KEY POINTS:
A major change to the instrument layout in the FG Falcon range is the position of the information screen _ it now sits high in the centre of the dashboard instead of lower down in the previous BA model's console.
The change was part safety, part convenience. The
screen, or Interior Command Centre in Ford-speak, serves as the main source of vehicle information for the driver.
Ford Australia electrical engineering manager Stuart Taylor says moving it to a level similar to the instrument cluster "provides the driver with the ability to view the ICC screen without having to divert their eyes downward from the road-level view".
It "also enabled the air vents to be in the optimum position for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning performance".
The ICC is part of what Ford calls its Human Machine Interface (HMI) which, along with the Multi Function Display, allows the driver to control key aspects of the vehicle, including modern conveniences like Bluetooth mobile phone and iPod useage.
The MFD provides real-time information to the driver, fuel used, distance to empty, average fuel economy, instant fuel economy, average speed, distance to destination and travel time.
"Navigating through the system is possible from three different points, with the ICC, instrument cluster and steering wheel buttons all providing various levels of sub-system control," said Taylor
There are two levels of ICC, a low-series version with a backlit monochromatic screen on XT, G6, XR6, XR6 Turbo and XR8 models and a high series version with a seven-inch colour screen on G6E and G6E Turbo models.
The FG Falcon is also available with two levels of audio systems _ standard for the XT, G6, XR6, XR6 Turbo and XR8 models and premium for G6E and G6E Turbo models.
The standard single CD/MP3 system is married to a four-speaker set-up, with the rear speakers positioned on the rear doors rather than on the parcel shelf. Ford says the change allows rear passengers to engage in conversation more easily. The premium, six-disc in-dash CD/MP3 player audio system delivers its sound through eight speakers and features a 150-watt amplifier and 150-watt subwoofer.
Ford said it revised the interior after research showed customers were looking for sportier characteristics. Chief interior designer Marcus Hotblack said: "Our goals for the creation of the interior were similar to those of the exterior design team.
"Increased sporty characteristics and luxury was just as important for the inside of the car as it was for the outside."
Hotblack said that while the basic interior architecture remained consistent across the range, the three Falcon families _ XT, G Series, XR _ each received their own distinct interior environment.
The Falcon XT interior was designed to appeal to families while the XR interior was bright and bold, visually as potent as what was under the bonnet, and the G Series interior was more refined and sophisticated.
