Uninspired by FGX

[flappist]

I have never seen one but I will be seeing a lot of them in 3 weeks.

I am looking forward to driving all of the Falcons and Territories and will be posting lots of pics and writing lots of stories.

As far as style, there are some who think that they are all crap since the XY while others believe that the AU was the best.

I think that I have not ever seen a Falcon I do not like, well apart from the boy racer panda eyes and stripes attempts but that was just as option sort of like a hot chick with a crap haircut and a bogan outfit, nothing that cannot be fixed with a bit of style.

[defective]

I made the comment when it was only the spy shots being circulated that I thought it was going to end up looking like the incestual bastard child of falcon and fusion (iirc) and none of the pics I've seen yet change that.

From directly in front, or directly behind it's not too bad, but any angle where you see the sharp angle of the front mixed with the roundness of the cabin/rear and it just looks odd.

I don't like the rear, as it seems to me to be very generic looking. I know people remark how jag looking it is, but to me it's just dull.

I like the interior, but I've always like the fg interior anyway. (Quality of crappy plastics notwithstanding)

[4Vman]

I don't know of a single Falcon model that wasn't an overall improvement on the model it replaces, its simply evolution.

FGX is certainly no different.

The term "best" can be interpreted many ways.

The best selling Falcon was the EF, Falcon sales peaked in 1995, its slowly declined since then although sales rebounded in 2003 with BA, so as far as uptake and buyer acceptance I guess the EF was the "best" followed by BA.

In terms of styling and model on model head to head its simply too hard and looks are completely subjective.

In evolutionary terms FGX is the "best", just like FG2 before it was the "best".

I'm really not sure how Ford could have done FGX much differently given budget constraints and where the corporate DNA is heading so for me I wasn't disappointed at all with the result, you could see it coming.

The people involved with this project did an outstanding job given the limitations they had. Don't forget, we nearly didn't get FGX...

That's not to say im completely at one with the styling, but that's a different topic.

One thing is for sure, FGX is the last ever Falcon, so it gets a free kick with me and it will be sorely missed once its gone...

[FTe217]

Ians quiet ?!
Watching witching.

BSeries is as bland as fuck to me - boring, FG brought the curves back to a degree, FGx, having seen them briefly at night looked good, agree on the front big fish mouth - not falconish.
Good point Youssef.

[Falc'man]

A different view on how we define "best" is how well something stacks up against it's competitors, so in that regard FGX is far from the best Falcon. It's probably the worst, providing we're objective and leave sentiment aside.

[4Vman]

A different view on how we define "best" is how well something stacks up against it's competitors, so in that regard FGX is far from the best Falcon. It's probably the worst, providing we're objective and leave sentiment aside.

Im not sure that was the premise behind the statement "best Falcon" though.

I think if we're going to compare it directly against its competition, head to head, hard and fast, as a completely neutral consumer then yes, we're going to have some somber conversations..

Bob Graziano is even on record as conceding this as far back as last year, so there shouldn't have been an expectation of "winning" that battle.

But, I think its an unfair comparison from a Ford enthusiasts perspective given the reasons why Falcon is what it is....

One of Falcons strengths is its engines. Their FI offerings are world class and unrivaled in their price points.

As we know though, given the changing world we're being forced into people are now buying less on outright performance and more on features, appointments and styling, even in the performance segment.

That focus has shifted progressively in line with falling sales of RWD sedans.

The irony in all of this is had the Coyote/Miami double been available in 2005 we might have seen Holden falling over first....

Is the FGX range the best Falcon ever relative to the others? IMO Yes.

Is FGX the best RWD Sedan ever produced in Australia...?

That's a completely different question....

[Perko]

A different view on how we define "best" is how well something stacks up against it's competitors, so in that regard FGX is far from the best Falcon. It's probably the worst, providing we're objective and leave sentiment aside.

The challenge that there will always be is how are you going to define best. Against competitors? Against previous model? Against what they had to work with? Some of these answers are objective whilst many others are subjective. Best for me always tugs at the heart. What is the car that I missed the most or has stirred me the most. And that is where the problem lies.

The parameters that the FGX was created in is pretty well known. Ford Oz had a limited budget for development, a parts bin that had to be set up so that the model could wind down, and the pressure to conform to One Ford's styling DNA. When compared to the VF there are a number of areas that the FGX is below par. Tech on the VF is better and the interior is subjective. For me I have always liked the simpler interiors of all the Falcons and the FG is included. Would have been interesting to see what they could have come up with given a bigger budget. Styling is a little "safe" but compared to the VF I would have it hands down any day. There is not one model that I can honestly same that I like with the exterior of with the VF which is completely the opposite to the VE1, which continues today to be my favourite Commodore. The FGX could be a little more pronounced with certain aspects such as differing bumpers, headlights, and bonnet treatment. However it still gels very well like the B series did after the AU. The engines with the Falcon as far as I am concerned are the best across the board and I am hoping that the handling is also the case. I can't waiting to get behind the wheel of a XR8 and hear that S/C whine.

When I compare the FGX against previous Falcons I think that honestly it is pointless. Whether it is my blue goggles on, each of my Falcons has had their charm. That little thing that I still treasure and miss today. To bore you guys here is my point

• EB's. Love the simplicity to the shape. That red XR8 I am working on is great. The XR6 I can still remember grabbing the Wheel cover with it doing the burnout.
• EF/EL's. Once again the XR's looked brilliant and I loved their interior. Our Futura chewed up the km's and ran without an issue for years.
• AU. Not the prettiest of my cars in sedan but the ute was perfect. Ford nailed it. It was a great car to drive and my favourite ute. The T-Series with the stroked motor were the bomb and looked tough.
• B-Series. The XR8 ute was brilliant because after the ad I wanted "that" ute. The sedan I still miss today. The sound, the looks and the way it makes me laugh.

The FGX is an unknown for me. I have had a FG for a company car in the past so the interior will be familiar. Is it the best? Don't know. I really don't think we would ever agree as a forum on whether a model in particular is the best. Each one is pretty bloody good in their own right.

But this thread is about whether the FGX is inspiring. On that I would go yes. Maybe not just the car itself but everything that it is bringing with it. Just look at the chatter online about the XR8. FB is a buzz, online articles are out there, the number of posts both here and on other forums, and the fact that Ford have also been pretty bloody good with their marketing on it. I can't wait to sign on the dotted line next year. I love the looks, the stance, just about everything. Probably the only car that I will hardly mod (apart from the boot badges). This car excites me because it's the last one, it's got everything that I would like in a car, it's got that friggin' V8 under the bonnet, and it's going to be MINE!

[4Vman]

I think there are many aspects of FGX that will appeal to people who have been away from the brand prior to FG, hopefully FGX will lure them back.

The toughest sale will be to people upgrading from FG though, especially those looking for new interior styling, tech and appointments. 8 years is a long time to live with the same basic interior, especially when you're upgrading.

FG certainly was a much better environment to live in than VE, but nothing much has changed...

[Perko]

The toughest sale will be to people upgrading from FG though, especially those looking for new interior styling, tech and appointments. 8 years is a long time to live with the same basic interior.

Yep agree that this would be a hard sell. It's the reason why my wife didn't grab a new Territory. The changes were not significant enough compared to the old model.

[4Vman]

Yep agree that this would be a hard sell. It's the reason why my wife didn't grab a new Territory. The changes were not significant enough compared to the old model.

Yep, the irony in that is the product will be less appealing to the people who have been loyal long time regular 4 year upgraders and more appealing to those who will be once in a life time buyers or been away from the brand....