Chinese Ford Falcon ruled out for Australia even though it was designed and engineered in Melbourne
TALK about a Shanghai surprise. Cars designed from the ground up in Australia are making headlines in China, but we will never see them in local showrooms.
THE spiritual successor to the Ford Falcon was unveiled in China on Monday — but it won’t be sold locally even though it was designed in Australia.
The sleek sedan is the latest Ford to be created from the ground up at the company’s research and development division in Broadmeadows, north of Melbourne, right next door to the Falcon factory that will close next year.
But the new large sedan will never be sold in Australian showrooms because it was developed exclusively for China, the world’s biggest car market.
“Of course we’re proud, we’re proud of all the things we do,” said Australian Trevor Worthington, Ford’s Asia-Pacific engineering chief, who was there for the unveiling at the Shanghai motor show today.
When asked if the new Ford, which adopts the US name of Taurus, was the “spiritual successor” to the Falcon, Mr Worthington said: “We’ve designed it absolutely specifically for China. The important thing is, this is exactly the product that Chinese customers want.”
The new sedan is only the second Australian-designed but Chinese-made car to be unveiled, following the Ford Everest SUV shown six months ago.
Ford wouldn’t say what else its team of 1500 Australian designers, engineers and mechanics are working on next, but Mr Worthington did admit that Broadmeadows was busily working on a range of overseas models.
“We’re working on multiple programs and we never talk about what we’re working on because that gives away our global portfolio to rivals,” said Mr Worthington.
“(But) we are fully using all of our facilities (in Australia). It’s good for us and it’s good for Ford globally.”
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