Ken Gratton•2 Oct 2014
NEWS
Ford upbeat about FG X Falcon
Manufacturer prepared for sales spike at launch; can Mondeo even out the peaks and troughs?It was the tell-tale sign Ford expected. Order books for the last FPV model, the GT F, were filled in next to no time. And one man paid nearly a quarter of a million dollars for the last vehicle to roll off the line.
While the updated FG X Falcon is unlikely to enjoy the same 'collectible' factor, there's little doubt that a percentage of buyers lining up for the new car will do so in anticipation that this is the last of its kind.
That poses a conundrum for Ford, however. How do you – a manufacturer that has been steadily whittling back production-line staff over the last 16 months – go about ensuring production of the new model can keep pace with anticipated demand?
More to the point, how do you ensure that the cars continue to be built to an acceptable standard right through to the end date for manufacturing without knowing how demand will ebb and flow over that time?
According to Ford Australia's Communications & Public Affairs Director for Ford Australia, Wes Sherwood, the company is ready for either contingency.
"It's been very encouraging to see the reaction to Falcon, because it has resonated very strongly," he told motoring.com.au last week.
"Do we see this as, you know, bucking the trend of the large car segment that's been happening for years and years and years? No, but we do see a good start for the car."
Sherwood admitted that an initially strong demand for the new Falcon might take time to address with Ford's existing production personnel.
"But I don't think that... over a couple of years building the car, that we won't be able to meet demand.
"If there was pent-up demand and we were running a little bit behind... you don't want it to be a big wait for customers, but if there is that healthy demand that's absolutely something that we would welcome."
How the FG X Falcon is received by the buying public will convey to Ford Australia how its brand management is proceeding. With a range mostly comprising Euro-style light, small and medium passenger cars, the taxi/police car image of the Falcon has been seen in some quarters as a stumbling block for the company. Sherwood doesn't agree.
He actually believes the locally-designed car has the potential to open dialogue with new Ford customers, who perhaps haven't grown up with the brand in Australia. Furthermore, with the writing on the wall for the Falcon, the FG X series presents an opportunity to canvass future options with existing owners who have been loyal to the brand.
Clearly the Mustang is THE option in the Ford stable for owners of performance Falcons, but for those who just like the Falcon's easy-driving, roomy nature, the Mondeo will be the most suitable alternative.
And naturally, the Mondeo being a large, roomy passenger car with four doors, it should appeal to the majority of retained customers after Falcon production ends. Even before then, one can picture Ford sales staff promoting the Mondeo to customers unwilling to wait months on end for a new Falcon.
Without Falcon to cannibalise sales, Mondeo should be able to better its current sales rate. But that's a calculated gamble for Ford. The Falcon still outsells the Mondeo by hundreds of units a month, even with the current Falcon well and truly past its use-by date. The current Mondeo is no spring chicken either, for that matter, but the new model due next year should be a major advance for the nameplate.
Right at this point in time Ford plans to market the Mondeo to private buyers, rather than fleets, as is the case for the current model.
"We have an opportunity with Mondeo," says Sherwood. "It's mainly a fleet vehicle for us here, which is interesting, because... our mid-size cars [in North America] used to be fleet vehicles. And we turned that business around. We're not relying on the less profitable fleets – and that's the same shift we're in the middle of, in Australia.
"Mondeo will be key, because we're basically going to flip the business model on its head, and go after retail [private] customers."
But where will that leave the taxi industry?
Tags
Ford
Falcon
Mondeo
Mustang
Car News
Sedan
Family Cars
Performance Cars
Written byKen Gratton
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalists
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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