Comfort is king in Ford's fresh Fairlane

FORD has backed up last October’s BA Falcon MkII facelift with similar revisions for its long-wheelbase Fairlane and LTD flagships.

Due for release in March, the BA Fairlane Ghia MkII, Fairlane G220 MkII and LTD MkII bring more comfort, refinement and luxury equipment.

The facelifted Fairlane is headlined by a more heavily chromed exterior, including chrome rub strips, a new chromed rear appliqué and, on Fairlane Ghia and LTD, chromed wing mirror scalps.

Fairlane G220, meantime, offers new design seven-spoke alloy wheels, while Fairlane Ghia and LTD add two-tone paint to their side skirts and lower valances, and all variants feature a new mid-blue paint colour – Icon – plus new chrome wheel centres and badging.

Ford’s move upmarket with Fairlane continues inside, where a new leather trim dubbed China Beige will be offered on Fairlane Ghia MkII, which also adds a 'Fairlane' scuff plate insert where G220 adds a 'G220' scuff plate insert.

Both Fairlane Ghia and G220 will gain an eight-way power driver’s seat with memory function and, while G220 gets a leather-wrapped sports steering wheel, Ghia gets a Rhui Maple woodgrain and leather item and LTD gets a Stone Maple woodgrain and leather tiller.

While the only mechanical change is the addition of Sports Control Blade rear suspension tune for the base Ghia and top-shelf LTD, the updated flagship will also offer a DVD rear entertainment system as standard, which can be exchanged for a sunroof.

LEFT: Fiarlane Ghia interior A host of other interior updates apply to the entry level Fairlane Ghia, which in MkII guise will feature soft-feel 'rouched' leather seats, a high chrome finish instrument cluster, high chrome interior doorhandle, high chrome driver’s door lock button, suede-look front door bin mouldings, suede-look front seat backs and map pockets, analogue clock face, chrome accents on air-conditioning vents, black onyx ICC fascia, console, cupholder, door and rear vent surround, and silver finish controls for heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and LED screen.

"Customers told us they enjoyed the superb driving dynamics of the long wheelbase models and we’ve upped the ante in that department even further by adopting the sports version of our award-winning Control Blade Independent Rear Suspension across the range," said Ford Australia president Tom Gorman.

"We have added lashings of opulence to truly signify the Fairlane, G220 and LTD as prestige vehicles."

CHANGES IN DETAIL:

Fairlane Ghia:
Chrome body side strips
Two-tone exterior paint
High chrome exterior mirror scalps
New rear chrome appliqué
Sports Control Blade IRS
Alloy wheel centre cap with Ghia badge
Revised Fairlane Ghia badging
New paint colour – Icon
Soft feel 'rouched' leather seats
New interior leather trim – China Beige
Eight-way power driver’s seat with memory
Instrument cluster with high chrome finish
High chrome interior door handle
High chrome driver’s door lock button
Suede-look front door bin mouldings
Suede-look front seat backs and map pockets
Analogue clock face
Fairlane scuff plate insert
Rhui Maple woodgrain and leather steering wheel
Chrome accents on air-conditioning vents
Black onyx ICC fascia, console, cup-holder, surround
Silver finish controls for HVAC and LED screen Fairlane G220:
Chrome body side strips
Rear chrome appliqué
New 17-inch alloy wheel
Revised Fairlane G220 badges
New paint colour – Icon
G220 scuff plate insert
Leather-wrapped sports steering wheel
Eight-way power driver’s seat with memory LTD:
Chrome body side strips
Two-tone exterior paint
Rear chrome appliqué
High chrome exterior mirror scalps
Stone Maple woodgrain and leather steering wheel
Sports Control Blade IRS
Alloy wheel centre cap with LTD badge
New paint colour – Icon
DVD Rear Entertainment System or sunroof