Toyota news

Think Australian cars and you're likely come up with three words: large, RWD, sedan. Well, Ford CEO Allan Mullaly has turned the land down under upside down by suggesting that the next Falcon might be a front-drive model. The Motor Report gasps at the announcement, but with the new Falcon FG selling slowly, it seems large rear-drive sedans

are going the way of the SUV in this country. Mullaly's pronouncement that the decision would "be driven by what the customer wants and values" has Aussie hoons hoping they still have a chance to stop the cruel march of progress. In the real world, rumors that the new Falcon could be a global platform suggest that it will almost certainly be FWD. Mullaly also gently broke the news that in the long term, V8s would be less prominent in the lineup thanks to Eco-boost. Of course the quantifiable benefits of an FWD platform are numerous. Besides the greater global flexibility, an FWD model would offer more interior space and efficiency for less money. GM's Holden brand has probably saturated what few niche markets exist abroad for the Aussie formula of cheap-and-cheerful, drift-happy muscle sedans. In decisions which reflect their general strategies, GM has gone for the marginally-profitable gusto by bringing its Aussie RWD V8 sedan stateside as the G8, while Ford plays it safe by (probably) globalizing its Aussie throwbacks. From a business perspective, it's hard not to prefer Ford's approach. As an RWD nut, well… change can suck.

The Motor Report »