2014 Falcon - why do they bother? - Page 2

MAD · 30-05-2013, 02:10 PM

With mustang confirmed as RHD, I reckon there will be a GRWD.

LHD + RHD = Global in my eyes.

**Polyal** · 30-05-2013, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lotski

Google search indicates falcon has three years to live, territory is still being decided.

??? Again. No falcon = No Territory.

Guys, Ford is pretty much going to be the new Toyota. Only difference being we get a Mustang and they have the 86.

**DJR-351** · 30-05-2013, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAD

With mustang confirmed as RHD, I reckon there will be a GRWD.

LHD + RHD = Global in my eyes.

GRWD has absolutely nothing at all to do with the proposed 2014 Falcon....

MAD · 30-05-2013, 02:48 PM

It's all speculation. I just like to speculate on the positive side of things.
The Ford AU engineers have often been given high praise for RWD design.
I'm just connecting some wild dots and coming up with a plan that sounds like something I'd like to see.

I'm sure I read something recently, possibly even in the terrible announcement, that mentioned Ford AU being involved in design of RWD platforms.

Gadgetman · 30-05-2013, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Spot on. Plus they got a government grant to develop the model which has been spent and so the commitment has to be honoured.

So? Why cant they can the car and return the monies back to the govt as a gesture of good will. Might win them some votes from Jo Public if they did.

Gadgetman · 30-05-2013, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polyal

??? Again. No falcon = No Territory.

Guys, Ford is pretty much going to be the new Toyota. Only difference being we get a Mustang and they have the 86.

Seriously???

What about Focus ST, Fiesta ST. The new Focus ST is one of the best cars I've ever driven and I've driven lots of cars.

**EASYBOSS** · 30-05-2013, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gadgetman

Seriously???

What about Focus ST, Fiesta ST. The new Focus ST is one of the best cars I've ever driven and I've driven lots of cars.

you missed the point, you can still have the above, what was said was Ford being like Toyota, all cars being imported

Gadgetman · 30-05-2013, 04:10 PM

Don't like looking at negatives but here's what issues Ford may face.
*Suppliers going under between now and 2014.
Suppliers deciding to close shop knowing what the future holds.
*The Large car segment loses more ground.
*New Commodore eats into more of that large car segment pie which in turns reduces Falcon numbers to a critically low number ie 300 units per month.
If it gets bad enough, I believe that Ford will review 2014 Falcon. My money is on FG2 being the last Falcon.

Gadgetman · 30-05-2013, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EASYBOSS

you missed the point, you can still have the above, what was said was Ford being like Toyota, all cars being imported

Ummmmm, Really where does Avalon and Camry come from? Uranus?

Funny how we read things differently. Toyota is perceived as a manufacturer that builds vehicles which you may also call appliances. Rarely do they build aspirational vehicles. That I believe was the point initially made and my retort was that Ford will have 3 halo cars from 3 different nameplates which makes Ford nowhere near as boring as Toyota.

Get my drift?

**EASYBOSS** · 30-05-2013, 05:12 PM

Yep, Ok

Had a brain fart, it happens

Crazy Dazz · 31-05-2013, 02:35 AM

I may have missed something along the way, but my understanding was that the whole point was that the “2014 Falcon” would simply be a facelift, ie STILL an ‘F’ series. The question was always over the “post 2016 Falcon” and that question has now been answered.
There has been funding to improve the I6, so I expect we’ll see a tweaked version of that, offering better economy. A facelift, and other little odds & sods fixes from the FG. SHOULD be a good car.

BTW: There is NO global RWD platform, and there will be NO Falcon in 2017.
I’d say there’s a good chance that the future of the Taurus is limited, either that or they will shrink it down to the Mondeo/Fusion size.
Think about it, you have to assume that Ford aren’t complete idiots, and if they had anything to sell us post 2016 they would have LED with that. ie “Good News: Falcon will continue beyond 2016.”
Then later would come the bad news that they were closing production and it would be imported. Then MUCH later “oh, and by the way, it will be a FWD V6.”
I think the reason they have been so definite, is that the WANT people to go out and buy the last Falcon model.

pursuit2359 · 31-05-2013, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

I may have missed something along the way, but my understanding was that the whole point was that the “2014 Falcon” would simply be a facelift, ie STILL an ‘F’ series. The question was always over the “post 2016 Falcon” and that question has now been answered.

This was my understanding as well. At the risk of mentioning the red team, I expect that the changes from FG to FH (or whatever it will be) will be less significant than the changes from VE to VF.

EVLKNEVL · 31-05-2013, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gadgetman

So? Why cant they can the car and return the monies back to the govt as a gesture of good will. Might win them some votes from Jo Public if they did.

Good idea.

That way 1200 people will be unemployed by 2014 instead of 2016, an excellent gesture of goodwill.

turbodewd · 31-05-2013, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gadgetman

Don't like looking at negatives but here's what issues Ford may face.
*Suppliers going under between now and 2014.
Suppliers deciding to close shop knowing what the future holds.
*The Large car segment loses more ground.
*New Commodore eats into more of that large car segment pie which in turns reduces Falcon numbers to a critically low number ie 300 units per month.
If it gets bad enough, I believe that Ford will review 2014 Falcon. My money is on FG2 being the last Falcon.

The large car segment will rebound due to the VF.

It could well jump to number 1.

Gadgetman · 31-05-2013, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EVLKNEVL

Good idea.

That way 1200 people will be unemployed by 2014 instead of 2016, an excellent gesture of goodwill.

Would be a good idea for Ford though. They would only have to put up with the media beating them up for 1 year as opposed to 3. The thing that cost a company more than any other is Brand image. And a 3 year beating of the brand is something they will be cautious about.

Gadgetman · 31-05-2013, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by turbodewd

The large car segment will rebound due to the VF.

It could well jump to number 1.

It will in the 1st month or 2 when holden registers a buckload of exec cars, their dealers registering demos, and no doubt a rental deal which will see a few stagnant cars at airport carparks but on a regular basis, I think were dreaming if we think the large car can somehow find vogue in this day and age.

WPR1 · 31-05-2013, 09:17 AM

They will be introducing a 2014 Falcon because the work has already been done. They design and build these things at least 2 years in advance. So the 2014 Falcon will be sitting waiting to go and rather than throwing these development dollars away we will see it as they start readying the replacement for 2016.

ryeman · 31-05-2013, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by turbodewd

The large car segment will rebound due to the VF.

It could well jump to number 1.

Just how many RWD large car enthusiasts are there left in Australia?
If a woman is going to have a say, I would think there's little chance particularly if she's is a co-driver the packaging efficiency is truly old world.

Lotte · 31-05-2013, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryeman

Just how many RWD large car enthusiasts are there left in Australia?
If a woman is going to have a say, I would think there's little chance particularly if she's is a co-driver the packaging efficiency is truly old world.

Excuse me?

ryeman · 31-05-2013, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lotski

Excuse me?

Its a 5 metre 4 seater.
My old Austin 1800 would comfortably accept my baby in a carry basket on the floor behind the drivers seat. (almost no tunnel)
That car had more leg room than a Statesman but was shorter than a Cortina of the day........THAT was packaging efficiency, along with the 1100 and the real Mini.
And by the way the 1800 production body had the greatest torsional strength of ANY mass production body, almost to a fault these days.

Lotte · 31-05-2013, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryeman

Its a 5 metre 4 seater.
My old Austin 1800 would comfortably accept my baby in a carry basket on the floor behind the drivers seat. (almost no tunnel)
That car had more leg room than a Statesman but was shorter than a Cortina of the day........THAT was packaging efficiency, along with the 1100 and the real Mini.
And by the way the 1800 production body had the greatest torsional strength of ANY mass production body, almost to a fault these days.

That's not what I was talking about.
About 30% of women I know own, or would own a falcon, if they could. A few of them are single mothers, one or two have more than two kids. I know chicks who'd have one but their partner talks them out of it, and convinces them into a focus or similar.

Point is, it's not just us innies that push against large rwds. ;)

ryeman · 31-05-2013, 10:43 AM

I was just on about packaging efficiency, the fact is that in congested cities specifically, they have been surpassed by the compact SUV.

Lotte · 31-05-2013, 10:49 AM

Packaging efficiency and why women don't want a falcon because of it. Yes.
I was merely correcting the notion, because I'm sick of hearing simular things to it ;)

ryeman · 31-05-2013, 10:56 AM

Auto designers have to market to women as much as men....women who are exposed to the CRV type vehicle are inevitably lost to the SUV market.
Even I get frustrated at lack of vision when behind them.

Lotte · 31-05-2013, 11:02 AM

Not all. And that's my point. I know quite a few who've been given SUVs to drive, and they just went, "yeah, no. Going to keep with the large, family, car." and that was that.

jmack · 31-05-2013, 11:09 AM

my thoughts are just let the name die peacefully,a falcon is not a front wheel drive ,v6,medium size car.while they are at it get rid of the g6 crap for the last models and bring back fairmont and ghia(cant sell any less than they are now)and falcon gt.go out with some nostalgia and dignity.still say this day has been coming since 82

csv8 · 31-05-2013, 12:49 PM

Dropping Futura, Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia was a bad move.. They cann't use Ghia anymore. For the FH ...Falcon 500, Futura, Fairmont 500 or Fairmont XLE...0R the base model ... Falcon 2016...... bring back memories....

GT-spec15 · 31-05-2013, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csv8

Dropping Futura, Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia was a bad move.. They cann't use Ghia anymore. For the FH ...Falcon 500, Futura, Fairmont 500 or Fairmont XLE...0R the base model ... Falcon 2016...... bring back memories....

I agree....I like naming continuity.

Ditto for Holden. Why ditch the 'Executive' name that had been so successful for so long? Omega, now Evoke....yawn.

mik · 31-05-2013, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryeman

Its a 5 metre 4 seater.
My old Austin 1800 would comfortably accept my baby in a carry basket on the floor behind the drivers seat. (almost no tunnel)
That car had more leg room than a Statesman but was shorter than a Cortina of the day........THAT was packaging efficiency, along with the 1100 and the real Mini.
And by the way the 1800 production body had the greatest torsional strength of ANY mass production body, almost to a fault these days.

i remember the austin tasman/kimberly, hydro elastic suspension like the minis and morry 1100 of the era, the austin actually wasn't too bad to drive if a little weird feeling at times, it had a curious sort of pendulum effect in the rear end like no other car i've driven if you were to get a bit excited with the steering wheel side to side, indeed they were quite spacious inside.

KIWI-1 · 31-05-2013, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gadgetman

So? Why cant they can the car and return the monies back to the govt as a gesture of good will. Might win them some votes from Jo Public if they did.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EVLKNEVL

Good idea.

That way 1200 people will be unemployed by 2014 instead of 2016, an excellent gesture of goodwill.

Do you seriously think FoA will keep all 1200 workers until shutdown in 2016?