Requiem For The Large RWD Sedan

by Edward Niedermeyer

August 27th, 2008 3:36 PM

Think Australian cars and you're likely come up with three words: large, RWD, sedan. Well, Ford CEO Allan Mullaly has turned the land down under upside down by suggesting that the next Falcon might be a front-drive model. The Motor Report gasps at the announcement, but with the new Falcon FG selling slowly, it seems large rear-drive sedans are going the way of the SUV in this country. Mullaly's pronouncement that the decision would "be driven by what the customer wants and values" has Aussie hoons hoping they still have a chance to stop the cruel march of progress. In the real world, rumors that the new Falcon could be a global platform suggest that it will almost certainly be FWD. Mullaly also gently broke the news that in the long term, V8s would be less prominent in the lineup thanks to Eco-boost. Of course the quantifiable benefits of an FWD platform are numerous. Besides the greater global flexibility, an FWD model would offer more interior space and efficiency for less money. GM's Holden brand has probably saturated what few niche markets exist abroad for the Aussie formula of cheap-and-cheerful, drift-happy muscle sedans. In decisions which reflect their general strategies, GM has gone for the marginally-profitable gusto by bringing its Aussie RWD V8 sedan stateside as the G8, while Ford plays it safe by (probably) globalizing its Aussie throwbacks. From a business perspective, it's hard not to prefer Ford's approach. As an RWD nut, well… change can suck.

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4 of 28 comments

SupaMan on Aug 28, 2008
The driving enthusiast prefers RWD for several reasons, which have nothing to do with image: better weight distribution, better steering feel, no torque steer, ability to “steer” using the accelerator. Sadly, there aren't many of us enthusiasts around which is why the world is chock full of Camrys, Accords and Corollas. Aren't turbocharged engines more expensive to maintain than good ol' fashioned V8s?

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Rprellwitz on Aug 28, 2008
GE Levecque : August 27th, 2008 at 4:56 pm FWD vehicles are much better for driving in Snow! RWD even with a good set of 4 Snow tires are terrible in the Winter time I would have to say i disagree with this. FWD vehicles ask the front two wheels to accelerate, steer and slow the car - try to to do any two of this simultaneously in a FWD package and you will quickly find the inherent flaw in this setup - they have an inherent weight bias in the front that creates an additional disadvantage. RWD is a much better setup for driving dynamics - you can actually balance the car with throttle inputs while cornering and if packaged properly create a much better weight distribution (even poorly packaged its inherently more balanced) - These things make RWD the preferred choice for enthusiasts as many have noted but this translates to snow or wet roads or any other condition (save muddin') The limits of adhesion just come at lower speeds in snow and rain and FWD's horrible driving dynamics don't miraculously change becuase there is precipitation. FWD is used by manufacturers because it is cheaper to build and there for more profitable as many others have outlined. Unfortunately many seem to have been sold and bought into the false bill of goods that FWD is somehow better in poor conditions.

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John Horner on Aug 29, 2008

Mullaly is right. Building Australia specific platforms is downright stupid. The market is far too small to support it. Australia has a population only slightly more than half that of the state of California, or just over that of Los Angelese and San Diego counties combined. Can you imagine any company building platforms specifically for the Southern California market?

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Brush on Sep 09, 2008

"Mullaly is right. Building Australia specific platforms is downright stupid. The market is far too small to support it. Australia has a population only slightly more than half that of the state of California, or just over that of Los Angelese and San Diego counties combined. Can you imagine any company building platforms specifically for the Southern California market?" How about Ford's absence of allowing the engineering the falcon's platform to LHD to serve a global market when GM saw the need for exports to support the Commodore program. GMH makes $$$$ Ford makes -$$

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