Road test: Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo

By Feann Torr

The traditional Australian performance car is synonymous with one very special letter and one distinguished number: V8.

And, despite a number of popular or 'cult' performance six-cylinder vehicles being unleashed onto the Australian motoring public in the past (VL Commodore Turbo, Skyline GTR, Torana XU-1), none has ever been regarded with the same attention as that of the V8.

But the times are changing...

In the lead up to the launch of the BA Falcon in August of 2002, rumours started floating about that the brand-spanking new 4.0-litre straight six mill of the XR6 would be offered with a greatly increased power output, and speculation grew ripe as to the source of such legendary power.

In September of 2002, the XR6 Turbo was unveiled and the rules of engagement changed considerably. Already, the turbocharged Falcon has been showered with praise by the Australian motoring media, and after testing Ford's affordable hero car for a week, it's not hard to see why.

We've already tested Holden's forced induction six-cylinder Commodore (supercharged VY S) and we quite liked it, so what of the XR6T? Is it head and shoulders above Holden's equivalent blown six, or even Holden's 351 cubic inch V8, or is it just another Falcon with a pretty paint job?

Make: Ford
Model: BA Falcon XR6 Turbo
Price: $46,005 (as tested)
Transmission: 4 speed auto, w/sports shift
Engine: 4.0-litre, Inline six-cylinder, 24-valves, turbocharged/intercooled
Fuel Consumption: City cycle - 12.5-litres/100km, Highway cycle - 8.0-litres/100km
Seats: 5
Safety: Driver and front passenger SRS airbag, ABS, Traction control

Drive

2003 BA Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo

The turbocharged XR6 Falcon is fast, but one aspect of the car that really surprised me from the get-go was the fact that it's also very refined.

The XR6T's power plant is truly a thing of beauty, but far from accepting an overheating, rattly and unreliable mill as part and parcel of significantly improved performance, the XR6T sets new standards for an Australian family car.

This not only reflects on Ford Australia and its ability to build a world class inline six-cylinder mill, but the fact that it's turbocharged, and that the engine and gearbox and limited slip differential all work together in relative harmony is an altogether exciting experience.

We tested the four-speed automatic model, replete with sports mode tip-tronic shift, and while I generally whinge and whine if I don't get a manual model, things were different here.

The auto gearbox is streets ahead of the equivalent Holden slusher, though to GMH's credit a new five-speed automatic will be on offer by 2005. Anyway, Ford's new automatic gearbox contends brilliantly with the glut of torque early in the rev range, and has no quibbles with igniting the rear hoops and giving your fellow drivers a free gift of molten rubber particles if you forget to turn on the traction control.

The motivation offered by the turbo mill is expectional. Never has a six-cylinder engine felt so powerful, and in the right hands this vehicle will give V8 Commodore's a real run for their pushrod-based money.

The XR6T hits it's powerband very early in the rev range, and what a powerband it is: It begins @ 2000rpm, and with your foot flat to the floor you'll feel your torso being pushed slowly into the supportive seat cushions.

By about 3000rpm the Falcon is really hitting it's stride and by now you're passengers will either be grinning malevolently, or screaming at you vociferously for upsetting their normally tranquil digestive processes.

By the time the vermillion tacho needle has touched 4000rpm, your passengers won't be the only ones grinning and, when peak power kicks in @ 5250rpm, you'll probably be thinking "Is this legal?" And when you hit the redline in third gear and you're nudging 200km/h, no doubt someone will tell you that no, it is not legal.

But the fact of the matter is, you'll be happy to do it all over again as the car's shifting computer decides it's time for another gear ratio and the build up of momentus torque pushes the car forward again, with seemingly more urgency than before.

One of the things that had me a little baffled for the first few days was the car's weight: 1664kg ain't exactly what you'd call athletic. But in spite of its generous bulk, the XR6T will hit 100km/h in bang on 6.0 seconds, which is just about line-ball with Holden's SS Commodore (which incidentally has an almost 30 per cent larger engine and two extra cylinders).

Ford has delivered the goods with this hi-po Six

But more than just the latest Aussie muscle car, a trophy for enthusiasts to aspire to, the XR6T is an extremely practical and well-built family sedan.

It seats five in comfort, has plenty of mod cons, enough boot space to wedge heaps of camping gear or a quartet of large suitcases and yes, it can be driven with a modicum of civility (though to do so would be denying yourself one of today's ultimate pleasures).

The suspension tune is quite stiff, but being an enthusiast myself I guess I was hoping for something a little more rigid and less softly sprung, that would ultimately allow for better levels of turn in and higher mid-corner speed (and grip).

The compromise that the Ford spanner men settled on is perfect for Australia's decrepit roads however, soaking up the best and worst that gets thrown at it. Of course, some of the plushness in the ride is due to the cars overall weight, but at the end of the day, the suspension arrangement is hard to fault.

A lot of this on road composure comes down to Ford's new control blade IRS system, which we'll look at more closely on page 2 in the handling section, but it's safe to say that rear end grip is well above average for rear-wheel drive car of this size.

Exterior

While the photos give a good indication of what to expect from the XR6T, to be honest I believe they fail to capture the just how good the car looks on the road.

While the 'acid rush' coloured Falc' we drove wasn't to everyone's liking, the car's proportions and overall look lend it a subdued poerformance car look, which for me is perfect.

It's got a bit of a 'sleeper' feel, where you could theoretically roll up to the lights and the guy in the 911 Turbo wouldn't bat an eyelid - until your low-pressure ball-bearing turbocharger kicks in and you leave him in your dusty wake.

But things such as the tasteful five-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels and deeper front spoiler with integrated foglights give the car an added dose of menace, and new take on the XR twin-headlamps are simply sensational. The exterior design team at Ford should be proud.

Oval exhaust pipe is big and bold

The bodykit extras include side skirts, deeper front and rear bumpers/aprons, bigger wheels, low-profile tyres and boot-mounted wing spoiler.

While the roof line and doors have been carried over from the AU Falcon of the late 90s, the overall look is more conservative and not quite as radical as its forebear.

From behind, the XR6T is all clean lines, though the deeper rear bumper/apron isn't as inspired as the front of the car - though special mention should go to the lovely chromium oval exhaust pipe.

On the road, the acid rush colour elicits plenty of attention, but in general the Falcon Turbo has lots of presence on the road and always looks good - no matter the angle.

There's a hint of Audi in the tail lights, and the squared-off front end takes the Falcon in a new design direction, yet without destroying all the car's heritage.

The XR6T is lower overall than standard BA Falcons and while this is mainly for improved handling characteristics, it looks good too. On the whole I think the new Falcons are greatly improved over the AU models, and the XR6T has just enough extras, such as the spoiler and Turbo badging, to differentiate it from the pack.

Interior

I clocked up many hours in the new Ford Falcon Turbo, and it's far and away one of comfiest rides I've ever experienced, and this isn't surprising.

You see, when the BA Falcon [or Barra concept as it was called] was in development, a lot of emphasis was placed on comfort behind the wheel, and the result was that all five seats - front and back - were completely redesigned over the AU III model's pews.

From the entry-level XT, every Falcon now gets four-way electric adjustment in the drivers seat (bringing it line with Commodore), and while the front sports seats in the XR6T are brilliantly supportive, they've also got a huge range of movement and finding an acceptable driving position took about 15 seconds after frist stepping into the Falcon at the Broadmeadows plant.

It really is nice to jump into the cockpit of an Aussie family car too - there's so much room, and everything's where it should be: There's a couple of cup holders below the centre console, which is also new and very intuitive, a handy tissue holder (with bonafide Ford-spec tissues), a large storage bin underneath the front armrest and XR-embroidered floor mats just for good measure.

The Falcon offers excellent amounts of head, shoulder and leg room for all five seating positions, has a large 504 litre boot and is a very ample place to spend your road-going time, whether you're just off to the shops or heading interstate.

Easing oneself gently into the bolstered sports seats, complete with XR-stitching, of the new BA Falcon XR6T is easy thanks to the copious amounts of interior space on offer, and even with the front seats pushed right back, there's still more rear legroom than most medium cars offer.

XR6 interior with leather and 5-speed manual shown

While leather is $1980 option, the standard cloth-trimmed seats do an impeccable job of keeping bums and backs comfortable, and everyone who rode in the XR6T would comment on how supportive the new seats are (though usually after stiff interrogation, such as: "Are you comfy?").

Rear seat passengers are well taken care of, with a redesigned rear bench offering good levels of support, and while they don't offer as much cushiness as the front seats, they are by no means poorly designed.

As far as driver controls and instruments go, the Ford XR6T will please the enthusiasts.

With bright blue back-lit dials identified with XR logos and accompanied by bright red needles, you can glance at the 260km/h speedo and tacho for less than a second to be adequately informed of what car and engine are doing.

It's strange that there's no redline on the tacho, but it's no big deal really, and I also liked the new steering wheel, which is now smaller, and the four-spoke design is ergonomically sound as well.

The steering wheel-mounted audio controls (on the left-hand side) work well, as does the sheer simplicity of the cruise control functions (on the right-hand side). It's quick and easy to initiate and adjust, plus the button presses feel great.

>> Page 2: Comfort & Handling, Engine, Extras, Overall