WTF - No V8 ute in the 2015 Falcon range

[AXR88U]

Fords gone all metro-sexual on us again just like in the 80's.
Cant believe they let the bean counters win on this one.

No XR8 ute for the new Falcon shown on the future model web page, and is confirmed by Ford PR as well.

Looks like once my FG has had the dick I will have to get an SS if I want a new V8 ute.

[Auslandau]

Huh? Think you haven't been reading the pages here. Been discussed for the past 6 months plus. The fact that the Falcon V8 ute has not been available for years and the FPV utes are gone with minimal sales ...... no surprise.

[AXR88U]

Just very disappointing.

Now i've gotta do a rush around to see if there are any GS's left

[PepeLePew]

Pretty much why quite a few of us picked up GS ute's in the last 12 months. When i bought mine late last lyear the rumours were already pretty solid. Least we had more warning than the demise of the F6 ute.

[Smoke Pursuit]

There's a few Pursuits left at $70k drive away.

[csv8]

Same as no FGX G8E...cann't be hard to put a few G6E bodies down the line and put the V8 in it ?? engineering for the V8 in the sedan shell has been done????

[PepeLePew]

Originally Posted by Smoke Pursuit

There's a few Pursuits left at $70k drive away.

Least thats less fleecy than the margins asked for GT-Fs

[comagutsa]

Originally Posted by Smoke Pursuit

There's a few Pursuits left at $70k drive away.

WTF they were $52K when they came out and were all sold

AXR88U, better get a holden ute quick to coz they will be gone in a few years also

[2011G6E]

Oh...so Ford does take notice of customer wants and needs...little bit late, but better late than never.

Look, I love V8's, I own an old one, but they're just outdated now. No one wants them, apart from a small number of enthusiasts, especially in a state like Queensland where you're hammered unmercifully with higher rego costs for a V8.
Both car makers have spent enormous amounts engineering new V8's over the last decade...money that should have been spent on things like the ecoboost four and new powerful and efficient diesel engines, but no, they kept looking to the golden distant past instead of the harsh future...

[johnydep]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Oh...so Ford does take notice of customer wants and needs...little bit late, but better late than never.

Look, I love V8's, I own an old one, but they're just outdated now. No one wants them, apart from a small number of enthusiasts...

That is the point. The enthusiast want them. And at the moment, Holden V8 sales are 1 in 3 http://www.news.com.au/finance/busin...-1226967772594

[Cashie]

It's been reported here it was a cost issue why Ford has dropped the V8 from the utes..

[simon varley]

they are going to sell all the powertrains they can get hold of in the sedan, so why go the the effort and cost of developing a ute when sales would come from the sedan? it would be a different matter if they had unlimited powertrains, but.....

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by simon varley

they are going to sell all the powertrains they can get hold of in the sedan, so why go the the effort and cost of developing a ute when sales would come from the sedan? it would be a different matter if they had unlimited powertrains, but.....

There's nothing to develop, ford could run the xr8 ute as a clone of the fg gs ute, with the updated fgx tech and front panels.
Keep running the gs' 315 tune, number means nothing, and it wouldn't be the first time ford has sold the xr 8 ute having less power than the sedan.

Really seems like a no brainer to me.

[PepeLePew]

Past experience with poor sales volumes of performance V8 utes (XR8, 315 included, even the six pot F6) and limited access to engine/trans combo's before they're gone...I'm sure the product guys would've loved to have a last shot at it, but even sitting outside would it have made sense? XR8 sedan should sell pretty well for them if they price it right. The ute has had it's swansong, but heck, is it that bad they're still producing a XR6T ute? Nah....missing the note but still a helluva drive. I know, V8 buyers are V8 buyers, but we aren't at least starved of a performance option.

[naddis01]

I thought the XR8 ute actually outsold the XR8 sedan?

[CAT600]

They have got this wrong, GS ute was a badge swap to XR8 Ute there was no cost involved to do this... whats the bet they have a glut of XR8 sedans at the end of FGX run in 2106 blocking up Ford dealers.

They could have had 2 years of V8 ute sales that would not have canibalised XR8 sedan sales.

Oh well makes my MK2 GS hold its resale better

Daniel

[CAT600]

*2016... you know what I mean hahaha

[comagutsa]

i got one of the last XR8 utes haha not that makes any difference and doesn't make it worth anymore , just wish it had a 5L supercharged motor in it

[Interceptor]

let me get this straight

you think ford care about what customers want?

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHA

[fgpsi]

An xr8 ute with the 335 boss would've easily outsold the turbo ute. Should've canned the turbo ute instead

[2011G6E]

I heard someone once bitterly complaining quite a few years ago (well before the era of the new very powerful turbo sixes) that Ford was making a six cylinder that was faster than the V8...and that it was "a dangerous move" as it might "convince" people that they don't actually need a V8 to be fast.

The only sensible reply to that is "And....?"

[johnydep]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

I heard someone once bitterly complaining quite a few years ago (well before the era of the new very powerful turbo sixes) that Ford was making a six cylinder that was faster than the V8...and that it was "a dangerous move" as it might "convince" people that they don't actually need a V8 to be fast.

The only sensible reply to that is "And....?"

Brings back memories of when Ford killed of the V8, informing everyone that the new XE 4.1 EFI produced more power than the V8, so there was no need for a V8.

I think that was one of the main factors that kept Holden doors open in the late 80's - they were the only manufacturer with a V8 car. Back then that was the main family car, used for towing caravans & boats.

Times are a changing..

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by johnydep

Brings back memories of when Ford killed of the V8, informing everyone that the new XE 4.1 EFI produced more power than the V8, so there was no need for a V8.

I think that was one of the main factors that kept Holden doors open in the late 80's - they were the only manufacturer with a V8 car. Back then that was the main family car, used for towing caravans & boats.

Times are a changing..

Yep, the early eighties and the "V8's Till '98" campaign started by Street Machine magazine, into try and convince Holden to keep making V8's when they just weren't that popular because of changing public wants and needs.

There are still people who claim people need V8's (in Falcons and Commodores) for "towing big boats and horse floats"...sure they do...which is why you see 99.9% of these things getting towed behind large SUV's and four wheel drives these days, not V8 Falcons and Commodores...times are changing.

I still maintain far, far more people seem to simply like the idea of a V8 still being available...but who will never ever consider actually buying one. They just like the fact they exist.

[Nikked]

Funny...ford had no V8, yet were winning the sales race...XF sales look like the V8 wasn't missed.

[P6LTD351]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Funny...ford had no V8, yet were winning the sales race...XF sales look like the V8 wasn't missed.

Correct! THE most successful model too.

The general public don't care about V8 utes.

[nstg8a]

Yeah it's funny, at the time ford had pretty much it's most boring line up in history. And dominated the market.

Holden had a few cool things on the market in the mid eighties, but it damned near sunk them.


And the only reason the xf 4.1 had more power than the 8 is because the 8 was so handicapped with bull**** emissions regs and not the tech to be able to get performance with them

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by P6LTD351

Correct! THE most successful model too.

The general public don't care about V8 utes.

General public don't give a rats about falcon full stop, doesn't stop ford giving it one last hurrah.

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Funny...ford had no V8, yet were winning the sales race...XF sales look like the V8 wasn't missed.

But they lost a generation of buyers. XF was just prior to me getting my license and what a boring car it was seen as. Lot of young guys (who could afford it) jumped into Holden's and that often shaped their purchasing for the next few years .. Until Holden burnt them in some way or another.

Still .. It's not the same environment anymore, so the same things won't necessarily happen.

[Sioso]

Misunderstood article, post deleted............