Falcon hits a six
The Sydney Morning Herald
Friday April 1 2005

A gearbox once exclusive to Jaguars and Aston Martins is destined for locally made Ford sedans, writes JOSHUA DOWLING.


Ford will have the most technically advanced automatic transmission in an Australian-made car when an updated Falcon goes on sale in October.

In a major coup, Ford's performance and luxury models will be available with a six-speed automatic transmission - the first time such a gearbox has been fitted to a locally made car.

Significantly, Ford will leapfrog Holden, which amid much fanfare late last year released a five-speed automatic gearbox for its V6-powered performance and luxury models.

The Falcon's six-speed automatic is being sourced from the respected German transmission specialist, ZF.
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Ford Australia will not confirm what changes, if any, are to be made to the Falcon later this year to bring the range into line with the latest emission standards, as well as to give it a visual freshen-up before Holden releases an all-new Commodore in March next year. (An all-new Falcon is not due until 2007).

A number of Ford Falcon GTs with German number plates have been spotted in the car park at ZF's German head office and Drive's European sources have confirmed they are being tested with the new six-speed transmission.

The Falcon's six-speed automatic will be far more expensive than the humble four-speed auto it replaces.

For this reason, Drive understands the six-speed will be reserved for the upstream models such as the Fairmont Ghia, Fairlane and LTD and the performance models such as the XR6 Turbo, Typhoon, XR8 (pictured) and GT. It is expected the rest of the range will retain the four-speed auto.

Other makers to use the Falcon's new six-speed automatic include Jaguar and Aston Martin - brands owned by Ford's luxury division, the Premier Automotive Group.

Drive believes that Ford has used its enormous buying power to lower the costs and enable such an expensive and technically advanced gearbox to be fitted to Falcons.

Ford was forced to fit an expensive ZF gearbox because no other automatic could comfortably and reliably handle the huge power outputs of Ford's latest range of engines.

The shift to a ZF gearbox is certain to take Holden by surprise, in more ways than one: first, that Ford is prepared to get such an exotic transmission and, second, that it can afford it.

Ever since the disaster that was the AU Falcon, Ford has adopted a policy to be a technical leader wherever possible. The AU Falcon was built to a price - and it showed - while the BA was built to a higher standard of excellence at a substantial cost.

Fortunately, Ford's investment has been rewarded with stronger Falcon sales, although the company says there is still room for improvement on the sales charts.

The BA got a fair few awards and firsts in Aussie car development when it was released, looks like that treands continuing.

I thought the ba was the car built to a price as they were nearly broke? The au was built as the suposed tech wizard new age car.

the car was built at a more substantial cost that the au,hence if the ba was broke the falcon was going to get scraped

i was there the day they were loding them onto the cargo plane. there was a faimont, an XR6T and a GTP getting loaded onto the plane

Jees, are we Ford owners in Ford heaven or what!
Although the only thing I don't like about that long 'exclusive' above in regards to the ZF gearbox and Fords economic position to have such a thing in Aussie sedans, is the fact that it was printed on the 1st April.
But I think it's more than real, and when the Mark III Fairmont Ghia is 3 years old and selling for around the $25,000 dollar mark, what a car that will make!!!

Just a side note on the cars section of the Sunday Times today. Theres an article in there about Holden's race to beat Ford to the show room with the VE Commodore. Holden just signed off on the dies for the panel work, the tools, not tools as in the pressing machines, tools as in Holden signing off on the VE Anyway, this journalist has got it in his mind that Ford intends to bring out the all NEW Falcon in 2006, and that his inside information is that Holden are rushing the VE to beat it. Could this somehow be true, is Ford introducing the new Falcon next year...hhmmm?

if ford did, they would be mad. They have finally got a nice design after the butt ugly AU. plus all the money they put in the BA project and just drop it after 2 years? nah, if you've got a good thing, stick to it.

the ba has been out for a while,and also the update intervals are getting shorter with the mk2 only out for about 1year so that does sound logical to bring the new falcon out in 06 but i do think it will be late '06 around oct -nov .

cheers

OI nothign wrong wiht the AU!

Next Falcon might not be a BA Mark3, but instead a BB or soemthing, like how EF, went EF, EF Series 2, then EL, the EL (or how early E-Series went EA, EA2, EB, EB2, ED) wasn't much different but a lot would count it as a new car. Ford might just do that, basically jazz up the BA with a new model code (BB, BC, what ever) and call it the next Falcon. That way there serving up something 'new and improved', but really it'sthe same succesival pacakge in a new wrapping! Does that make sense or have I confused myself...!?!

Nup. The journo stated an ALL NEW Falcon from 2006. Which would mean that in the last 10 years, Ford Australia has spent more on the Falcon than any other manufacturer for the same time period. Hell does Mercedes even spend that much money on new cars..well maybe..just.
If it is true for 2006, it is monumental what money Ford are spending to give us a nice Falcon sedan. Incredible!

i know it's nice to impress us with a brand new looking car, but i really do hope they give us a look at the new car instead of releasing some ugly soap-bubble-in-a-wind-tunnel shaped vehicle

yeah the six speed will be good. zf make the best trannys, big step up from the 4 speed.
although i thought it was going to go in before now as i was at bosh in melbourn last year and they said for had au with the 6 speed in it traling it for the ba. as did holden in there vy.