FG series NZ's car of the year!!

[HSVKILLA]

The latest FG-series Ford Falcon has been judged New Zealand’s Car of the Year by the country’s leading motoring writers and broadcasters.

Embargoed to noon, January 12, 2009

Ford Falcon is NZ Car of the Year

The latest FG-series Ford Falcon has been judged New Zealand’s Car of the Year by the country’s leading motoring writers and broadcasters.

The FG-series Falcon, which was launched in mid-2008, is the first iteration of the long-standing Falcon family to have won New Zealand’s top automotive accolade.

In reaching their decision, members of the New Zealand Motoring Writers’ Guild gave consideration to the wide range of Falcon variants – from the standard saloon models to the high-performance FPV derivatives.

As well as performance and handling, the facets under consideration included suitability for the task for which Falcon was designed, its value for money, ease of operation, economy, along with its level of home comforts, quality of finish, safety accoutrements and visual appeal.

“It is worth noting that the Falcon’s win is quite an achievement when you consider it was designed and built on a much tighter budget than any of the world cars which were also finalists,”said Guild president Jacqui Madelin.

Unlike ‘world’ or European awards, the NZ Car of the Year judges cars across a broad range of local conditions.

“A major point of difference with this award is that it embodies the opinions of professionals in their field from across the country, each of whom has assessed the car on roads in their own region,”Madelin said.

“The car that comes out winner must, therefore, excel from many different perspectives, and in a range of Kiwi-specific conditions.”

“The FG-series Falcon does that, but is also noteworthy in other respects; it is, for example, the first Australian- designed -and -built car to achieve the maximum five star occupant protection rating in ANCAP crash testing.”

The FG-series Falcon was one of nine finalists for this year’s New Zealand Car of the Year award, which is open to new models launched in New Zealand during the 12 months prior to 1 November 2008. The others, in alphabetical order, were the Fiat 500, Honda Accord Euro, Hyundai i30, Jaguar XF, Mazda 6, Nissan X-Trail, Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan.

Recent past winners of the title, which is now in its 21st year, have been the Mazda 2 (2007), Porsche Cayman (2006), and Mazda MX-5 (2005).

In recognition of the FG Falcon’s title win, Ford New Zealand will be awarded the Peter Greenslade Trophy, named after the now deceased motoring editor of The Press in Christchurch, who was one of the instigators of the Car of the Year award in the late 1980s.

[JerseyVics]

Sweet!

[4Vman]

Nice result, but its a bit like winning Tasmanian car of the year.... :

[Corzza]

LOL@ ^^^^

The tassies do have the targa

[axeray]

Tasmania, New Zealand, What's the duffrunce.

[whales]

Originally Posted by axeray

Tasmania, New Zealand, What's the duffrunce.

More head room in cars for Tasmania

[Tavers]

Originally Posted by axeray

Tasmania, New Zealand, What's the duffrunce.

One lot prefer sheep over family members? ;)

[XR8putts]

Originally Posted by axeray

Tasmania, New Zealand, What's the duffrunce.

New Zealanders were smart enough to make the FG Ford Falcon the Top Selling car in November 2008.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by puts99

New Zealanders were smart enough to make the FG Ford Falcon the Top Selling car in November 2008.

That's a very good point...!

[phillyc]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

That's a very good point...!

The FG outselling Commodore happened most months this year!

[ehast13]

Now for 'Wheels' magazine COTY.....

[FalconXR6]

Originally Posted by ehast13

Now for 'Wheels' magazine COTY.....

I personally don't place any importance on this award.
Not when VN, VR and VT have won it and the only Falc to win (in recent times) was the BA (and it was a MUCH deserved win).

[sleekism]

Originally Posted by FalconXR6

I personally don't place any importance on this award.
Not when VN, VR and VT have won it and the only Falc to win (in recent times) was the BA (and it was a MUCH deserved win).

Yeah only the XR and BA have won while the drongos have also awarded it to the Camira and VB Commodore.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by ehast13

Now for 'Wheels' magazine COTY.....

The FG has a good chance to win this (I hope not a sympathy win) but it is up against some good competition, the Honda Accord, Accord Euro, Jag XF and the BMW 1 series Coupe.
Personally I think the Accord Euro might take it out, bloody good car.

[jcxr]

They gave the Austin 1800 car of the year!!!!

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Wretched

The FG has a good chance to win this (I hope not a sympathy win) but it is up against some good competition, the Honda Accord, Accord Euro, Jag XF and the BMW 1 series Coupe.
Personally I think the Accord Euro might take it out, bloody good car.

The G6E would have to be a good chance. Good looking, good fuel economy and a ton of power.

Remember the V8 CalaisV won it last year.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by vztrt

The G6E would have to be a good chance. Good looking, good fuel economy and a ton of power.

Remember the V8 CalaisV won it last year.

No it didn't the Merc C Class won it last year.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Wretched

No it didn't the Merc C Class won it last year.

in 07..damm 2009!!

[ThePistonHead]

Great news!

Anyone have a figure on the FG's sold in NZ in lets say December 08?

[BFZ Wagon]

Glad to see the FG win an award in NZ. Even with the huge choice of vehicles available to the people of NZ, it's good to see that people buy the FG (as stated in another thread) and it's great that the motoring press there made a good decision. Holden mustn't have been able to afford to send anyone to NZ to 'persuade' them like they seem to do with our motoring journalists etc. here in OZ.

I like NZ and I like the Falcon. So it's all great!

Enough from me. :P

[Luke3000]

Honda acord doesnt seem to be up to the euro, for the price difference etc.
Falcy should win judging on previous winners.

[ehast13]

Wheels COTY usually isn't far off.

As for camira, they were pretty good when new. Same goes for Austin 1800, VT, VR, VB etc. despite VB engines, VR interior

EF was only beaten by liberty (if released in 93 it would have beaten VR), AU didn't deserve to win when it had more rattly plastic in the base models than a VN and really didn't come of age til AUII.

Falcons to win have been XP, XR, BA
Territory won it, so did telstar/626

Xa was beaten by charger????? Or was that 71???
XD should have had coil spring rear end (a la XE/XF)
Ea should have had MPI 3.9 standard and a 4 speed auto.
Ef - damn liberty woulda won if not for subey
Au - forte interior, fading brakes - damn liberty again - woulda won if not for subey

[smoo]

Originally Posted by ehast13

Wheels COTY usually isn't far off.

As for camira, they were pretty good when new. Same goes for Austin 1800, VT, VR, VB etc. despite VB engines, VR interior

Wheels COTY is over rated. A real crock. The VR had the slighest improvements over VP... The only thing I can think of is airbags as standard (or was that Berlina and above?). Still the same crap engine g/box combo with about 5 more kw, similar interior and suspension.

Same deal with the VT, heavier, thirstier, slower with the same mechanicals. Still fell to bits at the same rate as VS. Had more quality control issues if I remember too.

[XR6_190]

Good to see the FG win yet another award.

It's just a shame about the Wheels COTY. I don't put too much credence in that one but the general public do. I can't see how a car that is winning just about every other award out there, not to mention being the first locally built car to obtain a 5 star safety rating, could not even make it into the final list of finalists.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by XR6_190

Good to see the FG win yet another award.

It's just a shame about the Wheels COTY. I don't put too much credence in that one but the general public do. I can't see how a car that is winning just about every other award out there, not to mention being the first locally built car to obtain a 5 star safety rating, could not even make it into the final list of finalists.

Oh boo hoo, it isn't going to win every award.
You might want to wipe the tears and read the Wheels COTY criteria and even possibly they're reasoning behind the selection when the magazine is printed.

It is funny how every publication here is judged as being biased against Ford until they present an award to a Ford whether it deserves it or not. Tell me were Wheels biased or not when they awarded the BA and Territory the COTY?

[Fev]

^ i wonder how much holden overpay for the advertisements they put in Wheels :P

atleast the Kiwi's have got the idea - its a great car just a pity not everyone knows it