Should Ford Build a medium RWD 6cyl car?

[gt4lyfe]

I recon if Ford slammed a 6 or even a 6t in a mondeo sized rwd car under AU$40K, they would cause some real problems for BMW 3 series and entry level Mercs.. what so you recon?

200KW in a 1400Kg RWD package? It would tear sheet up!

[uranium_death]

Not worth the money...
I reckon it would be great to see an XR6 wagon back...but it will not happen.
Ford needs to consolidate before throwing money about to suit a few people...

[Fev]

I think a cheap small-medium RWD 4cyl/4T/3.0L 6/6T would be brilliant. There aren't enough small RWD's on the market, and what there is (BMW 1-3series) are too expensive. I know we're getting the FT-86 eventually but thats just one more product in a very empty market.

[fat4D]

it would make a nice little rocket with the 6T in it, it would leave most stock cars for dead in the size if not all. even more fun as a AWD, it would be a really drivers car and give the WRX's and EVO's a run for its money in the, and with a new wrx base model at $42,000? they could price a base model at $40,000 and would sell like hot cakes. only question is could they do it?

[chevypower]

from a car enthusiasts perspective - yes that would be great fun to drive. From a business perspective - NO! Big cars are not much more expensive to make than small ones, then there's the cost of designing and engineering another line of cars that would only eat part of their own sales. The price would be right up there with the Falcon.

[blueoval]

Im with Uranium on this, there needs to be a return of the RWD performance falcon wagon before anything else. For me, the Terri's are just too big, and the Mondeo wagon's do little for me too. A XR6T/XR8 wagon will be a perfect option in my opinion.

[uranium_death]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Im with Uranium on this, there needs to be a return of the RWD performance falcon wagon before anything else. For me, the Terri's are just too big, and the Mondeo wagon's do little for me too. A XR6T/XR8 wagon will be a perfect option in my opinion.

But I don't want any XR6/8 wagons...
I do not think the development costs are cost-effective...
We had them in the past, and people didn't want them...why would people want them now?

[66FAIRLANE]

And heres me thinking the Falcon is a medium size RWD 6 cyl car.

[gt4lyfe]

Originally Posted by chevypower

from a car enthusiasts perspective - yes that would be great fun to drive. From a business perspective - NO! Big cars are not much more expensive to make than small ones, then there's the cost of designing and engineering another line of cars that would only eat part of their own sales. The price would be right up there with the Falcon.

I see your point, but Ford is a car company, to design new cars and remain competitive is its main purpose - and they get tons of free cash from government to do so as well.

I don't mind paying the same for a medium 6Cyl as a larger falc one, I just want to shed 200-250 kg and have a more compact vehicle, as the current trend is to buy smaller dwellings closer to city centers with ever decreasing size of parking spaces and roads we need one! I see just as many 320 beemers as falcons around here, so I don't think it is a small market..

[chevypower]

@GT4Lyfe, as long as it sells globally, it may be worth doing, but it would have to replace the Mondeo and Fusion, and I don't think that is in Ford's plans. Perhaps the question should be "should Ford switch the Mondeo to a RWD platform?" The market for medium size sixes is also shrinking. I think it is good to be realistic about what will work, Ford seems pretty well set with EcoBoost engines.

[gt4lyfe]

Originally Posted by chevypower

@GT4Lyfe, as long as it sells globally, it may be worth doing, but it would have to replace the Mondeo and Fusion, and I don't think that is in Ford's plans. Perhaps the question should be "should Ford switch the Mondeo to a RWD platform?" The market for medium size sixes is also shrinking. I think it is good to be realistic about what will work, Ford seems pretty well set with EcoBoost engines.

I think the market for large 6s is in real trouble, Subaru, BMW, and Mercs are still going strong on the medium 6 cylinder market, the only reason people buy the 4cyl variants of these 6s is because of cost, and this is where Ford can come in and offer a 6cyl rwd car for the same price as 4 cyl BMW 3s/Liberty priced car and make a killing.

My conspiracy theory is that Ford, Holden/GM are being taken over by forces that can benefit from seeing them fail, and this could be the japanese car manufacturers - what is to stop them from paying Ford/GM CEO $20-30 Mil under the table for making disasterous decisions -untill the company fails and is an easy buyout..

[prasac]

with the all alloy NA V6 3.7L from the Mustang TiVCT 230kw + 380nm of torque.

[chevypower]

BMW, Merc, Hyundai, and Kia are all using GTDI technology like Ford is. The Japanese seem to be a little slow on using that. As I said before, RWD would help make it a drivers car, but in the game of making money on a global scale, I think it would be a niche car rather than a game changer. If RWD was going to make the difference in sales then everyone would be doing it already. Just my opinion.

[Ford_The_Win]

Isn't there a Supertramp song about this thread? Dreamer, you know you are a dreamer....

Nice thought though.

[martinijosh]

Buy a subaru and disconnect the front driveline

[The Stylist]

It would be great to see Ford do this and bring out an equivalent RS Mondeo - unfortunately I think it still end up FWD or at stretch - AWD.

[martinijosh]

Originally Posted by The Stylist

It would be great to see Ford do this and bring out an equivalent RS Mondeo - unfortunately I think it still end up FWD or at stretch - AWD.

The problem is Ford is moving even more heavily towards global platforms.

Most of their platforms are FWD

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by gt4lyfe

I recon if Ford slammed a 6 or even a 6t in a mondeo sized rwd car under AU$40K, they would cause some real problems for BMW 3 series and entry level Mercs.. what so you recon?

200KW in a 1400Kg RWD package? It would tear sheet up!

Or you could stick a NA 5.0 V8 Coyote in an XR6 and sell it for $39,990 drive away....

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Or you could stick a NA 5.0 V8 Coyote in an XR6 and sell it for $39,990 drive away....

Shhhh! Private buyers or Novated-lease user choosers might hear you.. We cant have that!

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by gt4lyfe

they would cause some real problems for BMW 3 series and entry level Mercs.. what so you recon?

It won't do anything to BMW and Merc products because it has a Ford badge on it, end of story.

[MAGPIE]

Originally Posted by gt4lyfe

I recon if Ford slammed a 6 or even a 6t in a mondeo sized rwd car under AU$40K, they would cause some real problems for BMW 3 series and entry level Mercs.. what so you recon?

200KW in a 1400Kg RWD package? It would tear sheet up!

Considering a Focus XR5 weighs in at 1437kg (and a Mondeo up to 1754kg) I don't like your chances of getting a medium sized rwd 6 cylinder to come in at 1400kg

[Joe5619]

NO, a total waste of money!!! While I do love my RWD, people really need to get over it! Ford already built a medium car, it is called a mondeo. Why spend money to change which wheels drive it, just to keep an ever shrinking group of people happy? The average Joe does not give a stuff what wheels drive the car..

Should we built the Mondeo here, is the real question.

[mik]

i doubt it would happen, we are too spoiled for choice in this country, and other manufacturers have the mid size range covered already i think, i read somewhere earlier this year, we have about twice as many model options than the US, no wonder the locals are struggling.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

NO, a total waste of money!!! While I do love my RWD, people really need to get over it! Ford already built a medium car, it is called a mondeo. Why spend money to change which wheels drive it, just to keep an ever shrinking group of people happy? The average Joe does not give a stuff what wheels drive the car..

Should we built the Mondeo here, is the real question.

I recon building it here would be a great move, Mondeo would really catch on if locally built, put it right to Camry with Govco sales too....

[BENT_8]

Pfft...The clowns running Ford wouldnt have the nackers to approve such an exercise.
Say what you like about Holden, but atleast they considered it with the Torana concept, would have been a mad car.

I've often wondered what would have eventuated had Ford put a Windsor V8 into the Cortina back when the VB was released instead of going with the bigger bodied falcon...

[Windsor220]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Pfft...The clowns running Ford wouldnt have the nackers to approve such an exercise.
Say what you like about Holden, but atleast they considered it with the Torana concept, would have been a mad car.

I've often wondered what would have eventuated had Ford put a Windsor V8 into the Cortina back when the VB was released instead of going with the bigger bodied falcon...

Yeah good job Holden for "considering" it dont worry about making it. Ford just had the balls to put a supercharged V8 in the Falcon but they still cant do anything right can they.

[mik]

i think the modeo would just be another fwd pensioner car(with respect it`s a better camry), while it has some eye candy in the cab and probably performs ok , it`s not falcon , does`nt have anywhere near the performance or towing capacity, i would`nt buy one anyway.

[tweeked]

The only medium size RWD Ford you will ever be likely to see is a Mondeo driving in reverse

[redxm]

Bring back the Cortina. XR6T motor. But make it steer this time

/dream mode off

[Luke Plaizier]

I'd LOVE a medium sized RWD car. The RWD is what draws me to the Falcon in the first place.

But what is Medium? Mondeo or Focus? If Mondeo is Medium, then Focus is small right? What is Fiesta? Or Fugo?

Focus to Mondeo sized would do me right now. I'd buy an Aussie made Mid sizer RWD in a heartbeat.


Lukeyson