Ford is dumping its plans to build a new small car in Australia to produce a more fuel-efficient version instead. The carmaker plans to spend $230 million shoehorning three new lower-emission engines into it’s locally build Falcon sedan and Territory off-roader by 2011.
The Falcon will be built with a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and a new LPG unit. Falcon’s direct injection engine is expected to deliver six-cylinder performance with the fuel consumption and emissions of a small petrol car. Meanwhile, the Territory will have a v6, 2.7-litre diesel engine which will allow it to compete with top-selling models like Toyota’s Prado.
“We are ensuring our core vehicles will have the most advanced, high-tech and cleanest engines possible,” said Ford president Marin Bruela. “This is the biggest environmental transformation in the 50-year history of the Falcon.”
The Federal Government will contribute to $42 million to the program through its Green Car Innovation Fund. The Government’s Green Car Innovation Fund has already bolstered similar programs from Holden and Toyota.
Originally, the carmaker planned on building 40,000 small cars a year with 15,000 for export. Burela said an Australian-built small car would not be able to compete with models built in low-cost plants overseas. “It was a difficult decision but we could not profitably manufacture the car here,” said Burela.
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