2010 Falcon/Territory (speculation)

[Road_Warrior]

Right.

We know that come 2010, some time before July 1, there is going to be (well, HAS to be if Fr0d want to keep selling them) a mildly updated Falcon (let's call it the FH for argument's sake) and a heavily revised Territory (SZ perhaps?). The Territory is supposed to have a redesigned front and back end, FG driveline and interior, so we're told.

Keeping in mind the Euro 4 cutoff date next year, it's roughly 12 months out from the on-sale date of both of these cars.

Going back through the threads in the lead up to when Orion was released, test mules started cropping up on public roads and scuttlebutt started appearing here and there, roughly 12 months out from the on-sale date. Now I know full well there is probably no such "golden rule" of starting public testing 12 months out from release, but to me it seems that this may be a logical testing procedure for Ford prior to release of a new car.

Possible changes to the FH over the FG probably arent going to be much, probably just engine calibration changes as detailed by Ford themselves and by posters here, and perhaps some cosmetic differences (think of the model transition from BA to BF - this is what I think will happen). This car is supposedly the 'Huntsman' car that has been talked about. To that end, they could probably get away with doing the bulk of FH testing within the proving ground (probably what they did with the SYII Territory because the changes were so minor) and what full-build mules that are actually on the street are probably indistinguishable to the average punter. Only the trainspotters will be able to tell the difference.

Not so for the new Territory - with the amount of changes that are supposedly being done, there will come a time where Ford will have to venture out of the proving ground for real-world testing.

The point I am making at the end of all this speculation is that the test mules are probably out there, amongst us, right now! Get those cameras at the ready!

Perhaps someone with some inside knowledge can chime in as to whether this is on the mark or not (without incriminating yourself - it's not worth getting fired over!). Or perhaps you have in fact seen what appeared to be a 2010 Falcon or Territory test mule on the road where you are but werent sure what it was.