Ford EF Falcon
Encyclopedia
The Ford EF Falcon is a full-size car
Full-size car
A full-size car is a marketing term used in North America for an automobile larger than a mid-size car. In the United States, the EPA uses "large car" to denote full-size cars....

 that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between 1994 and 1996. A total of 192,100 EF models were produced prior to replacement of the EF by the Ford EL Falcon
Ford EL Falcon
The Ford EL Falcon is a full-size car that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between 1996 and 1998. The EL Falcon served as the final chapter of the fifth generation "E-series" architecture, which began with the EA of 1988. Ford discontinued the car in 1998, and replaced it...

 in 1996.

Introduction and changes

The Ford EF Falcon was introduced in August 1994. It was a significant facelift of the Ford ED Falcon
Ford ED Falcon
The Ford ED Falcon is an automobile which was produced by Ford Australia from 1993 to 1994. It replaced the Ford EB Falcon and was an evolution of that model.-Introduction:The Ford ED Falcon was introduced in August 1993...

, which it replaced. All exterior panels other than the doors were new for the EF while Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia now had unique frontal styling differentiating them from the Falcon models.
An upgraded EF Series II range was introduced in October 1995.

Base models

The EF range started with the GLI and Futura. GLI models were available in sedan and wagon, appealing most to fleet buyers and family buyers. GLI models offered 15 inch wheels, body coloured front and rear bumpers except insert mouldings, Drivers Airbag as standard,and the 5-speed manual was standard with 4.0 litre SOHC (single over head cam) inline 6 cylinder while a 5.0 litre V8 and 4-speed automatic was optional.

The Futura shared the overall styling of the GLI and had the same engine and transmission options. While the Futura benefited from exterior differences such as body coloured mirrors, bumpers and different wheel covers. The future was feature rich having front power windows, cruise control, ABS
ABS
- Anatomy :* Abdominal muscles , which is the rectus abdominis or the stomach muscles-Music and media:Music ensembles* A.B.'s, a Japanese 80's instrumental band* Abingdon Boys School, a Japanese rock band...

, rear headrests, interior map pockets standard, map lights, 6 speaker audio system (six stacker optional), a digital clock, Variable intermittent wipers, Fold out rear seat arm rest and interior grab handles.

All of the base models offered an optional Tickford body kit, boot mounted spoiler with integrated stop light, a choice of 15" or 16" alloy wheels, six stacker CD player (except GLI), disabled drivers pack and airbag compatible 'Smart Bar' bull-bar.

Sport Models

The sport range comprised the XR6 which was available in both sedan and wagon and the XR8 which was only available in a sedan. Both XR6 and XR8 had bold exterior styling similar to previous XR Falcons, featuring gun-barrel headlights and red or black bumper strips (depending on the body colour) and unique 15" alloy wheels.

All XR models had the features of the futura plus their own features including Tickford reprogrammed gear changes for the electronically controlled four speed auto, Tickford developed sports suspension, rear spoiler with built in break light standard on both wagons and sedans (rear window mounted stop light still present but disabled), limited slip differential standard, adjustable see through sports front & rear head rests, 'Sports' front bucket seats with side bolsters, oil pressure & battery voltage gauges, 'Charcoal' leather wrapped steering wheel, low oil pressure and washer fluid low warning lights, dual horn note.

The XR6 had the same 4.0 litre SOHC (single over head cam) inline 6 cylinder as the base models but with Tickford alloy cylinder heads and unique ECC programming to make the most of the changes made to the engine. The XR6 delivers 164kW @ 5000 rpm up from 161kW in the ED Falcon. The XR8 has a 5.0 litre OHV (over head valve) V8 delivering 170kw @ 4500 rpm up from the 165kW in the ED Falcon. LPG was not offered as a factory option on the XR6 and XR8 models.

Transmissions available were a 5-speed manual as standard and a 4-speed auto which is electronically controlled and tuned by Tickford.

Luxury Models

Luxury models in the EF Falcon range were not marketed as falcons but were just called Ford Fairmont and Ford Fairmont Ghia. The Fairmont was based on the Futura and had all the features of the Futura but added a trip computer, air conditioning as standard, adjustable steering wheel, Remote Boot Release, Remote Keyless Entry, central locking and 15" alloy wheels. The Fairmont Ghia added a 9 speaker audio system, boot mounted 6 CD stacker, subwoofer and Ghia badging. both the Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia models had chrome accents, differently designed headlights, bonnets and were the only in the EF Falcon range to have a grille.
4-speed automatic transmission was standard across the fairmont lineup and had the option of the 4.0 litre SOHC (single over head cam) inline 6 cylinder or a 5.0 litre OHV (over head valve) V8.

Limited Editions

When the Series II EF Falcon was released two special editions were made available. A Classic option pack was offered on GLi and Futura sedans and wagons from November 1995 to March 1996 and an Olympic Classic pack was offered on the same models from May 1996 to August 1996.

Series II

The Series II was introduced in 1995 adding over 1000 new features and eliminated the XR6 wagon from the range. A new front suspension was introduced due to criticism that it was to "nervous" when handling, another major improvement was the standardisation of a passenger airbag (except the GLI but it was a no cost option). Series II EF falcons are identifiable by body coloured "B" pillars which were black on the Series I.

Model range

The EF range was offered in six 4-door sedan and four 5-door wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...

models, marketed as follows.
  • Ford Falcon GLi sedan
  • Ford Falcon GLi wagon
  • Ford Falcon Futura sedan
  • Ford Falcon Futura wagon
  • Ford Falcon XR6 sedan
  • Ford Falcon XR6 wagon
  • Ford Falcon XR8 sedan
  • Ford Fairmont sedan
  • Ford Fairmont wagon
  • Ford Fairmont Ghia sedan
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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