Country pack, a hypothetical

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

I see this as rather much a moot point, as drivers these days think they 'need a 4WD' if maybe once they might see a dirt road maybe.

Its pretty sad that even my standard AU XLS ute scraps mufflers on some parking bay speed bumps
Nothin worse than praying every time anything higher than a few inches in the way doesn't rip something off ....
My ute is a good package,power,economy,comfort, but that ground clearance or lack off,has got me looking for something else
Its either an RTV ,or mite even go a V8 converted patrol ute
I dont need massive clearance , but side steppin speed bumps ,im not 17 anymore

[mcnews]

I live in the country and have a steep driveway with a pronounced lip on the top. I tell you FG is much better than the earlier cars for approach/departure angles.

[naddis01]

The poll needs a 'no, because it's not needed option'.

We run our Mazda 6 on 19" lightweight rims down a dirt road to the farm regularly and have never had an issue. Clearance isn't an issue when you pick your lines properly. Bugs are more of an issue I find for the radiator than stones. We drove it through flood waters last year with no issue. The RTV suffered from a failed wheel bearing after driving through flood waters. I don't know if the timing was a coincidence though. We have also never had an issue with radio reception. Also fuel tank size isn't an issue in the Mazda when you are averaging 6L/100km with the diesel.

[Itsme]

Country packs were optional when there were only had sedans wagons panelvans years ago, not like the broad range of suv's, dualcabs, 4WD's, AWD's & RTV's etc etc like we have now

[mik]

Limited slip diff for sure, the radiator bug thing could be fixed with clip on bug net like many trucks have.
Bigdamo's idea for some driving lights would'nt be a bad thing either, a bit of under cariage protection as an option wouldn't hurt mostly for prorection on tranny,engine and exhast pipe vulnerable spots.
I know it's over the top, but height adjustable air suspension would be a nice thing too, a flick of the button and ground clearance increases a couple of inches, that would be nice for towing too.
Go along with the better antenna idea.
Bigger sidewall height for extra ride comfort and slight height increase and extra protection from potholes.
We could also bring back the windscreen sun visor option.

[MercurySilver]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Ford has provided a vehicle to suit Ford buyers who need country road compatibility, its called a Territory in RWD.

Ford are in the business of telling you what you need, not providing what you want...

i dont what a territory
i think they look like *****
i do not like these high looking pretend 4wd suv pieces of *****
i follow them everyday
and not one of them has a speck of dirt on it from seeing some kind of dirt road
its all mums picking up kids and driving one because 'they sit up higher and can see the road' and /or 'its a safer car'

thats the response i get when i ask why you have a territory

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

People will just buy an SUV or a dual cab ute if they want to go off the beaten track,

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

I see this as rather much a moot point, as drivers these days think they 'need a 4WD' if maybe once they might see a dirt road maybe.

i think you are missing the point. i don't think flappist is referring to those who 'venture off the beaten track once in a while' but those who actually live off the beaten track.

i agree with RW though. needs to be a 'dealer fit' option. there wouldn't be enough demand for ford to do it and increasing options lists just adds complexity to the build line. everything that is required in the OP can be retro fitted by a dealer. the only issue would be the DSC calibration for taller tyres or increased ride height.

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

Just worried about the standard Falcon suspension, how that would stand up to gravel roads every day. Perhaps there needs to be a heavy duty suspension included?

the standard suspension would hold up fine, esp in XT spec. being stiffer will only make it worse.

[Chopped]

Hhhmmm not a bad idea. Ford could do the following for the ute -

- Semi Trailer size bull bar, heavy enough to lower the front suspension.

- Multiple aerials that are big enough to able talk to people on the Space Station.

- Western Star, Kenworth or CAT truck Mudflaps hanging from the front and back

- The biggest RM Williams sticker available to be shown on every possible rear facing panel and window

- Flag holders with optional flags

- Truck running lights

- At least six spotlights the size of steering wheels in different colours

- Multiple number plates

- Dedicated Troy Cassar-Daley music player

[mac_man_luke]

Originally Posted by mcnews

As for the dual-cab ute thing, personally I could never drive such a relatively crude and ponderous truck for 99% road work. But I am obviously in the minority there.

Not driven a new Ranger? Handles pretty damn good and heap more comfortable than my XR8 ute.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by prydey

i think you are missing the point. i don't think flappist is referring to those who 'venture off the beaten track once in a while' but those who actually live off the beaten track.

i agree with RW though. needs to be a 'dealer fit' option. there wouldn't be enough demand for ford to do it and increasing options lists just adds complexity to the build line. everything that is required in the OP can be retro fitted by a dealer. the only issue would be the DSC calibration for taller tyres or increased ride height.




the standard suspension would hold up fine, esp in XT spec. being stiffer will only make it worse.

Why would someone who lives off the beaten track even second guess not buying an AWD vehicle then?

What happens when it pours rain and the roads turn to mud, what good is a little bit extra ground clearance going to do when the wheels won't stop spinning.

And I hate to say it but new DSC calibrations cost millions. Why do you think Ford only limited the LPi's to one tyre size. May have recently been made 2. And also why the F6X had wheels that were the same size as TTG.

[mcnews]

Originally Posted by MercurySilver

i dont what a territory
i think they look like *****
i do not like these high looking pretend 4wd suv pieces of *****
i follow them everyday
and not one of them has a speck of dirt on it from seeing some kind of dirt road
its all mums picking up kids and driving one because 'they sit up higher and can see the road' and /or 'its a safer car'

thats the response i get when i ask why you have a territory

They are also a more comfortable and better ride than your G6ET on many roads....

[FalconXV]

Taller springs should be an NCO. FGII LPI I had for 3 months was bottoming out everywhere. The rest of the country pack <$1000.
Look at the new Subaru Liberty 3.6X

Be great to have a model with Territory's springs and Hip Point- Imagine how many older customers would love stepping in and out of a plush G6.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Why would someone who lives off the beaten track even second guess not buying an AWD vehicle then?

What happens when it pours rain and the roads turn to mud, what good is a little bit extra ground clearance going to do when the wheels won't stop spinning.

And I hate to say it but new DSC calibrations cost millions. Why do you think Ford only limited the LPi's to one tyre size. May have recently been made 2. And also why the F6X had wheels that were the same size as TTG.

No actually I am refering to people who live outside the big cities and have to put up with rough poorly maintained bitumen roads.
In the case of QLD this is just about everyone who lives north of Cooroy or west of Ipswich.

Our roads, even the arterial ones have lots of pot holes especially after the floods and often when passing or overtaking a wheel must be put off the edge of the bitumen which may be a couple of inches and/or have lost of small rocks.

The idea was suggested by a mate who has replaced 2 rims on his G6ET and regularly replaces rims on customers vehicles of many marques including Ford.

The country pack is not for offroad, it is for on road in places that do not have smooth dual lane roads with concrete gutters and traffic lights. These places do not have a NRMA/RACV/RACQ depot within 20 minutes at all times in fact often do not have mobile phone service.

I am talking about places on the Bruce, Burnett, Capricorn or any other major highway. I am sure all the other states, well the ones bigger than a small cattle station anyway, have the same situations.

Country pack:
4 17" wheels that are more tolarent of potholes.
1 full size spare.
Some extra protection on the alloy coolers.
A radio that actually works at least half as good as the ones 10 years ago.
UNlowered suspension so that rather than being fully sic it does not scrape its guts on mounds and lumps that abound IN THE MIDDLE OF MAJOR BITUMEN HIGHWAYS.

It is just a Falcon that gets driven by ordinary people to ordinary places and rather than the luxo pack with 19s that are great on inner city roads and satnav with SUNA traffic which only works in capital cities it has options that are useful OUTSIDE the capital cities.

Yes all this stuff can be dealer fitted but then it is not original and has no factory warranty.

It should not be expensive to engineer as it would use existing DSC etc from existing 17" wheels.

This thread has gone a bit wonky partly by a bit of misunderstanding, partly by a bit of agenda pushing because some "precious" is no longer then bugger everything else and partly by some who just like to stuff up threads.

At this time it appears that the overwhelming majority seem to think that it is a good idea in one form or another.

I really do not understand why anyone would be against an idea that would cost very little and possibly give Falcon an edge over opposition.

[FPV GTHO]

I personally still see it as duplication of RWD Territory.

High profile tyres - check
Higher ground clearance - check
Better underbody protection - check.

[GT69]

Im actually looking at utes again now. The FG ute has served me well for the past 130,000kms. But of late, it bottoms out almost daily. I do insurance work some I'm forever in and out of peoples driveways and over all types of roads.

I was speaking to the local ford salesman about an 'outback pack' option as I would certainly jump on either an RTV style ute, or I'm looking at lifting an XR to suit my needs.

Alternatively I have the Ranger option. I've held off for the past 18 months because I still enjoy driving and a TD Ranger, though a nice, capable vehicle, Is just not what I really want at the moment....a GS ute on the other hand.....

[flappist]

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

I personally still see it as duplication of RWD Territory.

High profile tyres - check
Higher ground clearance - check
Better underbody protection - check.

So this Territory that has a sedan boot, ecolpi, T4, T6, ute tray and manual transmission.......where do you get one?

But then again a GTHO is just a Falcon with stripes isn't it.......

[tweeked]

The Falcon cannot compete against SUV's as a city car these days, how could it possibly compete against them in their perfect segment, "Off Road once in a blue moon"?

[tweeked]

And then people would say, "I would buy one if it had the diesel............"

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by flappist

So this Territory that has a sedan boot, ecolpi, T4, T6, ute tray and manual transmission.......where do you get one?

But then again a GTHO is just a Falcon with stripes isn't it.......

What's your typical XR8 line?

Something like if everyone who talked about them bought one, they'd stil be selling?

[burnz]

no but I can see where other may need it.

my commo would belly on a speed hump's, lucky it had bash plates and great stone chip protection.
just needed better ground clearance.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

What's your typical XR8 line?

Something like if everyone who talked about them bought one, they'd stil be selling?

Yes it is. But this is not a new vehicle, it is a step back to when Falcons sold well by making a minor option available on all models not just one to make it viable to a potential section of the market.

Ford offer a smoking pack and pollen filter as well as a disabled person option, police pack and a whole lot of other things that by a few minor tweaks make the vehicle more suitable to a specific part of the market.

AUs had 16s with 17s as an option, BA/BFs were 17s with 18s, FG are 18s with 19s option. It is just fashion and for the same reason that some want manuals instead of autos and others want cloth instead of leather, some do not want big rims.

I know I did not want 19s when I bought my new Falcon and specifically did not order the luxo pack for that reason although I did order leather separately.

[mr smith]

Ace idea, I was interested in a RTV back when I bought my BA SE ute, price was too high vs a standard XL with a SE pack.
I would have ticked the box for a country pack on my FG XR6 LE. I have even thought of putting steelies on mine. I do approx 50K a year and at least 3/4 is counrty.

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

The RTV was a flop because no one wanted a falcon ute with extra ride height.
The country pack from years ago was dropped because no one wanted it.

Ford has provided a vehicle to suit Ford buyers who need country road compatibility, its called a Territory in RWD.

Ford are in the business of telling you what you need, not providing what you want...

Incorrect, according to Ford research the biggest complaint from Falcon ute buyers isn't build quality or fuel economy, or power.. It is lack of ground clearance. Hence why RTV was introduced.

RTV sold 1200 a year which is money for jam, pretty good considering that the entire Falcon sedan range only sold 10,000 last year (XT, XT LPG, XT Ecoboost, XR6, XR6 LPG, G6, G6 Ecoboost, G6 LPG, G6E, G6E Ecoboost, G6E LPG, G6E Turbo).

What they should do is just make higher ground clearance standard on the base XL. RTV was very expensive, so just making the ground clearance standard would help the value equation.

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Why would someone who lives off the beaten track even second guess not buying an AWD vehicle then?

What happens when it pours rain and the roads turn to mud, what good is a little bit extra ground clearance going to do when the wheels won't stop spinning.

I can relate to this,my patrol has rear locker ,and with front hubs locked im getting power to 3 wheels outta 4 (no front locker) when it rained and rained pre brissie floods,we couldn't get traction,in low range,on flat ground, slippin and sliding all over the shop,31 " tall tyres as well
There were many real off road rigs,cruisers,patrols bogged all over the place, a SUV,or the toys wouldn't have a chance with anything more than a small ripple

[SPArKy_Dave]

Originally Posted by flappist

So this Territory that has a sedan boot, ecolpi, T4, T6, ute tray, V8 Engine and manual transmission.......where do you get one?

Fixed!

[flappist]

Originally Posted by SPArKy_Dave

Fixed!

Except there are no V8 Falcons, that is a FPV only option and as there have never been any FPVs with 17" wheels it would require a huge amount of money to set up the DSC.

This would only work is a situation where there is already a 17 e.g. XT has them so I6 and T4 are ready to go.

[phillyc]

The idea has merit. I'll speak on behalf of a friend from work who is in his late 50's and has an FG Falcon. Loves it. The only gripe he has is it's lack of ground clearance.

I do think the idea of 17's and an extra 25mm of ground clearance would appeal. I've driven on some of those roads that you mention Flappist and understand what you are getting at. I think that many reading the thread still don't get the point about the lack of quality of bitumen roads away from the cities. Some of those bitumen mounds that you mentioned which occur in the middle and sides of the roads due to heavy vehicles and lack of maintenance are astounding and scary!

The last time I drove up to Mackay my AU2 ute had 15's on it and the ride comfortable. Progressively I've since lowered the height by 30-40mm along with adding sway bars and then later added 18's. The handling took a step up, but as soon as the 18's went on, the ride has become hard although it's an enjoyable steer. It can be quite harsh on pothole ridden roads. I may need to make the trip north again this year, and if I do, i'm considering putting the 15s back on!

[Smoke Pursuit]

We already have this car. It's called a Ford Territory. No one wants sedans anymore. They want ride height, extra vision and a big boot.

They would sell more Xr8's then a country pack. They offered it in the past and it was a waste of time.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

We already have this car. It's called a Ford Territory. No one wants sedans anymore. They want ride height, extra vision and a big boot.

They would sell more Xr8's then a country pack. They offered it in the past and it was a waste of time.

What is it about THIS IS NOT A SPECIAL MODEL that is so hard to understand?

This is an option pack nothing more.
No different to the smokers pack
Towing pack
Pollen filter.
Luxury Pack

And if no one wants sedans any more why is is the largest selling car in the world a Toyota Corolla Sedan?

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by flappist

What is it about THIS IS NOT A SPECIAL MODEL that is so hard to understand?

This is an option pack nothing more.
No different to the smokers pack
Towing pack
Pollen filter.
Luxury Pack

And if no one wants sedans any more why is is the largest selling car in the world a Toyota Corolla Sedan?

You start playing with things like suspension and you have to spend money on extra testing and calibration. If you want a sedan that's built for country roads buy an XT with mud spats. Everyone I know in the west who still run sedans all use XT's and have no problems. 16 inch alloys and higher suspension!

Corolla sedans how many of those do they sell here? Lol!

XR8 requires no testing. Just a rebadge and a new price point. Cheaper then a country pack that they will sell none of! No ones going to buy a G6ET with 17's and EA ride height except for a hand full of geriatrics, the old rubber earth and ghia bonnet emblem brigade!