Cleaner, thriftier Falcons on sale

Naturally aspirated six-cylinder engined Ford Falcons are now Euro IV-compliant as well as more economical -- and it is all largely due to across-the-board adoption of the ZF six-speed automatic transmission.

Falcon XT, G6, G6E and XR6 all scrape in below 10L/100km with an average consumption figure of 9.9L/100km Previously all but the G6E (10.1 L/100km), which was already fitted with the six-speed auto, claimed 10.5L/100km. This equates to an improvement of 5.7 per cent (two per cent for the G6E).

The CO2 emission figure is now 236g/km, which warrants a 5.5 star greenhouse rating for the Falcon.

Falcon utes are also available with the six-speed ZF, which means an 8.5 per cent improvement in average fuel consumption on auto Ute, R6 and XR6 versions.

The new auto signals the death knell for the old five-speed box on petrol-engined Falcons. It is standard on XT, G6, G6E and G6E Turbo sedans, and optional on base Ute, R6 Ute, XR6 Ute and XR6 Turbo Ute. As standard, XR sedans and all Utes come with the six-speed manual Tremec gearbox.

The adoption of the six-speed ZF auto is paralleled by other refinements targetting improved economy and emissions. These include software changes in the Powertrain Control Module, such as optimised cold start and warm up calibration, optimised hot idle calibration, revised pedal progression to provide a more progressive and linear launch, minor transmission shift schedule changes for optimised upshift and cruise gear selection, and enhanced Deceleration Fuel Shut-Off (DFSO) for optimal urban fuel economy.

Other improvements in Falcons include the across-the-board adoption -- sedans and utes - of Bluetooth connectivity, as well as iPod integration. XR6 and XR6 Turbo utes now also get side-impact head/thorax airbags as standard.

Entry-level utes also gain an optional column-shift auto that enables three passengers to travel in the front.

The cruncher is the price.

The base XT and the XR6 Turbo sedans jump by $600 to $40,290 and $48,990 respectively, while G6 and G6E are up $500 to $43,490 and $50,390 respectively. G6E Turbo takes a bigger $1100 hike to $58,990, while the XR6 is up by a mere $100.

Utes are similarly affected: Price rises vary between $500 and $600 depending on model.

Ford softens the blow by saying that, on the R6 for example, the $500 increase is offset by more than "$1,000 worth of safety and technology features."

It's a tactic similar to the one adopted for Falcon pricing at the beginning of the year, offsetting an effective price increase with a change in specification.

Manufacturer's list prices, not including statutory and delivery charges:

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