Ford Falcon XT 2008 Review

About our ratings

At its unveiling we argued the FG's styling wasn't different enough from the outgoing BF range and having seen the car on the road, we've not changed our minds.

Indeed, the derivative nature of the new car's styling could be the biggest hurdle Ford has in convincing buyers it is an all-new package -- and one that's worth another look... For once they drive the car, the results will speak for themselves. This is not a game-changing car, but it certainly moves the Australian large car benchmark on.

Despite some of the gushing reviews you might have read elsewhere, however, the FG Falcon still has work cut out for it, especially the XT itself. Thanks to its fleet orientation, there are suggestions the XT is plainly too plain. (more here)

Ford itself will point critics -- and user-chooser and private buyers -- to its G-Series, which kicks off with the $39,990 G6. Offering a much higher level of interior finish, but not a lot more equipment, the G6 starts at $3500 above the XT.

Let's not mince words... As good as the FG is, its key rival, the VE Commodore is far from out of business -- the Holden hasn't all of a sudden become a bad car overnight. And then there's that Toyota...

But, and it's a big but, the Falcon, especially the base and mid level cars, appears now to have an advantage over the Commodore. Not least of all in powertrain and driving refinement.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
Starting from $36,490, the XT underpins the FG Falcon range. Powered by Ford's revised 4.0-litre inline petrol six developing 195kW of power and 391Nm of torque, it is available in auto only.

There's no shortage of performance and the engine will approach 200kW when fed a diet of 98RON fuel. At the launch Ford strategically fuelled up all its testers with the good stuff.

The new gearbox is a French-sourced five-speeder and it's well matched to the characteristics of Ford's refined, if still far from sonorous, I6. Ford offers the option of the excellent ZF six-speed automatic transmission for an extra $1500.

Fleet purchasers and fuel-price motivated private buyers may avail themselves of the XT's E-Gas LPG-fuelled option at $1400. It should be noted that the E-Gas equipped naturally-aspirated I6 and its BA-vintage four-speed auto are essentially carried over into the FG (more here). Far from state of the art, Ford's backroom boys will likely devote their LPG development budget to the new global V6 now.

When the new six is so refined and can deliver sub-9.0L/100km consumption on the open road (we saw numbers considerably lower on one highway stretch), the attraction of LPG-fuelled savings may wane for some.

Ford says the XT "sets a new standard for overall vehicle package in the large car class."

There's no doubt, the FG is a step forward from the BF range, thanks largely to the structural integrity of the new body and the top-class active safety infrastructure under the skin. Alas all that engineering work doesn't seem to have left a lot of money for the luxuries, in life... The XT is aimed at the fleet buyer and it shows.

Where the G-Series models feature the choice of two-tone interiors and plush surfacings and brightwork, the XT's cabin uses 'Shadow' (read: charcoal) monotone dash and interior finishes. The centre stack and door and dash spears feature Matte Shadow and Dark Nickel finishes and there's a single Domain/Metro fabric combination for the seats and door skins independent of exterior colours. In a word -- sombre.

The steering wheel -- though it's well-shaped and sized -- is a plastic item. In a word -- cheap.

Standard features like 60:40 splitfold rear seat add amenity to the base Falcon's offer and an advantage over its Holden rival. The aperture itself appears to have changed little from the outgoing BA/BF series.

The FG XT's wheels are 16-inch steel and the spare is a space saver. A full-sized spare is optional (for $100).

Though they get new rubber (specially developed for the new FG) the steel wheels wear carry-over plastic wheel trims. It might be a simple thing, but this demonstrates the intense cost pressures Ford was under to deliver the structurally upgraded FG on budget. It won't help differentiation at street level, however...

The one advantage of the space saver is the extra well created in the boot. It's a perfect space to stow smaller suitcases and the like and stops them from sliding around the boot. The electronic boot release is under the lid brow -- like a 'real' car.

There are new seat designs front and rear and the driver gets four-way electric adjustment and manual lumbar.

The FG's new cabin design features a new HMI (Human Machine Interface) schema that includes (in the case of the XT) a monocolour 5.8-inch ICC display screen. Other electronic upgrades include a MFD with trip computer, one-touch three-flash indicators and Set-Point cruise control.

Audio is a single CD, though premium sound upgrades are available at higher trim levels. The XT's four-speaker MP3-compatible system includes a 3.5mm auxiliary input.

Ford offers a Technology Pack on XT (as well as G6 and the XR range) which combines Bluetooth mobile phone integration and full iPod integration $450 -- a comparable price to the stand-alone Bluetooth systems offered by competitors, the company says.

At least the lion's share of Ford's FG development has purchased some important stuff such as a super strong crash structure; electronic stability control; antilock brakes with Emergency Brake Assist (EBA); one-touch start (and Euro-style folding key) and four airbags (including side head/thorax airbags).

Curtain airbags are available; by themselves and in second options pack. The FG's $600 Safety Pack bundles side curtain airbags, power adjustable pedals and a perimeter alarm. Side curtain airbags as a standalone option are just $300.

Coincidentally that $300 takes the XT's RRP to the same as the VE Commodore Omega -- $36,790.

MECHANICAL, PACKAGING, etc
For more details on the FG range's development, engineering, powerplants, performance and fuel economy claims, packaging, etc, check out our main FG Falcon info page here

ON THE ROAD
Discussion regarding styling will go out the window when most prospective purchasers drive the FG -- even at XT level. This is a quiet, refined and resolved car that exhibits refinement and performance above its station.

The first thing that strikes you is drivetrain refinement. Turn the one-touch key and the I6 settles into an almost silent and smooth idle. Pull away and the new five-speed tranny shifts smoothly through the gears, grabbing top quickly -- a function of the emphasis on fuel economy, we'd suggest.

There's a performance mode for the transmission that's accessed (like previous models) when you slide the lever to the left. You can also manually shift the tranny, though in most cases thanks to clever programming the performance mode provides sufficient interactivity.

Acceleration is crisp. Our associates at Wheels magazine have already recorded a 15sec quarter mile in the base car. That's a time some iconic performance Fords of old can't match... And remember this is the 'taxi' model.

Crisp can also be used to describe the steering feel. Though the XT has a touch more 'float' at dead ahead, the steering weights up nicely off centre and is fulsome in its responsiveness and feedback. All our test driving was out of town and in the twisties the variable rack delivered just the right amount of extra wheel angle for tight switchbacks.

Despite the 'float' mentioned above, at straight ahead the car was anything but nervous. Our one critcism of the steering is a touch of steering rack rattle, though only when pushing on through bumpy bends -- most owners will never strike it.

The XT's new suspension package is far from entry level with high quality monotube dampers and the same alloy componentry as the range-topping G6E Turbo. It gets its own suspension settings though and coupled with the 60 profile tyres delivers a ride of which many luxury cars would be proud.

At the same time, it is far from at sea in the twisties. The XT's brakes proved strong and predictable, and unlike some older Falcon models didn't cry enough at the sight of enthusiastic driving.

On the gravel, our own Joe Kenwright reported the XT was comfortable, predictable and trustworthy. Good news for those country reps out there.

The resolution of the suspension package and the well-matched engine and gearbox are the highlights of the XT. Holden buyers will effectively have to shop at Calais level (SV6 if you want a 'sporty') to match the refinement and power delivery of the XT's combination. Omega's rattly and at times breathless V6 and four-speed auto are simply off the pace.

The suspension clearly has a strong structure to work from. On the mix of mountain and country roads traversed during FG launch, we heard not a creak or groan, nor felt a shimmy or shake from the FEU (field evaluation units) cars that made up the launch fleet.

As noted above, the XT's turn-in and steering accuracy -- an advantage Falcon has traditionally held over Commodore -- is improved, right across the new range. The FGs all exhibit a wieldiness that few large cars (from anywhere in the world) can better.

Also improved over the BF and Holden is vision. On those same mountain roads, we noted the substantially better sight lines the FG affords. There's a palpable difference in the vision through corners -- especially when compared to the VE. Unlike the Commodore, not once did the writer find himself actively trying to look 'around' the A-pillar. This is a key plus for the FG in terms of active safety, in our view.

Not everything was perfect, however. In the G-Series cars and the base XT the seat cushion too was soft and before long we felt we were 'falling' through it. We fear long haul comfort may be compromised. More investigation is necessary.

Nor will the driving position be ideal for everyone. Our own Mr Gratton prefers a more upright position and found the instruments were slightly obscured by the top of the steering wheel rim, and there wasn't enough adjustment left in the steering column rake to compensate.

We found the detailing of the front passenger airbag cover fussy and the quality of some of the trim parts -- such as the XT's satin finish interior door latches and gloss detailing on the higher grade models' centre stack -- was not up to scratch. Indeed, most of the FEU (see above) cars driven at the launch all had various trim issues, including a consistent problem at the A-pillar/headlining junction.

Ford says it sought leadership for the FG range in key areas such as ride and handling, NVH (noise vibration and harshness) and real world performance including fuel economy and safety. While we'll reserve our final judgement until we drive fully representative production FGs, we've got few qualms in the giving a provisional thumbs up in terms of its refinement and dynamic ability.

In short, the car is improved from the BF (and its variants) in a number of key areas. In our opinion, it now shades VE in terms of an overall package at base model level and above.

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