2008 Ford Falcon Orion and FPV Orion Ute

http://www.geardiary.com Mitchell Oke

Looks like a bigger version of the Mondeo, which isn’t really a bad thing.

The ute would look better with a single panel tho.

Falcon Crazy

have always been a fan of the Ute set up – ensures one press for either the style side or tray back. the Holden tray back looked awkward IMHO.
Is it a Futura or a Gjia – the front chrome strips on the bumper look like the crrent BFII Ghia

http://. Naughtyius Maximus

Dont like the look at bottom two smaller air intakes on front bumper bar as angled wrong way and looks plain as. For me looks to close to existing Falcon.

JW

Alloys on a base model?

Pat E

well alloys are a factory option…

i like the ute, looks tough!

Elitist

I think the sedan actually looks nice.
I think though the problem with Ford and Holden’s is they’re just too large.
In australia the 4 child family is dying.

Picture this car with those HUUUGE Aussie number plates and it will look like shit.

fordman6

OMG! That Pursuit would be in my garage as quick as it went on sale!

Frugal One

Whats with wheels of the sedan?They are Alfa-Romeo copied wheels…..

Oh, copying Italians, fancy that

Cheers

F-O

Wheelnut

Looks Good. I like the way the arc of the headlights on the sedan let the bumper flow [outwards and upwards] into the sedate wheel arches

However; the Matt Black “warpaint” under the headlights and that fold over the rear wheels on the ute detracts from it a bit – looks like a tacky after thought

Ford should take advantage of the sepperate Cab and offer a Step-side / Pick-Up style body as an option

Bavarian Missile

I like the artist’s impression on the FPV UTE! Personally I have always thought Falcon Ute’s look better than the Holden’s…I don’t think its a bad thing sticking with separate cabin section.Any one know what it costs to insure the new Holden Ute??Surely it must have gone up cause replacing the whole side of the ute just for a a mangled front or rear guard would be much more expensive . Plus I still don’t like the look from the rear of the GMH’s.

I think Wheelnut Ford where tricking us with raccoon front…..Remember they where the so called leaked photos found on the tip!!

Elitist…..I think your wrong…look at a lot of other makes over the years and they seem to be getting bigger…I think the average family still has 2 kids not 4 and Aussie like their room.There will always be a market for a family sized car…also remember people in general are getting bigger!

jp

frugal one – if we could copy cars by the italians and get it right how would that be a bad thing…… i mean its not like they would be re badging daewoos, one would think i t would be an improvement – besides u cant rely on insignificant little facts like that until it is released

Andrew M

if you look at the gap between the cab subject it looks like it has decreased by around 20mm so that now the tray actually touches the cab with a rubber in between.

BM,
just did a couple of insurance comparos on the utes and the base models from ford and holden. fords ute comes out around $42 cheaper.
i would think there would be a premium for driving a holden full stop. i would think holden drivers would be placed in the same sort of risk category as say under 25 drivers. im sure stats would show that more holden drivers have accidents. i know the stats do show that more holdens are stolen aswell which wouldnt help their premiums.
i tried to get a ss V XR8 comparo but it was too much mucking around. i based them on being over 25 and a perfect history.

Bavarian Missile

MMMMMM…..thanks AndrewM,one would have thought that I guess.
HSV is even worst,they took out this years worst drivers in Performance cars in Insurance Claims!

I guess in 10-15 years when people are trying to replace the side on a UTE and GMH has stopped making them…..trying to buy a full side from a wreckers is going to be a real problem!Think of that…..so more old Ford Utes will be on the road!How much extra strength is in using a one piece panel to gain the safety you think?

Andrew M

well i wouldnt think there would be any strength advantages in using a continuous panel????

i actually have had the side panel of the tray replaced on my falcon ute. they remove the tray from the vehicle first and stow the rest of the vehicle away in a safe place. it must be a hell of a lot cheaper and easier for them do do that. well atleast you would think the vehicle would be better looked after that way, but i have a good story of my 6 odd visits back (3 with an assessor) with a massive “Recto” list…….i know im pretty fussy but the way it was returned was an absolute joke!!!

has anyone ever seen a quote to replace the side skin on a commy ute? ill try and dig mine out for a comparo

Chopstar87

Hey guys… i work insurance…… some facts 4 Yous

HSV is the highest in the performance cars and cars in general to have a single vehicle accidents, also one of the most stolen vehicle are Holdens….. Audi is the most just to let you guys know….. Ford ranked pretty low in Stolen vehicles and single vehicle accidents.

Andrew M

thanks chopstar,
i already knew holdens were up there as the most stolen and only had to put 2 and 2 together to find they were also the most claimed upon vehicles.
the real interesting and key word to what you said was “single vehicle accidents”.
that surely shows where the silly commodore driven behavior i see on the roads end up. and also the countless fatalities we see on the news in…….well…….commodores

Andrew M

well chopstar have you seen a quote on a new commy skin replacement then?

Chopstar87

not shore of the differance…. but i know it can be a bit of a problem some times…. because if there is minor damage to the font side but the panel needs to be replace the whole boldy side needs to be replace which can turn in to a costly excercise….. i see i can find the costings for yous

Bavarian Missile

I know someone is just going to say “well of course you see have more theres more of them” Some of us at a party recently were discussing the same thing about Holdens and single car accidents,I guy said he saw 3 off the road going to work in a week a while back ,one on its roof! And all with P plates,not good.

Thanks Chopstar would be interested to know.AndrewM Holden I thought said the one panel was safer,me I think its just a way for them to make money,they seem to be recouping the cost of the VE with spare parts!

Andrew M

one panel safer? id like to know how……

id actually say it would be safer the other way like ford has it if anything. at the corner of the falcon cab it rolls around, and anyone with boiler maker back ground will tell you the greater the roll on a bit of rhs/shs the stronger it is. also i would think if you were hit just behind the cab in a falcon ute the cab would be un touched where as on a one piece like the commy the panel would also buckle the side of the cab

jp

“of course there would be more, cause there is more on the roads” – one would think that the insurance companies would be pretty handy with statistics, and when quoting such a stat as the more crashed vehicle it would also be calculated as a percentage of total vehicles on the road, therefore it is fairly represented when ranked as worse and not affected by whether there are more or less of them driven.

fordman6

I think with all this conv, that Holden may as well not even attempt at a new ute after the VE!

fordman6

convo*

http://www.importjap.com/blog ImportJap

Hmm, I’m seeing the same AU->BFII shape from the side, might just be the camo, but I thought that was finally going to be turfed. I still think the door handles do not flow with the car – they stick out sorely. Flush handles please! Apart from that looks like a winner.

I doubt the ute will outsell Holden’s (has it ever? I don’t know) but it will be a fair battle!

Falcon Crazy

ImportJap – the Falcon Ute has outsold the Holden HEAPS of times. The falcon is favoured by tradies, the Holden gets picked up by Show Ponies..

Watto_Cobra

I don’t have figures (surely someone does?) for the last 10 years or so, but if my recollection serves me, Falcon has nearly always sold more in the utes, sometimes double. Except perhaps HSV vs. FPV.

It is the one class Ford beats Holden in for the majority of the time, besides SUV (Territory vs Adventra/Captiva).

Andrew M

importjap,
ford has easily always outsold holdens ute. holden comes in at 3rd.
ford was also beating the hilux which isnt bad considering the lux comes in a tonne of variants. only recently has the hilux been able to claw top sales spot off the falcon but thats prob also due to the aging falcon argument.

oh and yes even right throught the AU series the falcon ute held top spot for sales.

i do agree though import that flush handles look better. ford seems to be the last one to ditch them and i dont know why

JPMaster

market research suggests that the grab handles are easier to operate, but the biggest factor is the global suppliers trend in moving to them.

Wheelnut

The one piece panel on the VE ute adds to the structural rigidity of the vehicle as there are less joins eyc.. this inturn adds to the safey of the car

Andrew M

wheelnut,
yeah i still dont buy it though. its not like the tray on the falcon ute is welded at the cab/tray junction as opposed to a continuous sheet.
the gap on the falcon ute could also be termed a “construction join” therefore not allowing damage on the tray to transfer to the cab

Watto_Cobra

Wheelnut, does VE ute have chassis rails or is it a one-piece floor pan like a sedan? If no rails maybe that’s why it has to have a one piece panel.

Also, what did VY/VZ utes use? I would have to think chassis rails because they also had a tray back variant??? (can’t “really” call it a one-tonner)

I always thought Ford used the same design features because they went together so well. ie. leaf springs for load carrying, separate cab to easily accomodate style-side or one-tonner, chassis rails for strength and to make the first two features work.

Wheelnut

The insurance stats do show that there are more Commodores are stolen than Falcons . Even though Holden may be 1-2 there are a couple of Flacons in the top 5

The most popular amongst thieves are VL-VN Commodore.. then The XF-EB Falcons. All of these models don’t/didn’t have as advanced security or anti-theft systems fitted as the current models do.

The reason the VL-VNs are the joy riders favourite could be because

- [Apart from utes] Holden made/sold more Commodores than Ford sold Falcons.. Therefore there’s going to be more Commodores around

- [Old] Holdens last longer and are easier to fix than fords.. Which could be another reason for their popularity

Yet as the thieves usually destroy the cars they nick there are less VLs around so overtime they’re having to look at other cars with the same level of security as the VLs…. that is none

But there wouldn’t be a premium on the VE as there is on a VL.. because it’s new; parts are readily available and its security/safety rating is higher.

As for Holden Dirvers being in more accidents that would also come about as a result of Holden selling more cars than Ford.

However; the thing is with statistics is that you can use them in a positive or negative way depending upon how you manipulate/interpret them – and how wide your scope is.

Wheelnut

The VE ute is built on the same LWB platform as the Statesman – Because it uses the same IRS set up as the Statesman it needs the extra mounting points etc.

I believe the VZ [Crewman and One Tonner] used chassis rails which were bolted to the cabin for the sepperate tray section and covered up by the rear cabin facia.
Despite its relative popularity Holden execs believed it was a costly exercise to use a sepperate chassis/platform which is why there is no VE Crewman.

As for Holden not building a ute after VE. I expect they ill given that Holden [like Ford] is the Global RWD R&D Centre and they’re be exporting the Ute to the US as a Pontiac Sports truck

Cobra302

I like what I see. I think the ute is going to be very good with the different door arangment. I hope the FPV utes get the full same suspension set ups as there fpv sedans as i think the utes r more show ponies the work horses. That should be left for ford.

Momo

Ute looks hot. Front looks like an assassin’s mask, it’s angry and wants to bite your head off.

Sedan looks plain in comparison, not my cup of tea in that outfit.

golfschwein

At just under 6’2″ in the old lingo, I’ve had to stoop to get into Falcons for the last 9 years. Once ensconced, I went into battle against the downwards curvature of the upper right side of the windscreen, which retained its AU shape on the inside for the full 9 years, and bouncing my noggin against the side of the roof.

An easy solution was at hand, although the respective owners had trouble understanding how I murdered their favoured driving position with, “Why can’t you just move the seat back instead of stuffing it up for me?”

Step 1. Raise the leading edge of the seat as far as it goes, which has the effect of lowering one’s butt.

Step 2. Ahh, but that rakes the backrest back too far. Adjust backrest forwards. Move seat base aft.

Step 3. Pull steering wheel all the way out and up.

Ta dah! Comfy.

We know that Ford have been addressing this. I dare say that the new one will be easier to get in and out of. It looks promising in the pictures.

bavarian Missile, I’m back on air after one of the maddest Christmases EVVAAHH! Hope you had a good one, catch you soon.

azza85

What, no side mirror indicators!?

Andrew M

wheelnut,
dont forget in the earlier days holden hasnt always sold more than ford so the road population argument isnt correct to start with.

you have to be joking if you think commys last longer aswell.
i believe falcons to be cheaper to fix especially the older models. parts for XF’s for eg are a dime a dozen and the 250 X-Flow motor of the same era was incredibly basic and unbreakable. the only part where ford stuffed up was the changes to make the EA, but with the EB ford jumped right back on it again.
you would have to be fooling yourself if you think holden has the better engine and driveline. and not just talking todays comparo but also going back to when we are talking about
the interiors in the VN right through to VS simply fall apart. VS era especially has terrible electrical problems that seem to plague every model VS from when they first ran them off to the last VS in ’00.

also the reason the taxis use them is they do last longer and above that, they are easier and cheaper to fix

the reason more holdens are crashed or stolen is because of the hot headed image holden choses to reflect upon their vehicles.

Watto,
wheelnut is right,
the VZ tonner and crewman used chassis rails that bolted to the cab whereas the style side variant didnt. they obviously couldnt justify the cost of running 2 ute platforms. on the other hand ford runs the same platform for both meaning they wouldnt have the same cost issues as holden did in making a tray back and a s/s ute

Andrew M

Azza,
the FPV ute has them,
it will only be for the upper spec models.

any how i reckon thats a futura not an XT.
XT would have cheese covers and black mirrors one would think

golfschwein

Andrew M, a last of the line VS Commodore was the worst new car I have ever owned. So, luckily I didn’t own it. It was a company car that I ran for 100,000 kms.

Its interior never suffered the sagging door rubbers so common to its type, but does a whole generation of youngsters think that leaking rear main seals and haemmoraging power steering pumps are par for the course of car ownership? Hmm, I wonder.

Bavarian Missile

hahaha……Golfschwein! Mine in 6.3 and even though Im 5.8 every time I drive the Cobra I have to put the seat back so the same doesn’t happen! Iv even been blamed for him hitting his head on the Rear vision mirror! Mind you him getting into my car is like Clarkson getting into a 911! Yep seats are sitting on the floor my shoulder almost level with the bottom of the window frame {try that sitting in your falcon and you will realize I feel like Im driving a Bus when in the Cobra}But his head almost hits the roof lining even with the seats being that low! I hope you haven’t melted away down there!!!!! I take it you have recovered then??

Bavarian Missile

Well said AndrewM….a good reply on the quality argument!

Watto_Cobra

Thanks for that info Wheelnut and Andrew.M. I was kinda surprised months ago when I heard they were dropping the Crewman and then the tray-back (I just can’t call it a one-tonner when it has coils). The crewman seemed pretty popular around where I am, despite the back seat.

Azza85, Andrew.M is on the money. As far as we know, mirror indicators are reserved for the FPV variants to help differentiate them from the regular Falcons.

As far as I knew, XD-XF Falcons sold more than Commodores of the same period. I had to break into my own XE numerous times when I left the keys in the ignition, dead easy (can’t do that anymore).

Cortinas were the highest on the stolen list about 10/15 years ago with VL’s in second. Cortinas were as easy to break into as XE’s and many had the same 4.1L X-flow donk which was even better in a smaller/lighter car. I have fond memories of how hard my stock TE Cortina went. They are getting rare now, though.

Watto_Cobra

Regarding the seating, I don’t find a problem with my AU, maybe because I’m only 5’10″. I have both seat base adjusters (front and back of the seat base) up at their highest, but I don’t sit high in the car. Had a mate who is 6’2″ whinge until I dropped the seat base for him.

I’ve sat in the back numerous times and find plenty of head room there. No problems with entry/egress. I don’t understand it but there must be a problem there when so many people seem to mention it on this site. *shrug*

Wheelnut

I know that in the past there were times when Ford sold more cars than Holden. Yet as you were referring to stats I thought I’d average it out.. and on average Holden made/sold more cars than Ford..mind you; you can do pretty much anything with stats.. its a matter of perspective.

I take your point as to the quality of the VN-VS yet the XF wasn’t that great either nor the EA.

The reason I said Holdens last longer is because after going through my collection of xar magazines [Street Machine etc] I foundd that there are more performance workshops etc selling more parts and accessories for Holdens. Therefore it’s easier to find parts for them etc.

Particularly if you happen to own a VL or VN as they’re are the ones being stolen and written off.. just go to an auto wrecker which makes the parts cheaper as well.

Bavarian Missile

hahaha…..Watto……I know what you mean on the lower the seat,XA sits on the floor!!!!He took out the spacers!!

The mighty Cortina……hey I guess you don’t watch the ABC ??Life on Mars…..yes a repeat but good.Based in 1973 the Cops drive a Cortina TC I think that year wasn’t it…..not the 4.1 us Aussies got though!!250 x flow were great,my first hubby had one in his XC panel van!!Till it got the death rattles and replaced with 5.8 .

Yep Wheelnut late 80s weren’t a good year for Aussie stuff,not as bad as the Yank stuff though! I will say there has always been more performance stuff available for GMH and GM stuff…..which makes it cheaper for them to go faster than us Ford guys!Thats why the Rodders inject Chevs into 34s ect than Ford hardware! For instance when we bought Carrillo Rods for the Cleveland $2000…….Chev $1200……sucks! That was 10 years ago!

Bavarian Missile

I guess I shouldn’t stand next to you in high heels then Watto……hehehe

Watto_Cobra

Oh yeah, I agree you can manipulate stats to reflect whatever you wish and the criteria has to be defined carefully and also looked at as a whole.

And yep EA’s were buckets of …… Except the one my bro-in-law had. It was a Special Edition with the electronic 4-speed auto and actually didn’t fall to bits. I thought the XF was fine though. I’ve had XEs and XFs, no probs there, just the EAs, lol.

Hey BM, actually I rarely watch any TV. My brothers first car was a TC non-x-flow 250. Geez, could it line-lock? (our younger days). I haven’t seen that show, unfortunately.

http://. Naughtyius Maximus

Come on Orion release date…..

Wheelnut

BM .. I’d say there are as many GM-H cars with Ford 9 inch diffs as there are Fords with GM-H Blocks etc. Even some Jag owners opt for the 350 chev whilst Chrylser owners tend to stay true to Mopar.

Which kinda proves that if you made a car out of variuos Ford and GM-H parts [Old or New] it would be a pretty good Street Machine.

Bavarian Missile

True,true true.Wheelnut, Rodders also opt for Jag rear ends years ago cause they looked spec.

You had a line lock on it Watto?? You raced it??

Its on 9.30 Wednesday…….funny too watch….soooooo many political correctness-ess on it! I think we have gone made on some aspects!!

EeLeYe

The reason the side panel on the VE ute is of only one piece is mostly due to the easier assembly process.

Car manufacturers these days are trying to minimise the time it takes to assemble a vehicle and so less parts means quicker assembly, it also turns out cheaper too… plus there are less parts to organise in the inventory at the manufacturing plant.

Back to the CGIs, the ute looks awesome!!! The artist has done a good job with these pics. Looking forward to how accurate they are when the orion is finally released.

http://www.importjap.com/blog ImportJap

Sorry guys, didn’t know the Holden utes trailed the Ford ones in sales, that said I do see more Holden utes though in general in SA.

I thought the VE ute was a pretty sharp looker and performer if nothing else.

Elitist

The biggest problem with Ford design is the fac t they design their consoles with TAXI’s in mind. This looks rubbish nd not sporty hence why they lost soo many sales.
Its cooler to be a cop car persuiter than a yellow silver top taxi. Wonder if anything has changed?

Australia needs to invite the germans down and get them to open up a car factory here and build local golfs, audis etc here and phase out this yank crap that is Holden and Ford.

http://elfin The boss.

Its twats like you who should be phased out the new design is better than ve and their utes,euro aussie who cares.go the boss in 08.

Watto_Cobra

There’s a couple of problems with that comment Elitist.

A taxi inspired console wouldn’t be the sole reason a car is selling poorly. Besides, Ford have been trying to get away from the taxi image. In recent years they’ve dropped taxi yellow as a paint colour and no longer offer the very cheap “taxi pack”.

Ford and Holden(GM) are Global companies. Their origin and head office may be yank but with Ford you have Europe (Germany), Canada, Australia, South Africa, etc and GM operate in Canada, Europe (Germany/Opel), Australia and Korea (Daewoo), etc.

If you want German quality and refinement, go look at the Focus or Mondeo and don’t lump them in the same boat as the garbage Crown Victoria or Taurus.

Some yanks are starting to realise we can make RWD cars better than them, hence GM taking the VE stateside. FordUS need to wake up and get the Falcon over there to replace the ancient Crown Vic.

The Focus is currently German designed/engineered and built in South Africa with the exception of the FocusST (our XR5T) which is fully German. From 2010 the Focus will be built here and still designed/engineered in Germany.

Guy UK Boy

Love the style of the Orion. You Aussies are lucky that Ford and Holden will listen to you and give what you largely want. We have to stick with FWD rather than RWD. If only they would listen and take on BMW which is what everyone drives here i.e RWD.

The Orion name was the name given to the old Escort sedan over here and was dropped 10 yrs plus ago here.

Adam (aka Mada)

Elitist…

Completely incorrect.

Wheelnut

Import Jap: The reason you see more Holden utes in SA is either because there are more Holden dealers than Ford Dealers in SA or more likely the fact that Holdens are built in Elizabeth.. Just as there would probably be more Ford utes in VIC.

http://. Naughtyius Maximus

Rather the console of a Falcon then then rubbish euro crap of the Holden – like look at the weirdo crap finish of the handbrake and the non-existant console that is not higher enough for elbows. Like might look flash in Holden – but still fails for comfort!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Outback

I was in the market 6 months ago for a large car and looked at the usual suspects. I looked at an SV6, loved the outside etc but the inside was cheap and put me off buying the car altogether.

golfschwein

Oddly stirring comments from Elitist. I suspect he’s playing a game and is actually far smarter than he looks.

I rode in lots of Mercedes Benz taxis in Europe 14 years ago. As someone somewhere else once wrote, the things that make them good taxis are the very same things that make them good luxury cars.

BK

Hey outback
Dont get a SV 6 cause they are gutless holden cars. Get a Ford XR 6 cause they go much better and faster. BA XR6 stil faster than a VE dunnydore.

http://www.caradvice.com goog

oi BK. we can tell ur just a ford fan, let the otgher people have there own say. i am holden but yes the sv6 quite doesnt have the power as the xr6, but really its enough, its still very close if not faster then the xr6. but holdens base model 6 is pox as.

golfschwein

Andrew M and Bav Mis, what were you saying earlier about Holden driver attitudes? I think your side has just been let down.

Duck

The ute doesnt have much changes to the whole exterior the only main things are the front grill and lights and the door handles!

Bavarian Missile

hahaha…..Golschwein,hes no Farm Yard friend as you well know!How many run ins have you had with him!

Elitist

Ford and Holden need to prep and test their cars on the Nürburgring track , this is what gave the new GTR and Z06 real cred.

The Holden is not an original car, its simply an Opel rebadged and detailed to meet redneck standards like big rear vision mirrors so you can see the smoke from your burn-outs and go fast stripes with speed holes…And big spacers in the bumpers for big dumb NUMBER PLATES so people can read “car-plate ebonics” easier…

Always judge a car on its most basic model… Ill take my Ford in Taxi yellow with extra sized console because that was only a coincidence…

Oz.

What a good way to come back from holidays and see a new Orion post!!

Can’t wait to see a real life pic “naked”!

Andrew M

ah so now we are picking on consoles???? ha ha ha ha ha

consoles are another reason why i prefer the fords interiors.
holden have typically had consoles you struggle to even put your wallet in let alone rest your arm on.
and then take it back to the poor quality VN-VS argument. the foam they put on their lids was like 50mm thick and must have been of poor quality cause it didnt take long before it sagged and the top was left looking like a wrinckled old vinyl handbag glued to the top.

Ill take my “Taxi” console anyday. its a hell of a lot more practical, comfortable and by far better built.

Oz.

From Next year, Taxi driving never gets better!!!

Bavarian Missile

Gee…..AndrewM ,consoles are a vital part of a purchasing a car I thought! I mean we need some where to put all our bogan CDs,throw the odd VB in when the cup holders are already full and of course all those Taxi drivers in mind {what do they store in them anyway} Gee I cant explain how BMW ever managed to sell M3s without a console let alone cup holders!! Beyond explanation!hehehe.

Cant sell cars because of the console…..please!! Obviously inviting BMW to Australia wouldn’t work……

Andrew M

yep BM i was trying to politely dismiss the silly claim that ford cant sell them due to console size aswell.

yeah i nearly went there in saying at least you can fit a six pack in the falcon console as opposoed to a single stubbie in the commy. (well it might even have to be a can due to the height of them)

Adam (aka Mada)

Elitist…
Are you Toyota paul!? I stuggle to find any value in what you type.
Ford has actually had the BA falcon on the ‘famous Nürburgring’ ring, want to find another irelvant point to whinge about?
If falcons were truley designed soley for the taxis industry, why would they do such a silly thing and design the AU shell with a rear door opening, rear egress/ingress so poorly!?

Duck…

The ute body is ALL NEW like the sedans, just because YOU don’t see the differences doesn’t mean it’s not NEW.

OZ…
I agree!

Adam (aka Mada)

Elitist…
What does places like Germany etc use as taxis??

golfschwein

Elitist, check your facts, son. The VE Commodore is not based on any Opel. Everyone on here knows that…except you. Sad. Embarassing, even.

Bavarian Missile

Yep I guessed that Andrew but Im a better bitch..hehehe Waiting for him to comeback and say that if the Orion doesn’t make it for Ford next year their DOOMED in Australia!

Oz.

Hope this will sell, if not, it’ll be like BM said DOOMED!

I Can’t wait! enough said. When this car comes out……BUY IT!!

Wheelnut

Elitist: The VB-VN Commodores were based on the Opel Rekord which Holden Engineers including Peter Hannenberger made slight changes to so that the steering suspension etc was more suitable to Australian conditions.

The reason Holden used the Rekord as the basis for the Commodore wasn’t because they didn’t have the skill or capacity to do it on thier own.. but because back in the 70s-80′s Holdens position in the GM hierarchy wasn’t as high as it is today.

When Opel ceased production of the Rekord in 95 Holden stuck with the rekord platform as overtime they had rectified its inherant problems etc.
They continued to make improvements to to it from VN to VS.
and VT to VZ with a few more cosmetic changes on the way

However; The VE commodore is a completely new original Australian design.. [I suggest you read Peter Robinsons book "Autobiography" if you want to Know more]

Back in 2000 When Holden were looking at a replacement for the VZ; GM suggested the Sigma platform used by Pontiac.. Holden engineers tested it but found it top be unsuitable.

They knocked it back and started work on designing a new platform which they believed would help create the best commodore ever..

For example – they pushed the front wheels further forward so the engine sat inside the wheelbase to improve handling.

At the time Denny Mooney was CEO at Pontiac and he couldn’t see what was wrong with the Sigma.. it wasn’t until he [unfortunately] became Holdens CEO and saw what the Holden engineers were doing with their new platform that he was able to understand why the went it alone

It’s ironic though that GM wanted Holden to use the Sigma Platform from Pontiac and now Holden is exporting a car with their own platform to the US badged as a Pontiac. to replace a car which uses the Sigma Platform.

Wheelnut

If consoles are so important to you I suggest you buy either a Toyota Aurion or better yet a Hummer as their centre consoles are very prominent and quite wide too.

Bavarian Missile

Hi five Wheelnut!hahaha

Na OZ…….the large falcon although a required asset in the Ford line up is not their bread and butter like previous years taking 30-40% of Fords sales! Even Gorman says this!

Duck

Adam,

Of course it is new but with minor upgrades!

Oz.

Looks like minor upgrades is all they need. So it goes to show how good the current BF Falcon is.

BOB

im not sure if any ones read the latest wheels mag, but the had a comparo between xr6t, trd aurion and liberty. xr6t puled a 5.7s 0-100kmh time which is faster then they got the typhoon whats going on. are wheels so much holden that every time they test a fpv they purposely make it go slower to make hsv better or what.

Wheelnut

I feel [based on looks alone] that the new Falcon will be a success.. Just as the Commodore has become a “World Class” car so to has the Falcon. Which is why I believe

what would help even more would be if Detroit allowed it to be exported to the US or Europe. However; it appears the only thing standing in its way is [CEO] Ford Jr.

I mean Lutz [GM] has realised we have the talent to build quality cars here why hasn’t he?

Adam (aka Mada)

Duck…

You must be bored! I shouldn’t have to explain this to a person who visits an auto enthusiast web site, should i now?

Oz.

This Falcon should sell well, but as we all should know that won’t mean it has to be the best selling car in Australia and over take Toyota. – Or even the VE Commodore for that matter!

I believe the Falcon sales are down because: Base models look too much the same as the 2002 BA. And in the upmarket segment, the XR/FPV lack power to their rivals…

…So when they fix that in the Orion, Ford Australia should be right.

Andrew M

OZ,
more like ford Aus need to learn a few marketing skills cause that is the only real area they are leting the side down sales wise

Duck

I Know one thing though the base line falcon will look crap compared to the Omega, but when it comes to HSV and FPV that will be a hard one!

Duck

And can anybody tell me if holden are going to make a VE Crewman?
I think they are!

Adam (aka Mada)

I generally agree, except for the fact that Ford has and for a many years had a better 6cyl drivetrain than Holdens, as were the reverse is true for the V8 ranges.
Remember Falcon will never outsell the VE as Ford simply can’t build enough to do so and territory takes the slack in lost falcon volume, why do you think Ford did territory and not a jacked up wagon that was the holden adventra that crashed and burned!

Andrew M

Duck i know plenty of holden people that think the omega looks crap,

and crewman no way, i highly doubt it.
why do you want one?

Adam (aka Mada)

Duck..
you deserve no more attention from me! all you like is attention like a blonde airhead in a night club.

Adam (aka Mada)

No crewman, that was an expensive action by Holden.

Andrew M

thats right adam,
even if ford got the demand they wouldnt be able to fill it.
im betting those wanting an XR6 orion and up will have a lengthy wait just like they did when the BA started in ’02

Chopstar87

bob… if you read the whole article on the TRD,XR6T and lib… they state its the second fastest ford they have ever driven… they have gotten 5.2 out of the Typhoon… they also stated with the prices the typhoon should been in the test not the XR6T as the XR6T was about 12K cheaper then the other 2 cars in the test and the FPV typhoon is about the same price as the TRD…. but it would be a waste of time because the typhoon would win hands down as the Typhoon is on whole different level then those 3 cars….. so it shows how much the XR6T is a bargin(even thou for some reason has never won bang for ur bucks…. dont ask me how it hasnt???… and how good and great value the Typhoon is!!!!

Oz.

The Adventra drunk the fuel like hell in it’s origanal V8, I supose thats a reason why it crashed & burned. But the V6 never saved it.

Oz.

The thing that looked funny with the Wheels test is the XR6 was so old and it looked old, but it was still the fastest.

Andrew M

chop,
it did win PCOTY in its first run though if memory serves me right

Bavarian Missile

Yep it did!

Oz.

Typhoon won PCOTY. XR6 2nd&3rd.

Oz.

Sorry XR6″T” 2nd&3rd, WHOOPS

Duck

And adam, By the sounds of it you obvisouly hate holden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You dont have to go on about it!

Adam (aka Mada)

uhuh…
I’ve had a go at you because you simply spit shit out to stir people up and then claim to ask a valid question!? but you already know it all remember…

Azza

Some people seem to think that the Falcon won’t out sell the VE… Why do people think that? The main aspects that attract buyers is power and economy. I understand that Ford are having trouble with money, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have any. I know if I was Ford’s president, I would be using every resource into making the new Falcon the best it could possibly be. For 2 reasons: To shove it up and shut up all the Holden fans; and because it is the last Falcon model to have the I6 Engine.

All the Holden Fans don’t seem to realise that Ford still has everything over Holden. There are constant comparisons between the B series Falcon and the VE… Um, comparing a 6 year old model to a last year model is just plain stupid and unfair. The funny thing is, the VE just beats the B series Falcon! Holden have nothing over Ford.
There are the constant stupid comments on how the Holden/HSV VE has so much more power over the Falcon. In every category (6cyl and 8cyl) i think it’s by 5kw. And still the Falcon has the same if not then a higher Torque level then what the Commodore does.

Just think Holden supporters, when the new Falcon comes out, the standard XT Falcon will have the same amount of power as a VXII SS. Ford are going to go all out with the last generation of the Inline engine. Ford’s V8 league, is just a bonus.

Oz.

HI AZZA, 320KW now I can’t wait that’s a 5.4L and it has better power than a 6.0L!!!

Wheelnut

Duck – There ISN’T going to be a VE Crewman.. The VZ Crewman was a relatively costly exercise for Holden.

The fact that you see a car on cgi automotive website doesn’t automatically mean the manufacturers are going to make it
Alot of the images are as from photo editing programs where they have mixed up features from a range of cars to see what it could look like not what it will look like.

If you want a Crew Cab ute I’d go for the unbreakable HiLux

Duck

holden need to make or think about should they make new models?

Andrew M

Wheelnut,
dont you mean the overrated hilux?

Duck,
new models like what?
the only prosperous model holden/GM may have is the new torana platform.
they have tried a lot of other models that have died. i think holden got a bit cocky at one stage and thought the public would buy in masses what ever holden dished to them.
the next phase might be the daewoos on the chop especially barina and epica

Duck

The lights on the new falcon remind me of the old camry …..kinda.

Oz.

Why do Holden need to make new models? They have come up with lots, but they just died out.

Andrew M

Wheelnut,
dont you mean the overrated hilux?

Duck,
new models like what?
the only prosperous model holden/GM may have is the new torana platform.
they have tried a lot of other models that have died. i think holden got a bit c-o-c-k-y at one stage and thought the public would buy in masses what ever holden dished to them.
the next phase might be the daewoos on the chop especially barina and epica

ha ha ha this is a re-post as my last one is being moderated because i didnt space out that “c” word as i have now

Oz.

Duck, I think the headlights on the new falcon remind me of the new camry.

http://www.importjap.com/blog ImportJap

“Just think Holden supporters, when the new Falcon comes out, the standard XT Falcon will have the same amount of power as a VXII SS.”

Really Azza? You were going on about comparing the VE with a 6 year old BA/BF model? The LS1 is an 11 year old motor, and is *detuned* from stock in the VXIISS to 225kw/450nm. Are you telling me the next ford inline 6 is going to exceed 225kw,450nm?

Watto_Cobra

Geez, I didn’t realise how much the XR6T had over a VXIISS. It looks like VE NEEDED the new 6.0L, and we reap the benefits of this competition.

Andrew M

what azza says just really puts into perspective how quickly we keep uppint the power in our stock cars.
the equivalent XR8 also only had 220kw.
the following Gen111 only had 240kw and then 245kw if you ran it on premium.
then holden put out a 260kw hsv to match the 260kw XR8.
now we are talking fords performance 6cyl range will embarass all of these when they will hit 300kw.

http://www.importjap.com/blog ImportJap

Watto: Not really. The LS1 was good for 285KW, 300 in the C4B stock power. Holden, devoid of brains as usual, should have considered a 6cyl turbo to stack against the XR6T. Nothing like a modded XR6T pushing a lazy 300 at the wheels That said I’ve seen modded N/A LS1′s dump 360KW (from a stock 225kw at the fly motor) at the rears with a big head and cam combo.

Holden probably wouldn’t (sadly) have changed from the LS1 if new emissions laws didn’t come in. Hence several variants of the 6.0. (L76, L98 and LS2).

Watto_Cobra

ImportJap, I agree with that. I meant detuned engines for the non-FPV/HSV sporty models (XR,SS), of course you can get more with decent tuning.

Wasn’t there a Monaro CV6 that had super-charged V6? Hardly sold any from what I remember (what is a Monaro without a V8?)

http://www.importjap.com/blog ImportJap

Ahh I see what you mean. Yeah you could get the CV6 with the L67 supercharged 6. Rare car now, not many were made, but the engine was woefully underpowered in stock form (171KW I believe it was) in comparison to the bruiser the XR6T has in stock form.

Ideally holden should offer super6/turbo on the SS, they did for a short while on the VT SS.

Watto_Cobra

Really? What kind of figures did that make?

golfschwein

Wouldn’t it be horrible if our favourite cars were never improved?

Duck, giving any creedence to what appears on CGI dot com is a bit like believing what a clairvoyant tells you. It’s not real…Computer Generated Image, yeah?

http://www.importjap.com/blog ImportJap

Watto: Same as the CV6, 171KW stock, not sure on torque, somewhere under 400nm. You could get the VT SS optioned as a super6 or v8 (not sure if it was the gen3 5.7 or the aussie EFI 5.0)

Duck

It would be nice to see if holden got rid of the stupid barina!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and replace with the Opel Corsa sold in Europe

Oz.

Duck, why are you on about Holdens on a Ford post and now your winging about the Barina?

Duck

Yeh!! The Hilux is overrated it is about $5000 more than its rivals and it is made in Thailand.

Duck

Because the new barina is crap…….does anybody agree?
And the corsa is alot better!

Watto_Cobra

My sister won a Barina in some supermarket comp. She sold it within a month advertised as an “unwanted prize/gift”.

If it had been a Euro Barina on the other hand, instead of rebadged Daewoo…

http://www.importjap.com/blog ImportJap

The old Opel Barina SRI was a good little car. Holden chose anticipated profit over their customers when they replaced a great little small car with a cheap daewoo no one ended up buying.

Andrew M

Watto,
the supercharged holden 6cyl that was around put out less power than the falcon N/A 6cyl

Oz.

Those Opel Barinas are lemons and I don’t like the sound of the new Holdenwoo ether. The Suzuki Barinas I think were alright.

Watto_Cobra

Yep Andrew.M, I remember thinking “they won’t sell any of those” when there is a V8 Monaro and it fell short of a N/A I6 Ford engine.

Oz.

Umm..Frugal One…
Yeah, OK.

What was that 300Kw HSV a long time ago? It had 300KW & 510NM.

Cobra 302

Yeah im preety sure it was. Piss weak when you compare it to the new FPV GT.

golfschwein

The Holdenwoo ether is a beautifully serene and peaceful place high in the heavens that is the final resting ground of Daewoo-sourced Holdens and bloggers with bad spelling. There is no justifiable reason for Oz not to like it.

Cobra 302

Duck, iwas just reading through the post, n i came across the section where you said the Omega will look better then the base model falcon! Mate, ur a fuckin idiot, n a keyboard fuckin hero. The current base model falcon already looks better then the VE base model CLOWN CAR. As you may have guessed I hate any GM Product. Although the hummers n the commodore ute r alright.

Cobra 302

Man, for me swearing they got this voice activated thing on 4 me. Im sorry car advice please take it off LOL. I cant believe it, but what i said is true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cobra 302

Love the new ute. But if look at the real car pics u will see at the head lights it wont have those big black panda marks on it. Looks sweet though.

http://www.importjap.com/blog ImportJap

OZ: probably thinking of the HSV GTS – I think it’s VX series, so getting on.

Oz.

golfschwein, not to like what?

Yeah I remember that HSV GTS with 300kw, it sounded amazing at the time, but it was the touqe that didn’t make it as quick as later V8 with less KWs.

golfschwein

The Holdenwoo ether!

Oz.

Ahh yes, there is no reason for me to hate Holdenwoo after all.

Cobra 302: See on the offcial spyshots you can see the outline which is the same as this FPV CGI. But I saw somewhere a pic that had the bumber panted the same colour as the car. So it’s hard to say what it’ll look like.

Oz.

I like the colour of the one that could be the Futura… So is Ford bringing back ‘Blue Perl’? – I sure hope so.

That colour is now on my car shopping list some time next year!

http://elfin The boss.

Yeah like a cv8z monaro 260kw 500nm 5.7, against a xr8 260kw 500nm 5.4, monaro is manual and weighs 1692kg and xr8 is 1700kg or so and auto but guess who wins?The boss hits its peek before the gen does,go the boss in 08.

Elitist

Adam, yes Ford did bring its BA XR8 to the Nurb, it didnt score well at all.
I remember reading in the mag that the Germans said it was an OK car for 5 years ago..
Ford never setup shop there and tuned it for the track, they simply just shipped it over, met up with an Italian, French and German engineer and asked them what they thought while taking it for a spin on the track like tourists for 12 euros a lap.
They mostly were nice about it but didn’t impress them a tall.
If they tuned and engineered an FPV for the track…..You’d get a car that sits in the likes of the GTR and Z06 for that price range…

Germany uses different cars depending where you go for taxis.
In Bavaria they use BMW, up here in Berlin, Passat and Mercedes diesel.

As too Opel influencing the majority of the Commodore, this is taken from Wiki…

“Holden looked to Opel (another GM subsidiary) for inspiration, and based the Commodore on the Opel Rekord. The German marque continued to provide the basis for future generations until the launch of the fourth generation model in 2006, which came to be Holden’s most expensive project yet and boasted an all-Australian design.”

Hope this helps you for future reference…

golfschwein

Oh, it’s not for our reference, Elitist. It’s for yours!

Cobra 302

Yeah true oz, thanks for pionting that out for me. I hope the bumper doesnt get the black on it though, what you think

http://elfin The boss.

Looks like blue print may return,then the lighter blue velociy,vixen red will be used again which is good news.

No Name

Hey Elitist, Golfschwein obviously doesn’t like your facts about the performance at the Nurby

ChopstaR87

hey guys…. before what i said about the XR6T turbo…. i know the Typhoon won the PCOTY…. even againest the VE GTS last year it went better in the standings… VE GTS 19th…. the FPV Typhoon…9th and only Aussie car in the top ten… even the XR6T went better the the GTS in PCOTY in 2006…. what was saying if you read it again that the XR6T has never won BFYB(bang for your bucks) which the last 2 years the VE SS has won and i forgot who won it before then…. but not a XR6T……

Next year the XR6T shoudl clean up consider it has the same pace a VE SS now and has only has 245Kw and the next one should have 260-270Kw…so a Typhoon type of speed with a good price and while the Typhoon should just distroy eveything with its 300Kw engine….

and Who Knows the GT could return to the top of the food change in the performance side of things… with a refined V8 that they have had 5-6yrs to work on….. just like when the the BA come out,,,HSV holden was 260Kw and and everyone was like WOW all that Power…. but the our normal ford XR8 had as much power as there HSV…lol… then the GT returned with 290Kw….lol…. so maybe ford could be playing tricks again and bring a Massive 330KW V8 out or something?? who knows….

Say that it would be pretty funny it say the Typhoon had say 310Kw…. so our 4Litre inline 6 turbo would have more power and torque then there big American 6.0litre V8….

all i can say is that i cant wait for this to be over and the new 2008 falcon and FPVs to be released!!!!

Oz.

Hey Chopstar87!!! Got to FPV’s website and go to 2008 open day in the news section, Rod said some info about the Orion…

Sounds really promising!!!

Adam (aka mada)

Elitist…

I don’t know what to say! please find this article you claim to have read…please.

Your incorrect about the commodore!

You need to research properly! not off inaccurate auto sources!!

No Name

Adam
How do you know his/her facts are wrong?

golfschwein

Hi No Name, I was only calling Elitist on his belief that Commodore VE was based on an Opel. I don’t dispute Falcon’s visit to the Nurburgring. Not that I know, mind you. The thing is I don’t know, so I’m not disputing it. In fact, I hope they had a jolly good fang ’round!

No Name

Not sure about the Commodore bit matey. Opel/Vauxhall did do the Omega in Europe during the mid 90′s to 2002. I believe your previous Commodore was albeit the same car not sure id that was your VE.

One day I’ll get to the Nurby, probably on a bicycle given the Eurocrats.

No Name

Oh and isn’t this page about the forthcoming Orion. Yep they look good. Will Ford ever put a big diesel in it though?

Elitist

Lets just say I work for a certain car expose that i cannot say..In South Bank…
Believe what you want, But believe this, Holden isn’t the all Australian brand you make it out to be.

No Name

That’ll wind up the pure breds Elitist. Not trying to start a civil war are you

Watto_Cobra

Most of us know that Elitist. Holden hasn’t used an Australian designed and built engine since the 202 in the VK as far as I know. The current V6′s are built here but designed elsewhere. The V8′s are straight out of a USA crate.

But the VE chassis was 100% designed here and all reveiws say it’s a huge step forward.

I’m dead against dropping the 4L I6 in 2010. It’s the only Aussie donk left and is the best 6 here outside of the expensive Euro brands.

No Name

Hey Watto. My guest there will alway be a big engine in Oz whether its from the US or not. Can’t see you chaps giving up easily. My guess they’ll probably get a bit smaller say 3.0/3.2litre What happened to the holden 3.2 that found its way into the Vectra and Saab?

Oz.

I was againts the killing if the I6 when I herd it on the news, now that I know the engine they will use….BRING IT ON!

realcars

I agree with Andrew M Ford need to market this new model effectively to be a success. The latest Commodore ute ad linking the New ute with the utes of old is a good example. The morfing is brilliant and brings back fond memories and nostalgia.

I reckon a campaign linking the Orion with previous falcons like the XY “The great Australian Road Car” done another way would work. Reviving the GTHO badge is a sure winner.

Oz.

Yeah, the Orion ad should start from the XK “Keep Your Eye On The Falcon’s Going By”, though the “More,More Mustang” XT ad and show the XY GT in the ad too.

I’d love to see an ad like that!

golfschwein

sage words from Watto

golfschwein

I absolutely love the Mondeo ads, where they give an airhead quote from a celebrity, then finish off with the line, “More than just good looks” for the Mondeo.

Reprising “The Great Australian Road Car” could well work, Realcars. Something has to work, we don’t want to see the poor Orion limping along at 2500 sales a month.

Andrew M

if you remember when the GT first came back the ad was of it starting with the XY coming down conrod (bathurst) and eventually it ended up changing through to the BA.

hey BM,
did you see the official release of the mondeo up here took place at sirromet winery??? yep you know who’s rich daddy owns that

Bavarian Missile

Sirromet……….for a Ford? How weird !

Oz.

Hey Andrew M, remember the other FPV ad where a man drives a GT out of a car park and the gate gets turned on and lets it out, then the gate closed and hit the ground and it shows an HSV Clubsport!!!

Andrew M

missile,
yeah it was in that ford mag ford send around to ford owners,
do you get it?

Bavarian Missile

Blueprint?????? Na I think were off Fords mail list!

Use to.

Wheelnut

Yes Elitist but as wikipedia can be edited or added to by various web users there are times when some of the data on wikipedia is incorrect – such as this.. Wiki says

“Holden looked to Opel (another GM subsidiary) for inspiration, and based the Commodore on the Opel Rekord.

When infact Holden didn’t look to Opel for inspiration.. they were forced to use the Opel Rekord as a basis for the Commodore because back then Holdens position in GM world wasn’t as high as it is now.

Wiki Says:

“The German marque continued to provide the basis for future generations..”

When infact Opel ceased production of the Rekord in 1995. and therefore would be unable to provide the Rekord platform from then on

In 1995 Holden had the VR-VS Commodore.. after which time Holden kept the Platform but continued to make improvements to it as well as changes to the body from VT-VZ.

The only thing Wiki seems to have got right is that in 2006 when the 4th Generation Commodore was released.. The VE was built on an all new completely Australian designed Platform the Zeta..

which along with the smaller Alpha platform – also designed by Holden; is destined to be used for other GM RWD cars in both the US and Europe..

The Alpha platform is what the TT-36 Torana Pontiac G6 and Insignia [Concept]are based on

golfschwein

Apologies to Ford fans: Wheelnut, check out the 1986 Opel/Vauxhall Omega and Senator. You’ll find the relationship is still very close to VN-VS and finally diluted to shared front doors (I think) between the VT and the contemporary European cars.

BOB

does any one know how many falcons ford produce if at maximium. and whats the commodores.
also is the territory going to be released after the falcons, if so any ideas how long. Will/can fpv put irs on the utes.

Oz.

I supose Bob there is a new Territory. The outside would just have new door skins and bodykit, if that! But If we see spyshots after may of an SUV we know it’s more than new body skins.

About the IRS on the utes: I think FPV will keep the leaf springs and no IRS because I’ve read where the falcon’s seprate chasie can’t accommodate IRS like the VE ute.

Steve

I liked the look of the BA when it came out. It was fresh. It was good, had good modern bits and they had way better colours than the Commadore. (I’m not a fan of either – so my opinion has no bias).

Now, this thing looks even better than the BA, I like it a lot.

Meanwhile, Holden still looks like the same old car. I don’t care what ECOTEC engine they put in it this time. Ford seems to change things and go out on a ledge. Holden plays it safe.

I’m not one of those people that likes playing safe. Otherwise I’d stay home, wrapped it a cushion.

steve

Oz.

I agree steve, but I cant understand “Ford seems to change things and go out on a ledge. Holden plays it safe.”

No Name

Does that mean I was correct in stating the previous commodore pan (your pre VE model) was actually shared between opel/holden with Europe Omega (UK). confused!!
Opel/fuxhall do not currently produce a RWD car in Euroland. I cannot believe they will actually produce RWD car in Euroland unless its a FWD poseur mobile.

golfschwein

You’ve hit the mark, No Name. But you have to look closely to see the shared bits, as our car was wider. The front doors look identical to me, although they were never officially stated as a shared component. As for the overall design language – kissing cousins.

No Name

Thanks Golfie. Not sure about the extra width though. From my recollection of the Commodore I saw when I was there they seemed about the same. Check out the C pillar joint to the rear wing, its the same. Is the width in the track.
Hey who cars anyway, they were both good cars.

falcon foreva

Steve,
i agrea with you alot when you say the falcons got better colours

Oz.

That dark blue on the Futura is my colour!

open_road

Agree with the Love of Blue Pearl Oz. One of my favourites, too. Metallic greens are great, and well, I own Kashmir as our car’s colour, so that one’s great, too.

I have just read all the posts and while the car looks sensational, I agree the MARKETING HAS TO BE PERFECT. A theme of “The Great Australian Road Car” would be just right – time it to coincide with many Australians doing their Easter camp/drive and the April release of Orion.

Territory ads have been brilliant, quirky and appealing (The school mums ad was funny!)

Praise the strengths – the longevity of the name (link it to XW-Y), the history and superiority of the indigenous Aussie designed driveline, the racing history, the frugal cost of ownership, LPG, its superiority of ride and real economy on the open road, it is the best petrol 6 towing choice, etc. The car is an Australian icon, remind people of that!!! So many Australians have forgotten….

Oz.

But it could be “Steel” Blue on the Futura, great colour though.

Andrew M

thats right open road,

ford need to take on at least a few of those suggestions.
holden has been doing that sort of stuff for years and look at the sales of the commy.

ford did market quite well with the territory and look at the flood of sales and commanding lead they enjoyed from that.

ford have a great car in the falcon with many many unrivaled features and bragging rights and its about time the conservative advert team at ford started to exploit them if they want to sell cars

Big Mike

I’ve been holding off buying a VE SSV but if these pictures are any indication of what Ford is releasing, I doubt I’ll wait any longer. I was a Ford man all my life and changed to Holden when the AU hit the market (I just couldn’t bring myself to buy one). I was hoping the new Orion would turn it around for me but it seems that’s all it is – hope!

The Axe

That’s jumping to conclusions isn’t it Mike?

Wait till you see it without the disguises first and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

greg

Big Mike, take a hike to holden forums then..

Oz.

HAHA Greg!! you always tough on people who don’t like the car don’t you!

falcon man

I highly doubt thats a xt
they wouldnt put aloy rims on it

Oz.

Falcon man, The XT does come with aloy wheels as an option. but I don’t know how acurate the style is.

Or that could be the plastic hub cups.

falcon foreva

the xt orion doesnt look much diferent to the Ba models

Oz.

Falcon Foreva, have you seen the new video of an Orion convoy in NT? The first white one is quiet as a whisper.

BK

Not long now people till new falcon arrives. Its a winner like with all new falcons. Its gonna be better than all the rest.

ben

ford has put so many things that the ve commordoe has like the door handles what about the way the door goes around the rear wheel arches the use to curve around the arches now they go start past the arch.

http://windowshotmail JAZZA

yeah so hi to all the ford fans of the world yeah i love the new look its awsome it hasnt gone to spaceship lookin like some others i know not to name names but holden and mitsbiti seem to have a very similar look huh but for the 360 to come out b4 the 1 billion dollar commondoor the 360 done well but i hope the new falcon has better fuel cnsumption round town but whp cares at the end of the day when ya can drive a car as awsome as that but yeah the big thing with the new holden is that it has an all alloytec v6 now for all us ford fans come on the alloy head wasnt to good with corrosion huh unless u look after it lots of coolant changes so u wait for 10 years and see how many holden drivers hav trouble with corrosion coz they just top up with tap water yeah thats my opinion on the ve kingswood lol hav a good day ford fans oh ans im not bias in the least lol and keep pushin holden drivers

http://windowshotmail JAZZA

oh and by the way i would’nt put m grandma in a holden even if it had trainer wheels on it and just answer m this how come its always the holden that crash at high speed and dont give me that holdens are faster crap coz the falcons can fly just as quick but dont seem to hav trouble holden to the road

http://windowshotmail JAZZA

well hey big mike i hope you know for how wierd they looked they are a far better and more reliable and tougher car than the vt ever was and ever will be fords forever the inline 6 is still pumpin out the power huh i hope they never change it. did you know that the xr6 turbo is just as fast as the holden ss v8 and its got two less cylinders and is loads better on the juice so why would anyone buy a holden.OH bye the way i watched a video on youtube of the hsv clubsport vs a ford capri and the guy from top gear drove the hsv and in his openin started with this quote”this is a australian built car with an 5.7ltr v8 made in america and a brittish chassi lmao and the hsv got whipped i mean whipped i loved every minute of it even i was surprised so yeah i’ll admit im a ford nut always hav and always will be im no trader like big mike

Andrew M

Ben,
ford had those door handles on the territory before holden had them on the VE.

oh and lets not go there with 6yr old headlight design holden stole from ford

EeLeYe

You tell em Andrew M

Oz.

Can not resist…
200th post!

falcon man

how long left untill melbourn motor show

falcon man

i recon the orion will look alitle like the Jaguar XF

Oz.

Falcon Man, It’ll also like the Mondeo, but we have to wait for the Melbourn motor show to see it.

falcon man

Mondeo looks realy good from the front but not so much from the back hope the rear end doesnt look like the mondeo

barry hopkins

G`day to the Ford mob. Initially owned 1967 GT Gold Falcon ( 16 rs: )& been there for the long ride.
Ford needs a young Howard Marsden / Allan Moffat / Dickie with the wild concept design skills of Willie Davidson. How much intelligence does it require to put # plates fitted into rear tray . Every critic in Motoring for at least 7yrs: has complained of the ” fitted buttons to hold down tarps”,,what about a convertible plug IE: in or out, to suit occasion…Wonder if Ford Management listens to enthusiasts….. ah well, as long as the dollars roll in…..!!

fpv

OK barry

CARFAN

Hey FORD, just make it look like a Mondeo already in preperation for this being the last aussie made Falcon. It will make the the transition easier. Can’t wait for the prototype at the Melbourne motorshow. If the top brass in the states didn’t like it, why would we?
Wake up and give Toyota a run for it’s money too and stop leaving it up to GM. What, had too see how the VE went did we. Would’t want to make another AU would we now.

Falcon
Only
Rembered in
Dreams

CARFAN

Remembered. Grrr angry at Ford…

fpv

Ok Carfan

Joe Hupp

I think the Orion Falcon looks too much like the new Mondeo – can we have different headlights to the Mondeo please? And also would we be able to have a diesel engine?

http://windowshotmail JAZZA

so just how is the new falcon going to front up to the mondeo??? well i hope it out sells the european based car ey how would we live without the falcon name??and no way no diesel engines in the falcons thats

Dave

I like the look of them a lot. They make the VE Commodore seem clunky & morbidly obese. At least the Falcon looks fit & firing. Ford could be onto a winner here. Would love to see the wagon though.

Anyway, regarding the future of the Big Aussie 6, I feel that there will always be a place in this country for those sort of cars. In terms of boot space, towing capacity & value for money, these cars can’t be beat.

falcon foreva

I agree with you Dave i also wanna see the uts ive always thort ford has had better looking uts then holdens in the past

F@ GTHO

i think fords r great but the maloo…

jonno

I bought my first ford in april 2003..BA FALCON XR6…After many problems and absolutely no help from ford customer relations i traded on a mazda6..after 12 months ownership of this vehicle there will never be another australian built car in my garage..are you listening mr ford?

Mr ford

yes im listning to you Jonno and what do u want me to do about it iff dont wanna buy a ford thats fine

http://jackyan.com/blog Jack Yan

Handsome, just not beautiful. However, it’s a nice update and keeps the Falcon fresh into the 2010s.

BK

I bought my 2003 BA FALCON XR 6 from the factory brand new and I never had any problems with it. Regular servicing, averaging 12.9 litres per 100km and with only 55,ooo on it I can easily get another 150,000 on it before problems start. Buy a Ford everybody cause they go much longer and faster than all the rest. 2008 Orion I cant wait till its out. Its gonna humiliate all the others.

http://windowshotmail JAZZA

the new ute is similar as the old there are pics of the new ute but as for the mallo the new power output of the newer upate engine will no doubt giv them a run for the money and im hatin there are no more wagons i hav a family and they were the best option for me coz i need the room and after that theres the fuel guzzlin 4wd i just love that they use the same floorpan because they still hav the ford tough look g’day to all the ford fans.

Andrew M

Jazza,
for the price of the territory and how much better it is styled than the falcon wagon, you would be nuts not to choose the territory if wagons are you thing

BK

205KW and 395Newton meters of torque is just way ahead of all the others. I knew Ford will bring out a car that will humiliate all the others. And thats only your base Falcon. Kill em all ford.

http://Toyota David

Well people enjoy the new Ford Falcon. It will be the last one.If Ford/GMh want to stay in Australia long term they should be already working on a locally produced smaller more fuel efficent family car both petrol and diesel. No one can tell me in this day and age you cannot get all the performance you want from a 2 ltr. 4 cyclinder motor and those who want more bring out a turbo model.Petrol/diesel options and in time electric.Only a matter of time as oil demand outstrips supply.Those car manufacturers who are planning for the future will prosper. GMH/Ford are showing no real signs that they are doing this. Yes I object to vast amounts of taxpaypers money supporting any industry
that is out of touch with customer demands and current/future technology.Put the money in industries that have a future.I cannot see car manufacturing in Australia both for local and export ever making it. Globalisation is a fact of life and Austrlia must put its money into areas where we can compete on the world stage. Cars is not one of them.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/10443/proton-r3-satria-hot-hatch-preview/#comments SERTAC

You see what i see the ford falcon xr6 turbo is a clear muscle machine, power + torque of this car is awesome.. lack that Australian cars have is that because of the competent of ford and holden.. they try to design new facilities in the interior mode and exterior panel modes.. too have a higher selling spree. if ford or holden really want to make there cars the ultimate performance car.. need to get lightened a.s.a.p. the turbos of an xr6 is awesome turbo.. its just that the cars to heavy. you get ur wrx’s at 206k.w 4 cylinder less torque running a quicker quarter mile than Australian cars.. why???? because of the weight ratio… needs to get dropped down

ben

far out aye, lookin at the cgi they look so much like the new falcon, they got it pretty much exact b4 ford released it