Last Ford Falcon gains ‘FG X’ designation

FORD’S last-ever locally built Falcon range will be known as the FG X, the car maker has revealed.

The final model designation that will carry the Falcon name to the end of manufacturing in late 2016 was the result of “significant” feedback from enthusiasts, as well as the senior product development and marketing teams, Ford said.

The company said the X in the final model code has been a significant piece of the Falcon’s story, “having been used for both the original Falcon XK model in 1960 and through four generations of Falcons from the 1960s through to the 1990s, including some of the more popular Falcon models like the XR, XW, XY, XA, XB, XD and XF”.

“The ‘FG’ series prefix carries over for the refreshed Falcon range, acknowledging the strong heritage of the long-running Fairmont and Ghia nameplates that have featured on previous prestige Falcon models,” it said.

Although most of the updates to the final Falcon are cosmetic, the car maker was believed to have rejected using a “Mark III” badge similar to that used for the final update to the BF Falcon that preceded the generational change to the FG early on in the naming process.

When it goes on sale late this year, the FG X Falcon range will reintroduce the XR8 badge in a version of the sedan using a the Ford Performance Vehicles-developed supercharged 5.0-litre V8, and believed to produce about 335kW of power.

While the Falcon will wear a unique model designation, Ford said the final locally made SZ Territory would wear a “Series II” badge after receiving minor cosmetic updates as part of a late-life refresh of the high-riding SUV.

Ford said it would reveal pricing, features and specifications of the Falcon and Territory range closer to the refreshed models’ launches later this year.

Meanwhile, Ford has released new images of the rear of the six-cylinder XR6 and high-end G6 E models.

Of note, while the XR6 retains its sporty-looking oval chrome exhaust tip, the G6 E dumps its oval chrome tip for a plain-looking exhaust system tucked into the rear diffuser.

2015 Ford Falcon