2008 Ford Falcon Orion details

Ford has started releasing their own spyshots as part of a publicity campaign leading up to the release of the all-new 8th generation Falcon in April-May next year.

The blue oval is scheduled to release specifications of the 2008 Falcon in February at the Melbourne Motor Show. As it stands, the new Falcon sedan will launch in early May with the ute and FPV models to hit showrooms by the end of June (there are conflicting reports regarding the wagon).

The new Falcon is crucial to the survival of Ford's Australian-manufacturing future. With plans to build the Ford Focus locally, the new Falcon must also do its part, and having invested well-over $110 million in the new Falcon so far, Ford is determined to get its way.

So far this year the current Falcon has failed to finish on the sales podium. Coming in fourth behind the Holden VE Commodore, Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3.

To get back in the top three, Ford has been hard at work fixing all the little things which has kept the current model behind its main rival, the VE Commodore. Safety has been given top priority with the new model expected to receive a five-star safety rating from ANCAP (Australian New Car Assessment Program).

The problem facing Ford seems to be that the new Falcon might not be that new when it comes to the technical things - but do you really care? Leave us a comment.

With news of Ford dumping its inline 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine in 2010, it's very likely that the blue oval has spent limited money modifying the current engine before the new V6 arrives. It will undoubtedly have a few more kilowatts, but it will essentially remain unchanged.

The ZF six-speed auto will also stay put, but the aging four-speed auto found in the base variants will be replaced with a five-speed.

One way or another, the new Falcon has a lot to prove and the job is far from easy as the trend towards smaller cars and SUVs continues. More importantly, governments now see green cars as political brownie points which will damage fleet sales.

Don’t panic. We are not trying to scare our Ford fans as there is no denying the possibility of a Falcon revolution... if Ford can produce a car which looks the part. After all, you can have a five-star safety rated car with all the bells and whistles, but if it looks like the AU Falcon, it will struggle.

It is widely expected that Ford will unveil the new Falcon at next year's Melbourne Motor Show in February, with insiders suggesting a Mondeo look-alike. For now we have more spy photos.

The images below were taken by members of various Ford Forums. There are some rather interesting photos in there, including two taken by Ford employees showing the frame and door. Enjoy.

Click to see more 2008 Ford Falcon Spy Photos.

[gallery=45]