The iconic Falcon is set to lose its national identity as Ford look toward a more international stance for their vehicle range.
Ford’s vice president of product development Derrick Kuzak admitted recently to Drive that the next-generation Falcon will likely share components (and possibly design elements) with other Ford vehicles, such as the American Taurus and the entire vehicle could be lended to other models under the Ford umbrella.
“When we work globally and we look at vehicles that are similar in terms of the market segments and the customers we’re trying to serve, you’re absolutely correct that large sedans and large utilities like Falcon and Territory have similar needs and customers to vehicles like Flex and Taurus in North America,” says Kuzak “So when we look to the future that’s exactly what we’re doing — [trying to work out] how do we serve both markets and both sets of vehicles in one way.”
The Falcon has become an Australian icon, with the model being unique to Australia, with the exception of some low-volume export markets including New Zealand). But Ford is now pushing toward globalisation and a “One Ford” world, where complete cars and all components can be shared accross models and countries to reduce research and development costs, and cater to different economies.
Further changes may be iminent for the Falcon with Ford’s global president Alan Mulally saying recently that a decision had not been made on whether the Falcon would switch to a front-wheel drive layout which has advantages with reducing weight and allowing for more interior space — or continue with rear-wheel drive.
We have reviewed the Falcon XR8, G6 and FPV variants. Check the related items below.
The iconic Falcon is set to lose its national identity as Ford look toward a more international stance for their vehicle range.
Ford’s vice president of product development Derrick Kuzak admitted recently to Drive that the next-generation Falcon will likely share components (and possibly design elements) with other Ford vehicles, such as the American Taurus and the entire vehicle could be lended to other models under the Ford umbrella.
“When we work globally and we look at vehicles that are similar in terms of the market segments and the customers we’re trying to serve, you’re absolutely correct that large sedans and large utilities like Falcon and Territory have similar needs and customers to vehicles like Flex and Taurus in North America,” says Kuzak “So when we look to the future that’s exactly what we’re doing — [trying to work out] how do we serve both markets and both sets of vehicles in one way.”
The Falcon has become an Australian icon, with the model being unique to Australia, with the exception of some low-volume export markets including New Zealand). But Ford is now pushing toward globalisation and a “One Ford” world, where complete cars and all components can be shared accross models and countries to reduce research and development costs, and cater to different economies.
Further changes may be iminent for the Falcon with Ford’s global president Alan Mulally saying recently that a decision had not been made on whether the Falcon would switch to a front-wheel drive layout which has advantages with reducing weight and allowing for more interior space — or continue with rear-wheel drive.
We have reviewed the Falcon XR8, G6 and FPV variants. Check the related items below.
