full throttle as ford fights to protect falcon

[holland_ford]

Ford throttles back to protect Falcon


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Ford's Mondeo engine will be introduced to the local market in the Falcon

A more efficient engine being launched overseas in the Mondeo next month will be delayed for the Australian market, writes RICHARD BLACKBURN.

Ford's Mondeo mid-size car will miss out on two new more-powerful and fuel-efficient engines as Ford Australia looks to protect its locally built Falcon from friendly fire.

The controversial plan, which effectively robs Peter to pay Paul, will see local Mondeos continue with an underpowered four-cylinder petrol engine and a diesel engine tuned for economy rather than power.

The new Mondeo will make its public debut next month at the Moscow motor show and will go on sale in Europe in October with a cutting-edge turbocharged four-cylinder engine that should deliver Falcon-like performance while using less fuel than Australia's best-selling small car, the Mazda3.

But the engine will be delayed - and possibly ignored - for the Australian market because Ford plans to introduce it on an updated Falcon in the third quarter of next year, giving Ford a more efficient alternative to the six-cylinder engines that have dominated the locally made large-car category for decades.

Likewise, a new, more powerful 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine will be shelved for Australia in favour of a more frugal 2.0-litre diesel engine designed to attack Toyota's hybrid Camry.

A spokeswoman for Ford, Sinead McAlary, would not comment on the facelifted Mondeo.

But she says the new diesel engine is not part of the company's short-term plans.

"We've already announced we will introduce a new 2.0-litre diesel engine in the Mondeo in the third quarter of this year," McAlary says.

She says the smaller engine is better suited to Ford's needs in Australia as it allows Ford to compete for fleet business against the Toyota Camry Hybrid.

The Mondeo diesel uses less fuel than the petrol-electric Toyota, although it emits more carbon dioxide.

McAlary says a diesel engine, combined with a wagon derivative, gives Mondeo "a point of difference" from the Falcon, which won't be offered with a diesel powerplant.

"Diesel is not on the radar for Falcon at all. We have an LPI [liquid-injection LPG] version of the Falcon next year and we'll be concentrating on that," she says.

More than 50 per cent of Mondeo sales are diesel, McAlary says, and that figure is expected to climb when the company offers a diesel version of the wagon for the first time later this year.

The plan to separate Falcon and Mondeo highlights the uncertainty surrounding the future of the locally built Falcon, which last week celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Ford's global boss, Alan Mulally, says the company will move to just four basic car platforms in the future. They are the city runabout Fiesta, the Focus small car, mid-size Mondeo and US-designed Taurus large car, all of which are either front-wheel or all-wheel-drive models.

The Falcon is the odd man out in the blueprint for the future, as it is rear-drive and developed solely for the Australian market.

The European Mondeo will get a 176kW four-cylinder turbo petrol engine expected to use just 7.6 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres. The engine is 33 per cent more powerful than the Australian-spec Mondeo engine and uses almost 20 per cent less fuel.

A less-powerful 149kW version of the engine could potentially find its way to Australia, although Ford will initially continue to make the existing non-turbo four-cylinder.

The European Mondeo's new 2.2-litre diesel puts out 147kW of power and is likely to offer more than 400Nm of torque, compared with 120kW and 340Nm for the Australian Mondeo. All engines will be available with a dual-clutch auto transmission, which is more efficient than a traditional auto.

Unlike the new engines, the styling and equipment changes to Mondeo should filter through to Australia this year.

They include a new grille and bonnet, front bumpers incorporating daytime-running LED lights and redesigned tail-lights. Inside is a new centre console, upgraded materials and new satellite-navigation and stereo systems.

The car will also have a range of fuel-saving technologies including regenerative charging, an economy mode and an active grille shutter system, which regulates airflow to reduce drag.

Safety will be increased with features including a lane-departure warning, blind-spot warning and a rear-view camera

IFORMATION FROM DRIVE .COM .AU

SOME MORE NEWS FOR YOU GUYS

[paule11]

Will wait and see small engines in big cars doesnt sound right and when I hear about it I think of the first commodores with the stafire engines.

I buy a Falcon I want a decent engine with useable torque that doesnt need to be revved hard

[SteveJH]

Originally Posted by paule11

Will wait and see small engines in big cars doesnt sound right and when I hear about it I think of the first commodores with the stafire engines.

I buy a Falcon I want a decent engine with useable torque that doesnt need to be revved hard

Er, isnt the Mondeo almost as big as the Falcon, doesnt the Focus weight a ton and a half?

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. Though, I'm not sure what fuel economy is going to be like if you are almost constantly on boost in traffic accelerating and decelerating and overtaking.

But, I personally have no idea, having never driven a boosted car other then a TDCi Mondeo.

[jpd80]

I wonder why Ford perpetually drags its feet with diesel buyers.
V6 diesel Falcon is money in the bank.

[JG66ME]

Originally Posted by SteveJH

Er, isnt the Mondeo almost as big as the Falcon, doesnt the Focus weight a ton and a half?

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. Though, I'm not sure what fuel economy is going to be like if you are almost constantly on boost in traffic accelerating and decelerating and overtaking.

But, I personally have no idea, having never driven a boosted car other then a TDCi Mondeo.

I just rented one in England, 2.0 TDCi six speed manual.

Motorway speeds of up to 90mph, 48mpg. I had it for almost 6 weeks and covered about 4000km.

It had plenty of power and very frugal. I was getting over 600 miles on a tank full.

It felt as big as my XR6. Not as much power down low but plenty for overtaking at high speeds.

[jpd80]

I don't know why Ford is holding back the Ecoboost 2.0 Mondeo for Austraila,
the extra 50 odd sales a month that car would bring wouldn't cause a ripple.

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by jpd80

I don't know why Ford is holding back the Ecoboost 2.0 Mondeo for Austraila,
the extra 50 odd sales a month that car would bring wouldn't cause a ripple.

They want the EcoBoost Falcon to have a big impact when it arrives, having the engine already here in the Mondeo will take the 'newness' of the technology away when the Falcon already gets it. And in a way it also shows how much of a competitor it is to Falcon.

The Mondeo is a fantastic car but I have been very critical of the Mondeo being available here from the very beginning. Its an extra competitor to the Falcon that it doesnt need. Just being on the Mondeo section of the forums shows that a lot of people who own Mondeos used to own Falcons and even cross-shopped it with the Falcon. They are way too similiar in price and size. The money spent on advertising the Mondeo, stocking parts, training dealers, ADR compliance, should of gone to making a FG wagon.

[smoo]

Originally Posted by jpd80

V6 diesel Falcon is money in the bank.

A bit of a no brainer isn't it. The thing is it would kill the petrol I6 (performance, economy and sales), and would most likely give the I6t a run for its money.
Thousands of buyers who skip the NA petrol versions for the equalivent diesel on Euro cars aren't wrong. Even Ford are seeing this with the Mondeo.

There goes the age old myth that Aussies only like big rwd cars, Ford obviously aren't taking their chances.

[Joe5619]

Personally I think the Falcon will ever get Diesel as long a Mondeo is sold here... Wagon & diesel gives the Mondeo a point of difference from Falcon... The 2 are not competiting agaist each other. Which is also why I4T is getting delayed in Mendeo

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

Personally I think the Falcon will ever get Diesel as long a Mondeo is sold here... Wagon & diesel gives the Mondeo a point of difference from Falcon... The 2 are not competiting agaist each other. Which is also why I4T is getting delayed in Mendeo

At around 300-400 sales a month, Mondeo is basically irrelevant, a good car being ignored by the public.
Ford cannot afford for the Ecoboost Mondeo to stink up the showroom ahead of the Ecoboost Falcon.
$49,000 for the XR Turbo Mondeo is a joke and buyers know it.

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

Personally I think the Falcon will ever get Diesel as long a Mondeo is sold here... Wagon & diesel gives the Mondeo a point of difference from Falcon... The 2 are not competiting agaist each other. Which is also why I4T is getting delayed in Mendeo

They are both large family cars sitting in the same showroom and selling for the same price. I think they very much compete with each other, but the Mondeo does fill in some gaps in the Falcon lineup.

I would prefer if it wasnt being sold here as the limited profit they must get from these Belgium built cars in my mind wouldnt justify the Falcon substitution that must occur. Although I have no evidence of this and obviously Ford must know what they are doing.

The fact that the Mondeo is having its ecoboost delayed till after Falcon in my mind shows that Ford thinks that in some way Mondeo is a competitor to locally built cars and dosnt want the shine taken off the Falcon being the first family car to be offered with ecoboost.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by smoo

A bit of a no brainer isn't it. The thing is it would kill the petrol I6 (performance, economy and sales), and would most likely give the I6t a run for its money.
Thousands of buyers who skip the NA petrol versions for the equalivent diesel on Euro cars aren't wrong. Even Ford are seeing this with the Mondeo.

There goes the age old myth that Aussies only like big rwd cars, Ford obviously aren't taking their chances.

Falcon is in the same boat as Territory, buyers want diesel engines and until Ford realises that they
will lose sales every month.I wouldn't see the V6 diesel as a threat to the I-6 , the diesel probably
would sell for the same price as the turbo I-6 vehicles. More $48,000 XRs and G series vehicles on offer.