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Australian Car GuideYou're on the Australian Car Guide. Buy, sell and discuss cars at eCars. |
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Four Wheel Drive
2001 March 30: The AUII Falcon XR ute now has the 5-litre V8 (200, XR8) or the 4-litre 6-cylinder VCT (172) engine as standard.  2000
November:
The R5 crew cab ute is just a concept
at the moment, but one that might go into production.
It is also thought to embody some styling features
from the next Ford Falcon revision.
The 5-seat cabin has four doors,
the rear ones being hinged at the rear,
as found on many American SUVs.
The R5 has been dressed up with 18" wheels and
has 75mm more ground clearance than the existing AU ute.
It has a 1-ton electric winch in the lower radiator intake area.
The built in 50 litre tank for drinking water would suit long distance
travellers and campers. Also see the
4x4 R5
February 2001. 
2000 May: The Ford Falcon AU II ute (right). Ford advises that standard features on the updated model include "a 100 watt CD player, a headliner mounted sunglasses holder[!] and a laminated steel firewall" the latter reducing noise in the cabin. Service intervals are now every 15,000km and "the 1,500km service has been deleted". Other goodies are "full cloth trim seats, variable intermittent wipers and a `speed alert' alarm". A Prestige audio system is an option on the XLS and standard on the XR6/8, and a passenger airbag is an option. A satellite navigation system is available (from June). Safety features include a standard driver's airbag,
optional passenger airbag, and seat belt pretensioners.
The brakes have been upgraded, as on
the Falcon AU II sedan. 
1999 December:
Ford Falcon AU utes (right) showing some of
the accessories and after-market equipment
available for the working man's friend.
The unique "BBQ ute" can be seen in the back row. 
1999, 30 June: Ford Australia brings out the new Falcon ute based on the AU Falcon. The alternatives are: a cab-chassis optionally with a factory-fitted tray (1.3K, right), and a "style-side" i.e. conventional rear ute body. The style side has an "integrated polyethylene bedliner" which is more accurately the bed itself as much as a liner, and has moulded slots to take load partitions. A driver's air-bag is standard and the smartshield security system, which has an ignition-key transponder, is fitted. The latter improves the "vehicle's NRMA security rating to 85". Rumours of a four wheel drive model
are just that as yet, rumours. According to Ford
there is a single 4x4 "mule" being
used for evaluation purposes, but apparently
no decision has been made on whether
or not to mass-produce it (as Ford tried with the
XY). 
Most of the utes will be sold with the 4-litre 6-cylinder motor - 157 @ 4500, 357 @ 3000 standard, and 164 @ 5000, 366 @ 3500 in the XR6. A 5-litre V8 - 165 @ 4500, 388 @ 3000 standard, and 185 @ 4500, 402 @ 3100 in the XR8 - is an option (right). On those figures there is no great reason to go for the V8. - 4wd.sofcom.com/Ford/Ford.html XL4 litre, cab-chassis 23.4K, utility 24.3K; V8 +3K. XLS4 litre, cab-chassis 26.9K, utility 27.8K; V8 +3K. 16" wheels and lower "sports" suspension. XR4 litre, utility XR6 32.3K; V8 XR8 +5K (above right). 17" wheels, 4 headlights, power windows and bucket seats. The utility is based on the Falcon station wagon
and shares its suspension design.
The standard style-side has a payload of 820kg,
and there is a one-tonne option raising this to 1120kg.
The one-tonne XL cab-chassis' payload is 1265kg.
GM Holden is vulnerable in this area
with the Commodore-based offering not going
the "full tonne". GMH has been running
a series of ad's for the Japanese-based "one ton
Rodeo"
as an alternative.
With trades-men firmly in mind the Falcon ute
has a wide bed to take 1.2m x 1.8m building sheets, lying down,
flat. Go to the
R5,
AU,
T-series
and
Ford
pages
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