Falcon FG will it sink or float?

Sales of the family Ford have been falling for six years and hit a 40-year low last year, but the company is confident the good-looking newcomer can reverse the trend and give it a genuine rival to the top-selling VE Commodore.

It has spent more than $500 million on the car, called the FG Falcon, and renewed everything from the body to the cabin and suspension.

A V6 engine will also be added in 2010.

There is still no firm sale date and prices were not revealed, although the preview showcased the FG headliners and also the high-performance hero from Ford Performance Vehicles.

The Falcon arrives just a fortnight after Mitsubishi decided to close its local manufacturing operation, and with the Federal Government about to begin the review of its motor industry plan beyond 2010, including tariff levels and investment support.

But new Ford Australia president Bill Osborne, who arrived less than a week ago from Ford Canada to take the top job, denied the Falcon was a crunch car.

The FG Falcon has a new look and the other big change is the model naming, with the traditional Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia labels disappearing.

The FG range for 2008 is the basic Falcon XT, followed by the newly named G Series — a G6, G6E and G6E Turbo — and then the familiar XR sports models.

Safety is high on the list of improvements and every FG petrol sedan will have ESP stability control as standard, while utes will have anti-skid brakes and XR utes pick-up traction control.

The new Falcon will make its first public appearance at the Melbourne Motor Show from February 29.

Full details on the FG Falcon: