Falcon Only Rear Drive

[CODSASR]

On the wheels website sorry if alredy been posted but couldnt find it.

http://motoring.ninemsn.com.au/blog....wcomments=true


Would you buy a front - or all-wheel-drive Falcon?

We posed this question in our March edition and our mail bag was flooded with answers, and every single one ran along the lines of "no bloody way". Every enthusiast out there and a big chunk of Australia's general car-buying public know that front-drive hobbles dynamics compared to the steering purity and balance of a well-sorted RWD chassis.

The heart and soul of the Falcon, and indeed Ford Australia itself, has been wrapped in rear-drive since the first Falcon lobbed locally in 1960. Big, four-door, rear-drive sedans are more than just the heart beat of the Aussie industry, they’re indelibly etched into the Australian psyche.

But half a century of tradition counts for little in this globalised and globally-warmed world and the days of a rear-drive Falcon look numbered, likely to be replaced by a front- or all-wheel-drive architecture. And I just don’t get it.

Yes, I understand that FWD drive offers inherently superior fuel consumption compared to a rear-driver and, yes, I fully understand the need for Ford Oz - as a minnow in the vast production empire of FoMoCo - to integrate into the company’s global structure in order to continue building cars in this country.

Pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into a stand-alone Falcon when just 43,203 Falcon sedans and utes were sold here last year "makes no sense" according to Ford Australia President Marin Burela. Fair enough.

Now, it's a dangerous game to try and predict the motives and movements of car companies, not least because even the guys running the photocopiers at Ford HQ have MBAs, but I’d argue that switching Falcon to a FWD or AWD is a very big roll of the dice.

Does Ford believe the switch away from rear-drive, and the incremental fuel-savings that will bring, will boost sales? Well, Ford Australia already sells a large front-drive sedan with superior economy to the Falcon – it’s called Mondeo and its sales have been, well, crap.

Just 4222 were sold last year. And next year Ford Oz will roll out two new high-tech drivetrains that should help slake Falcon’s thirst: a brand-new twin-turbo ‘EcoBoost’ four-cylinder petrol donk and a new-gen, liquid-injection LPG system for the in-line six. Couple these types of fuel-saving engines with advances in lightweight construction, other weight-saving techniques and improved aerodynamics and surely Falcon’s consumption can be brought to a level that won’t melt icecaps or wallets?

On the other side of the red and blue divide, Holden looks to be having none of this front-drive business. Commodore means rear-drive and will do so for the foreseeable future. So how can Holden stay the course while Ford dithers? The answer is complex, and probably beyond the comprehension of my tiny journalist’s brain, but there’s little doubt that Holden has done more to secure a RWD future, both by better integrating into the GM machine and securing export markets for the VE Commodore.

Export programs to the Middle East and UK boost the bottom line despite modest volumes and the ill-fated program that shipped Pontiac-badged Commodores to the US of A was a promising export venture that fell victim to poor timing and the jaws of the GFC.

Holden also enjoys support for its products and rear-drive expertise at the highest levels of GM - including former Holden MD Mark Reuss who is now president of GM North America - evidenced by GM decision to use Holden’s Commodore-based RWD architecture to underpin the fire-breathing Camaro muscle car.

Which brings me neatly back to Ford and my head-scratching over the FWD Falcon debate. Ford has a rear-drive muscle car, maybe you’ve heard of it? It’s called Mustang. What I can’t wrap my head around is why the next-gen Falcon can’t be co-developed with the next Mustang (if you’re reading this Mr Blue Oval, please tell me).

Ford Australia has the talent, knowledge and passion to turn out a world-class rear-drive platform that will make Falcon fly and Mustang maul. You only need to drive a Territory or FG Falcon to know that Ford Australia’s engineers are every bit the equal of their Holden counterparts.

I, for one, am standing up for a rear-drive Falcon. Who’s with me? Drop us a line at wheels@acpmagazines.com.au



I agree why cant they be co-developed?