Ford Falcon XT

At first glance, the new Ford Falcon looks remarkably like the old one. That’s partly because Ford gave the previous generation Falcon a new nose late in its life to prepare us for the new model. And, partly, because the new model has the old model’s hubcaps and badging (other than the Ford badge on the grille, which is noticeably bigger).

In the metal, however, the differences become more apparent and the new Falcon looks like a much cleaner design.

The new Ford Falcon’s roof is slightly wider to create more headroom, and the sides of the car are more upright.

The new Falcon is slightly bigger in every dimension and yet overall weight has barely changed from its predecessor. While the exterior styling may be “evolutionary”, as designers like to say when they don’t change the look that much, the interior is a big improvement, and a big change.

Many of the buttons that were hidden from view behind the steering wheel are now plain to see. And, finally, Ford has fitted a digital speedometer as part of the trip computer display in between the regular speedo and tacho.

The trip computer is also more clever; you can adjust the increments by 1km/h by pushing the button briefly, or adjust the increments by 10km/h by holding the same button a moment longer.

The steering wheel has a quality feel and the cruise and audio controls are easy to navigate. One big blot, though: the steering wheel-mounted buttons are not illuminated at night (as they are on all Commodores).

The indicator and wiper stalks are carried over from the previous Falcon but the indicators now have a soft-touch three-flash lane-change function. Holden also introduced this European-style feature on the new Commodore.

The quality of the new Falcon’s cabin materials is a big step up, and the layout of most controls are user-friendly. Some testers commented on the number of buttons – and the small symbols that identified what each did – but we got used to them by the end of the drive.

The centre console is massive and, cleverly, contains a small pouch to store a phone or MP3 music player. An auxiliary audio input socket is standard but you can also option an iPod connector which allows all your songs to be displayed on the digital display and controlled through the car’s audio controls, while charging the iPod at the same time.

Other fine details such as the Audi-style retractable key (standard on all new Falcons, whereas retractable keys are reserved for only the more expensive Holdens) and the new Falcon’s soft-touch external boot release (the Holden only has an internal boot-release switch and a button on the remote) are things many car reviewers may gloss over, but which customers will no doubt appreciate.

The previous Falcon’s small side mirrors, which were like looking through Ned Kelly’s helmet, have been replaced by larger mirrors which provide a much better over-shoulder view (although it could be improved further with an ultra-wide convex mirror on the driver’s side, as many new models have these days).

The steering and seating positions are unchanged from the previous Falcon and don’t have the same level of adjustment as the Commodore.

The steering wheel could do with more reach adjustment and the seat is too high. That said, of all the Falcons, the base model Falcon XT has the lowest and most comfortable seating position because the seat fabric compresses more readily than the leather seats in the luxury and sports models, which also sit slightly higher because they have the hardware for their electric adjustment underneath.

The side bolsters on the lower seat cushions of all the Falcons, we noted, felt flimsy and wasn’t as supportive as it could be.

Back seat room is marginally improved from the previous Falcon. There’s about 10cm of space between an average-sized adult’s knees and the back of the front seat. In a Commodore there’s about 15cm of knee room.

The Falcon’s back bench is reasonably comfortable except the seat back is quite short. The fixed foam headrests (only on the outer two positions) barely come up to the necks of adults, let alone offer any decent whiplash protection. The middle back-seat passenger gets no headrest at all and, further, it’s possible to hit your head on the lug on the parcel shelf that child restraints bolt on to.

The Commodore also lacks a headrest in the middle rear seating position but the seat back itself is taller. In the Commodore, the two fixed foam headrests are also taller than the Falcon’s and get closer to protecting adult passengers’ necks from whiplash in a rear-end crash.

Both sedans have massive boots, but only the Falcon gets a split-fold seat that opens to the cargo hold, creating a large load space for pushbikes, surfboads and the like.

Further, the Falcon has a clever recess in the floor above the spare wheel, which is handy to stop shopping bags from emptying their contents on the way home. True story: during development of the new Falcon, Ford’s chief engineer randomly approached Falcon-driving mums and dads in shopping centre car parks to ask them what they were putting in their boot. And he never once got a black eye. The rectangular recess is the result of his grassroots research.

The Falcon’s 4.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine is older than grandpa’s axe but it’s had another round of refinements that give it more power – and better efficiency – before it is replaced by an imported V6 engine in 2010.

The updated six-cylinder still has that characteristic Falcon shudder as it cranks over – although with the new FG Falcon there’s now a one-touch starting system that automatically cranks the engine until it starts. And there’s a moment of coarseness as it gets going, but it idles and runs smoothly.

It’s now matched to a five-speed automatic transmission, which helps get the Falcon off the line smartly, is better for overtaking and also improves fuel efficiency at freeway speeds. The extra ratio also means there’s a better chance the car will be in the right gear at the right time.

For an extra $1500 the Falcon can be had with a more efficient six-speed automatic, which delivers incremental improvements to driveability and acceleration. Assuming today’s fuel prices of around $1.50 a litre, it would take about 250,000km of driving to pay off the difference between the standard five-speed auto and optional six-speed.

These cars aren’t supposed to be sports sedans but acceleration times provide an interesting insight into their overall performance.

In our satellite assisted 0 to 100km/h tests, the XT stopped the clocks in 7.4 seconds – more than two seconds faster than the Commodore Omega and one second faster than the Calais.

The Falcon XT has the edge in overtaking performance as well. The extra ratio (the Commodore Omega is a four-speed only) means it’s never left wanting.

Of course, straight line speed is just one measure of a car.

Ford has spent millions of dollars reworking the steering and front suspension on the new Falcon, and it shows. The previous model’s steering was too sensitive on bumpy bends and Ford has removed much of that nervousness. The new Falcon feels well connected to the road, even in its most basic guise, and the ride is comfortable without being floaty.

But, alas, having spent plenty of time in the Falcon, it was time for a change of scenery.

2010 Ford Fiesta and Refreshed 2009 Focus

Small cars, direct-injection, and turbocharging are all part of the fuel-efficient vehicle strategy.
The way Ford sees it, miniature cars could be big. Potential subcompact or B-segment folks are climbing by leaps and bounds, fueled by astronomical gasoline prices, and the automaker thinks it will be well-positioned to get in on the action amongst the all-new Ford Fiesta.

The Fiesta goes on sell in the U.S. in 2010 as a automobile one size smaller than the compact (C-segment) Ford Focus. It’s a popular size in the rest of the world, and one the present is appreciating popularity in North America because smaller cars regularly are additionally fuel-efficient and the Fiesta is planning to be no exception. It would have a compressed four-cylinder engine of undisclosed displacement, according to Ford.

And there probably also will be an Ecoboost option—Ford’s overarching powertrain strategy that will use direct injection and turbocharging to enable downsizing of its engines in 500,000 vehicles in North America by 2013.
Initially, that strategy suggests putting a turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 in the Lincoln MKS sedan in the first part of 2009 and adding it to the 2010 Ford F-150 pickup and the new Ford Mustang in such a over&wshyp;arching timeframe. It also means putting boosted fours finally in the Ford Fusion, Focus, and Fiesta, surrounded by displacements more than likely ranging from 1.0 to 1.6 liters by 2020.

But fuel-efficient and lower-emissions engines are not enough, suggests Derrick Kuzak, bunch vice president in credit of global product development. Ford moreover needs lighter unibody vehicles, six-speed and dual-clutch transmissions, electric power-assisted steering, battery management systems, and !no! aerodynamic vehicles.

And Ford needs a larger number of small cars. B-cars accounted for only one percent of U.S. sells in 2002, grew to two per cent in 2007, and ought to dual once more to uni percent by 2012, says Beth Donovan, Ford small car product manager. Globally, subcompacts account for in regards to 27 per cent of industry sales or about 85 million units. Importantly, Donovan argues 32 per cent of first-car households purchase a B-car, contrasted amongst 28 per cent who buy the larger C-car.

The goal demographic for the Fiesta in the U.S. are the so-called Millennials—14 to 29-year-olds forecast to comprise 20 percent of the arena in 2010, says Sheryl Connelly, Ford’s number one of worldwide marketing. Ford wants to woo them amongst a compact sedan it hopes should forward better looks, features, materials, and performance as opposed to the econoboxes of the 1970s the got loved clearly for the sticker price.

Econoboxes in the U.S. market can be traced back to the Toyota Corolla’s debut in 1968, followed by the Honda N600 two-door in 1970. Ford imported the original Fiestas to the U.S. from 1978 to 1980 in a knee-jerk response, followed by the Ford Festiva based on information from 1988 to 1993, which gave way to the Ford Aspire from 1994 to 1997. They all had one thing in common: they provided dispassionate but affordable clear transportation.

Today Ford is a pithy car leader in Europe and the automaker’s design and engineering lofts there took the lead in developing the next-gen Fiesta overly has carried on shown in thinking form as the Verve sedan and hatchback at auto shows in Frankfurt, Shanghai, and Detroit.

Meanwhile, Ford announced it is tweaking the front and rear fascias of the 2009 Ford Focus to give the SE coupe a sportier appear and more in series amongst the approaching Fiesta for North America; a move that includes ditching the heinous chrome fender vents. The SE will start at $16,615 when it goes on sell such a summer. The top-of-the-line Focus SES will get 17-inch aluminum wheels norm and a new roofline spoiler, with pricing to start at $18,035. The moves are programmed to draw younger mortgage holders for the Focus. No fluxes got announced for the Focus sedan.

The Focus was redesigned for 2008 and a coupe added to the lineup for North America to try to still be the first-generation car fresh until the third-generation of the car is introduced globally (Ford transactions the second-gen Focus in the rest of the world).

Future Ford Focus?

Ford will unveil the Kuga, a small four-wheel-drive crossover based on the European market Focus C-Max, at the upcoming Frankfurt motor show.

Ford says Kuga balances style with technology and promises on-road dynamics coupled with off-road ability. The car goes on sale in Europe in early 2008.

The Kuga will be previewed alongside the new Ford Verve Concept small car that shows the company’s plan for the next Fiesta.

Kuga’s styling is based on the kinetic design shown in the iosis X concept car revealed at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, said John Fleming, the president and CEO, Ford of Europe. Strength and athleticism in the design are key attributes of the kinetic philosophy, highlighted in Kuga with bold graphics such as the trapezoidal front grills, rising belt-line and kick-up of the rear window graphic and the dramatic swept back headlamp shapes.

The rear-end design of Kuga also incorporates the graphic elements of “kinetic design” such as the high mounted tail lamps, facetted rear glass and sculptured rear bumper. The rear bumper integrates the tailpipes into the contours of the diffuser.

For production, Ford adjusted the Kuga’s coupé-like roof profile from the iosis X Concept to a slightly higher silhouette to accommodate five people.

“Kuga offers a rare blend of a wagon and SUV features together with coupé-like sporting qualities,” said Stephen Odell, vice president for Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe.

Ford said one of the challenges of the Kuga development team was to give the vehicle Ford’s driving quality while at the same time delivering off-road ability. For this reason, according to Ford, the Kuga will be available with an intelligent four-wheel-drive system which contributes to normal road use and helps give the vehicle an almost sporty dynamic ability. The fact that the Kuga will also be available as a front-wheel-drive only version emphasizes the crossover concept of the vehicle.

Kuga is powered by a 2.0-liter, 136-hp, common-rail diesel engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Further details of the Kuga powertrain will be released closer to launch in early 2008.

The interior of the new Ford Kuga has a spacious feel—not because of the large panoramic glass roof fitted to the preview model and available as an option in production. The design of the instrument panel and center stack converge into a voluminous center console for maximum accessible storage. These interior components contribute to a comfortable surrounding for the driver and front seat passenger. The high seat and shoulder line position of the doors offers the opportunity for maximum glazed areas to give a light and airy environment for passengers and provides the driver a commanding view of their surroundings.

The materials chosen for Kuga’s interior also demonstrate the close links to the iosis X Concept. In Kuga we see again technical materials, fine leathers and striking orange piping. The Ebony interior is set off by a center console and details in the door which also feature the piano-white finish from iosis X. The luggage compartment is accessed via a split tailgate. All these elements together show how Ford intends to enable Kuga customers in the future to personalize their vehicle.

A hint of the technology coming in Kuga is seen in the new Blaupunkt navigation system which incorporates a 7- color display to show images from a rearview camera incorporated into the tailgate. This new feature, to aid reversing maneuvers, will find its way to the production version of the Kuga.

Ford tried to bit the time

Ford executives bemoan the fact that their turnaround is looking better internally, but that the company is outwardly fighting a perception gap that its vehicles aren't as good as those made by some Japanese companies.

Mark Fields, Ford president of theAmericas, said the company is making good headway at stabilizing its market share. Ford has lost market share in the U.S. for eleven consecutive years, he explains, but its new product line - which he described as "the strongest in the company's history" - is giving the struggling carmaker a shot at finally ending the slide. Ford is actually ahead of schedule in stabilizing its market share at about 14 to 15 percent, one goal of its Way Forward restructuring plan, Fields said. The company's newest products such as the Mercury Milan and Ford Fusion, have been boosted by an aggressive marketing campaign, and have increased their sales this year. The Ford Edge is now outselling the Toyota Highlander and the Lincoln brand has become one of the fastest-growing luxury brands in the market, Fields added. The new Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner also have been doing very well and have given Ford added traction in the rapidly expanding crossover segment, which had been dominated by Asian brands. In May, 52 percent of Ford's sales were cars or crossovers, and same trend is holding true during June. Fields said it's the first time since 1994 that Ford's cars are outselling its trucks and minivans. The 2008 model year lineup includes the revived Taurus and Sable sedans and the updated Taurus X crossover. Formerly the Five Hundred, Montego, and Freestyle, the changes to the products went beyond the badges, said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's product development. A total of 500 hundred different engineering changes were made to the vehicles for 2008. Exterior mirror housings, for example, were notched to help improve fuel economy and reduce wind noise in the cabin. The Ford Focus also being revamped for the fall. While the 2008 Focus is built on a carryover platform, it's quieter inside and has been outfitted with features such as an iPod jack and Ford's new Sync system, which uses Bluetooth technology to enable hands-free calling. The upgrades to the interior of the vehicle will give the look and feel of a new car, Ford promises. The automaker is preparing, in fact, to make the Focus the centerpiece of a major marketing push, officials said. Kuzak also said even though the 2008 Ford F-150 is in the final year of its life cycle, an admission Ford officials have generally avoided up until now, the company has approved several enhancements including a new cargo organizer system and a built-in tool box. A new King Ranch version of the F-Series is being brought back and the back-up assist that shows a picture of what's directly in back of the tailgate on the rearview mirror is also available as option. A Chip Foose version of the F-150 also is in the works, he said. "Customers are telling us they like the product," added Fields, who noted the company's market share is stabilizing even as it reduces its dependence on fleet sales. "What we're telling people is to put us on their shopping lists," added Fields, admitting the company has to change customer perceptions. Going forward, Ford expects to concentrate its resources on safety, fuel economy, reducing cabin noise, and features such as electrically assisted power steering where the company already is a leader. Fields also said Ford essentially has met its goal of cutting 14,000 salaried jobs. Ford was seeking to reduce white-collar employment by 10,000 this year, in addition to about 4000 who left last year. "We actually are done with that,'' Fields said. "We do have some folks that are staying with us a little bit longer, through the remainder of the year, in some critical positions.'' About 27,000 U.S. hourly workers have left Dearborn-based Ford under buyout or early retirement offers as part of its effort to pare down its workforce, and Fields reiterated that number on Friday. Fields, however, also admitted the company faces substantial challenges, including repaying the $23 billion it borrowed last winter.

"Time is not our friend," he said.