Ford introduces DSC into FG Ute range
July 2, 2008 by George Skentzos
One of the main criticisms of the new FG Falcon Ute range has been the lack of Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) availability across the entire range.
Ford has quickly addressed this issue, today announcing that DSC will be standard on all XR Falcon Ute models equipped with sports suspension from September production.
This offer will also be extended as an option to workhorse models – which includes the R6 variant – with ¾-tonne and one-tonne suspension packages from December production.
“With the introduction of DSC on Falcon Ute, in conjunction with the availability of side head/thorax airbags, customers are able to configure their vehicle with a comprehensive safety package that is unmatched in the passenger-derived ute market,” Ford Australia Vice-President Marketing and Sales Mark Winslow said.
The DSC system will incorporate Traction Control, four-channel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), with the latter not previously available on Falcon Ute models.
From September 1, the inclusion of DSC as standard fitment will effect the recommended retail price of all XR model Utes which will increase by $500 – while the option price for DSC on the rest of the FG Falcon Ute range will be $500 RRP.
Schedule
| Model |
Suspension Type |
Standard / Optional |
Timing |
| Falcon Ute C/C |
1-tonne |
Optional |
December 1, 2008 |
| Falcon Ute SSB |
¾-tonne |
Optional |
December 1, 2008 |
| R6 C/C |
1-tonne |
Optional |
December 1, 2008 |
| R6 SSB |
Sports |
Optional |
September 1, 2008 |
| XR6 C/C |
Sports |
Standard |
September 1, 2008 |
| XR6 SSB |
Sports |
Standard |
September 1, 2008 |
| XR6 Turbo SSB |
Sports |
Standard |
September 1, 2008 |
| XR8 SSB |
Sports |
Standard |
September 1, 2008 |
Pricing
| Model |
Current RRP |
New RRP |
Effective date |
| Falcon Ute C/C |
$27,795 |
No Change |
December 1, 2008 |
| Falcon Ute SSB |
$28,195 |
No Change |
December 1, 2008 |
| R6 C/C |
$29,795 |
No Change |
December 1, 2008 |
| R6 SSB |
$30,195 |
No Change |
September 1, 2008 |
| XR6 C/C |
$34,090 |
$34,590 |
September 1, 2008 |
| XR6 SSB |
$34,490 |
$34,990 |
September 1, 2008 |
| XR6 Turbo SSB |
$38,490 |
$38,990 |
September 1, 2008 |
| XR8 SSB |
$38,490 |
$38,990 |
September 1, 200 |
Print it: 
Again LPG misses out…….not good enough Ford!!!
why does lpg always miss out on any upgrades? no new transmissions, no dsc, no power increase………
DSC is not compatible with the manifold injection system Ford Oz uses for their DLPG engine. In order to have DSC as an option Ford would need to re-engineer the DLPG I6 with direct vapour injection, which considering it will be replaced in 2010 by a motor from the US, is completely unjustifiable economically speaking. 95% of ute buyers are business owners/tradesmen and would not see the value in the extra $500 for the option anyway, just as they rarely opted for the optional ABS, PAB, TCS on the BFII Falcon.
Just to clarify, that should be 95% of LPG ute buyers.
95% of Falcon buyers can’t see the value in safety.
Just proves what boguns they are.
As for development of vapour injection being too costly – crap. Most aftermarket conversions are vapour injection developed by much smaller businesses than Ford.
Ford’s leading the game as usual
Ford invented the ute that Australia loves. And now it just got super sweet. Good stuff Ford, now that’s what I’m talking about. It just gets better and better. :)
reckless, JML is correct.
As far as I have heard, it is the loss of power and torque that comes with using the current Vapour system that prevents gas from being fitted with the 6 Speed (and now 5 speed) as this transmission relies on power/torque figures at rpm levels and more to determine gear selection etc.
The Vapour Systems also cannot be deactivated in the same way the petrol injection system can (the gas vapour is already mixed into the air before entering cyclinder whereas petrol is injeted into cyclinder) and this I believe is the reason DSC and Gas cannot currently be combined.
I believe this problem would be fixed if they were to use Liquid Gas Injection, however I belive there is a pretty stringent patent on the system and I reckon Ford might be finding it hard to gain the rights to fit the system at the factory. So I doubt it is all Ford’s fault that the vapour system has not yet been updated.
I wouldn’t mind betting that a Falcon with DSC and the 6 Speed could be fitted with an after market Liquid Gas injection system and have no problems with callibration of DSC and 5/6Speed trannies. But at a substantially higher cost than that of the ford factory system.
Those V8 ute racers will certainly need DSC!
Alec sounds like he knows what he is talking about, so until something to the contrary is uncovered, I’ll go with Alec plus I have heard much the same story myself.
As for Reckless1, I wonder how many of last months 4500 HiLux’s and 5000 Corolla’s had any form of DSC/ESP fitted to them? Not many eh! Maybe that’s why Toyota is selling so well these days? All of the bogans are buying them instead of Holdens or Fords.
For any DSC/ESP system to work properly, they need to shut down individual cylinders(by reducing fuel to that cylinder) to reduce power, as well as applying individual braking to selected wheels. Ford’s single point gas injection system does not allow individual cylinders to be manipulated in this way whereas a muli-point system would. This also applies to traction control as this uses a similar process to reduce power to the driving wheels irrespective of the throttle position.
As for Joe, he obviously didn’t read my post the other day about the boguns that buy Toyoyas with no safety – I said exactly the same thing about them as here.
All the Ford nuts are full of excused, but the result is the same – the LPG Ford system is archaic, horrible, and constanly a problem. I have close ties with a Ford dealership, and the worst car Ford has at the moment is the LPG version.
A friend has a turbo territory that’s on gas, and he has no trouble with the stability control on that. So I repeat, Ford is just not trying with their LPG offering.
if you are going to call someone a bogan you should at least be able to spell it correctly…
Reckless,
you just don’t listen. As your mate has a Territory Turbo on gas, it is obviously an aftermarket system as ford do not offer Gas as a factory option on the Turbo for the very reason I pointed out at 10:24 on July 2nd!
Maybe you should ask the question why Ford (and as far as I know ALL OTHER MANUFACTURERS) aren’t able to offer the Gas injection system as a factory option???
Maybe they simply can’t get the rights to use the system yet!!!!!?????
Alec and Joe are smack on it.
DSC cant be fitted fo the same reason Traction control cant.
Joe put forward the perfect explanation of why it cant be fitted.
also as Alec says, and it is the same to my knowledge that ford can not jump the patent hurdle to instal a sequential vapour system on the assembly line.
i remember reading years ago that they were trying to solve that problem, but it obviously hasnt cleared up yet.
you cant bag ford for their efforts, because even if their system is old tech, it is still better than what the other manufacturers are offering…..which is nothing.
i was actually going to look into whether i can get an E-Gas falcon converted to use the better system.
does anyone have any thoughts on that, or heard of anyone who has tried??
and then the other hurdle would be getting ford to supply it to me with something other than the 4sp auto.
if they cant calibrate the 6sp auto to it, then i would rather take the 6sp Manual anyway
Reckless your friend with the LPG Turbo territory probably wouldn’t have any problems with the DSC system is because it probably hasn’t had to be used yet. Being heavy and AWD you pretty much have to have a major balls up even for the DSC to kick in. Ive tried and even with the extra poke the only time i ever saw the light flash was in the wet on the slipperiest roundabout in Newcastle.
Also your friend must of been very lucky to find a guy who was game enough to convert the turbo territory to gas. The reason I say that is because when I was a car salesman a customer wanted to convert a Turbo Territory we had to LPG & no-one in Newcastle wanted to touch it.
Andrew M,
I reckon your best bet would be to buy a second hand 6Speed Auto Falcon and get it converted with an aftermarket system using the new flat tanks. I think they are about $1000 just for the tanks, but I believe you should be able to fit them in place of the petrol tank, and then you do not lose any boot space.
There was an article about the flat tanks in the Herald Sun Cars Guide a few months ago.
Reckless1, how are Ford not trying?
They are the only ones to have offered an LPG option on sedans, wgns and utes for quite some time now. What about Holden, Toyota, Mitsu and the rest? Not good enough from them!
Ford’s LPG system is not the best. But it does the job, it’s cheap to install and maintain.
The gas system may or may not be the latest and greatest, but let’s not lose sight of what Ford have just done here. Now available as standard or as an option on the tuff as nails Falcon utility are:
- Four Channel ABS
- Traction Control
- Electronic Brake Force Distribution
- Emergency Brake Assist
- All will individually increase safety
- Combined and Integrated they become DSC
- Add front/side/head/thorax airbags
The in line 6 in turbo or naturally aspirated form is trully a gem, the transmissions are world class, the Boss V8 now revs even harder…
Now compare all the above to what was available as little as 10 years ago..
Make no mistake about it, Ford Australia is working hard.
Hi Mr Alec (hopefully your first name isnt smart).
i would actually want it on a ute not a sedan.
the only problem i have with your suggestion is that i want the properly built LPG engine.
i want something that has the internals in it to run optimally on LPG.
thats why im not sold on duel fuel.
i know you are suggesting a full conversion, but i would rather the proper ford built donk.
i remember reading something about the flat tanks a while ago.
also i would want it on the N/A XR6, and there was never a 6sp box that you could option into it. i also want the FG so the secind hand idea doesnt thrill me.
i appreciate your thoughts all the same.
second hand buying is the best way to go though.
im just set on the FG now