Fords answer to VF Commodore?

[Mechan1k]

What Ford need to spend some money on instead though is ... MARKETING.
This may actually boost sales ... there's some amazing products already available now that will carry Falcon to 2016 as it is.

It just needs more air time .... to show what they really are capable of.

[chookaradley]

The FG ii is a very good car. Maybe a 5 year warranty?, 3 years free servicing? or a special finance rate is all it needs to draw some attention away from the new kid on the block

[xrystl]

How about some real "CUSTOMER SERVICE" from the dealers and not just the constant ripoff that they are so proficient at - show the potential buyers that they will get service and will be listened to and that the customer comes FIRST.
I will shortly be in the market for a new vehicle and the new Ranger ticks all the boxes , however the local Ford dealers don't tick all the boxes and having to deal with them leaves me cold so I will probably end up with an Isuzu Mazda or Hilux .
IMHO Ford are a fine maufacturer but let down by their Dealer network and Customer service and the non existence of their Marketing department.

[G6E Turbo 2]

Originally Posted by flappist

OR they could develop and build a world class sedan with a choice of T4, NA6, T6, LPG6 and SCV8 that is quicker but gets better fuel economy than all of the Holden offers. They might call it the Falcon FG2.

They could also build a ute that has a choice of I6, T6, LPG6 and SCV8 and capable of use as a trayback or styleside in 500kg to 1 tonne configurations that can be used as a work ute as well as an urban cowboy posing chariot which of course again will be quicker and get better fuel economy than others. They could call this Falcon Ute FG2.

But there is always the wagon market? Maybe they will make a special Australian focused wagon built on a similar chassis to the sedan but set up to be either RWD or AWD and available with either petrol or diesel engines. These wagons would be superior to traditional offerings in ever way except for the "fully sic doof doofness" that is prized so heavily in maccas car parks. Of course this will not be an issue until the "sports wagoneers" start looking to buy in about 10 years or so.
Maybe they could give this a different name, how about Territory SZ?

Now here is the clever bit.

What if they actually did this more than a year before the Holden was released?

Wouldn't that be great?

Now that all sounds great , Now all we need is a marketing Dept to sell
all these wonderful features and we are on a winner

[eb2fairmont]

GTHO. The only 4 letters which would completely knock the living **** out of anything launched by the general that day.

[Dr Smith]

Ford will start to release more info on the 2014 Falcon at the same time as VF is released, if not before.

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by G6E Turbo 2

Now that all sounds great , Now all we need is a marketing Dept to sell
all these wonderful features and we are on a winner

I have heard this for sometime now ..... was even stating it myself 12 months ago to some extent. But of late I have seen more marketing relating to the entire Ford range including EcoBoost Falcon on TV, heaps of discussions from FoA through their site on Facebook, the opportunity for those interested to chat and talk to their marketing dept, have some high profile people joining and starting threads over the past 3 months, a much more hands on involvement with AFF in general (starting to run out of breath here .... ), winning awards for EcoBoost Falcon (car of the year) and many other awards of late and then having a large presents on all national papers over the past week, limited edition models in Falcon, XR6 and even GT with the RSpec (fastest production AU built ... blah blah, as advertised by Allan Moffat on TV, very good pricing on XR6 as per new paper and radio promotion and advertising, continueing support for V8SC series, the 100% buy out of FPV ( positive) ........ and this is the things that come to mind at this moment late on a Sunday night! There will be more next year ..... this year is dead now and sales will not pick up again for 2 months through the normal cycle.

What more is required? What am I missing here?

Apart from GMH doing the catch up with the VF, the FGlll will be here in 2014 again leap frogging them. With the look of the new VF anyway .... that wont be hard but they will still sell of course. Hopefully well as then it will give FoA the motivation to do a damn good job on the next incarnation.

As far as the doomsdayers go ...... the investment is there, done and dusted and there is HELL of a lot of life left in the ol' girl yet .... so just either drop it or go away?

[nstg8a]

It doesn't matter what ford does, the Vf is gonna sell like hotcakes.

Holden has a massive fan base that hasn't had a new shape commodore since 2006, some are on there 2nd or 3 rd ve. They are hanging out for Vf.
Even if its a dog it'll sell, but all reports are saying Vf is going to be a massive improvement over ve.
Ford just needs to keep doing what it's doing, they're on the right track IMO.

[DanielXR8]

To late in the stage to do anything with FG II, to compete with VF. Maybe FG will get some new colour choices, some special editions or some minor running changes.

Would be nice to see them work on some areas of the car where it still needs improvement, like better paint coverage, better rust proofing, higher quality leather, revised suspension bushes with better durability etc, but that is all highly unlikely.

2014 Falcon is locked in and that is really not that far away and that no doubt is where the money is being spent. To Fords credit, they are spending money at the moment on marketing Falcon.

[Cobra]

What's the deal with 2014 Falcon? I've been a bit behind the times as of late, so I'm (pleasantly) surprised to hear all this positive talk about it. Is it just a significantly upgraded FG or will it be an all new model? All the talk of uncertainty surrounding the Falcons future beyond 2016, one has to wonder who really knows anything at all. It seems at total odds to spend significant amount of development dollars on the 2014 Falcon if it really only has 2 years left after 2014.

[[THOMMO]]

install diff bushes suited to the power/torque the car creates


just put in paddle shift !!

[EgoFG]

they could the same thing holden do when there is a Falcon release:

Advertising blitz on what they already have !

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

What Ford need to spend some money on instead though is ... MARKETING.
This may actually boost sales ... there's some amazing products already available now that will carry Falcon to 2016 as it is.

It just needs more air time .... to show what they really are capable of.

Like this? There was also a FPV add in the middle of the story...

[mike_nofx]

But why is the biggest pic out of 3 of some ugly mofos face?

[GQ_Smooth]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

But why is the biggest pic out of 3 of some ugly mofos face?

My wife knows that guys wife, they work together, small world when not to many ecoboost cars are sold.

Very original using genuine buyers in the advertising. Seems to be working IMO.

Back on topic. Ford don't need to do anything to the vehicle apart from their normal quality improvement (which should always be par of the course).

Just keep producing quality vehicles, and work with the dealers on improving their customer service, keep thinking long term and avoid knee jerk reactions where possible.

[Gobes32]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

What Ford need to spend some money on instead though is ... MARKETING.
This may actually boost sales ... there's some amazing products already available now that will carry Falcon to 2016 as it is.

It just needs more air time .... to show what they really are capable of.

Ask yourself, when was the last time you saw a Commodore ad on tv? It's been a while now............

[Rodge]

To counter the new VF the toolkit appears to be:
Special Run-out pricing leading up to the FG3 in 2014
Interest Free finance deals
Free 5 year warranty
Limited Edition releases with extra kit for no extra charge
Tweek the turbo six engines for more power / torque

Toolkit pertaining to FPV also includes:-
Roll out R Spec kit on selected models
GT-HO aka "Tempest"

Other than that they should keep pushing the Ecoboost theme, its working overseas and should gain traction over time in Australasia and ya think it might be a good idea to bring the G6 Ecoboost to New Zealand where even 91 fuel is always north of $2.00 a litre Whoever made the call just to bring the poverty pack XT Ecoboost to N.Z. and nothing else, deserves to be looking for job where their "talents" are better utilised.

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

It doesn't matter what ford does, the Vf is gonna sell like hotcakes.

Holden has a massive fan base that hasn't had a new shape commodore since 2006, some are on there 2nd or 3 rd ve. They are hanging out for Vf.
Even if its a dog it'll sell, but all reports are saying Vf is going to be a massive improvement over ve.

The problem for Holden is those fans are the only private buyers they have left. The kinds of people that buy Commodores these days are the small number of people who have always bought them, everyone has ditched the Commodore, it only sells a third of what it did ten years ago. The SA government keeps the fleet sales up slightly, but I don't think it will sell anywhere near the VE did back in 2006.

[Jason[98.EL]]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

But why is the biggest pic out of 3 of some ugly mofos face?

it is depicting the smile that is on his face due to all the goodness that the eco-boost give its owners

Jason

[flappist]

Originally Posted by chookaradley

The FG ii is a very good car. Maybe a 5 year warranty?, 3 years free servicing? or a special finance rate is all it needs to draw some attention away from the new kid on the block

How about 3 year warranty with a bonus 2 years for original buyer only?
Or 5 years on private sold new, 3 years on fleet vehicles?

This may help move some of that sales away from ex government or rental car auctions which are heavily discounted in the first place and back to new private sales.

There is no such thing as free servicing, someone has to pay for it and it is ALWAYS the customer.

The finance thing has been dome to death with all the "me toos". I am now waiting for the first 24 months interest free, no payments until 2015 campaign......

[GTP-814]

they need the ecoboost in a taxi pack. These fleet numbers help production volume & amortise the cost over a larger base to return a profit

[tezxr8man]

Originally Posted by vegabass

What ^^^^ said.

Why would ford invest in a car that is doomed....

nice to see all the optimism round here, it's great

[flappist]

Originally Posted by GTP-814

they need the ecoboost in a taxi pack. These fleet numbers help production volume & amortise the cost over a larger base to return a profit

Maybe that is not such a good idea.

The price of LPG particularly in the southern cities would offset any financial gains for the EB4 over ecoLPi and Ford went to great lengths to move its marketing position away from "FPV GT is just a taxi with a V8" perception.

I have always thought that a "Ford Taxi" in a similar vein to the pommy taxi and asian taxi (Toyota Crown) might be a good idea.

e.g. Based on the BF they make a sedan and wagon available only in LPG and EB4 configured exactly as a taxi with high durability but low speed components. It could also be fitted with a driver cage standard and enhanced safety components to protect passengers.

This model would not change each year except for compliance updates and has no options to help keep spares prices down. i.e. a 2017 Ford Taxi looks exactly the same as a 2012 Ford Taxi and uses the same spare parts.

They are hard limited to 120km/h so do not require any high speed capable components or testing and cannot be registered for any use other than a taxi. These also do not attract all the usual taxes making them a cheaper capex and have accellerated depreciation.

As it would not look like a current Falcon it would have no negative effect on marketing and as a 100% Australian product it would employ lots of people building and maintaining them and possibly create a niche market overseas like the Toyota Crown.

If you have a Maccas on the left and a KFC on the right it is easier to make and sell pizzas or noodles than chicken or burgers.......

[csv8]

Problem will be.. VF2 could be out before the FH ??? Ford are going to have to pull out stops to make sure its a winner....eg : Electronics of Mondeo Titanium transplant...etc etc..

[LTDHO]

Out of interest, has Falcon always followed Commodore?

I mean whcih was first?
XD or VB
XF or VL
EA or VN
EF or NR
AU or VT

Our of interest really.

[tezxr8man]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

I have heard this for sometime now ..... was even stating it myself 12 months ago to some extent. But of late I have seen more marketing relating to the entire Ford range including EcoBoost Falcon on TV, heaps of discussions from FoA through their site on Facebook, the opportunity for those interested to chat and talk to their marketing dept, have some high profile people joining and starting threads over the past 3 months, a much more hands on involvement with AFF in general (starting to run out of breath here .... ), winning awards for EcoBoost Falcon (car of the year) and many other awards of late and then having a large presents on all national papers over the past week, limited edition models in Falcon, XR6 and even GT with the RSpec (fastest production AU built ... blah blah, as advertised by Allan Moffat on TV, very good pricing on XR6 as per new paper and radio promotion and advertising, continueing support for V8SC series, the 100% buy out of FPV ( positive) ........ and this is the things that come to mind at this moment late on a Sunday night! There will be more next year ..... this year is dead now and sales will not pick up again for 2 months through the normal cycle.

What more is required? What am I missing here?

Apart from GMH doing the catch up with the VF, the FGlll will be here in 2014 again leap frogging them. With the look of the new VF anyway .... that wont be hard but they will still sell of course. Hopefully well as then it will give FoA the motivation to do a damn good job on the next incarnation.

As far as the doomsdayers go ...... the investment is there, done and dusted and there is HELL of a lot of life left in the ol' girl yet .... so just either drop it or go away?

I myself would like to see any presence for the falcon advertising wise up here in northern Australia, Where prius' are taxis because its a Toyota not because it's best for the job, and cruisers and prado's are everywhere and 90% don't even go offroad. there is next to nothing up here to let people know how good the falcon really is

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Like this? There was also a FPV add in the middle of the story...

image

Heres Fords answer!! Advertise the EcoBoost Falcon on their news release!!

[kiwimark]

Given this article on refreshing the Malibu
http://www.caradvice.com.au/204246/g...ng-slow-sales/

what are the chances that the VF suffers the same fate - pretty high as it will be to late down the process to remediate and it is essentially a bigger version of the same sausage....

[Agile]

Originally Posted by flappist

Maybe that is not such a good idea.

The price of LPG particularly in the southern cities would offset any financial gains for the EB4 over ecoLPi and Ford went to great lengths to move its marketing position away from "FPV GT is just a taxi with a V8" perception.

I have always thought that a "Ford Taxi" in a similar vein to the pommy taxi and asian taxi (Toyota Crown) might be a good idea.

e.g. Based on the BF they make a sedan and wagon available only in LPG and EB4 configured exactly as a taxi with high durability but low speed components. It could also be fitted with a driver cage standard and enhanced safety components to protect passengers

This model would not change each year except for compliance updates and has no options to help keep spares prices down. i.e. a 2017 Ford Taxi looks exactly the same as a 2012 Ford Taxi and uses the same spare parts.

They are hard limited to 120km/h so do not require any high speed capable components or testing and cannot be registered for any use other than a taxi. These also do not attract all the usual taxes making them a cheaper capex and have accellerated depreciation.

As it would not look like a current Falcon it would have no negative effect on marketing and as a 100% Australian product it would employ lots of people building and maintaining them and possibly create a niche market overseas like the Toyota Crown.

If you have a Maccas on the left and a KFC on the right it is easier to make and sell pizzas or noodles than chicken or burgers.......

That my friend is a bloody good idea !!!!! Ever thought of getting a job in product development ? No I am not taking the p$%%

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by ltdho

out of interest, has falcon always followed commodore?

I mean whcih was first?
Xd or vb
xf or vl
ea or vn
ef or nr
au or vt

our of interest really.

xd 79 vb 78
xf 84 vl 86
ea 88 vn 88
ef 94 vr 93
au 98 vt 97
ba 02 vy 02
fg 08 ve 06