Ford’s Australian division recently released an updated Falcon that sports a 302kW (404hp) 5.4L V8 engine in several FPV (Ford Performance Vehicles) models, and in standard trim has the option of a 260kW (349hp) V8, a 245kW (328hp) turbocharged V6 or a normally aspirated 190kW (254hp) V6. Available with either four or six-speed automatic transmissions or a six-speed manual, the Falcon has a drivetrain feature set not found in many sedans offered in the U.S. The next-generation Falcon should be even more impressive. As the success of the Cadillac CTS is proving, there is room for powerful, luxurious American-made sedans - even in the otherwise stagnant U.S. car market - and Ford has all the tools it needs to build one.
Ford’s recent announcement of it’s EcoBoost (renamed TwinForce) turbocharged engines might mean the upcoming RWDs could skip the massive V8s found in the Australian market cars. But skipping out entirely on the V8 - at least as an option - would be a mistake in our opinion. Even the best twin-turbo six-cylinders can’t match the magic and muster that a big V8 can produce. We’ll have to wait for Ford to build the mythical beast before we can measure its horn, however.
And of course, it won’t actually be built in Australia because of practicality issues - it’s just too far from the U.S. to make shipment economical and the exchange rate between the Aussie and U.S. dollars is not favorable at the moment, reports Automotive News. But leveraging the work done in Australia to build a better North American-made car is just what the newly-number-three U.S. automaker might need to right its ship in the performance sedan market.