Falcon R6 alert

FORD Australia has registered the name Falcon R6.

The trademark protection for the title, lodged last week, is the latest indication Ford plans to introduce new model variants in its next-generation Falcon range – codenamed Orion – which is due for release around April next year.

The company also registered the names Falcon G6 and Falcon G6E in March.

There is no guarantee the names will be used, as companies sometimes trademark titles that never make it to market, but the new models do fit in with Ford Australia’s plans to expand the Falcon range with the Orion model.

Ford Australia president Tom Gorman told GoAuto last month the company was planning to make some changes to the model range for Orion.

“The series will look different, I will put it that way,” Mr Gorman said. “There is an opportunity for us to position ourselves a bit differently and really go where the opportunity lies.”

Ford Australia is expected to place more of an emphasis on luxury models with the Orion range.

It is well aware the more expensive and better-equipped models in the VE Commodore range are selling more strongly than expected.

GoAuto believes that the new Falcon R6 name could be used for a luxury turbocharged six-cylinder model to complement the XR6 Turbo.

If used, the G6 and G6E could represent two new luxury models at the top of the Falcon range that would fill the gap left by the axing of the Fairlane Ghia and LTD.

GoAuto believes the E of the G6E name would stand for a possible E-Gas LPG variant.

The G designation is currently used for the outgoing Fairlane G8 sports/luxury V8 model.

Left: Current Falcon XR8.

Ford Australia spokeswoman Sinead McAlary said the fact that the company had registered those names did not necessarily mean they would be used for production models.

“If we think that something is available, we will register it just in case we want to use it,” she said.

Ford Australia is currently running Orion Falcon models through the later stages of product development testing with heavily disguised mules starting to appear on Australian roads.

An Orion prototype has also been spotted being unloaded from a freight container in Detroit, Michigan, triggering speculation Ford US top brass are evaluating the car with a view to import it as a rival to the Holden-sourced Pontiac G8.

Ford Australia sources have told GoAuto the car is in Motor City as part of its development process rather than any form of US evaluation.

“There are certain things we need to test there as part of the development process that we just can’t do here,” said the source.

The next-generation Falcon has been engineered so that it could be built as a left-hand-drive if a business case can be justified.

No such export plan has been approved yet, but Ford Australia hopes this week’s visit by Ford global product development chief Derrick Kuzak could lead to a greater role for the car.

Ford Australia sources have also revealed to GoAuto that the cost of developing the Orion Falcon will be kept well under $1 billion.

“We won’t have spent anywhere near what Holden did for the VE,” the source said.

One of the factors keeping a lid on costs is that Ford Australia is not spending vast amounts on big changes to the mechanical package for the Orion given the strength of the existing inline six-cylinder engines and the ZF six-speed automatic, although some revisions are expected.

“Our mechanical package is already there. We have already done most of that work so we don’t have to do it all at once with the new car,” the source said.

While Ford Australia is aiming at a launch date of next April, which could see an official launch at the Melbourne International Motor Show in March, it now faces the difficult task of maintaining interest in the existing model.

“We are still a long way from run-out,” said Ford Australia sales and marketing vice-president Mark Winslow.

He said the company was carefully managing production and keeping supply quite tight, with very little excess stock under the hail nets at its Campbellfield headquarters in Melbourne.

Mr Winslow said the company would not fall into the trap of discounting the ageing car and damage resale values, but would instead offer a series of special value packs instead.

“We are not going to discount. Our policy is to add value,” Mr Winslow said.

Falcon sales have slipped this year, with VFACTS figures showing Ford has sold just 13,365 to the end of May compared to 17,660 for the same period last year.

Last month’s Falcon result was nothing to celebrate at 2801 compared to the Holden Commodore’s 5001 sales, but it was considerably better than the Falcon’s terrible result of 2255 sales in April.

Mr Winslow said the poor showing in April was partly due to less selling days in the month, but also admitted a lack of advertising also hurt the car.

“We weren’t in the market in terms of any of our advertising, we are now out there back on TV and our daily order rate has lifted,” he said.

Ford is currently offering an ES value pack for the Falcon, which includes a six-speed automatic, electronic stability control, 17-inch alloy wheels and reverse parking sensors for an extra $250 above the price of an XT auto.

“Now we are out there promoting that more strongly we are looking for a better result in June,” Mr Winslow said.