Ford Engine Plant in Geelong to Stay
November 20, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
Ford Australia has just held a press conference to announce the company’s Geelong Engine Plant will continue to operate post-2010 producing Ford’s iconic in-line six-cylinder engine.
The plant currently employs 400 people, with the blue oval having already spent over $200 million dollars on the Geelong operation since 2006. An additional $21 million will be spent to keep the plant up to date and also insure new I6 engines comply with stringent Euro IV emissions standards.
“This decision is good news, not only for our employees in Geelong, our suppliers and the surrounding community, but also for the many fans of our I6 engine, which will now be re-engineered to achieve Euro IV emissions standards,” said Ford Australia President & CEO Marin Burela.
The announcement is good news for the 400 staff as well as the local manufacturing industry which supplies parts (intake manifolds, engine pistons, gaskets and bearings) and services to the operation.
“This is the first step in a broad product investment strategy to reduce emissions and deliver improved fuel economy across our locally built vehicle line-up, including Falcon, Falcon Ute and Territory.”
Ford says the Federal Government’s Green Car Innovation Fund will help set the agenda for further environmentally-oriented projects in the future.
“Our I6 engine continues to receive rave reviews for its performance, fuel economy and quietness. Keeping this engine in our product line-up will allow us to maintain our competitive edge and provide a distinct advantage over our direct competition,” said Mr Burela.
What are your thoughts on Ford’s decision?
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Great news!
You beauty, that may also mean that the next falcon will still be RWD considering it would be very expensive to convert the I6 to a FWD configuration.
THIS IS GREAT NEWS, I WAS DREADDING THE DAY THE I6 WAS TO BE SCRAPPED BUT NOW THIS FANTASTIC ENGINE IS CARRYING ON!!
It’s such a great engine and the FG just proves how great it is!!!
Fantastic!!!
Good for Ford, a good decision here.
I think the problem with the I6 is that the general public perception is that the bigger the engine is, the more fuel it consumes. And ford have the biggest of the lot at 4L. Ford really need to get the message across that this engine and the cars it’s in are much more fuel efficient than public perception gives credit for.
ford best decition this year
Thats awesome news. BUT what dies that mean for potential exports? Is that it for “Ford Aus”? Keeping the “I6″ means thats the end of export opportunities??
Dont get me wrong, Im over the moon that the “I6″ is staying, but I dont want it to stay if that means “Falcon” dies because it restricts it from entering new markets!!
The best news so far
It also makes economic sense to keep building the I6, especially with the exchange rate the way it is.
Meets new emission standards. Does this mean they might export this car at last. And yes its will certainly remain RWD. And yes people who have been waiting for the new V6 in 2010, well it aint going to happen. This is great new for the Australian car industry. I hope that Ford and GM America let Holden and Ford Australia go their way because we make great cars in Australia.
At last some good news from the Aussie car industry.
Top stuff ive always loved this engine with its ezzy going very torqy engine.Its one of best engines out there in the big car class and also now its so good on fuel.It suprises some camry drivers with its economy
So does this back up the rumours about Falcon getting ESP accross the range (inc LPG) Q1 2009? I suspect the first “development” is LPG upgrade.
Fantastic news for Ford Australia and the Geelong workers. The I6 is a very good engine that is able to standup agains’t the best in the world. The fuel economy and performance they are getting out of the current iteration of the motor is very impressive.
My hope now is with the funding they can setup this engine, so the steering wheel can be put on the other side and Falcon can finally reach some export markets. The FG deserves a shot at export success.
Dan
Holdens are heaps better than Ford anyway! Go the might HSV
This is excellent news, Ford would have been left without a flagship performance model had this have gone ahead.
Finally Ford is making some good decisions somewhere. They should take the engine over to the US and put it into the Mustang.
HSV, sales does not determine the better car.
HSV, and exactly how many overpriced HSV’s are quicker than factory XR6T?
Grow up fool, without Ford there is no Holden (or Toyota)
HSV are discounting over $18,000 due to poor sales!
Brett
3 – mine, my brothers and Stuey’s…butI can beat Stuey
HSV, mate in your wet dreams. But glad you can admit that you paid too much for your over priced commodore.
can we have a diesel.Pleasssssse
holden who?
Excellent news. It may be a big lump of iron, but that inline 6 is already technically advanced, well suited to the Falcon and Territory and would be a great loss if gone. There just are not enough inline 6s left.
Now a decent eGas version and maybe a Falcon Hybrid based on that engine (an eGas Hybrid maybe?).
Great news!
but FFS Ford fit Direct Injection to it, don’t you still have rights to DI? Ralph Sarich invented it here in Oz around 25 years ago and still no Aussie car maker has fitted it.
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa this is bloody fantastic. And for all you people in the past posts who were poo pooing the I6 read it and weep. You bloody ripper!!! Best news I have heard all year.
great news
the Falcon I6 is, as said above, better than the general public thinks. The combo of torque, economy and reliability is great. An aussie automotive icon.
If they could just make an alloy block that would rock!!!
Geelong avoids becoming a social wasteland. Lives are changed again at the drop of a hat. Common sense is prevailing.
It will be an interesting challenge for some getting the I6 to meet euro4.
Still wouldn’t buy one though.
…….has anyone read the story next week about Mitsubishi opening a new factory in Adelaide to build colts and lancers?
antispam = XR6
I love how everyone thinks this decision is based on the I6 engine and not the economic future of the V6 that was earmarked as its replacement, anyone seen the position that Ford is in at the moment in it’s largest market???
i know someone who is sitting here smilling at present :-)
Great News.
The only (partial) down side is I believe this’ll still stop any chance of Left Hand Export as the steering box doesn’t fit. But with Focus comming online they won’t need it.
Who will joing me in sending a hearty congratulations to Mr Burela. Hip Hip Hooray! Should chip in and send him a carton of VB or two…..can’t wait for the next generation I6….Long Live the King!!
Fantastic news.
Great news. The best Australia built car & engine lives on. My next car will be a Territory 7 seat with either LI LPG or diesel, now that the money’s avialable to develop them.
I suspect this is a prudent move to isolate Ford Aus from reliance on ford USA who are about to go out of business. Ford/GM/Chrysler just got knocked back in their bid for $25b in govt aid, so I think the Australian arm needs to plan on going it alone.
21 million to spend on engine development? Maybe alloy block, direct injection, 3.8 litres (shorter stroke), design to handle ethanol, etc etc. Remember BMW have stuck with a straight 6 because it is far smoother than V6 engines.
Could be also use the current block at 3.0 litres and make a diesel motor out of it. I know I’m getting carried away but the options are countless.
That’s fantastic news.
Great news for the workers in Geelong!
But what does this mean for the V6 enigne that was meant to be coming?? Has it been canned?
From what I heard there was only one hurdle to the I6 not meeting Euro 4 and that was at engine start up which development wise shouldn’t be a big hurdle (correct me if I am wrong). And the other thing is the world is in turmoil not just Ford but that’s life and the world ain’t gonna stop. Good news Ford. I will continue to support you and your great Aussie product.
Frontman……since when does a Falcon have a steering box? Its a steering rack which can be mounted for or aft so i think you are wrong there, I am sure Ford had some left hook Falcons driving around at some stage for evaluation. With alloy block,less wieght, direct injection and Turbo this marvellous engine will only get better, makes Holdens Vibration Tec engine look even more breathless….lol
HSV…….you are a tool…….my FG XR6 Turbo has blown away many way overpriced V8 Holdens and HSV’s…….and it uses much less fuel in day to day driving and costs heaps less……….not to mention the wonderful interior and great styling……….if i put a mod chip in i will be able to blow that overpriced piece of crap W427 away as well……….what a joke that car is !!!!
Maybe its just where I live, but still havnt seen many new falcons on the road, are they not selling as well as the VE was wen it first came out?
Great to see local investment. Although I am not a Ford fan, or GM either, I think the local industry is vital. Further good to see an inline 6 cylinder engine continue.
Greeny, yeah I know I really should read before submitting, I was actually refering to the column :-(
But, as you’d probably be aware the old dual length inlet left no room to the left, the new plastic unit has more room but with the rack mounted Forward, it still posses a problem. Although I do believe Fg is LHD designed protected.
Watch the news for E-gas developements though, after reading Mr Burella’s comments about regaining market share.
Pretty sneaky timing Ford, considering people were offered redundancy packages up until last week.
Clear as many workers as possible, then announce the engine will remain.
Very sneaky indeed.
Fantastic news, Euro spec and maintaining 400 jobs – excellent. I wonder how much of an impact the Feds funding package had on this?
Fantastic news for Falcon & for Australia, the I6 is an awesome motor especially in turbocharged form & deserves to stay.
Now just got to hope that people buy some.
Matt,
I’m not sure it had any great impact, although it may have been the icing on the cake.
For this anouncement to happen today the decision would have been made quite some time ago, and probably well before KRudd’s announcement only ten days ago.
I’ve gotta say, I squealed like a girl when I heard this reported on the radio this afternoon. Fantastic news for Ford fans! Can’t wait to see where Ford goes next with their fantastic I6
^motorhead, you said it.
you can lead horse to water but you can’t make him drink.
It is astonising when you think about it.
As good as some plaudits may have it, the Australian Ford I6 is really an iconic dinosaur and now a lucky one at that. A tiny blip of an engine in the global ford empire and yet the passion it generates is amazing. I bet there are some engineers and managers in detroit and germany for that matter that don’t even know it exists and yet look what rides on it, what it powers and empowers.
Still wont buy one though.
Don’t get over-excited guys. This has everything to do with the fact that the US market direct-injection V6 and the car it was to go into is either delayed or canned and nothing to do with how good the OZ I6 is. It is a stop-gap measure. If Ford is still around in 2013 you can bet that neither the Falcon replacement or its engine will be made in Australia. So it’s a question of a little bit of good news followed by a great big heap of bad news.
there you go, a man with a pin
WVB, it may be a dinosaur, but it is still a better engine than Holdens V6.
spot on captain.
Not sure if this simple question has been answered…
Why?
Why has it been brought back from the dead??
Is it because the falcon will cost too much to fit the V6?
Is it because the US is in trouble?
Is the falcon going to stay a low cost RWD but then die when the FG chassis gets old?
Yeah its a good thing for jobs and I6 lovers but theres a reason this thing has come back from the dead and I am very suspicious…
Why? Why? Why?
Captain, I think that you are confused (again? lol).
The post 2013 Falcon will be built in Australia, by Ford Australia.
It will not be an Australian only model and may not be wholely Australian designed.
It will probably run OS designed & built engines.
Great, Fantastic, Excellent…….it’s all already been written but I’d just like to add that I’m in the the middle of buying a little house at the moment but as soon as i can i will start saving for my next NEW car and this decision has helped me make up my mind…….my next new car will be made in OZ and will be a next generation LPG Territory!!
Davie,
Reading between the lines, the current platform is dead post 2013. And therefore by extension, the I6 is dead post 2103.
What we will get is a new platform, with new engines.
Great news. I just wish most can stop dishing out on Holden or Ford as Aussies need these 2 icons to stay and compete in market!
Good news if they go to an alloy block. Which would be about the only way they could get Euro IV compliance. Add direct injection for a 30Kw boost and reduced fuel consumption along with saving 80kg over the front axle and it’d be ever sweeter. If they don’t then it’ll be really disappointing as the direct injection 3.5L V6 that they were going to import is a really good engine – as all those who have experienced this engine will attest to.
Bugger the engine, how good is it that these hard-working people get to keep their jobs? All Ford need to do now is build cars people want.
This will be fun to watch!
It’s good short term news for Geelong.
But it’s really just delaying the funeral – by that I mean it’s no use having a really good inline 6 which only meets Euro IV. Euro V and Euro VI should be the target or I’m afraid it’s just delaying the inevitable.
Since Fords with this engine are selling like tickets to a leper colony picnic, it won’t make a blind bit of difference how good the engine is if people aren’t buying the car it’s fitted to – and they aren’t.
Falcon fans will be in the same league as Riley fans before long – in love with a bygone era.
My solution – build a really good diesel V6, and a really good direct injection LPG – this would keep the Falcon alive for much longer than a Euro IV petrol. Euro IV is from yesteryear.
I know all the Ford fanbois will flame me, but there were plenty of Magna/380 fanbois who were wrong too.
How can you call this engine a dinosour? The best engines in the world are straight 6’s. I am tired of hearing how old this engine is when its not very old in engine terms at all !!!! And please …….if i hear anyone say its been around since the 60’s I will puke !!! It has nothing at all in common with the old pushrod clunker except the number of cylinders !!!!! makes the Holden engine sound like a dinosaur !!!!!
Spoon dance………..woo hoo ! Great news ,great engine and great for the future Phoons !
Good afternoon bavarian missile! I’m drinking a congratulatory cuppa coffee for Ford as I write this. I’m working, so no fizz yet.
I wonder where does this leave the future V6 diesel plan for Falcon and Territory? Does anybody know?
Reckless1 Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
I guess getting 16.2% of the market for October would mean a pretty popular lepper colony ;-)
But this decision allows them to continue work on the LPG, and read my comment on the diesel above.
Afternoon hun,good question ? I will ask my contact and see if they know! You would hope so !
Bubbly for me tomorrow,and lots of it,no idea why we celebrate birthdays when we get to our age Golfy ?
id say sales will go up now because many people were holding out for the V6
^captain, reckless, stop it.
you’ll only get the teary eyed, air punching I6 huggers all bothered. This is a watershed day. An australian manufacturer taking back some ground.
^greeny, its a dinosaur. 6 cylinders of ford don’t equal a BMW 3.2L
in my opinion, the Focus local production program they picked up is one of the smartest moves in these volatile times. the platform is very very versatile and caters to a whole range of vehicles, i.e Kuga, C-Max.
I agree with DAVIE, this is very suss…
Why invest more into an engine thats not complient when you have the US spec V6 which IS complient waiting in the wings…somethings definitely up.
I say this very loosely, but perhaps Ford Mo Co is planning a sell off of its Aussie arm? Farfetched, but could it be possible?
Reanult-Nissan or Peugeot would be a good suitor, better than the Chinese i reckon.
Also i saw a post about a plan for Mitsubishi to reopen a plant and manufacture Lancers and Colts in Tonsley Park….yes the Lancer sells pretty decently, but they struggle to move Colts! Defs cant see that happening.
In a perfect world, id love to see VW or Mazda open production facilities in the old Mitsu plant. Its a fantasy…
^daniel, buddy.
go and read my 1st post again re mitsi plant.
sorry but fishing can be relaxing.
Falcon The Great Australian Road Car.
make sure the power steering hose is sorted etc and you’ll be on a winner.LOL.
Reckless one FG is superior to VE in every respect just unfortunate timing as VE has benefited from a two year lead prior to the recession we are going to have.
As I have said before Ford need to bling the base model FG so people choose it instead of a blinged front drive turd like a Honda,Mazda 6 etc etc for similar money in base spec.
Yeah Golfie; whether or not Ford continue with the diesel will be interesting. I tend to think that the next generation Falcon will have a diesel V6 [option] mainly because the next generation Commodore will.
I think Ford OZ (and Holden) are doing a great job, and that the Ford I6 is a fantastic engine, but you cannot deny the reality that indigenous car manufacturers working in a market of only a million a year with virtually free entry to importers are on a finite timeline, especially when the cars that they are good at are no longer wanted by the bulk of the market and their motherships in the USA are in meltdown.
Bret, you and your few followers are in Fantasyland.
Great news i reckon. The situation Ford US is in is the reason the I6 has been given a reprieve i think.
For the ppl calling this engine a dinosaur, if you drive a V6 holden you would have to feel embarrassed to have an inferior engine to the Ford I6 ‘dinosaur’.
It’s great news not only for Ford but the Australian Automotive industry.
I’m just wondering whether the decision to keep the Geelong plant open and keep producing the I6 is an indication that Ford in Detroit are toying with the idea of gradually pulling out of America and building small [FWD[ cars in Europe and bigger [RWD] cars in Australia/Canada – just as GM apparently is..
As GM CEO Bob Lutz reportedly said that he will look at all viable options and do whatever it takes in an attempt to keep GM going even if it meant pulling out of the USA where they have a number of plants [quite close together] operating at less than 75% building exactly the same vehicles.. and import them from overseas….
It’s possible given that both GM and Ford have made Holden and Ford Oz the Research and Development centres for future RWD projects
Once again great news
BTW: HSV; I am a Holden/HSV fan and even I would love to have an XR6 or an FPV Typhoon in my drive – their damn fine cars… If only Holden had a direct rival. Unfortunately the red army will have to wait for the 300Kw+ Direct Injection Twin Turbo Option V6 in the next generation Commodore?
Great news, even though I’m a Holden Tragic.
We do need ford to stay in the game, & if I could give up my V8, I’d buy a G6E Turbo.
Looks like their V8 program will wither on the vine.
Where does that leave V8 Supercars?
Why would ford spend ANY money there if they don’t have a V8 to sell………….
Realcars, the Honda and Mazda are far better built and better quality than the Falcon or Commie, so if they’re turds that says very little for our aussie heroes.
My bad WVB…….misread that one! woops!
although that story is interesting….wouldnt mind reading it when its released.
HSV you deseved that for such a silly comment ! it takes $150,ooo bucks to buy a commie thats as quick as a $70,000 Falcon…. do the math
Hey Golfy my inside source says yes the Diesel will be out late next year in the new Territory! Sweeeeeeeeeet!
I think that this is the best news since sliced bread! With more development the Barra I6 could easily become one of THE best engines the world, let alone Australia, has ever seen!
Woo! Go Ford!
Do any of you understand how an engine becomes emissions compliant?? Yes it does come down to a level of technical advancement, but ultimately it is the Calibration and Catalyst fitted in the exhaust….
With a properly tuned ECU and a well specified catalyst, I could guarantee you could Euro 4 cert a 1960’s Ford I6, or most other 60’s engines.
Don’t bag this engine unless you have some technical knowledge of what you’re talking about.
That said, chances are the decision was made because of the current economic climate, but do you think that the decision to use the V6 was made cause it was a better engine? Or perhaps just economies of scale/political agenda from Ford North America…
I could rave on about this forever, but it is common knowledge that an I6 is fundamentally better than a V6.
And when you compare the amount of I6’s built in Geelong vs most other engines in the world, it is one of the best built most economically viable engines in the world.
In summary, it is one of the best engines overall in the world. It’s never going to compete with a BMW when they build 10x as many and then charge twice for them….
Think about the whole arguement before commenting guys!
Bavarian Missile Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
The unfortunate thing is it was ready for the SY update except Uncle Tom was a (sorry can’t use that language in mixed company).
To echo others, this is fantastic news!
This is a great engine. If Ford were to fit an imported V6 to a FWD Falcon that would be the death of them. Hopefully this means we have the Falcon’s future sustained for another 10 years+
Hmmm just a question though…
What is the point of euro IV compliance? I thought this engine was not going to be exported so is there any real point?
In addition euro V is just around the corner.
RoFlmaTiC
Euro 4 is required to sell any new vehicle after July 2010. And the difference from Euro 4 to Euro 5 is relatively minimal when it comes to gas composition. The difference is mainly to do with OBD (on board diagnostics) which monitors the engine and logs any little issues….
Hope that helps.
What does this for the diesel territory and falcon
Thanks Cos, it all makes sense now :D
^cos, the best engines in the world are judged on an international status, ideal manufacturing processes, remarkable environmental footprint, outstanding performance with up to the minute technology utilisation. I would be astounded and yet simultaneously and irreversibly proud if an australian designed and built engine could achieve that. Ford’s I6 doesnt tick enough boxes yet and hopefully it will but granted, it beats that cachophanous wonder that is a holden V6.
I’m just proud that a little old subaru engine is there already and btw 22 years messing with this stuff should give me some cred.
Maybe Detroit has finally realised how good an engine – let alone a car; we can build here in Australia [just as GM did almost a decade ago]
Maybe they’re thinking of replacing the Duratec V6 in favour of the Barra I6 which despite being relatively less high tech can produce as much if not more power [particularly with a turbo]
So there’s a possibility that if they don’t Export the Falcon they might use the platform and perhaps even the engine in other RWD cars in the future…. who knows?
K-Rudd should give the $22m hes giving ABC Child Care to Ford as the automotive industry employs more people and has a bigger impact on the economy.. the guy who owns ABC is still making millions from his other businesses
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU LITTLE BEAUTY!!!!!!!!!
be bask later to read the comments……
WOW WOW WOW
Well its good news for the workers considering they are only producing cars from Tuesday to Thursdays, lets hope they can survive.After talking to a friend in the industry they are struggling big time but no more than Holden so bad times are here, as he put it to me “thank god for fleet buyers, if it weren`t for them we would be f#cked” and this is from a very big dealership.
JasonP – Where does that leave V8 Supercars?…. It’s hard to say.
Because despite the fact that as Ford have shown a well engineered/enhanced 6 can produce as much power as a V8..
V8s still remain quite popular particularly over at Holden where 2/3rds of Commodores sold are a V8 [SS Utes]
Although next generation Commodore will have a Direct Injection Twin Turbo Optimsed V6.. which is expected to produce 300Kw+
So There are a number of possibilities including: they could introduce a new [support] category for 6s. or; evolve and switch over exclusively to 6 cylinder Fords and Holdens..
That’s not to say that if/when they changes over to 6s; Toyota will be excluded.. Although Toyota have been invited to join several times in the past and said no mainly because they refuse to accept/meet the criteria.
WVB,
I do appreciate the theoretical “worlds best engines”, and as someone who’s passionate in the field I also bow to the amount of high end technology that some engines incorporate.
My simple point was that for the amount of money that is put into the development of the Barra I6, it would have to be one of the best quality, bang for your buck engines and I’m not talking bang = performance, I mean bang as in economy, cost of manufacture etc.
It isn’t the best engine in the world – I acknowledge that. But it’s damn good for what it is!
i am happy they will keep on building, and refining the great ford 6 cylinder engine. they just keep going .with plenty of grunt . good one ford !!! and keeps australian jobs .
Andrew said ” OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU LITTLE BEAUTY!!!!!!!!!
be bask later to read the comments……
WOW WOW WOW ”
Ummmmmmmm you busy moving the Ute to higher ground babe? From the looks of the weather up there I would ,or buy a boat !
WVB you are of course correct the Falcon 6 isn’t equal to the mega bucks the Beemer 3.2 the Falcon has a far more advanced, powerful & torquey motor.
Firstly, great new!
I hope they add DI and reduce capacity to 3.4L and keep outputs at 200kW/380Nm with economy of 8.5L/100km.
Also, it would appear that Liquid Injection LPG is coming in January ‘09 as Ford have said ESP will be available in January on LPG cars. The current setup cannot do this.
A few people on here and elsewhere are talking converting the i6 to a diesel.
Could that be done? Is it viable in an economic or engineering sense? ie the block wall thickness could be increased by reducing the bore size and therefore capacity, but still keeping the long stroke. Being an iron block it would be very suitable for diesel. The head would need to be made to be direct injection too.
arrrrrrr,Motorhead you want to explain how you came to that conclusion ? Fords I6 is a great engine but more advanced than BMWs ?I think not, and grunt per litre BMW wins there too, 250 kws out of 3.2 litres .However for the population of this great nation Australia has created a phenomenal engine and with a Turbo whacked on and the boost turned up you can get some serious ponies out of the beast.
ha ha ha yep,
had to seek better shelter for me FG. its even better to hear my next model after the FG will have an improvement on what is already a fantastic motor.
the amount of rain we had last night was deafening, and the length of time it went for was astounding.
where does this leave V8 supercars??
i dont know what that has to do with it.
has there been a press release saying ford arent doing V8’s anymore??
and hypotheticlly if they didnt, they run a 5 litre V8 anyway which is not a production motor in an Australian ford anyway.
Diesel will still come, and Direct injected LPG is all but confirmed for 1st QTR ‘09 as its confirmed DSC will be on LPG models then, and that means for DSC to work, it must be a later tech system.
I dont see how this affects diesel plans nor V8 plans.
Diesel was planned becore the I6 was declared off in the first place.
its like toyota confirming a new you beaut petrol for the Lux, and people for some strange reason assuming that the diesel models will be canned.
Bret,
As far as i was aware the FG is LHD compatible. apparently the engineering was already done before the LHD program was canned.
the steering rack being moved forward coupled with the wider front track in the transition from BF to FG, from my understanding ensures compatibility and overcomes the problem you speak of.
this would certainly mean an alloy block, and almost getting a horn about thinking of this thing on DI.
they say they are going to make it more efficient etc too.
Thats something to look forward to since its already the most efficient in its class.
there are so many things that have happened that could be attributing factors to this decision.
the new leadership could be a big part,
the change in aussie dollar could also play a part,
the realisation of the death of the falcon down under could also play a part.
ford may have not realised how much people really value the I6 until they announced they were cutting it.
I’d reckon the government grant will only sweeten it for ford. i doubt it was a big swinger.
Surely ford will want a bit of milage out of this on a global scale, perhaps the I6 will become the new global 6cyl???
Dare to dream?? Why not??
ford is really on to minimalising double ups at the moment, so perhaps??
i think those declaring being “skeptical” are merely hiding their disgust for some positive news for the aussie industry behind the word.
Wheelnut,
the reason holdens V8s are more popular is because their 6cyl is soooo crap.
Honestly, when i drove the VE’s i drove the SV6 (and thats the best 6cyl they have) first, and then the SS.
once you get in the SS the drivability increases massively.
if i settled on a holden, i would have easily snobbed my nose at the SV6. there is such a massive difference between the 2.
i then went to the ford dealership and jumped back into my comfort zone as i found a 6cyl vehicle that was easy to drive Phew!!!
the XR8 just didnt do it for me that much more. perhaps it was that they only had an Auto XR8 for me to drive, or perhaps that it didnt sound like a V8 (P.S. the SS sounds awesome/raw),
or perhaps its that the I6 isnt as lacking to the V8 as the V6 commie is to their V8
on the commodore side of things, its the V8, or go home i reckon.
thats prob why they have higher V8 sales.
ford have a Hero car both in V8 and 6cyl guise, holden do not.
that is prob another reason.
im sure if holden had an awesome 6cyl engine, that ratio would swing.
I agree with your comments Andrew regarding Holdens V6… I guess we’ll have to wait until the Direct Injection Twin Turbo V6 which will appear in the Next-Gen Commodore to see if it can regain some ground on the Falcon.
If I was in the market for a 6 I wouldn’t even consider a Holden and head straight for the XR6 Turbo.. but if it was to be a V8 – it would easily be the SS-V.
Honestly Holden haven’t had a decent 6 since the 1987 VL
Given that Holden make better 8s than Ford and Ford make Better 6s than Holden…. imagine what an awesome car could be built using parts from both cars?
Wheelnut,
to be honest i thought the XR8 and SS were about as good as each other performance wise.
well as good as each other for giving it a good squirt on the roads.
I havent actually taken them around a track, nor put them down the QTR mile myself though.
one thing for sure, and the biggest difference is that the SS sounds heaps better than the XR8, and since V8’s are about the noise, thats got to count for a bit.
the XR8 sounds too refined and quiet.
‘87 VL commie hey???
why? what motor did they have in that?? ha ha ha ha ha ha
Yep, it wasnt theirs, and it was one of the fabulous inline kind.
Goes to show how great inline motors are.
good to see BMW still flies the Inline flag on the world stage.
talking about world stage, did i or did i not hear that the FG Falcon and Aurion were the only 2 aussies still making the cut for world car of the year
Wheelnut,
The TTV6 isnnt confirmed.
even if it did come to life, it still wouldnt touch the single turboed I6, because even the TTV6 ford version O/S wont touch the aussie beauty
some characteristics cant be replaced by an extra turbo in the same way extra airbags dont make up for a poorer structure
This decision has saved Ford Aus. If the quality, reliability & affordability of Aus Fords was an ingredient of US fords they would not be in so much shite at the moment.
Comparing the smaller capacity BMW 6 to the Falcons engine is silly. They are designed for different vehicles\conditions. The Beemer is a small caqpacity screamer built for high speed where the Falcon has heaps of power but the thing it has is massive torque that few engines can match especially the Turbo version. The thing I notice about my FG XR6 Turbo is how smoothly,quietly and so so effortlessly it unleashes it grunt…….and amazing fuel economy when driven normally ……all of you Holden V8 or V6 drivers really need to drive one……..it is in another league to those engines.
i know this a bit random, but just a query.
why did toyota never base a REAL falcodore competitor off a JDM RWD toyota/lexus platform and design the rest of the car in Oz…….back when RWD was still selling like hotcakes, and before the fuel crisis ect, ect?
just a random thought
Another Falcon was looking very shaky at the end of this lease in 2010….but not anymore!. Finally someone a Ford has taken off the ear muffs and listened to what the punters have been saying since the v6 was announced…..
Terrific news. Couldn’t believe it when I heard the news…still pinching myself. As those before have already stated, this means the mighty falcon will not only continue to have the best engine in class, but it will be remaining RWD for sometime to come. Brilliant. Direct injection, turbo, RWD & falcon dynamics….can’t wait. As Jeza says above, finally someone at ford is listening to their customer base.
Cos, you are right about the inherent advanyages of the inline 6 configuration compared to a V6. However it is not ‘common’ knowledge. The advertising push behind V6s has convinced people that it is better. Most people do not even know what the configurations are. Please keep spreading the knowledge.
Re the many comments on BMW sixes. Can someone please tell me what is so great about these engines? Although I am nor going to buy either, I would prefer the Ford six as I would have far more confidnce in its longevity and reliability. My father’s Falcon was smooth, torquey and economical-I cannot say the same of BMW’s.
If you think Ford has changed their mind on closing the Geelong engine plant because of the complaints of their customer base you are kidding yourself. The decisions are all to do with economics.
Given that the new FG platform will likely be in production for 5 years they can skip the expense of engineering changes to fit the V6. With a target of 2013 for a new model 3 years of V6 production in the current platform may not be long enough to recoup these costs. Especially as Ford USA isn’t in much of a position to help.
When the plan to shut the Geelong factory was announced in July 08 the AUD was at 20 year highs of 95-98c US. It curently sits at around 61c US. If for arguments sake a US imported V6 cost Ford Australia $3000 USD the cost in AUD has gone from approx $3100 to $4900.
The recently announced investment incentives announced by the federal government make it less costly for Ford to have the current engine meet Euro IV.
It will effectively guarantee the Falcon keeps its current configuration until the end of the current model cycle, but as Ford has indicated all options are on the table for the next Falcon or its replacement. At least it gives Ford Aus a bit more time to press its case for its own model.
Maybe they are keeping the I6 and saying good bye to the V8??? they have done it before!!!
lets face it the I6t is better then the V8 at the present and it can compete and beat the LS2/3 and prob a Ls7 if some more money was injected to the engine… and the I6 on it own completes and beats the GM Alloytech crap and Toyota v6. but it will be interesting to see what happens from here…
my bet is that we will see the V8 stopped in Australia as the Boss can not compete with the GM LS2/3 engines
Andrew I prefer inline 6s to Vs.. which is why I loved my VL.
Thing is when Holden got rid of the inline 6 that was in the VB-VKs they used the Nissan 3.0 Litre as an “interim” engine whilst they looked for a replacement.. Unfortunately though the only “suitable” engine that Holden could find within GM was the Buick V6. Sure a V6 engine is more compact but isn’t as well balanced or refined as an inline 6.
Which is why I would like to see Holden revert back to an inline 6.. But since the introduction of the Buick V6 in the VN; GM-Holden have been set-up for further V6 Production.. which is why the next generation Commodore will use a Direct Injection V6 – with Twin Turbos being reserved exclusively for the Sportier models.
I would not be surpriced to see Ford Australia reduce the capacity of the current I6 motor to 3.5 – 3.8 litres. With direct injection the smaller capacity motor would give the same sort of figures for torque and kilowatts as the current motor. but of course a lot less fuel, maybe 9l/100km. When you reduce the engine capacity you should be able to meet the more stringent pollution numbers.
Keeping this engine for Ford Australia is a chance to show the parent company what can really be done with a little Aussie know how.
Dlr1 Says:
November 21st, 2008 at 10:07 am
Actually, a little birdy once told me that the V6 fitment team were on the go slow for about the last 6 months…..
Well before the current hitting the fan incident! Also the V6 was slotted into the programme during Orion Developement, as well as LHD so there isn’t much needed to do the swap, basically a Hood change to the body.
As to the droping the V8, I don’t see it happening anytime soon. Remember the Boss is a parts bin special so isn’t overly expensive. Whilst it may not have the race track mumbo jumbo of either the LS’s or the I6T, it still holds it’s own when driven on the street as most are driven.
Frontman, that sounds very interesting, especially considering its only 4 months since they announced the planned closure. Gotta love a good conspiracy theory. I still think the current economics are the real reason though.
I think it’s positive news in every sense, regardless of the real reason the decision was made.
It’d be nice to see the media focus on what great vehicles the Falcon & Commodore are for a change. Seems a few journalists (Paul Pottinger for eg.) are keen to use this as another Ford-bashing exercise.
Dlr1 Says:
November 21st, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Dlr1, we were actually discussing the Duratech around March and the sell was on then.
Not denying that the curent economy has had a hand in the decision, but I reckon that Mr B comming from Geelong Factory has also had a large part ;-)
I love this idea and whilst we may not see direct injection by 2011, there are a raft of other things that could happen.
Anyone remember the rumours of a 4.0l I6 diesel from the glory days when Geoff was in charge? Also the comment on E-gas being seen as a driving force in the current FG range for next year, with the press release that they will be getting DSC etc., well you can see either the half full glass or the half empty one, either way this has at least added some more fluid to it!
Honda Accord and Mazda 6 and Camry etc better quality than FG Falcon? In what respect Falcodore?
Had a look down the side of a thai built Honda lately. Very disappointing.
falcodore,FG goes better, stops better, rides better,handles better,looks better etc etc than mazda 6,Honda Accord or Camry and uses hardly any more fuel.
Lot more room as well.
Biggest plus of all is the sweet straight six and Rear wheel drive!!
What are u on about?LOL.
These models have taken sales from falcon over the years and the FG is the car to win them back for all of the above reasons.
^Realcars^
I think you calling two brilliant cars turds was what sparked Falcodores response. The Accord Euro, Mazda 6 and the FG Falcon are all brilliant cars with outstanding quality both on the road and in build. However the Falcon is a 4L fuel guzzler compared to the other two.
If you are comparing them in the guise of affordable quality family transport to refer to them as turds was a pretty brainless comment.
Anyway, awesome news for Ford and their employees. Ford need to investigate more fuel efficient alternatives for the Falcon (Diesel/Hybrid) to be built in the same plant to guarantee the even longer term future now.
My gawd these front drive johnny cabs don’t even compare for similar money. Put five adults and luggage in a johnny cab then check the economy.LOL.
Forgot about the premium unleaded for the mighty 2.3.LOL.
^Realcars^
LOL the FG Falcon as brilliant as it is still a 6 cylinder Dinosaur.
Hell even Ford its self offers a so called medium alternative in the Mondeo! A diesel Mondeo in the real world where people don’t drag each other off from the lights is bigger inside, handles better, is more refined, looks better, is more versatile and is way more efficient!
If Ford does not use this breathing space in Geelong to find an alternative for the 6 cyl Dinosaur, the Falcon will sadly fade away I think.
As a family car the FG wins hands down.
As a drivers car the FG wins hands down.
What can a Mazda 6 or Accord tow? 200kgs?
Real world ability not stats the manufacture hopes will never be tested.
Mates Mazda 6 three years old uses as much fuel as the previous VS he had especially with the family on board and says by comparison performance is lack lustre.
This is Great news,does this mean it will be all alloy?
Well I’ve driven these FWD 4 CYL family cars and wonder why the drive by wire is necessary with 1 cm of accelerator travel may as well just have an on/off switch.LOL.
More efficient because it is a diesel but don’t agree that Mondeo is superior to Falcon in all the other areas mentioned and the only looker is the hatch IMO. Over the look of the Mondeo sedan.
Ford need to bling the base model FG to match the bling on the johnny cabs.
Charlie Cox put it succinctly on the last episode of Aussie Top Gear when he made his heart felt plea to the buying public to support the Aussie sixes otherwise in the future we would all be forced to drive FWD pieces of shit or words to that effect.LOL
Instead he wants you driving RWD pieces of shit. :p
I have to get it out of my system sometimes as my other car is a people mover.LOL.
Caradvice u need to do an article on the congressional meeting in the states today where a Senator asked the three top nobs from GM,Ford and MOPAR if they would be prepared to sell their Lear Jets immediately in return for Government assistance. Needless to say there was silence.LOL.
Jimbo,
real world testing and reviews put the falcon as more economical than even the Honda with its cylinder deactivation stuff.
yet another one blinded by false economy??
a smaller engine doesnt mean less fuel used.
holden down graded from a 3.8L to a 3.5L and fuel consumption went terribly down hill.
as suggested earlier……..
“a 3.5L I6 would reduce to 9L/100k with alloy block and DI etc”
well i reckon an alloy 4.0L with DI would see high 8’s.
real world driving with a mixture see the falcon already in high 9’s
the 4.0L I6 could return 4.0L/100k, release less co2 than a Prius and do the 100kmh sprint in5 seconds, and people would still call it a dinosaur.
if the current I6 is a dinosaur, then the commodore and Aurion V6’s are the fossils that the geological minded dinosaurs were digging up
On ya Andrew M they are playing with fire when they critisize the Mighty Falcon!
We need to be designing and building our own cars in this Country.
My gawd South Korea was a third world economy up until 20 years ago and look at what they have achieved!
Sounds like Polites was a visionary (RIP). We need more people like this to drive manufacturing forward in this country.
Sick of the bullshit excuses such as labour costs and unions.Just an excuse for poor management in my opinion.
phew this is great news, keeping our iconic I6 and keeping aussie jobs, looking forward to the new engine, will give me a bit of time to save up for my new Terry (current one is a beautiful turbo ghia – love it) well done Ford, keep up the good work you’ve got lots to be proud of with great technical aussie knowhow…oh yes and iam ok with keeping petrol turbo, diesel’s a bit messy for us gals at the pump, also keep the torque and power in the new engine whilst reducing consumption ! cheers
Realcars, isnt it funny how the sun shines on ford Aus whenever an australian is in charge………….
in the gap from where polites left, till when the new chief Bruela took hold,
some ordinary things had happened to ford Australia.
BA,BF and territory was all under polites, and brought forward the staret of an awesome new product range.
now we have another australian on board to oversee the next major falcon range development. Phew…..
imagine of basketball and waffles stuck around to to oversee the new RWD platform currently in development……..
Hey HSV ive got an FPV ill be happy to run you any day ill pink slip ya. Im up for it are you?? im serious.
Woo – you lot are exicted about this. Good news I guess but what I don’t really get is why Euro IV references. Europe don’t even get this engine. However most competitors are currently supplying EuroV engines and some are not far away from Euro VI.
Still good news for all those families who have connections with the plant. Turkey at xmas it will be.
Cupid,
Get amongst the champagne my friend, we enjoy our cars here in OZ
Euro references??
well didnt you know the whole world gets bent over the same way??
Even though they reference it to Euro standards, we still have to comply.
Welcome to globalisation………
You can put the Champagne away for that welcoming though.
Andrew – Hiya dude.
I’m a bit anti the Euro thing. seems we pay a lot of taxes for those nobbers to decide how bent our bananas should be then ten years on see how stupid they have been and decide to recind the regulations.
As for globalisation – nah that sucks, do your own thing look after numero uno. Cultures are different all over the world, Aussies are different to pohms and yanks. Oh shucks you boys knocked us out the Rugby league world cup, well done, enjoy more champagne
Good on them….keep the grandpa’s ax alive!
The best Australian engine ever. This thing is an Aussie legend and great to see that it will still be here powering one of the best value cars around the world. Detroit should sit up and take notice of this engine that can trace its roots back to the 60’s because its a hell of alot better than any other engine in their line up. This engine is one of the best ford has in its global line up and shouls install it in other products. This engine has proven that it can stand the test of time and km’s. LONG LIVE THE AUSSIE INLINE 6!!!!!
should****
Realcars, you are comparing a RWD family car to a Fwd mid-size car which is not smart IMO. I was talking about build quality etc, for example, my sisters BA GTP (2004 i think) has plastic bits coming loose, the leather seats are badly worn and its had its fair share of electrical and wheel alignment issues as well. Her ‘92 Mazda 626 V6 never had these issues or any mechanical problems and that car was abused. (missed services, driven through the Pillberra scrub etc)
Anyway i’d take a Mazda or Honda over a Camrion or any Toyota anyday!
BTW i am proud of what Ford OZ have achieved with the FG and Holden with the VE for that matter, if i was in the market for a family car my choice would probably be the G6E turbo, very nice car.
Remember the 1st Wheels Handling Olympics Realcars, the 1st gen 6 out-classed everything including their benchmark car the BMW 335 and the 2nd gen 6 has only improved on that so be careful what you say about handling/braking etc. Guess we’ll have to wait for the next WHO to find out where they all place. Lets hope the falcons up there with the best but i suspect its brakes might let it down.
The REAL reason the inferior i6 lives is the current exchange rate has killed of the much more expensive US built V6.
Its a bean-counter decesion of which in this case the workers win which can only be good
Cheers
DOOF
how is the latest engine related to the 1960’s old pushrod engines? Why do people keep saying this ? It is so annoying and stupid. So its an inline 6 cyl internal combustion engine built in Geelong…..is this what they mean? I know there are no parts of the engine that are anywhere near the same exept maybe the oil filter so where is this relationship to the 60’s engine ?? all internal combustion engines are related to the 1876 Otto engine …….internal combustion engines are not a new idea !!
DOOF…..inferior I6 engine?? What is it inferior too exactly? Power torque economy refinement performance reliability…….gee what a crap engine !!!!! Do you drive a Holden?? From your comment you must be a Vibration Tech engine owner….VE V6 4 speed auto….now thats an inferior car !!!!1
Greeny, your right theres nothing interchangeable. The Filters used to be Z9 (Ryco) or AFL1 (motorcraft) up until the BA. But with the BF the changes to motor including lower idle, requiring changes to maintain oil pressure the filter was reduced in size and now is a Z516 filter. The only similarity is with a EA, the engine block itself is identical. For example a Head gasket used on a 3.9L can be used on a AUIII.
Misinformed numb-nuts please stop blurting out BS.
YYEEEEEHHHHHAAAAAAAA!!!!
This is speculation by me,but just wonder if an LPG hybrid using an all alloy 3.5l or 4.0l version of this engine is in the pipeline.
Hyundai have announced one & more will probably follow.
Given the government handout which will have strings attached & the stated objective to make “greener” vehicles,
something will give.
Honda website says the V6 Accord consumes 10.0L/100km
Falcon website says the XT Falcon consumes 10.5L/100km
(both of the above figures are with 5spd autos)
Now the falcon produces 195kW/391Nm
V6 Accord: 202kW/339Nm
The Accord supposedly has Variable Cylinder Management – well it sounds pretty underwhelming to me!
And Honda has nothing that comes even close to the XR6 Turbo which has 270kW and 11.7L/100km
Davo,
im firstly interested to see how much work they put into the LPG falcon with out the thought of hybrid tech.
I cant wait to see how much effort they have put into the E-Gas falcon when it is upgraded in jauary
The Last Word,
your figures mean nothing
real world testing shows the falcon drinking under 10L, and the accord over 10L
also even though the falcon seems to have less power, it is clearly faster than the Accord.
also what is not stated is the rev ranges for power and torque.
the falcon is easier to drive thanks to its massive torque advantage, coupled with the idle style revs it reaches it at.
the honda can keep its 7kw advantage because i am not fooled by a paper figure
thinkin about a DI 2010 F6.. yum, great to hear the engine will live on alittle bit longer, LPG xr6 for me when it comes :)
off topic question if anyone has any knowledge, the only engines i know of that have cylinder shutdown are american pushrods and honda’s SOHC 3.5, is there something stopping cylinder shutdown with DOCH setup’s? been trying to research it on the net but cant really find what im lookin for
I just did a 2000 km drive over 2 days in my BF F6 Manual Typhoon, average economy 11.1 l/100 km for 82 km/h average (in NZ not easy to maintain a higher average). Actually for the first 1700 km it was averaging 10.5 l/100 km Average speed 76 km/h, it was just a spirited drive for the last 300 k’s. I think the I6 is the best method of meeting users needs in real world driving conditions. BTW ain’t those Commy v8’s still pushrod 2V engines with basic design dating back to 1955, they honestly go alright all things considered.
But I still want I6 Turbos in my future.