EL Falcon
| Ford Falcon (EL) | |
|---|---|
_GLi_sedan_(17670566466).jpg) |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford Australia |
| Also called | Ford Fairmont (EL) |
| Production | October 1996 – August 1998 |
| Assembly | Australia: Campbellfield, Victoria |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Full-size car |
| Body style | 4-door sedan 5-door station wagon |
| Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Platform | EA77 |
| Related |
Ford LTD (DL) Ford Fairlane (NL) |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 4.0 L Ford I6 (petrol) 4.9 L Windsor V8 (petrol) |
| Transmission | 4-speed M93LE automatic (I6) 4-speed M97LE automatic (V8) 5-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | Sedan: 2,791 mm (109.9 in) Wagon: 2,923 mm (115.1 in) |
| Length | Sedan: 4,906 mm (193.1 in) Wagon: 5,055 mm (199.0 in) |
| Width | 1,861 mm (73.3 in) |
| Height | 1,453 mm (57.2 in) |
| Curb weight | Sedan: 1,536–1,704 kg (3,386–3,757 lb) Wagon: 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Ford Falcon (EF) |
| Successor | Ford Falcon (AU) |
The Ford Falcon (EL) is a full-size car that was produced by Ford Australia from 1996 to 1998. It was the fifth and final iteration of the fifth generation of this Australian-made model and also included the Ford Fairmont (EL)—the luxury-oriented version of the Falcon.
The EL series served as the final chapter of the fifth generation "E-series" architecture, which began with the EA of 1988. Ford discontinued the car in 1998, and replaced it with the AU. Like its predecessors, the EL Falcon was widely favoured by Australian police and taxi operators. The EL remains one of the most popular Falcons produced.
The EL served as a facelift of its predecessor, the EF Falcon, which began production in 1994. The "E-series" architecture can trace its roots back to 1988 with the EA. Ford spent A$40 million for the development of the EL. Ford introduced a number of improvements aimed at extending the life of the "E-series" body while the AU Falcon was being developed. Most of the handling and steering problems with the EF were rectified in the EL. Critics at the time stated the EF Falcon was hard to handle and it felt as if the front suspension of the vehicle wasn’t optimally setup to work with the geometry of the live-axle rear end (the AU would be the first Falcon to offer an independent rear end). Ford addressed these concerns making the EL far more responsive than the EF (see below).
At launch, it was the only Australian-built car equipped with a driver's air bag standard across the board, with a passenger airbag available as an extra cost option.
Compared to the EF, the most obvious visual change was the return of the front grille for GLi and Futura models. The grille itself was now elliptical in shape, a trait shared by other Ford models available at the time. The overall effect was to give the front of the car a rounded visual theme, continuing a shift away from the angular aero style of the early "E-series" models. From the rear, amber indicators were fitted on the base sedan models, with white lenses reserved for the luxury and station wagons. The performance models (XR6 and XR8) saw revised quad headlights.
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