Edstock Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Am I wrong, or is this an "interim" vehicle? The reason I ask, is that it lists the turbo I-6 as available, when we know that this engine is being replaced by the 3.5 V-6, and that Ford OZ is working on it, but they have until 2010 or later. So, in 2-3 years, does this get replaced with the next RWD platform? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 (edited) I wonder if some of the complaint about the looks is the similarity (especially the XR) to a 4th gen mustang. That and there's not enough fake chrome for the U.S. I checked out the FOA website, and I curious as to why there's no wagon. Local knowledge, At the FG's design window point, the Falcon wagon was expected to die and the 2WD Territory was expected to take over. The wagon is now a preferred vehicle for fleets like Telstra, the government owned phone company. As a result, the BF Series III will carry for 12-18 months when it will switch to a true FG version. It will be like building the new FG on the old BFII wagon platform, nearly all the improvements will be there anyway. Edited February 17, 2008 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Am I wrong, or is this an "interim" vehicle? The reason I ask, is that it lists the turbo I-6 as available, when we know that this engine is being replaced by the 3.5 V-6, and that Ford OZ is working on it, but they have until 2010 or later. So, in 2-3 years, does this get replaced with the next RWD platform? No, All new platform hits around 2012/2013. By 2010, the FG has to switch to the V6 to meet Euro IV. The Imported V6 saves Ford $2,000/engine by not having to upgrade the I-6, an alloy block was needed for quicker heating on cold start emissions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Jellymoulds Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 No, All new platform hits around 2012/2013.By 2010, the FG has to switch to the V6 to meet Euro IV. The Imported V6 saves Ford $2,000/engine by not having to upgrade the I-6, an alloy block was needed for quicker heating on cold start emissions. Will it be better than a Holden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 (edited) Will it be better than a Holden LOL - Foul, the Ford is a ring in race car! Fords are always better than GM, especially Holden! There should be a video of the media relveal some time today on FoA website, It's Monday morning here. Edited February 17, 2008 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchdevil Posted February 17, 2008 Author Share Posted February 17, 2008 I wonder if some of the complaint about the looks is the similarity (especially the XR) to a 4th gen mustang. That and there's not enough fake chrome for the U.S. I checked out the FOA website, and I curious as to why there's no wagon. Probably because the Ford Territory fits the role of the traditional wagon with more room and cargo space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Figures back that up, 60% of all Territorys sold are 2WD version. Word is update of Teritory first half of 2009 with Turbo Diesel arriving. Ford might switch to V6 gas engine then too as the I-6 cut off will be about 12 months from then. The older Territory is still clubbing heck out of new Kluger/Highlander - people just don't like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89-Pony Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 That picture of the G-series model isn't very flattering for the vehicle. The blue one looks good. I'm not gonna comment on the cheap model. The interior looks great, IMO. I'd take one. Can you imagine how good sales would be if Ford wold bring this stateside as the Taurus? Why does Ford give the rest of the world the best, and we get the Homer Simpson Taurus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danup Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Please excuse Borg. His definition of "style" is the '96 Taurus. Of course the Falcon is "missing something" for him to like it - mediocrity. The 96 Taurus was a lot of things, but mediocre isn't one of them. This Falcon, a conservatively styled refresh, from what I gather, is much closer to "mediocre" than the gen-3 Taurus is, no matter what your opinion of each is. The fact of the matter is that midsize car buyers in the US want FWD, period, and to compare the two cars you need to have some grasp of context, which you apparently lack. Anyway, if Ford had put that much effort and daring into a car since, and not decontented it to hell and saddled it with a gimp transmission, they might not have had to start over from scratch in the midsize market by 2006. Also, that's the bastardized 98-99 model. I'll defend the 96 Taurus forever, but that one's got a serious identity crisis in the front end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 New development, Bill OSbourne is knocked out by new Falcon and has asked for immediate feasibility study for Left Hand Drive Exports : Drive.com.auThe 2008 Falcon was designed to look smaller on the outside than it really is, although some fleet buyers told the Herald yesterday it looks too much like the previous model. There is likely good reason for that. The last time Ford radically changed the design of the Falcon, it was a sales disaster. The new model is "90 per cent new", said Osborne, but carries over some parts of the previous Falcon. Prices won't be announced until the car arrives in showrooms in May, but they are expected to range from $35,000 for the fleet sedan to $60,000 for the sports and luxury sedans, in line with the current models. Osborne, who has an engineering background and who has driven more than 5000 cars during his career, drove the new Falcon for the first time two weeks ago. He was so impressed by the car he said was "disappointed" to discover Ford Australia had not taken the decision to build a left-hand drive model for export (as Holden has done with the Commodore), and has already commissioned a feasibility study. "Frankly, I didn't realise it would be this good. In my opinion, this vehicle compares with the best in the world," Osborne said. "So I have asked that we look at exports right away. I can't guarantee when [exports] will happen, but I can tell you it's under study." He said he believed the Falcon would be suitable "around the world in a number of markets". A steady export business would take the pressure off local sales and ensure the future of local Falcon production. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkFive Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Also, that's the bastardized 98-99 model. I'll defend the 96 Taurus forever, but that one's got a serious identity crisis in the front end. There were two very minor changes to the front end in '98/'99 - they widened the oval slightly and put the Ford logo in the middle, and they changed the lower part of the bumper design to one opening as opposed to the two ovals on the '96. Why do you think this is bastardized? You have to get up close to one to really notice the difference between the model years. In the back they changed the amber turn signal lens to a red one. That change is a little easier to notice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danup Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 There were two very minor changes to the front end in '98/'99 - they widened the oval slightly and put the Ford logo in the middle, and they changed the lower part of the bumper design to one opening as opposed to the two ovals on the '96. Why do you think this is bastardized? You have to get up close to one to really notice the difference between the model years. In the back they changed the amber turn signal lens to a red one. That change is a little easier to notice. Moving the Ford logo leaves an inexplicable bump atop the front fascia where the logo used to be, and the wider oval (where the logo was moved) has always looked strange to me. Those don't strike me as minor changes, certainly compared to the amber/red switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I like that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 AUTOBLOG calls it The new FPV GT shows up in an Alice Cooper costume http://www.autoblog.com/ Well, if you can have a Mustang named Eleanor, a Falcon called Alice sounds OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LincolnFan Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I dislike the Aussie Fords because Holden is doing so much more. I don't like seeing Ford in any market under-performing the competition so substantially, either cosmetically or technologically. Holden isn't doing anything more. They make the worst piles of crap ever made, they use a lot of daewoo parts too. Wait till the G8 shows up in US and look up it's reliability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 But p_71 definition of style is this: boring defined Yeah...a boring car scares the shit out of people when it's behind them. You FAIL...try again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 (edited) Yeah...a boring car scares the shit out of people when it's behind them. You FAIL...try again. What chance do either of us have, your car is boring, our new Falcon is boring, everything is boring! Edited February 18, 2008 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBadBflo Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 lets see: we have focus tailights, Audi headlights and a 1990's profile with a beltline crease that looks like an after thought to give the design a touch of the '00s. If this was Ford NA everyone would be be crapping all over it. Only cool element is the alice cooper headlights one th eone model which give one portion of the car some personality. Yes the RWD and power plants are novel for NA, but to those praising the styling who nomally bitch about NA's ancient warm overs, you loose a little credibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkisler Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 New development, Bill OSbourne is knocked out by new Falcon and has asked for immediate feasibility study forLeft Hand Drive Exports : A few comments: First, I have a high regard for Bill Osbourne. Second, I think the new Falcon is an intelligent redo with a limited budget. Not stunning, but OK, and hopefully will keep market share from deteriorating further. Third, this is why you save your studies and put them on the shelf in nice black notebooks. When the notebook is pulled off the shelf, and someone has a chance to talk to Bill, and he devotes enough time to have his questions answered by the folks who have answered these questions many times before before, the result will be the same. Many, many people have been involved in previous studies going back at least 13 years now, and I don't see anything in the environment or product plans that have changed substantially. I don't think there is any way for LHD for this generation, with the small possibility of the Middle East if Ford wants to put the Panthers to sleep sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 (edited) If this was Ford NA everyone would be be crapping all over it. Sharing the showroom with Fiesta, C1 Focus and Mondeo, the FG Falcon doesn't look out of place but I agree that top hat is not suited to NA, picture a high belt line Lincoln........ Look at the shape, the Falcon is evolving into a silhouette resembling a 4-door Mustang. It's not there yet but this model brings it a step closer, when the Inline 6 goes, it will change again. Edited February 18, 2008 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LincolnFan Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Yeah...a boring car scares the shit out of people when it's behind them. You FAIL...try again. It's not the car that scares people, it's the person(s) inside it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 A few comments:First, I have a high regard for Bill Osbourne. Second, I think the new Falcon is an intelligent redo with a limited budget. Third, this is why you save your studies and put them on the shelf in nice black notebooks. What I don't understand is that we just went through the same exercise 12 months ago. The reason why Ford aren't following Lutz's RWD Holden love affair? There's no cash in it at all! A better strategy was decided - in 2011, FoA will build 40,000/yr RHD Focus and export 15,000/year to New Zealand and South Africa, effectively doubling FoA's current export numbers. Gaining both a 40,000/year increase in production for Broadmeadows and doubling exports is everything FoA wanted. Bill Osbourne now calls for another export study and we now look very ungrateful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Gaining both a 40,000/year increase in production for Broadmeadows and doubling exports is everything FoA wanted. Good move. It's a competitive product. Seems like LHD will have to wait for the world-RWD chassis, but this Falcon shows the RWD potential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 (edited) Good move. It's a competitive product. Seems like LHD will have to wait for the world-RWD chassis, but this Falcon shows the RWD potential. There's great potential with Focus and Mondeo to build up significant sales. Bill Osbourne is a good man, he sees Falcon's potential and will get it right in the next few years. Who knows, the V6 Falcon is less than 2 years away and things could change a lot by then. PS, V8 Falcons get the trick Jag muffler bypass system for throaty full power roar! Edited February 18, 2008 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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