Falcon ute awarded 5 stars by ANCAP

[Road_Warrior]

Only variants with specific options though...read on:

http://www.caradvice.com.au/70610/an...safety-rating/

The latest round of Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) testing has rated selected models of the Ford FG Falcon Ute and the entire BMW X1 range five stars for safety.

The five-star safety rating applies to all current model six- and eight-cylinder Falcon Utes fitted with stability control (ESC), side airbags and a tunnel-mounted transmission lever (ESC and side airbags are standard on XR6 and XR6 Turbo, optional on XL and R6).

Its score of 33.58 points out of a possible 37 is the highest ever recorded by a utility in Australia.

In total, ANCAP awarded 14.62 out of 16 in the offset crash test, where the passenger compartment was in “excellent shape after the test”, and 15.96 out of 16 in the side impact crash test where there was deemed to be a “slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver”.

Two bonus points were awarded for completing the optional pole test, and one for featuring a seat belt reminder.

Ford Australia President and CEO, Marin Burela, said the result was a strong endorsement for the home-grown workhorse.

“The FG Falcon has been judged by ANCAP to be the safety leader amongst locally manufactured vehicles, which further reinforces Ford’s long standing reputation for safety leadership in Australia,” Mr Burela said.

“We design our cars to deliver real-world safety benefits for our customers, but this result serves as a resounding third-party endorsement of the world-class body structure and comprehensive suite of active and passive safety features we have developed for Falcon.”

Also awarded five stars was the BMW X1, with its rating based on Euro NCAP testing conducted overseas.

Featuring six airbags, ABS, ESC and front seat belt reminders as standard, the X1 achieved 14.02 out of 16 in the offset crash test and a perfect 16 in the side impact crash test. Four additional points were awarded for the pole test and seat belt reminders.

That makes the whole Falcon range a 5 star affair

[Smoke Pursuit]

Cant go wrong!!

[fou_bleu]

Well it's a start! Now Ford need to remove these safety 'options' and make them standard - that would have units flying out the door faster than they can make them!

[1TUFFUTE]

they are already selling faster then they can move them from what everyone has been saying for months now.....and the options are standard except on the bottom of the range wich i hear hardly make any sales percentage anyway.....goodwork ford

[Danny]

Hang on, am I missing something? It says XR6T comes standard with side airbags, yet I was under the impression you had to option the safety pack for that!?

So F6 is 5 star, and XR6T is not :S bizarre.

[TUF_302]

Ford Falcon, the safest range of cars made in aus!

[spvd02]

Ford don't need to do anything - they're easily the safest car in comparison with competitors. Curtain air-bags are not necessary. Instead of pinning Ford down for not including them, why not pick on other manufacturers whose cars do not perform well in a crash test? Get over it.

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...0616-yfz2.html

Falcon ute crash results
CHRIS HARRIS
June 16, 2010 - 5:50PM

The Ford Falcon ute has scored a five-star rating in independent crash tests, but only if you pay extra for airbags.

Ford’s locally-built Falcon ute has scored the top five-star rating in the latest round of independent crash tests announced today.

The Falcon is the second locally-built ute to achieve the top rating, matching the Holden Commodore ute which achieved the rating last October.

But the top rating only applies to buyers who tick the box for an optional $500 safety pack, which comprises electronic stability control as well as head- and chest-protecting side airbags.

The Falcon’s Holden rival has six airbags (front, side and curtain) and stability control as standard equipment.

Ford’s decision not to offer the potentially life-saving equipment as standard on the ute continues a controversial policy of the carmaker making customers pay extra for safety items that are standard on its rivals.

The Falcon sedan doesn’t have standard curtain airbags that protect rear passengers in the event of a side impact, while the Commodore, Toyota Camry and Toyota Aurion all do.

The five-star rating also calls into question the rating protocol employed by Australia’s independent crash test body, ANCAP.

ANCAP has been criticised for awarding its top rating to cars that don’t offer as many standard safety features as lower-rated vehicles.

The safety pack is now available across the entire Falcon Ute commercial range and fitted as standard on the XR6 and XR6 Turbo performance models.

As part of the Euro IV emissions upgrade, Ford has ceased production of the V8-engined Falcon XR8 models. The Falcon ute was previously awarded a four-star rating in 2008.

ANCAP chairman Lauchlan McIntosh welcomed the revised Falcon Ute rating, saying it was good to see Australian-made workhorses achieving the highest safety rating from the crash test program.

‘‘Crash research shows that head-protecting side airbags halve the risk of a brain injury in a severe side impact,’’ Mr McIntosh said.

‘‘An ANCAP five-star rating ensures that the vehicle has this protection, as well as the life-saving crash avoidance technology, ESC.’’

ESC refers to electronic stability control, which can help the ute recover from a skid. Mr McIntosh said utilities were popular among Australian workers, and it was important that they shared the same five-star occupant safety as many cars.

‘‘We’ve tested the Proton Jumbuck, Great Wall Motors V240, Ford Ranger, Mazda BT-50, Holden Colorado and Isuzu D-Max-type utes and unfortunately, they’re only two- and three-star cars when we should be seeing five stars,’’ he said.

‘‘I urge all fleet managers and every new-car buyer to choose a five-star ANCAP rated vehicle,’’ Mr McIntosh said.

‘‘We’ve been speaking with the Australian Fleet Managers Association with other fleet managers and state government authorities, in particular, who are ensuring that they are specifying up to a five-star ANCAP rating. And we think that that’s made a big difference to Ford and Holden in their marketplace.

‘‘Mitsubishi’s Triton ute is running a four-star rating which is a big improvement over the other two- and three-star utes, too.’’

The worst performing commercial vehicle on sale in Australia is Mitsubishi’s Express van, which has scored only one star out of a possible five for crash safety.

ANCAP also announced a five-star rating for BMW’s new X1 compact soft-roader (based on data from European NCAP) and four stars for the Mazda2 Neo base model.

All other Mazda2 models, including the Neo fitted with a $400 optional safety pack comprising a total of six airbags, are awarded a five-star rating.

Source: smh.com.au

[russellw]

Source: Ford Media

Ford's FG Falcon Utility has been awarded the maximum five-star safety rating by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) in the latest round of testing.

The five-star ANCAP safety rating applies to all FG Falcon Ute models fitted with head and chest-protecting side airbags, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and a floor-mounted transmission lever – side airbags and DSC are both standard equipment on XR6 and XR6 Turbo models, and available as options on XL and R6 models.

The FG Falcon Ute received a total score of 33.58 points (out of a possible 37 points), giving it the highest score ever recorded by a utility in Australia, as well as the second highest score ever achieved by a locally-produced vehicle, behind the FG Falcon sedan.

The result positions the FG Falcon at the forefront of vehicle safety in Australia, with both sedan and utility versions generating higher ANCAP safety point scores than any other vehicle currently produced in this country.

"The FG Falcon has been judged by ANCAP to be the safety leader amongst locally manufactured vehicles, which further reinforces Ford's long standing reputation for safety leadership in Australia," said Ford Australia President & CEO Marin Burela.

"We design our cars to deliver real-world safety benefits for our customers, but this result serves as a resounding third party endorsement of the world-class body structure and comprehensive suite of active and passive safety features we have developed for Falcon.

"The FG Falcon is the safest vehicle ever developed by Ford in Australia and this safety leadership has been recognised by ANCAP."

The Falcon Ute scored 14.62 out of 16 in the frontal offset crash test, with ANCAP reporting that the passenger compartment "was in excellent shape after the test", while a score of 15.96 out of 16 was recorded for the side impact crash test.

This latest safety test result is further validation of the strength of Ford's continual design and engineering improvement process, which has also seen the Territory range awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating earlier in the year.

Ford's entire locally manufactured vehicle range is now either five-star rated by ANCAP or five-star capable.

The addition of a side head/thorax airbags as standard equipment on the latest Falcon XR6 and XR6 Turbo Ute models further bolsters the already extensive list of safety equipment on these vehicles, which includes:

* Driver and front passenger airbags
* Side head/thorax airbags
* Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
* Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Traction Control and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
* Pyrotechnic seatbelt pretensioners
* Crash severity and seat position sensors
* Beltminder™ system
* Driver fatigue warning

The FG Falcon Ute is fitted with Ford's Intelligent Safety System – a combination of the latest generation safety devices and electronic management tools that combine state-of-the-art restraint systems with intelligent monitoring of crash severity and occupant positioning.

No other Australia-built vehicle incorporates advanced crash sensors such as those fitted on the FG Falcon. Highly technical door pressure sensors and dual upfront sensors provide early detection of potential crash incidents.

The sensors literally hear the event occurring through pressure waves, before the panels even start to deform, making detection of crash situations instantaneous.

However, importantly, they also provide enhanced discrimination between different types of events to determine the level of response required. Appropriate safety responses for each individual situation are then activated according to incident severity, positioning of occupants and seat belt usage.

With most crash events occurring in less than 100 milliseconds, the ability to rapidly differentiate between types of events is extremely important.

In order to ensure appropriate response levels, 'abuse' testing has been conducted on the vehicle to calibrate the sensors not to activate the airbags and other safety measures in the case of non-crash related incidents such as shopping trolleys running into the doors.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Danny

Hang on, am I missing something? It says XR6T comes standard with side airbags, yet I was under the impression you had to option the safety pack for that!?

So F6 is 5 star, and XR6T is not :S bizarre.

I think they made side airbags standard on all XR utes with the recent Euro 4 upgrade, which went into production from late May.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

I think they made side airbags standard on all XR utes with the recent Euro 4 upgrade, which went into production from late May.

That's how I have been reading it. Only the fleet hacks don't have em.

[Road_Warrior]

Only Drive could put a negative spin on this. Pack of *******.

[vztrt]

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...257745000048D7

Ford Falcon Ute goes five star

Ford’s workhorse ute earns top marks for safety – on some models

17 June 2010

By RON HAMMERTON

FORD’S Falcon Ute has joined its Holden rival in the ranks of five-star crash safety performers, but only on its high-end models or those equipped with the optional $500 Safety Enhancement Pack.

A Ford FG XR6 ute equipped with a chest and head-protecting side airbag and electronic stability control (ESC) – both introduced as standard on XR6, XR6 Turbo and R6 ute models this month – scored 33.58 points out of a possible 37 points in the latest round of Australian New Car Assessment (ANCAP) crash tests.

The result bettered the Holden Ute’s 33.16 points, making the Ford effort the best recorded for a utility in Australia.

But while all Holden Utes are five-star across the range, entry-level Falcon Utes remain four-star because side airbags and ESC remain optional.

According to ANCAP, the FG Falcon Ute without side airbag protection or ESC scores 29.51 points out of 37.

To add further to the confusion, ANCAP testers ruled that current Falcon Ute models equipped with a column transmission selector still only rated four stars due to the risk of “knee hazards”.

And while the side airbag and ESC are optional on some utes, all Falcon sedans have these features as standard, along with an optional curtain airbag.

Ford Australia defends the policy of optional safety equipment for ute buyers, saying its customers tell it that they prefer to have the choice.

It also says Falcon Ute, with or without side airbags, provided excellent crash safety protection.

Ford Australia spokesman Justin Lacy told GoAuto that airbags were not the only measure of car safety.

“The strength and structural integrity of the passenger safety cell is the most important part of that safety equation,” he said.

While neither Ford’s Falcon sedan or Ute have standard curtain airbags like those fitted to all Commodores, Falcons equipped with a combination side/head airbag provide superior side chest protection, according to the ANCAP results.

The Holden Ute scores 2.84 points out of a possible 4.0 on the side impact chest result, while the Falcon variant with its combo airbag scores a near-perfect 3.96 points.

The Falcon is also clearly superior in upper leg protection in the frontal offset barrier test, scoring a perfect 4.0 points – double the score of the Commodore.

Ford says its side airbag protection is enhanced by its Intelligent Safety System that includes ‘door pressure sensors’ that detect pressure waves from an impending crash, even before panels are deformed.

It says this system provides instantaneous crash protection by literally hearing the event through the pressure waves.

“Importantly, they also provide enhanced discrimination between different types of events to determine the level of response required,” he said.

“Appropriate safety responses for each individual situation are then activated according to incident severity, positioning of occupants and seat belt usage.

“With most crash events occurring in less than 100 milliseconds, the ability to rapidly differentiate between types of events is extremely important.

“In order to ensure appropriate response levels, 'abuse' testing has been conducted on the vehicle to calibrate the sensors not to activate the airbags and other safety measures in the case of non-crash related incidents such as shopping trolleys running into the doors.”

Ford Australia president and CEO Marin Burela said Falcon Ute five-star result further reinforced Ford's long-standing reputation for safety leadership in Australia.

"We design our cars to deliver real-world safety benefits for our customers, but this result serves as a resounding third-party endorsement of the world-class body structure and comprehensive suite of active and passive safety features we have developed for Falcon,” he said.

"The FG Falcon is the safest vehicle ever developed by Ford in Australia and this safety leadership has been recognised by ANCAP."

Holden declined to comment directly on the Falcon Ute ANCAP performance, pointing only to its press release announcing the Holden Ute’s five-star rating.

The Commodore-based ute became the first utility to score a five-star rating with the introduction of the 2010 model-year in October last year.

It and the newly enhanced Falcon Ute remain the only five-star utilities rated by ANCAP, with top-selling imports such as Toyota’s HiLux, Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton all on four stars, while the Isuzu-based Holden Colorado and its sibling, the Isuzu D-Max, have three stars.

However, Ford and Holden’s locally-made utes might not be alone at the top of the safety pile for long, as Volkswagen is set to introduce the new Amrok utility later this year.

The worst performed ute tested by ANCAP is the Chinese-made Great Wall Motors V240, which rates just two stars.

[Brazen]

Hopefully the five-star rating will get a bit more fleet action. How bad is the Mitsubishi Express,just one star -geesh.

[outback_ute]

"While neither Ford’s Falcon sedan or Ute have standard curtain airbags like those fitted to all Commodores, Falcons equipped with a combination side/head airbag provide superior side chest protection, according to the ANCAP results.

The Holden Ute scores 2.84 points out of a possible 4.0 on the side impact chest result, while the Falcon variant with its combo airbag scores a near-perfect 3.96 points."

That is pretty impressive

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Hopefully the five-star rating will get a bit more fleet action. How bad is the Mitsubishi Express,just one star -geesh.

Vehicles like that should be banned from being sold here. We have enough different makers to keep the segments competitive.

Originally Posted by outback_ute

The Holden Ute scores 2.84 points out of a possible 4.0 on the side impact chest result, while the Falcon variant with its combo airbag scores a near-perfect 3.96 points."

That is pretty impressive

Airbags don't save your life they reduce the severity of the impact. Problem is if the side doesn't stop the initial impact airbag ain't gonna do a thing.

[phillyc]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Vehicles like that should be banned from being sold here. We have enough different makers to keep the segments competitive.

OFF TOPIC: I agree whole-heartedly. I raised this point with the safety commitee at work, but it seemingly got brushed aside. I stated that it was an OHS issue to not buy the safer vehicles.

My reference point being those dreaded Kia Pregio vans which were no longer compliant with ADR safety regs - not allowed to be imported - but had been bought en-masse by a large electrical contractor. If you had an accident at work in one of those vans. The injuries would almost definitely be more severe.

[phillyc]

The Holden Ute scores 2.84 points out of a possible 4.0 on the side impact chest result, while the Falcon variant with its combo airbag scores a near-perfect 3.96 points.

The Falcon is also clearly superior in upper leg protection in the frontal offset barrier test, scoring a perfect 4.0 points – double the score of the Commodore.

Ford says its side airbag protection is enhanced by its Intelligent Safety System that includes ‘door pressure sensors’ that detect pressure waves from an impending crash, even before panels are deformed.

Damn impressive stuff. Prodigious tech involved there.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

I think they made side airbags standard on all XR utes with the recent Euro 4 upgrade, which went into production from late May.

Gay as AIDS. Mines an April Build

[mcnews]

Joking about AIDS mate is very bad taste. It is a very **** way to die.

Back on topic. I must say that the improved safety in FG was one of the reasons I went from BF F6 ute to FG F6 ute, due to my other half often driving or being in the car. Previous FPS utes always dipped out on the safety devices and aids that the sedans got, good to see that changing, down to the lower spec utes also.