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By
EWAN KENNEDY
14 April 2008
After months of speculation; many hours of in-depth technical
presentations; attending an old-fashioned smoke-music-and-lights
unveiling; the moment of truth has arrived for the new Ford FG
Falcon. The first test drives by the automotive press.
We have just come away from two packed days of country driving
in a big variety of Falcons, and have come back most impressed by
just about everything it does.
Though all the visible areas of the body are all-new, the lack
of major changes in styling compared with the superseded BF Falcon
has disappointed some observers. When viewed on the road
surrounded by other vehicles, the styling changes are more marked
than when the cars are seen in artificial indoor environments,
such as at the recent Melbourne International Motor Show. But at
no time during the first big public foray of the car did we find
people stopping, staring or commenting on it.
On the other hand, the large-car market in Australia is
generally the area in which conservative people dwell so the
unassuming shape of the Falcon may prove to be just right for a
large number of potential buyers.
The interior styling does take a new direction, one that works
exceptionally well. To start with there's more interior than ever
before in any Falcon, because Ford's designers have pushed the
sides of the car out, made it squarer and flattened the roof
slightly. Combine that with doors that have bigger openings and
that open wider than previously and you get a nice feeling of
spaciousness. This is backed up by wider seats and good head,
elbow and leg room for all occupants in what is a large and
practical family car at a modest price.
Few cars are genuine five-seaters if all are adults who want
room to spread, but the FG Falcon comes closer to this ideal than
just about anything else of its size. The front seats come in
several styles depending on whether the model is standard, luxury
or sports. We found all to be spacious and comfortable. However,
driving 11 different cars over the two-day period meant we never
had a chance to experience any one seat for long-distance cruising
comfort. We would be surprised if it wasn’t good in a longtime
Falcon tradition.
NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) are damped down to the
sort of levels that are normally heard and felt in a much more
expensive European or Japanese. Indeed, on coarse-chip surfaces
even the best of the Euro machines would struggle to beat the
refinement of the locally designed Falcon. But, as was the case
with the superseded EA and BA-BF series Falcons there's noticeably
more noise intrusion into the back seat area than the front.
The FG Falcon's dash design works brilliantly, with two
distinct pods, one for the instruments, the other for the minor
controls such as those for the audio and ventilation systems, as
well as the reversing-camera (when fitted). Clever design
separates the pods without looking like an afterthought, something
with which a lot of designers have struggled in recent years.
We found the analog instruments to be a bit on the small side,
but easy enough to read. The digital readouts, which can include a
second speedometer and trip computer readings are pleasing large
and easy to see at a glance.
We sampled all three engine options: 4.0-litre standard,
4.0-litre turbocharged and 5.4-litre V8. All engines are more
powerful than in their previous incarnations, yet use less fuel
and produce fewer emissions.
We will go into the engines (and transmissions) in more detail
as we drive the new Falcons extensively in our home area in coming
weeks. Suffice to say that our first impressions of all the
powerplants are overwhelmingly positive. Though it’s the ‘working’
engine, the standard 4.0-litre, that is probably our favourite. It
produces more than enough power for all but the revheads, has
slick response to the throttle, produces good torque at low
speeds, is happy to rev all the way to the redline. And feels and
sounds sweet and willing at all times. A brilliant engine.
The turbo six has heaps of grunt but that comes only after the
sort of lag that’s inevitable in an engine of this size and
relatively humble beginnings.
The V8, which is now virtually the old Falcon GT engine, has
huge amounts of oomph and makes all the right noises. Particularly
when worked really hard so that the sound-improving active-muffler
system really gets going.
Has Ford Australia's new FG Falcon got what it takes to again
climb to number one spot on the sales charts? Only time will tell,
but our initial impressions are that the top-class refinement and
smoothness, and the overall suitability of the car to Australian
conditions will impress a lot of family-car buyers.
The complete Ford Falcon FG range, with prices (excluding
on-road costs) is:
XT: $36,490 (automatic)
G6: $39,990 (automatic)
G6E: $46,990 (automatic)
G6E Turbo: $54,990 (automatic)
XR6: $39,990 (manual or automatic)
XR6 Turbo: $45,490 (manual); $46,990 (automatic)
XR8: $45,490 (manual); $46,990 (automatic)
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Marque Publishing Company
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