Ford abandons Focus plan in favour of four-cylinder Falcon
Ford will abandon plans to build a new small car in Australia and instead produce a four-cylinder version of its existing Falcon range and a diesel Territory.
The car maker today confirmed a $230 million program to introduce three new, more environmentally friendly engines to its locally-built Falcon sedan and Territory offroader from 2010 onwards.
Apart from the diesel and four-cylinder engines, the company will also introduce a new, more technologically advanced version of its LPG engine.
Ford planned to build 40,000 Focuses a year in Australia, with 15,000 earmarked for export. It is believed the car will now be imported from Thailand, which has a free trade agreement with Australia.
The company claims the new turbo-charged four-cylinder petrol engine will deliver six-cylinder performance with the fuel consumption and emissions of a small car. It claims the four-cylinder will use 15 to 20 per cent less fuel than V6 alternatives.
The Eco-boost engine has been developed by its US parent, and Ford global product boss Derek Kuzak recently told media the company planned to have a four-cylinder engine in every car in its range by 2012. It will arrive in Australia in 2011.
The Falcon version is expected to have a power output almost equal to Holden's current V6 Commodore, while using about 8 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, which is the same as the automatic version of the current Focus small car.
Ford abandons Focus plan in favour of four-cylinder Falcon
