Falcon future debated

As the company celebrates the Falcon's 50th year, Ford Australia president and CEO, Marin Burela, says the existing rear-drive sedan architecture could run until 2016 if necessary.

"The update I can give you is that we're working full steam on the replacement program for the Falcon in terms of defining the vehicle's attributes, the powertrains we need to have, the fuel economy and the content," he says."There is a lot of work taking place right now about this.  I'm happy with the progress we're making but like all things, it takes time and it needs to take time to ensure we get the right solution for Australian motorists."

If Ford chooses to push the big six out to 2016, the car's silky 4.0-litre engine would need work to meet Euro 5 emissions standards expected to come into force from 2014.  But Burela says the company is in a good position not to be forced into a premature decision about the car or its powertrains.

"We can study that space," he says.  "Right now the jury is very much out but there is no question that there are alternatives out there that can satisfy the motoring enthusiast as well as the general car buyer."

One of those alternatives is a locally produced version of the North American Ford Taurus, which has a sophisticated 3.5-litre V6 powering both front and all-wheel drive models.

Like Holden, which spent $1 billion developing the VE Commodore and Statesman, Ford could also go it alone with its own locally designed and engineered car but Burela is coy about any preferences.  "We're in such a nice position," he says.  "We don't have to have a new Falcon, until we get to about 2016.
"Quite frankly we're ahead of the game in terms of all of the study work we're doing for a replacement.

"We're much further down the track in terms of the study, focus group work and looking at how the Australian automotive landscape is evolving than we have ever been in our history and that's a good place to be."

Burela is confident the next-generation Falcon will remain an intrinsically Australian car.  "The real exciting thing for us is that we have one of the few core engineering centres in the Ford word right here," he says.

"We have one of the very few highly integrated and technically capable proving grounds and testing facilities in the world.  "Ford has come out publicly and said that Australia will be a major engineering, development and testing centre for new vehicle programs."

Burela says Ford would not have invested invested $230 million on the EcoBoost turbocharged four, the diesel for Territory and the LPI gas engine for Falcon and the ute if it was not confident in the future.

The cost efficiencies and fuel efficiency achieved by the in-line 4.0-litre six remain strong too, he says.  "I think we're going to be a formidable competitor as we move forward."