Falcon Dead???

[Reaper]

Uncertain future for Australian Falcon
Jez Spinks, drive.com.au, January 14, 2009

Ford's decision to drop its global rear-wheel drive platform development puts added pressure on the locally made Falcon and increases speculation Australia could get the American Taurus.


2009 Ford Taurus



2008 Ford FG Falcon



The future of the locally built Falcon large car faces fresh uncertainty after Ford said it was abandoning its rear-wheel-drive development program in North America.

Ford Australia was expected to play a key role in the program, with rear-wheel-drive Fords and Lincolns being built on the Falcon’s platform.

The large American cars were due to go on sale in 2013, about two years before the next-generation Falcon is anticipated.

Ford’s product planning chief Derek Kuzak confirmed the decision to axe its rear-wheel-drive plans at the 2009 Detroit motor show debut of the new-generation, front-drive Taurus.

“Because of [government] directives on [stricter] fuel economy, we did have a substantial rear-wheel-drive program under way, but we put that vehicle program on hold and stopped it,” says Kuzak.

“We’re now looking through various alternatives [for Ford large-car platforms] as we look into the future. But we have stopped work on rear-wheel drive.”

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/Ar...ertain&IsPgd=0

[Astranomical]

Just.....WHY????

DAMN!!!! Please, anything but the Taurus...I'd rather drive an EA Falcon!!!!!! Oh well, so long as they don't stop selling the Mondeo here, they're (mostly) saved I guess.

[minux]

I am just curious, how is fuel economy effected in a large car as to whether it is front or rear wheel drive?

People WANT rear wheel drive cars, I know myself after driving the Xr5 Turbo how bad torque steer can get when you have too much power, imagine the FPV F6 as a front wheel drive..

[VL_5SPEED]

Grab ya xr6t while ya can

[Jo3_Blo]

why front wheel drive? Bit of a poofs car innit?


Gotta admit tho, I really don't like the new falcons. And the taurus looks very similar anyway. So no big deal there.

But still, the falcon is better. I wouldn't mind a BA/BF XR6T. Just can't really say the same for the FG, I mean, I don't hate it, but I don't love it either.

Anyway.

[pow3rslave]

wasn't front wheel drive one of the main contributing factors in the aurion/380 flopping?

[TVR-190]

should sell the crown vic

[davway]

its still just journos making stories as there is nothing else to report.
the Falcon will be around for a long time yet.
it was just an export opportunity for a Falcon based product but it fell through.
makes no difference to the future of the Falcon at all.
sick to death of media hype and B.S just to get a story out.
had the journos shut their mouth and stopped scaring joe public, MMAL might still be around today as well.

[tommo82]

Remember the last time they introduced Taurus into the Australian market - what a spectacular success.

[Jo3_Blo]

Yeah lol. But yeah, I was just gonna say, with all the debate lately about the I6 and the production plants and stuff, it wouldn't be all that likely that they'd stop the falcon.

Don't want no yankee shit over here fella.

[andyman]

I am just curious, how is fuel economy effected in a large car as to whether it is front or rear wheel drive?

People WANT rear wheel drive cars, I know myself after driving the Xr5 Turbo how bad torque steer can get when you have too much power, imagine the FPV F6 as a front wheel drive..

front wheel drive cars are cheaper to poduce, and require less engineering to overcome design flaws

its still just journos making stories as there is nothing else to report.
the Falcon will be around for a long time yet.
it was just an export opportunity for a Falcon based product but it fell through.
makes no difference to the future of the Falcon at all.
sick to death of media hype and B.S just to get a story out.
had the journos shut their mouth and stopped scaring joe public, MMAL might still be around today as well.

there was a report out a little while ago from ford, they didnt rule out the falcon still being rwd next model, they where expirementing with the idea of fwd for base models, and awd from premiums like the xr's etc

[markovr]

its still just journos making stories as there is nothing else to report.
the Falcon will be around for a long time yet.
it was just an export opportunity for a Falcon based product but it fell through.
makes no difference to the future of the Falcon at all.
sick to death of media hype and B.S just to get a story out.
had the journos shut their mouth and stopped scaring joe public, MMAL might still be around today as well.

c'n oath complete bullshirt...rubbish to sell a paper ...nothin less....keep that camry sh*t where it belongs

[sleek_vp]

Remember the last time they introduced Taurus into the Australian market - what a spectacular success.

for sure those awesome lines of the tortus which remind me of a platypus but the 1 car which is the most errible car i think australians have seen is the 'ka' god only knows what was going through fords mind when they introduced that beast

[50LTRv8]

Yeah the Tauris was something out of the AU book. If this is true there is no communication between Ford AUS and USA. The decision to keep the I6 means it has to be rear wheel drive, there is no way it would fit east/west in the bay.

I could see this happening if they kept the V6 in the future plans of Ford AUS because that would lend itself to FWD application. As for dropping RWD for fuel ecomomy savings, how will AWD help that?

All I can say is WTF!!!

[Jo3_Blo]

the 1 car which is the most errible car i think australians have seen is the 'ka' god only knows what was going through fords mind when they introduced that beast

Oh god. I ****ing hate those.

[danja]

The Ka does really well in Europe because of it's size and economy, it's one of the cheapest ways you can get on the road without any bells and whistles.

I think they're butt-ugly, my girlfriend loves them (wonder what that says about how I look... )

As for the 2009 Taurus, I don't think it looks all THAT bad, no worse than the FG anyway (which I never really liked, looks like something that I would have had in my Matchbox car collection when I was 6 )