Shear English - Ford's hairy-chested XR8 Falcon is not dead yet, the company says. The model has been in limbo since last June, when production ceased after its 5.4-litre V8 fell victim to tougher emissions laws. But it could return early next year in more than one guise, aimed at swinging V8 voters who have switched allegiance to Holden. At the moment, Ford's performance arm, FPV, has the mortgage on V8 Falcons with its 5.0-litre supercharged GS, GT and GT-P sedans, which start from $56,990 plus on-road and dealer costs.
But that leaves Holden's V8 SS Commodore unchallenged as the cheap entry point to a local V8 muscle car. It sells from $47,790. Ford Australia vice-president of marketing, sales and service, Beth Donovan, is adamant the project to revive the XR8 nameplate won't go ahead unless the car is 'more than competitive'. The car was originally scheduled to make a return before the end of this year but that looks unlikely.
Donovan's comments are in line with those from recently replaced Ford Australia president Marin Burela, who last year said there was something 'exciting' in line for a new-generation Falcon XR8 and that 'we are going to be bringing to the table more than we ever have'.
'If you're going to do it, it's got to be competitive,' Donovan says.
Ford's marketing boss says any Falcon XR8 revival will involve out-muscling the Commodore SS and SS-V, which dominate the entry-level V8 performance segment. Almost one in four Commodores sold is fitted with a 6.0-litre V8 engine, with most of those the sportier SS and SS-V models that come with more overt styling.
Donovan says there is still a lucrative set of buyers who only want an affordable rear-drive V8 performance car, something Ford doesn't offer, instead relying on its XR6 Turbo that uses a six-cylinder.
'We've got to figure out what those customers want,' she says. 'You've got to make sure it's going to be competitive and then you've got to target them, give them what they want.'
An appropriate V8 noise, above-average performance and muscular styling are top of the wish list. But Donovan suggests the project hasn't been signed off and if it isn't up to scratch, it will not go ahead.
'We're still looking at who are the buyers; what's it going to take?' she says.
Donovan acknowledges that some Ford buyers have deserted the brand for a Holden and there would have to be a concerted effort to tempt buyers back into the Ford family.
She will not speculate on whether the V8 engine that would be used in the XR8 - it would need more power than the rival Commodore SS but less than the FPV GS, suggesting something about 300kW - would make it into other vehicles in the Falcon range.
However, she doesn't rule out using the Titanium badge - used on other Fords, such as the Territory and Mondeo - on a version of the Falcon, something that would sit nicely with a V8 under the bonnet. The current flagship Falcon is the luxurious G6E.
English - KOMPAS.com
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