Despite Australia’s expertise in RWD design, the weak U.S. dollar means it’s no longer economical to engineer cars down under. Instead, Ford will develop the car in the U.S. although there will be plenty of input from the Aussie division.
"On rear-wheel-drive, as we have already stated, we are working on a new platform and portfolio of vehicles," Derrick Kuzak, Ford's global head of product development told The Detroit News. "We will have more to say in the future."
The move to rejuvenate Ford’s RWD heritage is also designed to appease a segment of the market which is clamoring for RWD cars, including large markets in China, the Middle-East and the U.S. While luxury giants such as Mercedes and BMW have insisted on RWD for years, the success of large American rear-drivers from Chrysler, such as the much touted 300C, has only recently prompted Ford into action.
"Americans have had 28-plus years of being hit over the head with the idea that front-wheel-drive is better, but there are segments of the market -- here and abroad -- that want rear-wheel-drive," auto analyst Jim Hall explained to reporters. Hall also added that Ford would be smart to import the next-generation Falcon sedan but that car is still more than four years away.
Ford has a number of major problems on its hands. Not only will the new range have to compete with cars like the new G8, Challenger and upcoming Camaro, but tough new fuel-economy standards will also have a major effect on the success of the cars.
FPV Falcon GT Sedan and Ute
Reader Comments
Mon Mar 24 2008 10:47 AM
chris says
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.....yes. thank you jesus.
don't import the cars, dont import the platform, don't import the designs.... just import the engineers! shouldnt cost too much to move an engineering team of 20 or 30 guys to come to detroit for a year or so.
Mon Mar 24 2008 12:23 PM
C6R says
RWD rules!
Mon Mar 24 2008 12:42 PM
Gus says
Excellent.
Finally Ford is realizing that it's European and Australian talent and holdings have a great deal to offer in the US.
Mon Mar 24 2008 3:05 PM
Dave says
We'll have to see how it works out. Will Ford continue to focus on cost over quality? Will the new platform have a SLA front suspension and an IRS rear - or will Ford allow the bean counters to rule the day, again?
Oh, and let's not forget the interior. It needs to be at least several steps up over the current Mustang. A decent cluster with real gauges would be a start.
Mon Mar 24 2008 5:19 PM
chris says
dave; what does that mean? a decent cluster with real gauges? i mean, the gauges arent digital, and the whole interior is meant to be as throwback as possible. say what you want about ford interior materials, but the quality isn't exactly lacking.
I've sent a link to the admin a couple times but i dont think it is going through. there are spy pictures of the new mustang with what is very obviously IRS.
Mon Mar 24 2008 6:14 PM
Dave says
The critical gauges on all Mustangs since the 80's are fake. Oil pressure gauge is just a 5psi switch, water temp goes to 1/2 scale and stays there until coolant hits 240+*. Voltmeter is useless. Need I go on? It was a true eye opener to install real, external oil and water gauges in my '01 Cobra.
Even a late model Chevy truck has better gauges than this - they actually move and there are numbers (shock!) on the faces.
No doubt the interior of the '05+ Mustangs is better than my SN95 - but cheapness still abounds. Ford can and should do better.
There were many rumors of IRS in the '05 Mustangs - but the bean counters won. I just hope that doesn't happen with this new platform.
Wed Apr 2 2008 7:04 AM
Phil C says
The FG Falcon interior is great and a further improvement on the already very good interior of the BF.
The Mustang that we imported early in 2001-2003 into Australia was a LONG way behind the quality of the Australian Falcon. In fact, it was probably of a similar quality to the Falcon from the late 80's early 90's.
The control blade rear suspension is light years ahead of it's competition let alone the RWD US sedans. This is a big part of the fantastic handling and excellent ride which the Falcons have become reknowned for. Alan Mullaly, the new Ford boss will get his way and the virtual pivot front suspension and the control blade IRS will definitely be on the new platform.
Tue Jun 10 2008 9:44 AM
nathan d says
These aussie falcons are incredible there performance figures are great especially for the 4.0l inline turbo six (xr6 turbo) and the us is deprived of the best mid priced performance car in the world....and when you drive the streets of australia every second car is a falcon it is a aussie icon and the quality is exceptional. The high quality falcon has been in production since 1962 and has never failed to superceed the quality of any other car brought into australia.
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