Ford BF Falcon and SY Terriroty (Australia)

Press Release

Body structural improvements

Numerous body structure improvements have been made to further refine the BF Falcon and SY Territory.

Hosking explained these upgrades reduced the sensitivity of the optimised body structure parts, adding to the impressive refinement levels of the BF Falcon and SY Territory.

“Two of the important upgrades we made were the addition of a reinforcing box section to the transmission cross member and a centre bearing body reinforcement.

“The box section ties the cross member to the tunnel rail system, reducing sensitivity to structural engine vibration.

“Similarly, the reinforcement bracket at the centre bearing provides robustness against driveline and engine vibration, further reducing vibration transmission.”

Hosking explained the structural upgrades reduce body sensitivity to powertrain vibrational energy by a factor of three to five times.

Further refinement was added by retuning and redesigning the engine and transmission mounts, delivering a reduction in interior noise levels.

The main spring element in the engine mount has been optimised for high engine loads and the spring element in the transmission mounts redesigned to reduce unwanted responses.

“Engine mounts now perform much better when the vehicle is under heavy acceleration, reducing the potential for unwanted harshness.

“The new transmission mounts deliver improved isolation to further reduce engine vibrations being transmitted into the cabin, with a further one decibel reduction in interior noise levels,” said Hosking.

Retuned exhaust systems

Careful retuning of the exhaust systems on both the Barra 190 I6 and Barra 230 V8 delivers quieter cars with an improvement in the quality of the exhaust note of both engines.

The Barra 190 features a new front resonator and retuned centre and rear mufflers, while the Barra 230 now boasts a dedicated rear muffler with larger diameter pipes.

In addition to these upgrades, all body side and exhaust side hangers have been redesigned and upgraded to isolate muffler vibration from the body.

“The new Barra 190 resonator provides an extra treatment step for exhaust gases, dramatically lowering the 80-100 hertz resonance.

“The new resonator acoustically decouples the rear of the exhaust system from high frequency acoustic pulses, lowering drive-by noise levels and further reducing interior noise levels for the customer.

Hosking said the new Barra 230 exhaust system was tailored to improve the performance of the smooth revving V8 engine.

“At BA, the 3v V8 shared the same rear muffler design as the I6 engine.

“By engineering a dedicated V8 version, we have lowered back pressure levels to liberate more power from the engine and enhance the exhaust note.

“Customer feedback told us that V8 customers wanted to hear and enjoy the note of their engine.

“The new dedicated Barra 230 exhaust system clearly delivers on that customer want,” Hosking said.

‘Smart’ alternator

Airborne noise on the BF Falcon and SY Territory has been reduced with the addition of a new ‘smart’ alternator.

Standard on all BF Falcon and SY Territory models, the new alternator delivers a higher output, allowing lower rotational speeds and correspondingly lower fan speeds for a reduction in noise levels. The engine control module predicts loading and ramps in alternator operation to improve idle stability.

Hosking explained the new alternator was chosen for its ability to improve fuel economy and deliver better idle properties.

“Ultimately it provides a two-fold benefit for the customer. Fuel economy has been improved, as well as refinement levels. It’s a win-win for the customer.”

Static sealing improvements

“Static sealing is the discipline of ensuring body sheet metal and trim components seal the cabin against noise generated from the engine, driveline, road and wind.

“We placed significant emphasis on this part of the BF Falcon design and manufacturing processes, improving body leakage sealing levels up to 23 per cent compared to BA Falcon.

“Using new sealing techniques we pioneered with Territory, BF Falcon customers will notice a dramatically quieter car as a result, with a 5 decibel reduction in high frequency road noise at cruising speeds.

“A reduction of this amplitude means a much quieter car and makes it much easier for occupants inside the vehicle to hear each other.

“Our body static sealing is now approaching levels previously only available in imported cars much more expensive than Falcon and Territory,” Hosking said.

Territory Looks out back for Safety

The award-winning Ford Territory continues to set new levels of vehicle safety with the introduction of the first reverse camera on an Australian manufactured vehicle.

Mounted within the appliqué on the rear deck lid, the wide-angle camera provides a clear view of the area immediately behind the vehicle.

A digital interface module is used to convert the image so it can be displayed on the Interior Command Centre TFT colour screen.

"Territory continues to set the trend in introducing features designed to keep it at the forefront of Australian automotive design," said Ford Australia Product and Development Vice President Trevor Worthington.

"Territory was the first Australian vehicle to incorporate the advanced safety features of Dynamic Stability Control and also the first to include side curtain airbags.

"The addition of a reverse camera adds even more technology to provide peace of mind motoring for our customers."

Worthington said customer research showed a reverse camera was a welcome feature on Territory.

"The idea of including a reverse camera in Territory was met with overwhelming enthusiasm when we trialed the idea with customers.

"They saw it as the ideal solution to a potential issue, and recognised its ability to enhance the versatility and convenience of Territory.

"Typical comments from the customers we spoke to highlighted that a reverse camera reduced potential issues relating to safety when reversing an SUV.

"The reverse camera can also prove an invaluable aid when backing up to hitch a trailer or caravan."

Worthington said the image from the rear of the vehicle was displayed on the ICC screen immediately when reverse gear was selected.

"The camera covers a wide field of view of the area behind the car and is mounted in a position that provides the driver with a clear view of the area behind Territory, including the ground directly below the bumper, to a distance of about 15 metres.

"The wide angle of the camera – measuring about 130 degrees – also means the area immediately outside the width of Territory can also be seen."

Worthington stressed the reverse camera should not be used as a reversing aid, and there was no substitute for performing a head check and mirror check before reversing.

"Due to the wide angle properties of the lens, the camera does not provide an accurate view of distance.

"Its primary purpose is to provide vision of the area immediately behind the vehicle that cannot be seen using mirrors or head checks."

The reverse camera will be a standard feature on Territory Ghia AWD and RWD, and available as an option on the Territory TS AWD and RWD.

Due to the camera requiring the ICC screen to display the image, the reverse camera will not be available on TX versions of Territory.