Next Ford Falcon due in 2007
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Registered User
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 13,713
From: The Golden State
Next Ford Falcon due in 2007
From GoAuto.com. It should appear on their site tomorrow.
Ford Australia (unlike Holden which has a large export market) simply doesn't make enough cars to justify a completely new chassis. Since this chassis evidently isn't a rework of the current Falcon, it's a safe bet it's being based on another Ford RWD chassis. The only one left is the D2C (Ford is phasing out the DEW except for PAG).
Ford is also planning to use the chassis here, begining around the same time GM begins bringing out Zeta based Buicks.
2007 is shaping up to be the year of the rear drives.
Crunch time for Falcon
By BRUCE NEWTON
FORD Australia will lock down the key
design and engineering aspects of the next
generation Ford Falcon by the end of 2004.
The car is due on sale in 2007.
Vital decisions to be made include whether
Falcon should have all-wheel drive capability
and if it should be package protected for lefthand drive conversion.
The issue of the car’s styling is also being
hammered out at the moment.
“I think the next six to nine months will be
pretty critical for us to decide a
lot of these (forward model
plans) that I would call strategic,”
new Ford Australia
president Tom Gorman
told GoAuto.
“First, you set all the hard
points in the design and those become
inviolable. When you package left-hand drive
versus right-hand drive you do it once and you
are done, you don’t rip it up.
“You can’t be ripping things up one month
or even one year before job one. So we are
about at that stage, the next couple of months
will be pretty critical.
“So it’s a great period of time to be here
because there are some very big issues that we are wrestling with.
“Further, there’s been a huge move in currency
in just the last four or five months.
“All of those issues influence us and they
play into our strategy development. We are on
the cusp of doing some pretty interesting and
exciting things.”
The message from Ford executives including
Mr Gorman is not to expect all-wheel
drive to be a key component of the next
Falcon, unlike the next generation Holden
Commodore which through the Zeta architecture
will offer that capability.
The Zeta-based Commodore and its spinoffs
start appearing from the first half of
2006.
“We’re not convinced there’s a place for
a mass market all-wheel drive locally built
sedan,” Ford Australia product
development boss Trevor
Worthington told GoAuto
during last week’s launch
of the Terr-itory cross-over
in New Zealand.
“Refinement and dy-namics
were two things we learned we had to
deliver with Territory to convince people there
didn’t need to be a compromise.
“But that costs money and the sedan market
is more price sensitive.
“An all-wheel drive sedan may have a
place at the low-volume, high-performance
end of the market, but not as a mainstream
vehicle.”
Ford is also debating left-hand drive
packaging. Mr Gorman has said he believes
there is some potential to export into Asia.
By BRUCE NEWTON
FORD Australia will lock down the key
design and engineering aspects of the next
generation Ford Falcon by the end of 2004.
The car is due on sale in 2007.
Vital decisions to be made include whether
Falcon should have all-wheel drive capability
and if it should be package protected for lefthand drive conversion.
The issue of the car’s styling is also being
hammered out at the moment.
“I think the next six to nine months will be
pretty critical for us to decide a
lot of these (forward model
plans) that I would call strategic,”
new Ford Australia
president Tom Gorman
told GoAuto.
“First, you set all the hard
points in the design and those become
inviolable. When you package left-hand drive
versus right-hand drive you do it once and you
are done, you don’t rip it up.
“You can’t be ripping things up one month
or even one year before job one. So we are
about at that stage, the next couple of months
will be pretty critical.
“So it’s a great period of time to be here
because there are some very big issues that we are wrestling with.
“Further, there’s been a huge move in currency
in just the last four or five months.
“All of those issues influence us and they
play into our strategy development. We are on
the cusp of doing some pretty interesting and
exciting things.”
The message from Ford executives including
Mr Gorman is not to expect all-wheel
drive to be a key component of the next
Falcon, unlike the next generation Holden
Commodore which through the Zeta architecture
will offer that capability.
The Zeta-based Commodore and its spinoffs
start appearing from the first half of
2006.
“We’re not convinced there’s a place for
a mass market all-wheel drive locally built
sedan,” Ford Australia product
development boss Trevor
Worthington told GoAuto
during last week’s launch
of the Terr-itory cross-over
in New Zealand.
“Refinement and dy-namics
were two things we learned we had to
deliver with Territory to convince people there
didn’t need to be a compromise.
“But that costs money and the sedan market
is more price sensitive.
“An all-wheel drive sedan may have a
place at the low-volume, high-performance
end of the market, but not as a mainstream
vehicle.”
Ford is also debating left-hand drive
packaging. Mr Gorman has said he believes
there is some potential to export into Asia.
Ford Australia (unlike Holden which has a large export market) simply doesn't make enough cars to justify a completely new chassis. Since this chassis evidently isn't a rework of the current Falcon, it's a safe bet it's being based on another Ford RWD chassis. The only one left is the D2C (Ford is phasing out the DEW except for PAG).
Ford is also planning to use the chassis here, begining around the same time GM begins bringing out Zeta based Buicks.
2007 is shaping up to be the year of the rear drives.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 343
From: Columbia, SC
now, this is wishful thinking, but if the aussie falcon goes on DC2, what are the odds we could get it here? itd have to be a tick slower than the mustang, of course, but not much. hell, it could be the same speed, as long as its obviously marketed to different markets, then it shouldnt take away buyers. thatd fill a nice void for a good performing 4 door in fords lineup, as well as one more rear wheeler. you could have a mustang if a 2 door will do, a falcon if you want a mustang, but need more doors.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,600
From: Pewee Valley, KY
So they say if Zeta goes AWD the so will the Falcon. And we KNOW Zeta will have AWD capability. Does that mean that DC2 could be adapted for AWD? Also I would love to see the current falcon in the states with the Turbo I6. I think that car looks 
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,180
From: Yadkinville, NC USA
Originally posted by 91_z28_4me
So they say if Zeta goes AWD the so will the Falcon. And we KNOW Zeta will have AWD capability. Does that mean that DC2 could be adapted for AWD? Also I would love to see the current falcon in the states with the Turbo I6. I think that car looks
So they say if Zeta goes AWD the so will the Falcon. And we KNOW Zeta will have AWD capability. Does that mean that DC2 could be adapted for AWD? Also I would love to see the current falcon in the states with the Turbo I6. I think that car looks
).Look for AWD units by Lincoln and Ford at the next NAIAS.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 13,713
From: The Golden State
Originally posted by Omega9
I've seen reports on European message boards that the Ford Falcon is fairly badass.
I've seen reports on European message boards that the Ford Falcon is fairly badass.
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