of the 1.915m vehicles sold and 26% of their cars.
Consider this. Ford need to move towards cars to improve their CAFE mandated fuel economy standards, even large ones can get good mileage.
Ford will not get rid of these vehicles. Falcon in some RWD/AWD form will be adopted.
PS Remember that both Mullaly (CEO) and Kuzak (global product chief) are both fans of the Falcon and it’s platforms!
I don`t see this as a bad thing, I meanlets be realistic the majority of base model Falcons go to fleet buyers and seriously most wouldn`t care what they drove and if your buying a performance variant you will end up with AWD and lets face it, with the way our roads are and not to mention the rain AWD wins hands down.