LE value Falcon reappears

FORD has fired its first Falcon-shaped salvo against the large-car brigade for the year with the reintroduction of the G6 Limited Edition.

Following Holden’s path with the VE Commodore International series, the big Ford offers a few thousand dollars worth of extras for significantly less money than the model it is based on, with ‘driveaway’ pricing included to sweeten the deal even further.

The G6 LE’s bottom line is $36,990 driveaway, compared to the regular G6’s $42,490 plus on-road costs the Commodore International is currently retailing at $35,990 driveaway (and $37,990 driveaway for the Sportwagon International), as opposed to $39,990 and $41,990 for the Omega sedan and Sportwagon respectively.

Identical to the G6 LE released in September 2009, the 2010 model carries over with the same 18-inch alloy wheels, a specially treated grille, fog light bezels, a rear bumper insert and a ‘Limited Edition’ badge.

Inside there are the additions of side curtain airbags, leather on the seats and alloy-trimmed “sports” steering wheel, MP3 integration and Bluetooth connectivity.



But the new G6 LE goes one better than the MY09 model in offering Ford’s $400 ‘prestige paint’ at no extra cost – effectively halving the gap between it and the Commodore International since Holden charges another $500 for a more sparkling hue.

Both competitors also offer an LPG option with a downgraded gearbox (a four-speed automatic), while the Ford also loses an inch in the size of its alloy wheels.

Interestingly the G6 LE E-Gas powertrain is a $2000 option, but this can be covered for eligible buyers with a $2000 grant as part of the Federal Government’s LPG Vehicle Scheme. In contast the Commodore’s EcoLine-series Alloytec LPG adds $3400 to the International price, or $1400 after the government rebate.

"The overwhelming success of last year's G6 Limited Edition has prompted its return for the 2010 model year," said Ford Australia vice-president marketing, sales and service, Beth Donovan.

"With almost $4000 of additional equipment at no extra cost and a fantastic $36,990 driveaway price point, the 2010 G6 Limited Edition offers customers almost $13,000 of net retail value compared to the regular G6, so we expect demand will continue to be strong for this unique model."