RWD all-Australian Falcon future hanging in the balance

[Road_Warrior]

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...25759A00079782

Next Falcon may fly AWD as Australia falls in line with ‘One Ford’

By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS 16 April 2009


FORD will decide next year if the next-generation Falcon switches to front-wheel drive or even all-wheel drive.

Confirming the deadline this week, Ford Australia president Marin Burela virtually ruled out another Australia-only Falcon, saying Ford Australia would fall into line with Ford’s Global One resource-sharing program.

This means the redesigned Falcon will be based on North America’s front/all-wheel-drive Taurus unless the Ford Motor Company revives its Global Rear Wheel Drive (GRWD) platform development program, which was expected to have underpinned the next all-new Falcon and Mustang (both due around 2013).

Speaking at the opening of Ford’s Advanced Centre for Automotive Research and Testing (ACART) facility at its You Yangs proving ground in Victoria, the Ford chief played down the importance of rear-wheel drive as a unique Falcon selling proposition, following extensive market research by his company.

FoMoCo president Alan Mulally said last August the next Falcon would share a platform with other large front or rear-drive Ford models in the US.

The GRWD program has since been officially halted, in the same way that General Motors suspended further development of the Zeta chassis that underpins Holden’s Commodore and the Australian-designed Chevrolet Camaro.

The lifespan of Ford’s unique inline six-cylinder engine, which will be extended beyond 2010 in Euro IV emissions guise, is likely to be integral to the Falcon decision, because the straight six is unlikely to power any front or all-wheel-drive chassis. And no Australian start date has yet been mandated for the strict Euro V emissions standard, which could be expensive for the inline six to meet.

As previously reported, the medium-term future appears secure for Holden’s billion-dollar Zeta Commodore range, which was launched in 2006 and is itself due for at least all-new sheetmetal around 2013.

But intense media speculation has surrounded the drivetrain choice for Ford Australia’s next large-car chassis architecture, given it will no longer be unrelated to every other model in the Ford world but will again be expected to accommodate everything from new Ford and FPV sedans and utes to a new Territory.

Breaking Ford’s silence on the matter for the first time this year, Mr Burela said that while chassis and engine decisions on the next Falcon would be made in the next 12 to 18 months, Ford Australia is now definitely locked in to the One Ford strategy which aims to end wasteful duplication by globalising all major vehicle lines.

This means that development of every large Ford passenger vehicle – probably including car-based crossovers and SUVs such as the Territory and US-market Ford Edge – will be centralised.

To get the nod as the ‘centre of expertise’ for Ford’s next global large-car program – whether it be front/all-wheel drive or rear-drive – Ford Australia will have to gazump its parent company’s own engineering team in Dearborn, Michigan. If not, the Falcon family could become re-bodied versions of the US Taurus or host of other Ford, Mercury and Lincoln models.

However, Mr Burela divulged that Ford’s global vehicle development boss, Derrick Kuzak, recently visited Australia, and is said to be highly impressed with the engineering talent behind the development of the T6 light-truck that Ford Australia – in conjunction with Mazda – is working on in Melbourne.

The T6 will be the replacement of the Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50, to take the fight up against the top-selling Toyota HiLux.

This is on top of Mr Kuzak’s praise to GoAuto at the North American International Auto Show in January about the current FG Falcon series.

“We have a very capable rear-wheel-drive platform in Australia, and we don’t have to change that tomorrow,” he said at the time.

Mr Burela, who previously worked as global development head of the well-received Fiesta, likened Ford’s global light-car to a guinea pig for the development of all future Ford products under the One Ford regime.

“One Ford is important to us, and we’re sticking to it,” he said.

“In terms of what (One Ford) means for Falcon in terms of a nameplate and as a product, as people are moving into different lifestyle vehicles, they are actually moving into all-wheel drive. They’re not necessarily saying ‘I want a rear-wheel drive.’

“As people are moving into different sizes of cars based on their lifestyle needs, they are saying: ‘a rear-wheel drive is not absolutely critical to me. I’m quite happy with a front-wheel drive’.

“So there are all these different things that are going on, and I think our objectives – and the things that we are working on now from an Asia/Pacific standpoint, is ‘what does that really mean?’

“Are we able to go out there and give the Australian consumer an all-new Falcon when the time comes, and what does that all-new Falcon have to provide? What powertrains does it have to provide? What fuel economy does it have to provide? Where do the global powertrain systems fit into that?’

“All those are questions, all work is being done, and I say that I will probably be able – in the next 12 to 18 months – be able to answer all of those questions.”

Mr Burela was more decisive about Ford Australia going it alone with the Falcon replacement: “Being Australian-only would only allow us to participate only in the Australian market.

“And we have learned very, very clearly that it is important to have global reach. It is important to have global scale with our suppliers. It is important for us to go out and utilise our development resources very wisely, and it is critically important that the product line-up that we deliver fits any market in any location in the world, and that it meets the needs of those consumers and that market if we are going to be credible and respected as a mainstream provider of transportation.

“We have a source of excellence in Australia that particularly understands large cars. We also have a source in Australia that understands the concept of what a new Ranger (light truck) is, and it wasn’t so long ago … that we had a lot of knowledge and confidence (with) small and medium cars. We were in the small and medium car (manufacturing) business once upon a time, and as we are now, but in a different way.

“So I am very confident in our technical capability in Australia. When Derrick (Kuzak) visited Australia for the first time when he took over in his role as the global development head, he was absolutely delighted and overwhelmed to a degree when he saw what Australia had to offer in terms of testing and development capabilities.

“I mean, (Ford Australia’s You Yangs) proving ground is equal to many proving grounds around the automotive world – I mean the track facility that has been put in there, facilities like (the ACART emissions, environmental and engine development facilities). So it has a role to play, in the Asia/Pacific region as well as the global region.

“And that is what One Ford is all about: utilising your global resources to the best of your advantage so you can absolutely deliver the value that operating as a stand-alone you are always struggling to go out and justify investments – particularly if your market and your industry is small in terms of the global scale.

“One of the big challenges that the industry and certainly Ford has faced over the years is that it was a company that was broken up into individual little fiefdoms around the world.

“Each one of those worked very hard in meeting the needs of its own region. The big challenge was, and the big issue was, that we were investing in similar products around the world to meet similar needs and wants from similar customers.

“And one of the many things that Alan (Mulally) and Lewis Booth and Derrick (Kuzak) have crystallised in our thinking around is the whole notion of ‘the one size doesn’t fit all’. But the reality is, if you are able to group your resources, and then deploy those resources to develop a global car, and differentiate it appropriately for individual market needs and wants, you actually can deliver success.

“I was the guinea pig when we started this journey in 2004 – when the Ford Motor Company asked me to lead their global small car, and one of the first vehicles that fell into that was the Fiesta. We started work on the Fiesta towards the latter part of 2004, and today you have a global car that actually delivered on that promise.

“We have demonstrated and have proved to ourselves that we can do a three-door and a five-door and a four-door small car that meets the needs of the world – we’ve done that, we’ve proven it, and it works. In China, the demand has outstripped supply.

"In Europe one of the plants ... when almost every manufacturer in Europe is shutting down or idling plants ... the Fiesta plant in Cologne is running at full production, to the extent that they were teetering on whether or not they were to work overtime.

“How do you reconcile that? When you get the equation right, and all of a sudden you start to play in a completely different sphere. The world changes ... and we have proven that to ourselves.

“(With) the new (2011) Focus, we are following exactly the same template. I am involved in defining and helping to define the new Focus, as are my colleagues around the world. We are testing the hypothesis of the style, package and technology, through different paths of the world, and Australia is part of that.

“So ... the world has changed, it really has, and it has changed quicker than any of us had expected it to change.

“The thing I think that gives Ford the strategic advantage is that we recognised that that change was coming much sooner than any other manufacturer in the world.”

Sure is a lot of waffle in there. And I seem to recall reading on GoAuto recently that a FWD Falcon had been all but ruled out.

[Gobes32]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Sure is a lot of waffle in there. And I seem to recall reading on GoAuto recently that a FWD Falcon had been all but ruled out.

I personally still feel that Mondeo will replace Falcon in 2013, why people keep suggesting Taurus is beyond me. If anything the Mondeo and Taurus will share their next chassis and the skin finish will depend on the local markets taste.

i.e Europe will keep the Mondeo name and will build a car to euro tatse, US will still call their car the Taurus and place a large chrome grill on the front to please american taste, whether or not Australia will call their car the Falcon or not remains to be seen. But it will receive subtle changes to suit the Oz market.

[Scott]

I love Ford but no RWD = no more Fords for me.

[ChemicalHorizon]

There is alot of waffle in there, but, One Ford does open the opportunity for our expertise to be exported, much more easily than in the past. I hope the falcon doesnt die, but if it does, i hope the australian ford resources are kept in australia, working on global projects.

[Daymoe]

Originally Posted by GTP006

I love Ford but no RWD = no more Fords for me.

Does RWD matter that much though in the whole scheme of things?

[Gobes32]

The problem Ford Oz faces is that 2000 units a month is not enough to justify the R&D involved to build new models, unless the profit margins rise significantly, i.e XR6 Turbo for around 65k anyone? didn't think so.........

[Gobes32]

Originally Posted by Daymoe

Does RWD matter that much though in the whole scheme of things?

According to new car sales......no.

[Daymoe]

Originally Posted by Gobes32

The problem Ford Oz faces is that 2000 units a month is not enough to justify the R&D involved to build new models, unless the profit margins rise significantly, i.e XR6 Turbo for around 65k anyone? didn't think so.........

What about just keeping the same model going for a long time? Like the Ford Crown Victoria?

[T3ts50]

I cant see why Falcon and Mustang cant share the same platform.

[dom_105]

Why can't the next Falcon be based on a slightly stretched version of whatever the Mustang is getting?

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by T3ts50

I cant see why Falcon and Mustang cant share the same platform.

Because the Americans didnt think of it first.

Also, GoAuto need to re-read their own articles:

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...25753C0020B598

Mr Kuzak revealed that Ford Australia would not adopt the latest Taurus unveiled this week at the Detroit show, adding that there are no plans to market it anywhere else in the world other than in the US.

“At this point, (the Taurus) is only a North American vehicle,” he said.

This means that it more than likely has not been developed for RHD. A bit of an obstacle if you were expecting it to replace an established volume seller in a country where RHD is the law :

[Pistonbroke]

Why can't the next Mustang be based on the Falcon Platform. The Mustang still has a live axle!

[ChemicalHorizon]

Ill never be able to associate Taurus with anything other than that horrible looking pancake of a car thing which sold all of 12 cars here....

ugh

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by Gobes32

According to new car sales......no.

And 85 % of Falcon sales are to fleets...

Go figure...

Fleets care about resale and reliability, not about which wheels drive the car.

I think the RWD Falcon's time is limited sorry to say, and I think Gobes is on the ball, a Mondeo platform will replace Falcon IMO.

[Daymoe]

Originally Posted by Barraxr8

And 85 % of Falcon sales are to fleets...

Go figure...

Fleets care about resale and reliability, not about which wheels drive the car.

I think the RWD Falcon's time is limited sorry to say, and I think Gobes is on the ball, a Mondeo platform will replace Falcon IMO.

I don't mind as long as it still looks cool and has some power behind it haha.

[LeadFoot81]

What if base model Falcons were replaced by the 'one ford' Mondeo/Taurus and a new world class Mustang replaced the XRs/FPVs? Would that be so bad?

Hopefully Ford Oz get a world class Mustang/Falcon platform from 2013, I remember reading Detroit was considering a four door Mustang?

[Road_Warrior]

See the thing is, I can't see the Mustang becoming FWD or even AWD. The seppo's won't allow it. Not while the Camaro and Charger is RWD all the way, and will be so for a while yet.

So while there is a demand or a need for a RWD Mustang, there is a need for a RWD platform. So it begs the question: why can the Mustang and Falcon not share a platform?

[351@GT]

^^ would be about time that the mustang went IRS too

[vztrt]

Good bye Falcon ute....oh well there's always the Ranger :

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Daymoe

Does RWD matter that much though in the whole scheme of things?

Does to me.

The whole auto world recognises that as far as power & handling go, RWD is superior to FWD... and I agree with them. As stated, and not to have an indepth discussion about me in particular, if Ford stop making one, I'll simply buy from someone who does. Even if it's manufactured overseas.

Simple really.

[Serial_Fool]

The Mustang will never go FWD, it was going to go FWD it would of done it during the 80's when all of the big 3 switched to FWD vehicles.

The fact is Ford America had plently of time to configure their RWD development with Ford Australia's RWD developement. All through the 80's, 90's and 00's Ford Australia has had a better 4 door sedan product than Ford America by a long shot.

The models (falcon and Mustang) could of been intertwined many times but it never happened apart from sharing some basic designs (e.g the 5.4 block).

The mustang/falcon alliance could of proved to be HUGELY popular.
For Australia:
Getting a Ford coupe again to compete with Monaro.
Updates to the Mustang engine could be directly fitted to the Falcon.
Reassurance that the RWD program will CONTINUE to happen.

For America:
Turbo 6 in Mustang?- would convert the ricer crowd to the more traditional makes.
The ability to produce the Falcon as a higher up BMW like car.( essentially a 5 Series or a 7 series)

[Polyal]

Geez maybe I will hang onto the XD....

I agree with Road Warrior, but id go one further and say that FPV should share the mustang platform and then we would still have our RWD beasts; let the mondeo etc take the fleet/family car market.

Im not flash at reading between the lines but the mood/tone of the replies seem to suggest that our own platform is already dead and buried.

[Serial_Fool]

So essentially, IMO, Ford America by not configuring the Mustang/ Falcon platforms together have screwed Ford RWD production in this country. The BA Falcon platform should of been used as a platform for the Fifth Generation Mustang, instead America went it solo and got a live axle rear end. This would of allowed for IRS and a host of other Australian feautures to get onto Mustang (ZF 6 Speed, Turbo 6). This way the fate of Ford's ENTIRE RWD platform would be bunched into one and also could share developement costs.

Simply put, it's Ford America's fault.

[LethalLeigh]

Originally Posted by Daymoe

What about just keeping the same model going for a long time? Like the Ford Crown Victoria?

I'm pretty sure the thing that kept the Crown Victoria alive was the fleet sales to police departments. The Australian market moves far too quickly to leave a model unchanged for that long.

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

See the thing is, I can't see the Mustang becoming FWD or even AWD. The seppo's won't allow it. Not while the Camaro and Charger is RWD all the way, and will be so for a while yet.

So while there is a demand or a need for a RWD Mustang, there is a need for a RWD platform. So it begs the question: why can the Mustang and Falcon not share a platform?

I think the question here is not whether the Mustang goes FWD or AWD but whether they produce a new Mustang at all.

From all this though it makes it imperative the Ford Australia gets the development gig for the next generation large car, whatever that happens to be. This will allow us to have a car more palatable to Aussie tastes even if we have to switch to FWD/AWD. Given our previous involvement in the current Focus sedan, the Indian market Fiesta sedan and the Ranger, we have a good portfolio.

[XplosiveR6]

At the end of the day FMC still needs a RWD platform regardless; for Trucks and the mustang, so why not consolidate these and include Falcon in the mix. The only reason I could possibly think that ford don’t want to use the Falcons world class platform is because they want to engineer it, and say its theirs.

[davez104]

Originally Posted by Barraxr8

And 85 % of Falcon sales are to fleets...

Go figure...

Fleets care about resale and reliability, not about which wheels drive the car.

I think the RWD Falcon's time is limited sorry to say, and I think Gobes is on the ball, a Mondeo platform will replace Falcon IMO.

But some fleet byers DO care. My XR8 is a lease through work, so is classed as a fleet car, there are scores of similar cars around here, XR's , SS's , GT's etc etc that are mostly fleet cars. I'm not saying that these buyers outnumber the taxi pack fleet cars, but they would have to make up a significant portion of fleet sales. Most of these buyers wouldn't buy a FWD Falcon/Commodore, they would look elsewhere.

I can't see a FWD stang either, and I see no reason why the Falcon platform couldn't be addapted to suit the Mustang. a bit of engineering for LHD (which should have been done for the FG) and it wouldn't be hard to base a few cars off it. With territory style driveline they could offer AWD to those that wanted it. Imagine an all alloy 5.0L TT V8 Falcon with AWD, I could live with that. I know the Aussie market is not big enough for it, but worldwide, surely it would do all right.

Cheers,
Dave.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by XplosiveR6

At the end of the day FMC still needs a RWD platform regardless; for Trucks and the mustang,

Great idea ;)

[cosmo20btt]

There seems to be an awful lot of Ausies that will certainly turn to BMW & the like that make RWD since there may be no more RWD left to buy anywhere else, that includes me.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by GTP006

if Ford stop making one, I'll simply buy from someone who does. Even if it's manufactured overseas.

Simple really.

Pretty simple, and I will do the same and I believe many others will as well (or keep their current Falcons for longer). Hopefully the red brigade keep a RWD platform as they will be quite appetising if this happens.

[Burnout]

Originally Posted by GTP006

Does to me.

The whole auto world recognises that as far as power & handling go, RWD is superior to FWD... and I agree with them. As stated, and not to have an indepth discussion about me in particular, if Ford stop making one, I'll simply buy from someone who does. Even if it's manufactured overseas.

Simple really.

Originally Posted by vztrt

Pretty simple, and I will do the same and I believe many others will as well (or keep their current Falcons for longer). Hopefully the red brigade keep a RWD platform as they will be quite appetising if this happens.

Simple enough - I agree with you.
Couldn't see meself in a 'Proton Jumbuck'