What tech missing from Australian cars?

[GQ_Smooth]

Wasn't really refering to the V8 at all, more the 3.0 and 3.6 as the V8 is more the enthusiast engine and is a different market. But I'm happy for you to add the V8's to it, if it helps make your point, and I don't beleive I said anywhere the tech makes a car better, just more features on the brochure for the salesman to sprook, and for the customer to justify their purchase to peers. The more tech/advanced features the car has the less practically they are to maintain once out of warranty.

And Toyota Aurions aren't direct injected either (as least I think they are not).

[madmelon]

Auto up/down windows should have a two position switch in each direction, not the cheap crap way of doing it with the one switch in each direction.

...and on the note of cheap crap- it would be nice if the switchgear actually felt snd sounded quality when you used it, like most of the rest of the cars on the market.

[csv8]

turbodewd..electric tailgate...either what the Kuga or Volvo has..Opens and closes by remote control or Kuga..wave foot under bumper and it opens..shouldn't be hard to fit...R & D is already done...

[csv8]

Road Warrior..would I buy one ? no..because kids have left home..it was my opinion on what should be in a Falcon...my next car will be mid-size...just for the missus and I in our golden years...We have bought several Falcons over the years and a Fairlane....

[kaniSS]

It's not the tech that's lacking. It's the proper customer service before and after sales.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Technology isn't everything. Look at the 10 top selling cars... Like the Toyota Hilux and Nissan Navara. What technology do they have? Bugger all!

Cars like the Nissan Maxima have plenty of technology, and the Audi A4, but they don't sell in big numbers.

Sadly big sedans just don't appeal to people anymore. This is exactly why I think Ford should be milking Territory alot more then they are, by offering extra sports models (not necessarily Turbo's) that attract younger buyers.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by kaniSS

It's not the tech that's lacking. It's the proper customer service before and after sales.

Agreed, Ford really need to fix their after sales service, not only at dealer level but internally. Every time I have had to contact Ford CRC its ended up being a **** fight to get a resolution. They are nothing but bad manured marketing muppets that would not know a car from their bic biros.

If you ask me Sinead Phillips needs to go spend a month in Ford CRC watching what goes on. Might give her some idea as to why the company struggles to get decent brand loyalty.

[richo77]

Electric passenger seat on upscale models would be nice.

[flappist]

A few here had mentioned HUDs.

I, personally, am dead against HUD technology in passenger vehicles designed to be driven by ordinary people.

For those who are not familiar with HUD technology it is an acronym for Heads Up Display and projects instruments onto the windscreen so you do not have to look down. It is a common technology in military aircraft where there are a lot of three dimensional events happening and quick decisions are needed.

My reasoning is as follows.

1) Motor vehicle do not require constant monitoring of instruments despite the paranioa over speed and the movemnet on the screen is a distraction from outside events. Humans, especially males (who make up the vast majority of drivers) are genetically designed to focus on moving things (which is why we can't find butter in a fridge). HUDs work well in the air as theer are not a lot of kids or animals or other aircraft randomly wandering about that require the primary focus. Try and ignore your wipers in the rain, you can't.

2) The focal length of the HUD is short while the outside is long. Unlike the normal instruments this cannot be ignored as it is in your face and moving therefore you will instinctively look at it. This will be EXTREMELY fatiquing afte a while and will lead to single vehicle and head on accidents at night on long runs.

Fighter pilots are heavily trained and their duty is strictly controlled. This is to reduce the possibility of micro sleeps or other fatigue related issues. Ordinary people will just drive when they want/have to regardless of the situation.

[2011G6E]

When we had the G6E, I was staggered in several ways.

First, the power and economy that can be wrung out of a 4ltr naturally aspirated straight six backed by a worlds-best ZF 6 speed auto.

And then, what was missing from a $50,000+ "luxury sedan"...

* auto up and down windows all around
* not exactly "tech", but for christs sake, even the cheapest and nastiest cars have soft-close on things like passenger grab handles and center console lids...they don't just bang shut with a cheap smack sound.
* front parking assist...lets be honest: with most modern cars, you have literally no idea beyond a vague guess where that sloping front end finishes and how close you can get to something.
* both front seats electric
* heads up display...even if it's just speed...for fox sake, they've been around in some foreign cars since the eighties.
* plastics technology...time to stop pretending we're Americans, who are famed for using lashings of cheap toy-quality flimsy plastic inside cars. The plastic bits of my '82 Celica and old WB ute feel more substantial than the plastic in the G6E we owned.

They're things that wouldn't cost a lot, but they'd enhance the image no end.

Otherwise, we'll face (and probably already are facing) a situation like back in the 1970's when people started turning their back on the low-featured Australian cars and started buying well-equipped Japanese stuff instead...the motoring public has come to expect a lot more from their cars, and leaving out things that are normal in foreign cheap economy cars is just plain stupid...

[Rodge]

Op should go and compare a G6E with a Chrysler 300C Luxury fitted with Optional 19 speaker Harmon Kardon sound system.

That will answer his question.

[Alan D Segal]

Originally Posted by turbodewd

I dont care about rain-sensing wipers.

Having owned a car with rain-sensing wipers, I can tell you that when they're implemented correctly they're really good.

I don't know how much you drive, but you know when there's a little bit of light rain and your slowest intermittent setting is too fast, but you still feel like you're hitting the 'single wipe' all the time? Well good rain sensing wipers do that for you and go really quick if the rain gets heavy - and you don't have to touch a thing. Great feature in SE QLD.

[mik]

while i`m probably not in the mainstream, i don`t see the falcon missing all that much gear(FLAME SUIT ON !), it is already a good safe reliable car with most features needed, about the only thing i would like to see is the full set of electrical stuff in the chair department, heated,cooled, etc , i thought the heads up display might be a good thing , but after flappys post.....maybe not,
the lane warning and perhaps frontal object warning from a sales point of view might be ok,................ i don`t really need that stuff as i have eyes and i can turn my boof head to check whats in the next lane,
perhaps demisters on the mirrors might be a bit of alright, as for parking the proximity sensors work ok, if you need the car to park itself, how you going to go when the system eventually fails?

[turbodewd]

Originally Posted by Alan D Segal

Having owned a car with rain-sensing wipers, I can tell you that when they're implemented correctly they're really good.

I don't know how much you drive, but you know when there's a little bit of light rain and your slowest intermittent setting is too fast, but you still feel like you're hitting the 'single wipe' all the time? Well good rain sensing wipers do that for you and go really quick if the rain gets heavy - and you don't have to touch a thing. Great feature in SE QLD.

Mate, it rarely rains in Canberra. Rain-sensing wipers would drive me up the wall, hopefully u can turn the option off.

[chevypower]

I don't think that it's missing a few gimmicks, it needs to be best in class at something. Whether it's targeted at luxury, sports, or luxury/sports. The problem is premium sedans were good in the 90s because they offered more power and comfort than other vehicles. Now there are SUVs with just as good or better acceleration and just as much comfort. 0-100 in 7 seconds was lightning fast because it was compared to other cars. Now you have Ford Escapes and F150s that can get it to 100 in 6 seconds with their EcoBoost engines. If you want to sell it on power now, you need to bring something more than a marginally improved old engine. 3.5-4 seconds is the new "fast." 6-7 seconds is pretty ordinary now. Cadillac CTS-V has been doing 3.9 seconds for quite some time, and even that is flying under the radar. Perhaps the world has moved on from sedans? I think Falcon's best chance is to get rid of the identity crisis, make the Falcon a premium sports sedan, style it accordingly with aggressiveness, and make it at the top of the game. Then it can be a successful global vehicle.

[Alan D Segal]

Originally Posted by turbodewd

Mate, it rarely rains in Canberra. Rain-sensing wipers would drive me up the wall, hopefully u can turn the option off.

In the car I had you could turn it off, but I don't know why you would. They were fantastic for my local conditions.

[Silver Ghia]

As long as the rain sensing wipers work better than the auto headlights which I never use because I rather switch them on myself when I want them on, thank you.


.

[dimka100]

Let me list you the features a Premium i30 has (can be purchased under 30K brand new drive away) than no Falcon/Territory has at any price:

• Fully automated panoramic sunroof – that roof is stunning.
• Auto UP/DOWN windows on all the doors!!!
• Keyless Entry with Keyless start, and Auto retracting mirrors upon proximity!
• Heated Seats
• Auto Defrosting front window sensors with automated climate control
• LED lights in the doorhandles that automatically illuminate upon proximity 
• Electronic steering wheel mode adjustment including Comfort, Normal, and Sport.
• One touch button park brake.
• Rain sensing wipers

And all this in a 30K car, higher end Hyundai have even more features ….

[Ibanezteve]

The old saying " sometimes less is more" springs my mind here, after owning a couple of BMW's, I much prefer the hassle free motoring my falcon provides. Not much goes wrong with it and when it does it cheap to fix.
The last I heard the toyota 86's where selling like hot cakes with next to no tech on board!

[csv8]

Renault Latitude http://www.renault.com.au/cars/latitude/equipment all this for $39,990 drive away with diesel as a nco......not that I would want a Renault.....

[blackf6]

In my opinion the tech I want is in the dynamics
and engine. Stuff all the other doo -dads. But then again I am easily pleased driving my Kenworth.

[blackf6]

[QUOTE=mik;4708250]
perhaps demisters on the mirrors might be a bit of alright
This would be a great addition. I can't live without it in the truck.

[burnz]

Originally Posted by turbodewd

You read the odd comment from people on various sites saying that Australian cars are dinosaurs. Implying that they have old tech. Well which tech are we missing?!

As far as I know its just keyless start. Anything else?! I dont care about rain-sensing wipers. Do we have brake assist anywhere at Ford-AU or Holden?

all holden cars have BA, EBD, heated mirrors, radar cruise, power windows up/down as standard.

the VF JH cruze will have a lot more as standard.

[1TUFFUTE]

maybe the thread should focus on whats missing from aus cars...in their respective classes and price ranges. It makes a difference

[mik]

Sunroof wouldn, t be bad even as an option, mind you we have a car in the driveway with one and it very very rarely gets used.

[Nikked]

What he Falcon need's people to wait and see what late 2013 brings...not the "If, buts, shoulds and whys"

[Gothefalcon]

I was impressed when I sold off My XF Wagon and moved into an ED Wagon... when the door handles didn't break off !! Then, one rainy day... I hit reverse and the rear window wiper fired up all by itself !! And I thought.. gee... this cars got Everything !!

Seems, as time passes... our expectations will always be well ahead of what's offered to us !??

D

[warpsp33d]

The three things my FG MkII is missing that I really wanted:

* Proximity keys and keyless start. (They've already got half the tech there, the fob knows when its inside the car! The alarm system will go off if the fob is not inside the vehicle and the alarm is armed and you open a door or try to start the car. Stand outside and hold it inside the window, and it's fine)

* Front bumper sensors (Holden has had them for ages)

* Adaptive Cruise Control

[K_Man]

In regards to the OPs question regarding 'dinosaurs'.....

I dont think the tech debate is really answering the question. People refer to the old Aussie dinosaurs because thats the stigma they will unfortunately always have. Much like the reputation that mitsubishis have bad transmissions. Once upon a time they did, and the reputation stuck. Look at what aussies have been fed over the years:

AU was a reskinned EL.
EL was a tarted up EA.
XF was basically an XD.
VS was an updated VN.
VZ was a flashier VT.

And so on.....how long did holden flog the HQ platform ending with the WB statesman. 12 years?
Plus how long have holden and ford hung on to their motors? Yes, theyve been updated, but what you would find in an early 00s au3 is damn similar to what was found in an 88 ea.

I'm not bagging australian cars, on the contrary, they are rugged dependable things and in the past 10 years, have come a long way in engineering and equipment levels, but 10 years ago (just pre BA), they really were still dinosaurs from another era. The general public remembers this, and unfortunately its becoming too little, too late.

I for one enjoy the older style of aussie car, and always will. Unfortunately what I think is a very smart FG G6E, an awesome family car, the majority of the public will see just another Falcon.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by K_Man

AU was a reskinned EL.
EL was a tarted up EA.
XF was basically an XD.
VS was an updated VN.
VZ was a flashier VT.
.

Much the same for most car makers...

It's called a platform...Fords Fox platform lasted 16 years (27 if you include the update)...Toyota's Prado platform has been around for 20 years...

Most platforms last between 6-10 years...and are usually replaced by a revision of the previous platform, rather then a whole new clean sheet...