Falcon Ute past 2015 !?!

EgoFG · 15-06-2009, 02:23 PM

http://www.carpoint.com.au/news/2009...stay-too-15479

Written by JoshD - It would have to be very solid before he would comment positively on Ford

Quote:

Ford boss says Falcon ute has a market beyond Ranger
Ford Australia boss Marin Burela says he has a vision to continue with the Falcon ute with the next generation model due in late 2015. This is a turnaround from comments made by senior Ford Australia executives at the launch of the FG Falcon ute last year.

At the time some officials expressed doubt about the future of the Falcon ute beyond the current model cycle, with one insider claiming that if the business study were done for Falcon ute today, it would not be deemed viable because the market had become dominated by imported body-on-frame utes.

The company's product planners were of the view that Falcon ute drivers would substitute their vehicles with the next generation of the Ford Ranger, which is being designed and engineered locally, although to be built overseas.

But Burela says he wants to continue to build a ute version of the future Falcon.

"Falcon ute drivers love their utes," Burela told the Carsales Network. "And I think there are very clearly two types of ute buyers. I don't think you can say one size fits all. I'm of the view that buyers of car-derived utes have different tastes than drivers of [imported body-on-frame] utes. So I certainly wouldn't want to walk away from the Falcon ute market."

The local Ford boss' enthusiasm for a Falcon ute beyond 2015 could also be seen as a positive sign for lovers of rear-drive sedans given that both vehicles would likely share their underpinnings.

And Ford, which has a proud reputation as a builder of workhorse vehicles, is not likely to offer a front-drive one-tonne ute.

"We'd be laughed off the worksite," said Burela.

About 80 per cent of Falcon utes are workhorse models, he said, the remainder are the sporty XR show ponies.

But Burela will have a tough fight internally to back the case for a Falcon ute. After decades of dominance of the car-derived utes from Holden and Ford, Toyota's Hilux finally knocked off the locally-made pair in the 4x2 ute segment in 2006, and has maintained that lead ever since. Falcon and Commodore are still strong sales contenders in that class, ranked second and third respectively.

The Ford and Holden utes have been locked in a tight battle so far this year, with just 33 sales separating the two in the first five months of the year.

The Falcon has the edge on the Commodore (4269 versus 4246 according to VFACTS figures) but both models have suffered a sales slump. Falcon ute sales are down 14 per cent and Commodore ute sales are down by 30 per cent. By this time last year more than 6100 Commodore utes had been sold.

Toyota's Hilux is still the 4x2 ute sales leader, with a massive 23.5 per cent share of the market, even though its sales have dropped by 24 per cent.

RG · 15-06-2009, 02:25 PM

Quote:

And Ford, which has a proud reputation as a builder of workhorse vehicles, is not likely to offer a front-drive one-tonne ute.

"We'd be laughed off the worksite," said Burela.

Hint of future RWD plans much????????

EgoFG · 15-06-2009, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RG

Hint of future RWD plans much????????

My thoughts exactly - Would they build a Ute without the Sedan? If the Ute is viable, then the extra cost of a sedan is likely more so.
So it would seem we will have a non FWD Falcon for at least another 10 years.

HSE2 · 15-06-2009, 02:46 PM

More positives from Ford. Gotta love this

FPV8U · 15-06-2009, 02:50 PM

Great news, really looking forward to the next few years of Ford Australias future products.

Crazed · 15-06-2009, 03:13 PM

They just need people to test drive the Falcon ute over the body on frame competition, feels a generation or two better than Hilux, Ranger et al.

I honestly think the lack of ground clearance on the Falcon is killing it at the moment on the workhorse variants, especially as most of the 2wd competition comes in hi-rider form. I also think it is a bit pricey, but its certainly worth the extra.

**TUF_302** · 15-06-2009, 05:41 PM

If they are going to keep building the ute until then, im pretty sure its safe to assume the rest of the falcon range will be sticking around to!

**Raptor** · 15-06-2009, 06:44 PM

Or the FG version with a facelift or three might just soldier on like the XD/E/F/G/H model did during the E-series period.

xtremerus · 15-06-2009, 07:03 PM

If Ford think I will 'upgrade'

my XR6T to a Ranger, they will loose me.

Road_Warrior · 15-06-2009, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazed

They just need people to test drive the Falcon ute over the body on frame competition, feels a generation or two better than Hilux, Ranger et al.

I honestly think the lack of ground clearance on the Falcon is killing it at the moment on the workhorse variants, especially as most of the 2wd competition comes in hi-rider form. I also think it is a bit pricey, but its certainly worth the extra.

They need to develop more variants of the ute. They need to get that damn RTV back into the range.

Also, I think Toyota may sell a lot of dual-cab 4x2 Loluxes, which is something the Falcoon ute really can't compete with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raptor

Or the FG version with a facelift or three might just soldier on like the XD/E/F/G/H model did during the E-series period.

And yes, this may be a possibility too. However the XG/XH was able to plug into the parts bin and development budget of the E-series Falcons, something an orphan FG ute wont be able to do if the sedan is discontinued. I can't see FoA continuing to develop and produce a ute with no parts and dev support from a 'parent' sedan program because the volumes simply wouldn't be viable.

Chilliman · 15-06-2009, 07:22 PM

I've got a feeling that Falcon will hang around for sometime as a 'niche' vehicle in the Ford world. It makes sense to have a 'niche' RWD drive line that provides the basis for Mustang (sports car), Falcon (luxury/sports sedan), Falcon Ute (Sport Utility/Truck) and even Crown Vic (Fleet Special for Limo's, Taxi's and Police work). That would have to be a 200,000 unit/year platform globally?

Maybe I'm just dreaming - but I hope some-one high up at Ford is having the same dreams too

:

JPFS1 · 15-06-2009, 07:40 PM

Falcon can benefit from the many 'one-ford' strategies that they're looking at. Everything from commonality of component/material suppliers to electronic ecu developments all while the uniqueness of keeping the historic Aussie Falcon attributes in place.

phillyc · 15-06-2009, 07:53 PM

Great news! Falcon ute past 2015 means Falcon sedan past 2015. Burela scoffing the idea of FWD Falcon too! Thats gold

Even better than that, Josh Dowling had to write a positive report about Ford and it's future! LMAO at how much that would've hurt that biased so and so.

Road_Warrior · 15-06-2009, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chilliman

I've got a feeling that Falcon will hang around for sometime as a 'niche' vehicle in the Ford world. It makes sense to have a 'niche' RWD drive line that provides the basis for Mustang (sports car), Falcon (luxury/sports sedan), Falcon Ute (Sport Utility/Truck) and even Crown Vic (Fleet Special for Limo's, Taxi's and Police work). That would have to be a 200,000 unit/year platform globally?

Maybe I'm just dreaming - but I hope some-one high up at Ford is having the same dreams too

:

This is what I've thought for a while too. The segment generally has been in a decline over the past 10 years or more but enough people are still buying them in numbers to make the model viable. Just. What may *just* be viable now may not be so in a few years. Hence why the production of other platforms at Broady needs to happen to take over that mantle of FoA's breadwinner from the Falcon.

I reckon expect the XT to be dropped and one of the G cars too.

500SEC · 15-06-2009, 10:17 PM

The article says that the next generation of the Ford Ranger is designed and engineered locally, although to be built overseas.... true ?? I thought these Rangers were rebadged Mazda B-series.

JPFS1 · 16-06-2009, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 500SEC

The article says that the next generation of the Ford Ranger is designed and engineered locally, although to be built overseas.... true ?? I thought these Rangers were rebadged Mazda B-series.

very true, but there is input from Mazda.

Bossxr8 · 21-06-2009, 12:29 PM

Ford wouldn't be able to make a ute version of a Mondeo/Taurus platform without spending more than what they would save by using it for the sedan.

I cannot see how it would be possible to make the Falcon FWD without totally killing off its whole reason for being. It would mean no V8, no I6, no FPV's, no ute, probably no wagon and the Taurus doesn't even have a manual option. It would basically mean the range would be limited to a V6 sedan with possibly an AWD V6 Turbo version, auto only.

Good way to destroy Falcons whole market and halve sales overnight. It cannot possibly be done, and the sooner Detroit get that through their thick skulls the better.

I cannot understand why the are not looking at the Mustang and Falcon sharing the same platform, especially now that the Camaro is based on the VE platform.