Ford Taurus 1998 News

Ford isn't owning up to anything regarding the future of Falcon and Territory but blind Freddie could see the writing on the wall.With sales dwindling, it's hard to see the Falcon and Territory lasting more than a couple more years. It will be bad for the local car industry but Ford isn't a charity.Falcon's expected replacement is the Ford Taurus a nameplate with some baggage here due to the awful, cockroach style Taurus that lobbed momentarily more than a decade ago. Hopefully most people will have forgotten about that one.The new Taurus is nothing like that hideous piece of automotive history — it's a handsome, well proportioned sedan with an impressive powertrain lineup that includes all wheel drive on some models.The US spec' Taurus comes in front wheel drive and all wheel drive with a choice of two 3.5-litre direct injection petrol V6 engines, one a twin turbocharged Ecoboost unit.The base 3.5 V6 is good for 195kW/337Nm while the Ecoboost 3.5 generates some 272kW. Maximum torque from this engine is a hearty 475Nm but there's 350Nm available from just 1500rpm. A six speed auto transmission is standard with some models scoring paddle shift.Wheel sizes range from 17-inch to 20 inch while the suspension is a conventional MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear.Aluminium is used selectively for underbody parts to reduce weight. Taurus has a five star crash rating and comes complete with a suite of safety equipment both active and passive.And get this, the kick off price in the US is $25,555. Based on current exchange rates and shipping costs does this mean a sub $30K Taurus? Dream on.

Based on the Taurus sedan, Ford's purpose-built 'black and white' Police Interceptor is designed as a pursuit car with a powerful twin-turbo V6 engine and high-performance brakes.Ford unveiled its high-tech, high performance answer to GM-Holden's Statesman-based police car at a fleet management conference in Detroit. The cabin is designed to withstand high-speed crashes and boasts the latest crime fighting technology.Both US car giants are vying for a slice of the lucrative law enforcement market in North America. The popular Ford Crown Victoria sedan favoured by most police will be phased out at the end of next year."Police nationwide asked for a new kind of weapon in the battle for public safety, and Ford is answering the call with a purpose-built vehicle - engineered and built in America," Ford president of the Americas, Mark Fields, says.Field's 'buy American' push could strike a cord with US law enforcement agencies. He says the company remains committed to leading the police vehicle market. At present about 70 per cent of North American enforcement agencies use the Crown Victoria. Ford sells about 45,000 a year to police fleets.US law enforcement agencies are set to put out tenders for a replacement later this year. Ford and General Motors are among several companies angling for the lucrative business. GM-Holden's new chairman and managing director, Mike Devereux, says Holden is still in the race to develop a Chevrolet-based police cruiser for North America."Whether we're looking at Chevrolet Caprice police program or whether its exports to Brazil or the Middle East, we will take advantage of any export opportunities we have," he says. GM-Holden joined forces with the National Safety Agency last year to show off a kitted out Caprice to the Los Angeles police department. The car was shown at a crime conference in Denver in October, sparking interest not only in the US but also Canada and the UK.Up to 40,000 Holden police cars could be exported to the US every year.Ford's Police Interceptor goes into production later this year. The twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 is more powerful than the current 4.6-litre V8 used in the Crown Victoria. The V6 develops 272kW/495Nm mated to a six-speed automatic and either front or all-wheel drive.

The current FG Falcon is safe for at least another four years as Ford's local spearhead and plans are beginning to integrate its replacement into a new-look, globally-focussed One Ford organisation. The move is unlikely to affect Ford Australia's local manufacturing operation, with the Falcon-based Territory SUV also set for an even longer run through to 2016, but will lead to greater efficiencies and a leaner, greener local family car.  The broad sweep of the Falcon plan was outlined exclusively to the Herald Sun yesterday at the Detroit Motor Show by Ford's worldwide president, Alan Mulally. He pointed to a continued role for the Falcon in Australia within an integrated global product plan. "We'll be in the Falcon market, yes. But as we go forward we'll continue to use all our assets around the world," Mulally said.  "We have learned so much from the Falcon, because it's a dynamite car. Whatever that Falcon morphs to, for the next one, it will be available for everyone around the world. He also effectively dismissed suggestions that the Falcon, a traditional rear-wheel drive design, would be replaced by the front-drive Taurus built for the USA. The Taurus has already failed once in Australia, in the 1990s.  "We're going to have a large sedan. The whole thing about rear-wheel drive? We're going to have a rear-wheel drive car," Mulally said. "And we've got the Mustang. So you can imagine, going forward, that there will be a next version of the Falcon that will be even better. In capital letters."  Rumours of a end to the Falcon's run in Australia, and perhaps even an end to local production by Ford, were categorically denied yesterday in Detroit by the president of Ford Australia, Marin Burela."No company that was going to pull out of Australia would be spending $230 million on bringing the world's best powertrain technology to Australia for the Falcon," Burela told the Herald Sun.He said the coming introduction of a four-cylinder engine in the Falcon would allow Ford to compete against new rivals, including the Toyota Camry, as well as setting a new class benchmark for engine efficiency."Our strategy is very clear. We took a very bold step forward when we announced a significant investment in Falcon only a few months ago. No other local manufacturer has committed that sort of investment in recent times," Burela said."Why did we do that? We did that to give Falcon an incremental level of growth opportunity over time."If you look at the things we have done on Falcon, and we are planning for Falcon, there is absolutely no reason for us to deviate because the plan is working."Burela highlighted an improvement in Falcon's share of family-car sales in Australia in 2009 at the expense of the Holden Commodore, and even the need to work some weekend shifts at its factory in Broadmeadows to satisfy demand.  "It's actually delivering a very, very very exciting return," he said.Burela stressed that planning for the next new Falcon is barely into the research stage, with no urgency on any sort of commitment. He also hinted that it would be possible for the car to share much of its basic mechanical package with the next all-new Mustang, but with a local body above the mechanical package."The Falcon's changeover is due to take place at the end of 2014, or early in 2015. Our decisions . . . for Falcon don't have to be made until we get through to the middle of 2011. So we have time on our hands.  "At the moment, all is well on the Falcon side of things. All is very well."