Ford boss plan skips Falcon

There has been another poor month of sales and a backhanded slap from the brand's global chief.

Alan Mulally ignored the Falcon while painting a clear picture for Ford's future products at the Geneva motor show.

He is putting the emphasis on globalisation under a program called One Ford, which is likely to mean a Ford Taurus from America under the Falcon badge in 2017, at the same time as the Falcon slumped to 18th in the February sales results with a total less than half the best selling Mazda3.

Ford has only given a commitment to the local Falcon until the end of 2016 following a government-backed $103 million cash injection in January, similar timing to General Motors' current plan for the Holden Commodore.

The Falcon and Commodore are both facing a downsizing crisis, as Australians flock to small cars and compact SUVs, as well as integration into worldwide development plans that call for an end to unique small-volume models tailored for individual countries.

"The family is now really becoming clear to everyone," said Mulally, the CEO of Ford Motor Company.

"You look at the Ka, the Fiesta, the Focus, the Fusion and the Mondeo, and of course then the Taurus and then the Mustang, the Escape, the Edge, the Flex, the new Explorer, the Expedition, the new Ranger, the F-Series, the E-Series and the Transit and that family now is a complete family that serves 100 per cent of the markets worldwide."

But what does Mulally have to say on Falcon? "We love the Falcon," he said in Geneva, continuing to run a line he has spruiked to Australians for more than three years. "It's a real good vehicle for us ... we're going to provide the things people want in all the different segments."

Mulally's comments sparked a predictable response from Ford Australia, which has been firefighting at global motor shows for more than two years. "There is nothing new in this. It's a beat-up," said Neil McDonald of Ford Australia.

While the future of the Falcon looks tough, Mulally's time at Ford is earning him huge rewards including more than $34 million worth of stock for his performance in 2009, reported on Tuesday to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Mulally earns a salary of $1.9 million and banked a $9.4 million cash bonus last year, as well as a $33 million win on stock options.