Ford shelves small car plansRichard Blackburn
July 24, 2009 - 11:40AM
Ford will abandon plans to build a new small car in Australia and instead produce a four-cylinder version of its existing Falcon range and a diesel Territory, according to sources at the company.

The car maker will reveal its plans later today, but a source confirmed the announcement would centre on the introduction of new environmentally-friendly engine technology for the Falcon and its locally built offroader, the Territory.

Ford had planned to build the Focus small car in Australia from 2011, but is believed to have canned the project in favour of building a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine claimed to deliver six-cylinder performance with the fuel consumption and emissions of a small car.

The Eco-boost engine has been developed by its US parent and Ford global product boss Derek Kuzak recently told media the company planned to have a four-cylinder engine in every car in its range.

The Falcon will get the turbocharged petrol engine from early 2011, while the Territory will get a 2.7-litre turbo-diesel engine sourced from Jaguar.

The Falcon is expected to have a power output almost equal to Holden's current V6 Commodore, while using about 8 litres of fuel per 100km, which is less than the automatic version of the current Focus small car.

The diesel option will allow Ford to compete on level terms with the Toyota Prado and Holden Captiva offroaders, which both have diesel variants. Diesels make up more than half Prado's sales.

Ford will also build a new, more technologically advanced version of its current six-cylinder LPG engine. The engine will use the latest liquid injection technology, which provides significantly more power while delivering better fuel efficiency.

Ford planned to build 40,000 Focuses a year in Australia, with 15,000 earmarked for export. It is believed the car will now be imported from Thailand, which has a free trade agreement with Australia.

Senator Kim Carr, Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry Science and Research, will attend the announcement at Ford's Broadmeadows headquarters.

The new engine program is likely to receive funding under the Government's Green Car Innovation Fund, which has already spawned similar programs from Holden and Toyota.

Holden has received $149 million in funding to develop a new small car, the Cruze, at its Elizabeth Plant in South Australia from 2010, while early next year Toyota will begin selling a hybrid version of its locally-built Camry sedan with $30 million funding.

The Ford source said the new engine program would not affect the company's existing six-cylinder engine operations in Geelong.

Ford had planned to close the Geelong engine plant in 2010 and import a V6 engine from the United States, but reversed the decision after receiving assistance from the Government late last year.

All three local manufacturers are reshaping their operations in an attempt to come to terms with the shift away from locally-produced large family cars to offroaders and small, fuel efficient vehicles.

Holden is believed to be working on a smaller 3.0-litre version of its V6 engine.

An announcement was to be made at 1pm in a press conference.

so a front wheel falcon is in the works...


I am out...

P.S. The plan is to introduce the new engine line-up alongside the current range as an option and for export.

UPDATE 12.46pm: FORD plans to build a four-cylinder Falcon as part of its global "ecoboost" strategy.

The move, to begin in 2011, will protect jobs at Geelong and Broadmeadows and provide the potential to grow the employee base when exports start, the company says.

The first application of the ecoboost four-cylinder in a rear-wheel drive will be a 2.0-litre with direct-injection and turbocharging, which Ford says will “deliver the power and refinement of a six-cylinder” but with 15-20 per cent better fuel economy.

The first of these engines will be fitted to Falcons within two weeks for local testing.

New powertrains for Falcon and Territory include:

* An Eco-Boost two-litre, four-cylinder engine in 2010 that will deliver a 20 per cent fuel economy improvement and cut 15 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions.


* A liquid direct injected LPG inline-six cylinder engine, delivering improved fuel efficiency to the existing egas option; and


* A 2.7-litre V6 clean diesel engine for Territory, which will deliver fuel economy improvements and cut 25 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions.


“Eco-Boost is leading edge technology which Ford Motor Company has developed and trademarked. This application on a rear-wheel drive will be the first of its kind in the world,” Mr Burela said.


“This is a significant step by Ford Motor Company, sending as a significant message about our vision and what we’re doing in terms of moving forward.


“We have listened to our customers who have told us very clearly that they enjoy the experience and pleasure of driving large cars by they have also told us they want us to delivery the fuel efficiency and sustainability initiatives and value for money.”


Mr Burela said the decision to axe the Focus plans would not result in job losses in Australia.


“I have made today right across is that there are no job losses as a result of this decision,” Mr Burela said.


“As far as Geelong is concerned, the only retooling will be associated with the liquid injection, everything else will stay the same. The balance of the workforce and production will stay the same,” he said.


“As we start to get into 2011, our confidence is that we will start to see growth and there will be potentially some opportunities for the stamping plant and of course the entire system.”


“We are comfortable, convinced and confident that as we roll out our Falcon, Territory and Ute strategy on powertrains that we will start to see growth.”


Mr Burela said the new powertrain range would allow Falcon and Territory to compete in market segments the traditionally have not been able to access.

Geelong Advertiser.

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Last edited by blackjack_original on Fri Jun 06, 2014 11:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.

i dont see the bad thing about this...
they way i see it there will be more fords on the road..
there not getting rid of anything..just adding more options which i think is a good thing.

i agree as long as they keep the i6 in the works and then build the 4 cylinder for those 'oo the environment' types its a win win for ford.

exactly.
hopefully they make enough money to finally build a gtho...doubt it.

my view on this is the same as a few months ago.....

let the greenies have their 4 cyls, as long as the i6 stays its not all over.

http://jalopnik.com/5042696/going-in+de ... ost-engine

the best they can screw out of this with DI and all sorts of whizbang is 250 kw...

go away v6...

How come Noble can squeeze 400+bhp from a turbo mondeo engine ( as seen in the M400), yet ford are hard at it topping 340 in a 3.5l v6?

so if they make all new falcons turbo 4's standard does that mean no NSW p plater can drive a new falcon? might be seein a bigger onslaught of commobore drivers in future years, talk about shoot yourself in the foot, leave us our i6's n V8's is what makes us australian!!

The fact that the US are putting the eco boost 4 cylinder in a RWD Falcon(First RWD with ECOBOOST Worldwide) shows Ford Aus RWD platform could be part of the One Ford Picture? Why would they put 230mil into an Aussie RWD car if they are just going to make the next One Worldwide Ford a FWD built round an American car?, and they are all options along side the current engines. It's a big win for The Falcon and Territory! IMO

Only reason for doing this is to get the government funding. I can't possibly see anyone choosing an underpowered laggy 4 cyl engine for their barge-a*** falcon over the i6 with it's effortless power and cheap easy mainenence costs.
Surely they know it will be a flop just like when holden did it in the 80's!
I think they are just chasing government handouts to keep the company's operations viable in australia.

Oh great, a fkn 4cly in a falcon for Christ sakes? Who do they think will buy this?

If some one wants a large car with 4cly economy the will buy a friggin Camry or a Accord.

If a business wants a large car with good economy they will buy the e-gas.

If a greeny want an economical car they will buy a hybrid, not a fkn big falcon.

So who does that leave? mums on the school run? they will buy a friggin suv, or a corolla.

And anyway, anyone who bought it will have to thrash the guts out of the 4 banger to get anywhere and end up using just as much fuel as the 6.

They should be focusing on building a diesel engine, in-line 6, turbo, with monster torque, that will still stick it to the s**t box holden v6. That would actually give Ford some credit and rub holdens nose in it. Imagine top gear aus putting a diesel Falcon up against the commondore and it thrashing it and still getting 9L/100km. s**t that would make me laugh.

Fkn Ford. They are finally building bloody good cars and then they do this. Idiots. Its the fuel crisis of the 70's and 80's all over again.

Personally I'm doubtful over the 4cyl engine in a Falcon. But then if they're planning to use it as an export option they'll have more success in other markets that are not set in the same mindset as the Australian market they could do very well. We're used to Falcons having 6 and 8 cylinder engines. A foreign market that has never seen Falcon before would be pretty stoked with a car of that size that delivers sufficient power at 4cyl economy. IMO the Ford Falcon is the best value large car on the planet and if a smaller engine that can shift the Falcon's substantial weight adequately means more sales and export options (which are currently non-existent... excluding NZ!) then I'm all for it. I just think too many Australians are too set in the tradition of big-engined Falcons to be swayed by a 4cyl. It's a good option for export but I can't see them selling too many of them on these shores. Maybe the retirees will buy them...

What's more meaningful for traditional Aussie Falcon buyers is the new LPG system. If the direct injection system delivers equal power to the petrol unit, or at least a power output that is more similar than it is at present, then gas Falcons will sell through the roof. Big, lazy I6 power and refills at 50c a litre...

I have an LPG BA and I love the fuel savings. Sometimes I wish for a little more power on tap. If the new system provides it gas Falcons will go like hotcakes.

At least they will if Ford fires its entire marketing department and replaces them with people with even a shred of competence. I love Ford but Christ, the marketing and advertising is s**t.

Just had an afterthought... A Falcon with a turbo-charged four cylinder engine... Is this the birth of the Falcon XR4T? And maybe the FPV F4 Typhoon? 300kw@9500rpm!

I think it's a good thing...
hopefully at some stage they'll create a hybrid powerplant also.. then nobody would have an excuse not to drive a falcon..


The big news to me is finally some serious development on the liquid gas injection...... it's about time.. that they did not do this sooner has seriously hurt their fleet and taxi sales.... hopefully it is not to late to win them back.

good news all around though.. this might create a market for the falcon overseas in places it wouldn't have had an entry point to... and if the 4 makes it over there, perhaps the 6 will too.