Ford XF Falcon
Encyclopedia
The Ford XF Falcon is a car that was produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between 1984 and 1993. The XF sedan and wagon sold between October 1984 and February 1988, with the utility
and panel van
s running through to March 1993.
The ride and handling were described as competent, but the non-powered steering was heavy at low speeds with an overly strong castor action after performing a manoeuvre such as a U-turn. Engines were modified to run on unleaded fuel from January 1986. The XF series remains Ford's best-selling Falcon model to date with 278,101 built.
Transmissions available were four- or five-speed manual floor shift, or the much more popular three-speed automatic with the selector lever located either on the floor or the column in cars that seat six. In three-seat utilities and vans, the three-speed manual on the column was standard.
An optional "S" pack was available on some models, featuring body stripes, fog lamps, styled wheels, Falcon "S" badging, steering rake adjustment, driver's lumbar support, driver's seat tilt and footrest and sports instrument cluster.
Along with the luxury Fairmont models, Ford also produced a long-wheelbase
ZL Fairlane
sedan, which was based on the XF wagon platform. An even more luxurious version of the Fairlane, the FE series LTD
was also offered.
version of the XF Falcon utility sold by Nissan
in Australia from August 1988 to 1991. Nissan Utes were sold as a result of a model-sharing scheme known as the Button car plan
. In an attempt to rationalise the Australian automotive industry
, the Button plan induced car manufacturers to share core platforms. For this particular vehicle, XF series Ford utility vehicles were rebadged as "Nissan".
Nissan did not offer the various equipment levels of the Ford donor vehicle, instead offering only two basic trims (DX and ST) without a performance-oriented option such as the Falcon XR6 or "S" pack. The plan was generally considered a "disaster" by the industry as the car buying public steered clear of the badge engineered vehicles. Furthermore, spare parts could often only be purchased from the original vehicle maker—as was the case with the Nissan Ute.
Coupé utility
The coupé utility automobile body style, also known colloquially as the ute in Australia and New Zealand, combines a two-door "coupé" cabin with an integral cargo bed behind the cabin—using a light-duty passenger vehicle-derived platform....
and panel van
Panel van
A panel van is a form of solid van, smaller than a lorry or truck, without rear side windows...
s running through to March 1993.
The ride and handling were described as competent, but the non-powered steering was heavy at low speeds with an overly strong castor action after performing a manoeuvre such as a U-turn. Engines were modified to run on unleaded fuel from January 1986. The XF series remains Ford's best-selling Falcon model to date with 278,101 built.
Powertrains
XF models were available with a choice of 3.3 or 4.1 litre engine six-cylinder engines. The 4.1 litre unit was standard on Fairmont models.Transmissions available were four- or five-speed manual floor shift, or the much more popular three-speed automatic with the selector lever located either on the floor or the column in cars that seat six. In three-seat utilities and vans, the three-speed manual on the column was standard.
Specification levels
- Falcon (utilty and panel van)
- Falcon GL (utility, panel van, sedan and wagon)
- Fairmont (sedan and wagon)
- Fairmont Ghia (sedan and wagon): the luxury Ghia featured a 4.1 litre fuel injected or carburettor inline six-cylinder engine, and a trip computer which calculated fuel consumption, driving times, among other things. The drive line consisted of a BW40 three-speed auto with either a 2.77 or 2.92 LSD diff and four-wheel disc brakes. A wagon variant of the Ghia was made available from October 1986.
An optional "S" pack was available on some models, featuring body stripes, fog lamps, styled wheels, Falcon "S" badging, steering rake adjustment, driver's lumbar support, driver's seat tilt and footrest and sports instrument cluster.
Along with the luxury Fairmont models, Ford also produced a long-wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
ZL Fairlane
Ford Fairlane (Australia)
The Ford Fairlane and LTD are full-size luxury vehicles that were produced in a series of models by Ford Australia between 1959 and 2007....
sedan, which was based on the XF wagon platform. An even more luxurious version of the Fairlane, the FE series LTD
Ford Fairlane (Australia)
The Ford Fairlane and LTD are full-size luxury vehicles that were produced in a series of models by Ford Australia between 1959 and 2007....
was also offered.
Nissan Ute
The Nissan Ute was a badge engineeredBadge engineering
Badge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
version of the XF Falcon utility sold by Nissan
Nissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
in Australia from August 1988 to 1991. Nissan Utes were sold as a result of a model-sharing scheme known as the Button car plan
Button car plan
The Button car plan, also known as the Button plan was the informal name given to the Motor Industry Development Plan. The plan was an Australian federal government initiative, intended to rationalise the Australian motor vehicle industry. Industry consultation had begun in 1984 with a proposed...
. In an attempt to rationalise the Australian automotive industry
Automotive industry
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
, the Button plan induced car manufacturers to share core platforms. For this particular vehicle, XF series Ford utility vehicles were rebadged as "Nissan".
Nissan did not offer the various equipment levels of the Ford donor vehicle, instead offering only two basic trims (DX and ST) without a performance-oriented option such as the Falcon XR6 or "S" pack. The plan was generally considered a "disaster" by the industry as the car buying public steered clear of the badge engineered vehicles. Furthermore, spare parts could often only be purchased from the original vehicle maker—as was the case with the Nissan Ute.