Ford has announced that the Falcon Wagon, part of a model line that has been made in Australia since the early 1960s, will cease production.
The Falcon sedan will continue in to the middle of the decade. Its replacement is still unclear, but a final decision will be made by Ford management next year.
Economic factors are partly to blame for the Falcon Wagon’s demise, as well as the market’s shift to SUVs during the last decade.
Ford Australia found some success with station wagon buyers through offering its Territory SUV, although sales of that model have fallen in recent years.
Ford New Zealand told media today that the Falcon’s role will be taken by the Mondeo Turnier, which has enjoyed healthy sales in the country since its introduction, more so than in Australia.
Despite its smaller engines, the Mondeo is wider and taller than the Falcon, and has a longer wheelbase. By most measures, the Mondeo is a full-size vehicle, though it has typically been marketed as a mid-size one.
Ford’s Australian rival, Holden, a GM unit, continues to offer a full-size Commodore station wagon. Ironically, the Commodore Wagon sells well, Holden having caught a shift back to such car types at the end of the 2000s.
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