2007 Ford Falcon: More RWD love for our mates downunder

[mikeyb]

We've complained that the European market gets the delectable Focus RS, while we, in the automaker's home country, have to endure bland styling updates and an anemic naturally-aspirated (read: boring) power source. Now, Ford shoves the knife in a little bit deeper, offering the Australian market a sporting revision of its Falcon sedan with wonderful, steer-by-throttle, rear-wheel-drive.

C'mon Ford, why you holdin' back on the love?

Four variants of the Falcon are available, however the Sports package, designed to compete with the release of Holden's Commodore, is the one that you should pine for. Upgrades over the base model include a 6-speed automatic, 17-inch wheels, larger brakes and Ford's acronym for stability control, DSC. Compared to its V8 powered competition, forward progress comes courtesy of an inline-6 that Ford plans to push for its fuel sipping tendencies.

Rumors are pointing towards a possible release in the U.S. within next two years, but considering the amount of energy and resources needed to federalize such a vehicle, don't plan your next car purchase around it.

A bucket-load of pics can be found after the jump.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

[autoblog]


<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

 

[genericuser]

Bring That Car Here Dammit!

 

[RODSCALIP5]

I hate repeating myself, but jeez it's so hard. If ford had any clue they would bring these cars over. Start with the RS, an entery level car. As one gets older and starts a family they move into this, BRAND LOYALTY, like Honda, Toyota, Mazda etc.

 

[Reffoxel]

hmmm, trying to figure out how to restyle it so it looks like an updated "mad max" car.

 

[KIJIMA]

Maybe somthing like this? They also come in a ute, common as muck around where I live, its the tradesman's choice of weapon.

 

[bazooka joe]

that car does nothing for me...? it appears, at first glance, too busy...?

 

[BondoBob]

They could get rid of the Five Hundred and replace it with the Falcon. It has the new corporate look (Fusion).

 

[Reffoxel]

How about this?

that car does nothing for me...? it appears, at first glance, too busy...?

 

[Dimitrios]

They could get rid of the Five Hundred and replace it with the Falcon. It has the new corporate look (Fusion).

They just spent $200+ million tooling up for the Five Hundred/Freestyle/Mercury Montego...not going to happen.

It's not a matter of "just" pulling a plug.

 

[BondoBob]

Agreed...but Ford needs some "Bold Moves".

 

[dbzeag]

Wow, that does it. I am moving to Australia. Fine beaches, Skylines are legal, and Ford and GM seem to think they are more deserving of fine automobiles.

 

[Rally Ninja]

Does that white one with the orange stripe have an MSP wing ?

Jesus, First on a focus, then I saw one on a Kia spectra.....now this.

 

[tunersteve]

They need to at least bring that chassis over. We may not see the same styling, although I like it, but if they bring the chassis over and finally produce a RWD sedan, it might be the best chance we have on seeing something like this in the US.

 

[KIJIMA]

They need to at least bring that chassis over. We may not see the same styling, although I like it, but if they bring the chassis over and finally produce a RWD sedan, it might be the best chance we have on seeing something like this in the US.

You do have that platform, its the FoMoCo global dew98 platform. It was also used for jaguar. Actually, speaking from experience recently having work for Ford Australia, you will find that your new 4 door family fords in the future (try 08' and 09') will be designed in Australia.

Simply as FoMoCo puts it, at the moment the Australian chapter is the best place to design and engineer large rear wheel drive sedans for the blue oval.
The benefit with a much smaller outfit designing and engineering cars is the ability to move direction to follow what the market naeeds wants quicker and efficiently, as one FoMoCo employee put it "getting Ford to change direction previously was like trying to teach an elephant to tap dance"

FoMoCo are still in for a bumpy ride, but at least the have the technology now to continue to build cars well into the future and still be competitive. I mean finally Ford are fitting a decent transmission (the ZF six speeder), finally control blade IRS is being fitted to most new models as they come out, ie Focus, and the styling of the new fords aint bad either. Have you seen the new mondeo? its the first mondeo I've ever been excited about.

Just like it takes a ocean going supertanker 15 miles to change direction while doing a trans atlantic crossing, Ford have changed direction and were about at the 8 mile mark now.

~ McCoy

 

[vindication]

looks like a subby legacy

 

[new6fan]

I used to blame Ford and GM for selling their best cars in Europe and Down Under but, then I realized it's not all their fault. You have to put alot of the blame on the vast majority of the American auto buying public. Most are appliance buying lemmings who have as much passion for automobiles as they do for toasters. Europeans, Asians and our friends down under seem to demand much more from even their daily drivers than most Americans.